Star India launches first ever regional language sports channel in Tamil

It is the latest in a series of initiatives by broadcasters to milk the growing regional pie

Star India’s launch of the first ever regional language sports channel marks a growing realisation among media networks and broadcasters about the rising power of the Indian language market. Instead of the usual dub-and-broadcast strategy, networks are launching dedicated channels and increasing the share of independent programming for regional viewers. The launch of Star Sports 1 Tamil (SS1 Tamil) follows the launch of the second Kannada GEC (general entertainment channel) by Colors along with HD variants of its portfolio in Kannada, Bangla and Oriya earlier this year. Also, Zee has launched its youth-focused Zee Yuva Marathi and a Tamil movie channel in January. Other channel launches include that of local entrants Madhimugam TV, a news and entertainment channel in Tamil and Saral Jeevan, the first Kannada infotainment channel. 

That there is more to regional viewership than soaps and dubbed programmes has been evident to most broadcasters for a while. However the change has been in the launch of separate channels in niche areas and the understanding that the TV market cannot be treated as a package of translated content. 

Broadcasters are being aided by measurement systems and data sets that dive deeper into the language market. For instance, programming decisions are shaped by findings that indicate that viewers in the South have a larger appetite for GEC and news as compared to the Hindi speaking market (BARC India, South Special Edition 2016). The BARC report also shows that the South has a higher propensity to absorb film-based content driven by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala. Hence a dedicated movie channel makes the cut.

Broadcasters envisage a high return on their investment in regional channels and content production. The content production costs for southern channels are at about Rs 1.2-1.5 lakh, Bangla and Marathi at about Rs 1.2-1.5 lakh and Gujarati, about Rs 1 lakh. This is at least 5-7 times lower than the cost of producing a Hindi language entertainment programme.

Sports interestingly has the same concentrated viewership across regions, the South and the Hindi speaking states account for similar levels of interest. It is therefore natural for a network to expand the advertising potential of its sports programming by tapping into both markets.

SS1 Tamil is the first ever language sports channel in the country but broadcasters have had regional sports market on the radar for a few years now. Back in 2014, when Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) was to telecast the FIFA World Cup, it had a dedicated Bengali feed on its solo regional channel Sony Aath. Star India adopted a similar strategy for the ICC World Cup 2015 (5 languages) followed by multi language feeds for the Hero Indian Super League. This year, SS1 Tamil will air the ICC Champions Trophy (currently underway), Vivo Pro Kabbadi (July) and Hero ISL in Tamil. 

In the initial years, in sports, broadcasters experimented with dedicated feeds in a chosen language. Sony Kix (later rebranded to Sony ESPN) had regional audio feeds, but the programming was the same as the national feed. As advertiser interest grew, unique programming  increased and eventually led to dedicated channels.

The Tamil sports channel is being launched with huge fanfare, with the network using sports stars such as MS Dhoni, R Ashwin as the faces of the campaign. The channel also has lined up eminent anchor-hosts from the state to helm its programmes. The marketing campaign is titled #MachiAreYouReady (Buddy, are you ready) and will be supplemented with promotions on radio, TV, print, digital, and OOH. “Our earnest endeavour would be to bring fans across Tamil Nadu closer to their favourite sports and heroes through putting up relevant regional content,” said the spokesperson.

Star India’s interest in Tamil Nadu is not surprising given that it is one of the top 5 BARC markets (in terms of viewership), with 90 per cent regional content consumption. The state also has multiple franchisees across sports in cricket, football (Chennaiyin FC), badminton and kabaddi.

However sports channels are not the only game in town. In 2016 there was a flurry of regional channel launches, high definition feeds included. And in 2015 Star India acquired Maa TV network for Rs 2,500 crore to grow the regional pie within its bouquet.

That the southern markets seem to enjoy a sharper focus is also not without reason. According to the FICCI KPMG Media and Entertainment Report 2017, the four southern language markets continue to account for nearly two-thirds of the regional viewership in 2016. Telugu and Tamil channels garnered the highest viewership share amongst the regional channels at 23-25 per cent in 2016 with Kannada and Malayalam at 10-12 per cent and 6-8 per cent respectively. The Marathi and Bengali channels maintained their dedicated base in 2016 with around a 5 per cent viewership share each.
 

The report further states that the advertising potential of the four southern markets is estimated at around Rs 45-50 billion, with the Tamil market at Rs 17-18 billion, Andhra at Rs 12-16 billion and Karnataka and Kerala at Rs 7-8 billion respectively. However, the regional channels have not seen as significant an interest from large GEC advertisers including the e-commerce segment, as compared to Hindi GECs. Anuj Poddar, head of rural business at Viacom18 says, “Regional language content is far more relatable. Differentiated, mass- based drama series work well in Marathi and Gujarati, with the market not having much inclination towards dubbed series.” Poddar has earlier headed the business for Viacom18’s regional channels, Colors Marathi and Colors Gujarati.