Two Star Plus?s top-rated shows in India, Yeh Rishta and Bidaai, are playing to audiences across North America and France; Zee is testing markets in Russia and the A-PAC region; Colors is banking on the ?universal appeal? of Uttaran to make a mark in the US and the UK; Sony is showcasing its popular Boogie Woogie dance show and the latest content made by Yash Raj Films. Clearly, Indian broadcasters are displaying their global ambitions like never before and on their own terms.
The new general entertainment channel (GEC) in the Indian TV space, Colors, which shook up the GEC market, recently launched in the US and the UK as Aapka Colors. Rajesh Kamat, COO, Viacom 18 Group, and CEO, Colors, says the pressure to showcase content overseas ?came from Indians abroad who have visited India and were eager to have Colors on their network?. The anticipation was huge and Kamat says the initial reactions ?look rather promising as people are excited about our shows?. Colors plans to extend its footprint to the Middle East, Canada and South Africa soon.
With Sony still struggling to get back among the top three GECs in India, it has consolidated on its overseas fare. Says Man Jit Singh, CEO, Multi Screen Media (Sony Entertainment Television), ?Our flagship channel SET is now available almost everywhere globally with coverage in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.? Singh points out that there are further expansion opportunities in South-East Asia, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. ?We are moving rapidly to provide MAX and SAB in all these markets as well,? he adds.
In the international market, the maximum revenue comes from subscription and that?s where all the channels have set their targets. They also look out for local advertising revenue. Says Kamat, ?For any broadcaster, internationally, a significant revenue contribution is subscription, which is clearly our focus as well. This will be supplemented with local advertising revenue.?
As Singh says, ?International is a significant growth market for us and provides both subscription and advertising revenue. We expect our international revenues to exceed 20% of our total revenue.? Despite the recession which hit US markets badly, Sony is ?bullish on the overseas markets for our channels?. Says Singh, ?We see strong growth in subscription revenues in the near term, particularly in the US. Advertising revenues are also showing signs of improvement and we expect modest growth in advertising revenues in FY11.?
Ask Bharat Ranga, COO, Zee International Operations, what are the expectations from the overseas markets and how much will it contribute to revenues, and he quips, ?Sizeable?. Ranga says the company invests significantly in overseas markets to reach out to audiences.
Though no one will talk revenues or give out subscription details, analysts say with competition in the domestic space quite stiff, broadcasters are de-risking by going overseas. But most players, including Imagine, are still in the traditional markets like the US, the UK and the Middle East, riding on diaspora demands.
Says Ranga, ?We currently cater to South Asians living across 167 countries. Even within these countries, there are un-penetrated pockets. Our intent is to reach out to every Indian and South Asian living abroad.?
?Our principal target is the South Asian diaspora,? says Singh of Sony. With one eye on the NRI population perhaps, Sony has tapped YRF, whose films are a huge hit overseas, to make content for TV as well. ?We are the leading innovator for content in India and our programmes from YRF are just another example of this type of innovation. Our programming is more contemporary and appeals to the diaspora settled outside the country,? Singh points out. ?With the YRF programmes, we are providing audiences outside India an alternative to the traditional soap. The quality of the productions, the story telling, the weekly format are all very familiar and desirable for audiences outside India,? he adds.
So, is there a market for a soap like Uttaran in the world like there is for a Desperate Housewives in India? Says Kamat, ?Uttaran may be set against the background of a traditional Indian family, but the situations that characters find themselves in could be found in any country. The show plays on haves vs have-nots and jealousy among friends. The latter is actually one of the most prominently explored themes in a show like Desperate Housewives.?
For Zee, Chhoti Bahu is one of the most popular shows among NRI audiences. Says Ranga, ?Zee in India keeps overseas audiences in mind while developing concepts and storylines.? However, he admits that it will be a while before Indian soaps get universal audiences. ?This segment will take time to grow. The Good Wife, Parenthood, etc, are some shows in the US that audiences seem to be appreciating. The trends are moving in a certain direction. However, it will be a while before the Pavitra Rishta kind of content finds universal audiences,? he feels.
Some players like Star, who have had a first-mover advantage, are already trying out local content. For instance, Star India Plus, Star TV?s flagship general entertainment channel in North America, has launched two weekly shows catering exclusively to local audiences?ICC Cricket World, which showcases the best of cricket each week, and Asian Variety Show, a weekly show of local events and Bollywood related news. ?Localising Star India Plus allows us the opportunity to take the next step in the natural evolution of our business,? says David Wisnia, Star?s senior VP, distribution, sales and marketing, and head of Star?s North American and European offices. Star?s Tamil channel, Vijay, also beams to US audiences now. There have been requests for more Bollywood news and cricket-related shows, the reason why the two local shows were added to the platform.
In some markets, Zee has branched out to cater to local audiences, based on research, need gaps and internal analysis with distributors. Says Ranga, ?Indian advertisers find Zee?s South Asian and local audiences a very attractive proposition to promote and educate about their products and services, and hence we offer them the apt platform across our product offerings.?
For other players, local programming will come in phase two of the expansion. Kamat says in the first phase of broadcasting abroad, Colors will continue with programming that is showcased in India. ?However, we could explore local programming in the next phase. In the first couple of phases, the idea is to tap the South Asian diaspora based in these countries and then proceed from that point onwards,? he adds.
According to KPMG, countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with their Hindu and Urdu speaking populations, serve as markets. In the next two-three years, the companies can expect to look beyond the diaspora and target local viewers in these countries with customised content. KPMG says the industry can look at exploring the international markets beyond the Indian diaspora as there is a demand for good content abroad.