BENGALURU: The live telecast of the India Pakistan ICC cricket world cup match in week 25 of 2019 (Saturday, 15 June 2019 to Friday, 21 June 2019, week or period under review) was among the most watched sports programme on three channels – Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 2 and DD Sports. One ICC World Cup other match – the live telecast of the Australia-Bangladesh on Star Sports 1 Hindi was the fifth most watched programme in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly list of 5 most watched programmes during primetime during the week under review. Besides, the live telecast of Philips Hue Cricket on Star Sports 1 Hindi was the fourth watched sports programme during the week under review. These matches catapulted Star Sports 1 Hindi to first rank in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genre in week 25 of 2019.

Sun TV Networks flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV pipped Dangal TV to second rank during the period under review, pushing the Hindi GEC to third rank. Seven Hindi GEC’s and one channel each from the Sports, Tamil and Telugu genres comprised BARC’s list of top 10 channels across genre in week 25 of 2019. From the network’s perspective, there were 3 channels from Star India, two channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and one channel each from Enterr 10 TV, Sun Tv Network and Viacom18 in BARC’s weekly list for week 25 of 2019.

Climbing up a place to first rank in week 25 of 2019 was Star Sports 1 Hindi with 1,186.783 as compared to second rank and 763.962 million weekly impressions in week 24. Star Sports 1 Hindi was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi Sports channels and as mentioned above. Further, the three of five most watched sports programmes as mentioned above were broadcast on Star Sports 1 Hindi during the week under review.

Also climbing up a place to second rank during week 25 of 2019 was Sun TV with 851.935 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 762.213 million weekly impressions in week 24. Sun TV also headed BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets and four of the top 5 Tamil programmes in this market based on average rating across all original airings in the week were aired on Sun TV.

Dropping two places to third rank in week 25 of 2019 was Enterr 10 TV’s Hindi GEC Dangal with 788.059 million weekly impressions as compared to first rank and 806.687 million weekly impressions in week 24. Dangal also headed BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking market -HSM (U+R) and HSM (R).  Dangal was ranked seventh in HSM (U). An Indian mythology programmes– Mahima Shanidev Ki and a family drama Baba Aiso Var Dhundo on Dangal were in BARC’s list of  Top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (R).

Climbing up a rank to fourth place was Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV with 701.670 million weekly impressions in week 25 as compared to fifth rank and 680.603 million weekly impressions in week 24. Zee TV was ranked second in HSM (U+R), HSM (U) and third in HSM (R) in BARC’s weekly list if top 10 Hindi GECs’. The Balaji Telefilms produced Kumkum Bhagya, its spinoff  Kundali Bhagya and Tujhse Hai Raabta aired on Zee TV were among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U).

Also climbing up to fifth place in week 25 of 2019 was Star India’ flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus with 682.166 million weekly impressions as compared to seventh rank and 624.298 million weekly impressions in week 24. Star Plus was also ranked third and fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in  HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) respectively and was ranked first in HSM (U). Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus was amongst BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R) in HSM (U).

Retaining its previous week’s sixth rank in week 25 of 2019 was Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa with 663.013 million weekly impressions as compared to 626.797 million weekly impressions in week 25. Star Maa was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu GECs’ in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets and all the five programmes in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in these markets were aired on Star Maa.

Dropping down three places to seventh rank in week 25 of 2019 was Zeel’s Hindi GEC Big Magic with 566.278 million weekly impressions as compared to fourth rank and 690.539 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Big Magic was ranked fourth and second in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) respectively. Big Magic was ranked eighth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U).

SPN’s Hindi GEC Sony SAB also retained its previous week’s eighth rank in week 25 of 2019 with 536.918 million weekly impressions as compared to 552.626 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Sony SAB was ranked fifth, sixth and third in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and (U) respectively. One of the longest running Indian sitcom - Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma on Sony SAB was among BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U).

Climbing up a rank to ninth place was Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors in week 25 of 2019  with 513.035 million weekly impressions as compared to tenth rank and 521.025 million weekly impressions in week 24. Colors was ranked sixth in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and was ranked fifth in both HSM (R) in HSM (U).

Re-entering BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genre was SPN’s flagship Hindi GEC Sony Entertainment Television (SET) with 479.487 million weekly impressions in week 25 of 2019. SET was ranked seventh in BARC’s weekly  lists of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and was ranked fourth in HSM (U)