TV audiences in India no longer have to wait for months to catch the latest English entertainment shows launched in the US thanks to ‘simulcasts’. From Star-owned FX to Viacom’s Colors Infinity, English general entertainment channels are revamping content to bring in the latest seasons of popular series.
Besides curbing illegal downloads, the simultaneous telecasts of these programmes go a long way in attracting both sponsors and viewers for the channels.
FX, the English general entertainment channel from Star India, is in the process of introducing 50 additional shows across various genres.
“We started three years ago with older seasons of cult shows. But now we will be introducing the latest seasons of popular shows,” Kevin Vaz, Business Head for the English Cluster at Star India told BusinessLine .
Vaz said shows such as Homeland (Season 5), Affair (Season 2), Empire (Season 2) and Doctor Who (Season 9), will be aired immediately after their international telecast. Other shows, including Luther and Bosch , and reality comedies Last Comic Standing and the Last Man on Earth, will also be aired soon.
HBO Defined, too, is exploring the idea of airing shows simultaneously. The company said its True Detective series is being aired simultaneously to avoid spoilers of airing shows in different time zones.
Viacom 18’s Colors Infinity has ramped up its line-up to offer a slew of new shows and simulcasts of fresh seasons of popular programmes alongside their US telecast. Some of the shows will go on air just 12 hours after being televised in the US.
The new line-up includes shows such as Mr. Robot , Tyrant , The Last Ship, Chasing Life, The Night Shift , and a weekend special Black Mirror , all of which will be aired in India for the first time.
Curbing downloads “Viewers here will be watching new shows only a few hours after their American counterparts. There is no need to illegally download anymore,” said Ferzad Palia, EVP & head of English Entertainment at Viacom18.
According to a FICCI-Frames 2015 report, content-acquisition costs have trebled in the last few years.
Typically, content costs anywhere between ₹3-5 lakh per hour, per show. However, when it is simulcast or shown just after being aired in the US, the cost goes up to ₹8-10 lakh per show, per hour. Both Star FX and Colors Infinity pointed that the content has been curated for the Indian audiences. That means leaving out adult scenes, bleeping foul language and posting disclaimers in scenes depicting smoking.
Star FX says it has signed a long-term deal for content. “We have over 1,400 hours of original content,” said Vaz. He added that media planners and advertisers were showing keen interest in the programmes. “At least 60-70 per cent of Star World’s advertisers are active on FX.”
Industry players say English general entertainment channels were getting new content as this attracted subscribers as also advertisers due to the premium tag that comes with catering to consumers in SEC A and B cities.
The English GEC category garners ₹350-400 crore in ad revenue, with annual growth at 15 per cent. Quoting TAM data from 2014, the KPMG-FICCI report pegs the total viewership of English entertainment channels (GEC and movie channels) at 0.9 per cent but attracting 4.6 per cent of total ad spends.