Viacom18 launches Kannada entertainment channel Colors Super

Full-fledged GEC launch on July 24; promises fresh content and movie premieres, as part of programming line-up

Viacom18, the entertainment joint venture between Viacom and TV18, will be launching a second Kannada general entertainment channel (GEC) on July 24. This is, perhaps, for the first time, a broadcaster will be launching a full-fledged regional GEC, with fresh content that will compete directly with the existing Colors Kannada. The new channel Colors Super will be paid and will have four hours of fresh content on weekdays and movie premieres over the weekends.

Sudhanshu Vats, group chief executive officer, Viacom18, says, “In terms of market size, regional entertainment is next only to Hindi general entertainment, as a category. This translates into a sizeable ad market, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 15 per cent, similar to the overall television ad market, over the next few years.” 
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“Within the regional entertainment pie, the Kannada GEC ad market alone carved up an estimated Rs 500 crore, in FY16. As we cemented our dominance in this market, we realised we had a lot more to offer – both in terms of content and brand-solution opportunities. Colors Super will expand our offering to the viewer, by bringing in missing genres into the market; and the advertiser, by increasing the available ad inventory, thereby plugging existing gaps in the current market,” he adds.

According to BARC data provided by the broadcaster, Colors Kannada is the leader in the Kannada GEC market, with a share of 36 per cent in terms of viewership. Of a total seven GECs in the market, Colors Kannada also commands the highest time spent per viewer (242 minutes a day). Its closest competitor is Suvarna, with a 21 per cent market share and a time-spent viewing of 152 minutes a day. 

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Of the total viewership, the GECs account for 64 per cent, followed by movies at 17 per cent and news at nine per cent. Ravish Kumar, project head, regional channels (Colors Kannada, Colors Super and Colors Bangla) at Viacom18, says the current GEC is already running at 90 per cent capacity in terms of ad inventory. The scope to expand the ad inventory, add time slots for programming and expand the scope of genres in content, thus, presented itself in the form of a new/second full-fledged entertainment channel. 

Kumar says, “Colors Kannada is loved by viewers for its innovative content, strong production values and stories that epitomise the rich culture, values and traditions of Kannadigas. With the launch of Colors Super, our aim is to create a superlative family viewing experience, by offering viewers an exciting mix of stories and genres that are currently absent. The two channels - Colors Kannada and Colors Super - shall complement each other and offer viewers holistic entertainment.” 

He concedes there will be some cannibalisation. However, he also points out that other channels too stand to lose viewership, with the launch of a new GEC. “It’s a matter of wait-and-watch to see how the market shares of the channels change. Between the two, we hope to have around 45 per cent market share,” he says.