And the award goes to....

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

: The winners have been declared and the stars are done with parading the red carpet in their best designer outfits. As the International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) drew to a close last weekend, another season of Bollywood awards approaches its end. With a constant rise in the number of general entertainment channels, it is almost obligatory for broadcasters to present repetitive film award shows as an integral part of a channel’s programming. Sustaining viewership for these shows in a cluttered scenario is the main challenge for broadcasters.

A media planner says: “There are around six to seven Bollywood award shows every year and it is crucial for a channel to create strong brand awareness in order to ensure stickiness amidst this clutter.” Audiences prefer this kind of content over the weekend and more importantly, these award shows still command prime time space. In such a competitive environment, additional talent categories and fresh star performances are the main differentiators.

The Filmfare awards was aired on Sony Entertainment Television on March 2 this year. The Indian film industry regards the Filmfare Awards as an equivalent to the Oscars and may swear by its popularity. However, the television rating points (TRPs) of the show this year spelt otherwise.

According to aMap, a television rating agency, Star Screen Awards, which were aired on January 27, managed to garner the highest TRPs of 4.33 out of all the Bollywood award shows so far this year. The Filmfare Awards came in a close second with a rating of 3.12, Zee Cine Awards and Max Stardust Awards acquired ratings of 2.37 and 1.29 respectively.

Media analysts point out that uniqueness is the deciding factor for the popularity of any show and Star cashed in on that aspect. “By showcasing the first Bollywood award show of the year, Star managed to have an upper hand in grabbing eyeballs. By the time the Filmfare Awards went on air, discerning viewers had already predicted who the winners would be and that gave rise to a fatigue factor,” mentions an analyst.