Anil Kapoor not Salman Khan in Bigg Boss OTT: Money matters or jhakaas factor?

JioCinema premiered the third season of Bigg Boss OTT on June 21 with Anil Kapoor as the new host. The industry has been abuzz with chatter over the decision to replace Salman Khan with Anil Kapoor, with some experts attributing it to budget decisions.

According to industry insiders and media reports, Salman Khan was reportedly charging between Rs 12-15 crore per episode for hosting Bigg Boss OTT, said to be a significant portion of the show's budget. Anil Kapoor, on the other hand, is believed to be hosting the show for a significantly lower fee, approximately Rs 3-4 crore per episode.

Anil Kapoor as Bigg Boss OTT host is being seen as a strategic move by the show's producers to manage costs without compromising on star power.

Previously, Karan Johar hosted the first season of Bigg Boss OTT and was reportedly charging Rs 2-3 crore per episode, also seen as a cost-effective choice then.

Creators’ decision

The decision to bring in Anil Kapoor, as the host, is being perceived as a financially wise move by the makers, aiming to streamline costs while maintaining the show's popularity and viewership. However, Alok Jain, President - General Entertainment, Viacom18, told e4m that the aim was to innovate and offer audiences fresh and exciting content.

“With Anil Kapoor as the new host this season, his personality aligns perfectly with our theme of providing viewers with something 'Khaas'. As we develop two distinct entities of the Bigg Boss IP—broadcast and OTT—the versions will be differentiated to cater to the unique preferences and consumption habits of their respective audiences,” Jain said.

He further said, “This strategic approach allows us to deliver compelling content, while maximizing engagement and reach across different platforms and scaling profitably. We believe all this combined with our season's exciting theme and ongoing digital innovation will ensure that Bigg Boss OTT 3 remains as captivating and engaging as ever.”

It's important to note that Salman Khan has been the long-standing host of the Bigg Boss television show, playing a crucial role in attracting viewership over the years. This might have been a key reason for the platform to chose Khan as Bigg Boss OTT host after Karan Johar, an industry observer said. Season 2 of Bigg Boss OTT broke all records set by Season 1.

Viewership Value

Since its launch on June 17, 2023, the OTT show has garnered over 400 million video views in just over two weeks. According to JioCinema, it was hailed as one of the most successful seasons ever, accumulating over 4 billion minutes of watch time from 35 million viewers. It also attracted 100 million viewers during the eight-week season.

Season 1 was aired on VOOT Select, was a subscription-led platform, and the show was kept behind the paywall.

According to a 2023 report by Ormax Media, Bigg Boss OTT Season 2 became the most-watched Indian unscripted show with a viewership of 19.5 million. As the current season has just begun, it remains to be seen what kind of viewership it will achieve.

According to Alok Jain, Bigg Boss has established itself as a colossal entertainment franchise, with its immense success over the years culminating in the launch of an OTT edition. This expansion underscores the brand's robust growth potential, boasting a strong identity and a dedicated fan base. “We have built two different identities of the IP —broadcast and OTT—bringing Bigg Boss to the forefront of evolving entertainment formats, catering to diverse audience preferences and expanding its influence across platforms. This has also led to constant innovations on digital as well as television.”

He further added, “Salman Khan's presence has been instrumental in the tremendous success of the show, with his contributions proving invaluable. As we introduce exciting new elements and capitalizing Anil Kapoor's popularity, JioCinema Premium is strategically elevating the IP to new heights. Our aim is to utilise Anil Kapoor's charisma, energy, and connection with audiences to bring a fresh perspective to the show, potentially drawing in new viewers while retaining existing fans.”

Advertisers’ Interest

Bigg Boss has been one of the strongest and most popular reality shows on Indian television.

"Advertisers are keen on associating with Bigg Boss whether it airs on TV or OTT. In fact, the second season garnered significant interest from advertisers within a few weeks. While Salman Khan is immensely popular with the audience and brands want to leverage that, Anil Kapoor's popularity is also substantial. I believe that as viewership trends emerge over the first week, more brands will likely show interest. However, while the host plays an important role, I think it ultimately boils down to the contestants,” said a senior media planner on the condition of anonymity.

For season 3, the platform has roped in around seven sponsors, including co-presenting sponsors Too Yumm!, Signature Finest Silver Elaichi, and Honda SP 160, with Oppo and Sofy as co-powered sponsors. “They recognise the show's immense potential to reach a massive, engaged audience,” said Jain. Last year, the platform had eight sponsors on board.

“It provides advertisers with an expansive canvas to connect with their target audience, introducing a fresh paradigm of brand visibility and engagement. The response from advertisers to Bigg Boss OTT 3 has been exceptional, with sponsorships secured from several leading brands already in place,” Jain added.

Speaking of the long-standing association with Bigg Boss’s TV show and now OTT,  Nitin Passi, CMD, Lotus Herbals, said Bigg Boss OTT offers a digital extension of the popular TV show, allowing Lotus Herbals to reach a broader audience, including a younger demographic that consumes content online.

“This show on OTT also provides targeted advertising opportunities, enabling us to reach our desired audience more effectively. The digital nature of Bigg Boss OTT gives us measurable ROI, enabling us to track the effectiveness of our partnership and make data-driven decisions,” Passi said. He also informed that the association with Bigg Boss OTT helps the brand to maintain top-of-mind brand recall and awareness for Lotus.

The brand is also hopeful that Kapoor's popularity and charm will help create wider brand visibility and recall amongst the target audience. “He has a large fan base and this may result in attracting different demographic viewers providing an opportunity for Lotus to reach out to a broader audience,” said Passi.

 According to Karan Taurani, SVP at Elara Capital, Bigg Boss OTT has garnered significant traction. OTT platforms provide a space for experimentation, allowing for the adaptation of many prominent TV shows.

"We have observed a change in hosts from Karan Johar and Salman Khan to Anil Kapoor. This transition is likely to generate buzz because Anil Kapoor is widely recognized across all age groups. Initially, this buzz is expected to have a positive impact on advertisers. Ultimately, however, it will be the audience who decides whether they will watch him as a host or not. Karan Johar has a history of hosting multiple TV shows, whereas this will be one of Anil Kapoor's first few outings as a host. It promises to be exciting, different and innovative, reflecting the experimental and innovative nature of OTT platforms."