Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Companies / News/  Viacom 18 extends Colors branding to regional ETV channels
BackBack

Viacom 18 extends Colors branding to regional ETV channels

ETV Gujarati, Kannada, Bangla and Oriya will also be rebranded later in a similar manner, said Viacom 18

The move comes at a time when Colors, launched in 2008, is looking to capture a share of the fast growing regional entertainment market and which the channel believes will give them a better foothold as they go about building the Colors franchise. (The move comes at a time when Colors, launched in 2008, is looking to capture a share of the fast growing regional entertainment market and which the channel believes will give them a better foothold as they go about building the Colors franchise. )Premium
The move comes at a time when Colors, launched in 2008, is looking to capture a share of the fast growing regional entertainment market and which the channel believes will give them a better foothold as they go about building the Colors franchise.
(The move comes at a time when Colors, launched in 2008, is looking to capture a share of the fast growing regional entertainment market and which the channel believes will give them a better foothold as they go about building the Colors franchise. )

Mumbai: Viacom 18 is extending Colors, its flagship Hindi entertainment brand, to five regional ETV channels, starting with ETV Marathi which will be rechristened Colors Marathi on 6 March.

ETV Gujarati, Kannada, Bangla and Oriya will also be rebranded later in a similar manner, said Viacom 18, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. and the Network 18 Group. The ETV channels are owned by Prism TV Pvt. Ltd, owned by by TV18, a subsidiary of Network18 Media & Investment Ltd.

The move comes at a time when Colors, launched in 2008, is looking to capture a share of the fast growing regional entertainment market and which the channel believes will give them a better foothold as they go about building the Colors franchise.

Subject to receipt of regulatory approvals, Viacom Inc. through its subsidiary Nick Asia will acquire a 50% interest in these five regional GECs while TV18 will continue to own the balance. Clearances are pending with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).

According to Sudhanshu Vats, group chief executive officer, Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd, this is part of its overall strategy to focus on sharper segmentation and build new eco-systems, as it looks at becoming a $1 billion enterprise in the next three years.

He said that regional TV channels command the second largest viewership in India. “59% of the country converses in regional languages as the primary language of choice. The move will help us foray into key regional markets as we nurture and monetize this bouquet of channels across platforms."

According to the company, Hindi general entertainment channels make up around 44% of the total television viewership in the country while regional viewership stands at 30%.

According to Vats, advertisers are looking at the regional market in a bigger way than before and, to a large extent, the profile of these advertisers would depend on the content being offered. The rebranded channels will carry existing content and will also see a mix of new shows and events going forward.

On the digital plans of the company, Vats said that the company could either launch a digital platform or an OTT (Over the Top) model.

“We’re one of the younger players in this space, but we’re in this for the long haul," he added.

Currently, Viacom 18 has 10 channels in its fold. Pepsi MTV Indies was its latest channel offering launched in March last year.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Corporate news and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More Less
Published: 04 Mar 2015, 06:09 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App

Chat with MintGenie