BENAGLURU: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) free to air (FTA) Hindi GEC Zee Anmol was the most watched Hindi channel across genres in week 51 of 2018 (Saturday, 15 December 2018 to Friday, 21 December 2018, week or period under review). Overall, the channel was ranked second, just behind the regular incumbent of rank one – the Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV during the week under review in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India’s (BARC) weekly list of top 10 channels across genres in week 51 of 2018. Hence Zee Anmol was the most watched Hindi channel – be it the GEC or the movies genre.

Six Hindi GECs, two Telugu channels and one channel each from the Hindi Movies and Tamil genres made up BARC’s list of top channels across genres (across genres list) in week 51 of 2018. From the network’s perspective, there were four channels from Star India, three channels from Zeel and one channel each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN), Sun TV and Viacom 18 that made up BARC’s across genres list during the period under review.

At its normal first rank in week 51 of 2018 was Sun TV with 973.093 million weekly impressions as compared to 1972.898 weekly impressions in week 50. Sun TV also led BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry market and three programmes in BARC’s list of top 5 Tamil programmes during primetime in these markets based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week under review were aired on Sun TV.

Zee Anmol climbed up a rank to second place in week 51 of 2018 with 766.527 million weekly impressions as compared to 780.784 million weekly impressions in week 50. Zee Anmol was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and was ranked ninth in HSM (U). The Balaji Telefilms produced soap Kumkum Bhagya was ranked first in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Another two programmes aired on the channel - Mahek  and Ek Main aur Ek Tu were ranked fifth and third respectively in HSM (R).

Dropping down a place to third rank was Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus with 764.975 million impressions as compared to 787.518 million weekly impressions and second rank in week 50. Star Plus was ranked second in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking markets or HSM (U+R) and was ranked first in HSM (U) and eighth in HSM (R). The 4 Lion Films soap Kulfi Kumar Bajewala aired on Star Plus was present in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (U) during primetime  based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat).

Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV retained its previous week’s fourth rank in week 51 with 7562.121 million weekly impressions as compared to 734.226 million weekly impressions in week 50. Zee TV was ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and second in HSM (U), and was ranked seventh in HSM (R). Two programmes that were aired on Zee TV- Kumkum Bhagya, and its spinoff Kundali Bhagya were at fourth and third ranks respectively in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U+R) and second and fourth respectively in HSM (U).

Another Star India Hindi GEC Star Bharat climbed up one place to fifth rank in week 51 of 2018 with 693.134 million weekly impressions as compared to 674.982 million weekly impressions in week 50. Star Bharat was ranked fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), and fifth in HSM (R) and HSM (U). The Hindi mythology Radhakrishn on the channel was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U+R).

Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa dropped a rank to sixth place in week 51 of 2018 with 683.707 million weekly impressions as compared with 687.563 million weekly impressions in week 50. Star Maa was ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana market. Five programmes that were aired on Star Maa were present in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in the same market.

SPN’s Hindi movies channel Sony Max re-entered BARC’s across genres list in week 51 of 2018 with 575.714 million weekly impressions. Sony Max was ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi movies channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and was ranked fifth in HSM (R). Hindi feature film (HFF) Sarrainodu was ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi movies programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U+R) and second in HSM (U). Two other movies on the channel – HFF Bahubali 2 the Conclusion and PK were ranked third and fifth in HSM (U).

Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors also retained eighth rank in week 51 of 2018 with 572.851 million weekly impressions during the week under review as compared to 576.088 million weekly impressions in week 50 of 2018. Colors was ranked sixth in in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), third in HSM (U) and was ranked tenth in HSM (R). The third season of the Balaji Telefilms produced supernatural drama Naagin 3 was ranked second and first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes during primetime based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in the week in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) respectively.

Star India’s FTA Hindi GEC Star Utsav dropped two ranks to ninth place in week 51 of 2018 with 569.081 million weekly impressions as compared to 628.094 weekly impressions in week 50. Star Utsav was ranked fifth in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R).  and was ranked seventh in HSM (U).

Zeel’s flagship Telugu GEC Zee Telugu dropped a place to tenth rank in week 51 of 2018 with 529.277 million weekly impressions as compared to 563.158 million weekly impressions in week 50. The channel was ranked second in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana market.