BENGALURU: Four channels – two Hindi GECs and one channel each from the Tamil and the Telugu genres from the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) stable were amongst the 10 most watched channels across genres in week 16 of 2019 as per Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. Besides Zeel, there were three channels from Star India and one channel each from Enterr 10 Television, Sun TV Network and Viacom18 in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres. From the genres perspective, there were five Hindi GECs, two channels each from Tamil and Telugu and one channel from the sports genres in week 16 of 2019 (Saturday, 13 April 2019 to Friday, 19 April 2019, week or period under consideration or review).

As has been the norm, the premiere Hindi channel airing the Indian cricket league – IPL 12 this year, topped BARC’s across genres list during the period under review. In week 16 of 2019, Star Sports 1 Hindi was ranked first with 1,046.642 million weekly impressions as compared with 1,111.416 million weekly impressions in week 15. Star Sports 1 Hindi was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 sports channels and all the top five programmes in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 sports programmes were aired on it.

Continuing on at rank 2 was Enterr 10 Television’s Hindi GEC Dangal with 993.817 million weekly impressions in week 16 of 2019 as compared with 1,084.693 million weekly impressions in week 15. Dangal also headed BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking market -HSM (U+R) and HSM (R).  Dangal was ranked sixth in HSM (U). Two Indian mythology programmes on Dangal  – Ramayan and Mahima Shanidev Ki were in BARC’s list of  Top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R). Further, three programmes on Dangal – the above mentioned Ramayan and  Mahima Shanidev Ki and Saibaba were also among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (R).

Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV also retained its previous week’s third rank in week 16 of 2019. Sun TV garnered 934.025 million weekly impressions as compared with 859.261 million weekly impressions in week 15. Sun TV also headed BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets and three of the top 5 Tamil programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week were aired on Sun TV.

Climbing up one place to rank four in week 16 of 2019 was the Zeel Hindi GEC Big Magic with 732.608 million weekly impressions as compared with 740.600 million weekly impressions in week 15. Big Magic was ranked second in BARC’s weekly lists of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Big Magic was ranked eighth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U).  Raavi Aur Magic Mobile and the Indian mythology drama Parmavtar Shree Krishna aired on Big Magic were present in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (R).

Dropping a place to fifth rank in week 16 of 2019 was Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa with 673.766 million weekly impressions as compared with 771.282 million weekly impressions in week 15. Star Maa was also ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu GECs in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets and all the five programmes in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in these markets were aired on Star Maa.

Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus retained its previous week’s sixth rank in week 16 of 2019 with 668.534 million weekly impressions in week 16 of 2019 as compared with 662.252 million weekly impressions in week 15. Star Plus was also ranked third, fourth and first in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U) respectively. Kulfi Kumar Bajewala and one of the longest running family dramas Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus were amongst BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U).

At ranks seventh, eighth and ninth in week 16 of 2019 in BARC’s across genres list were three Zeel flagship channels in their respective genres.

Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV climbed up a place from the previous week’s eighth rank to seventh in week 16 with 569.154 million weekly impressions as compared with 566.661 million weekly impressions in week 15 of 2019. Zee TV was ranked fourth in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and was ranked third in HSM (R). The Balaji Telefilms produced Kumkum Bhagya and its spinoff Kundali Bhagya aired on Zee TV were among the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R), while Kumkum Bhagya was present in BARC’s top 5 Hindi GEC programmes list and in HSM (U).

At eighth rank was Zee Tamil with 538.701 million weekly ratings in week 16 of 2019 as compared to seventh rank and with 599.931 million weekly impressions in week 15. Zee Tamil was ranked second in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets and two of the top 5 Tamil programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week were aired on Zee Tamil.

Entering the list in week 16 of 2019 at ninth rank was Zeel’s flagship Telugu GEC Zee Telugu with 518.482 million weekly impressions. Zee Telugu was also ranked second in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Telugu GECs in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets.

Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors completed BARC’s across genres weekly list at tenth rank with 511.636 million weekly impressions in week 16 of 2019 as compared to ninth rank and 547.432 million weekly impressions in week 15. Colors was also ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) respectively and was ranked third HSM (U). The Balaji Telefilms produced supernatural fantasy show Naagin-3 aired on Colors was present in BARC’s list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes based on average rating across all original airings in the week in HSM (U+R).