Netflix's The Great Indian Kapil Show: Big on bucks, but what about views?
Production costs have reached Rs 4 crore a pop, but Kapil Sharma’s Netflix numbers pale in comparison to SET, say sources. However, experts say that it isn't fair to compare TV’s mass reach with OTT's
After a successful seven-year run on Sony Entertainment Television (SET), Kapil Sharma’s chat show has found its audience on a new platform – Netflix. The Great Indian Kapil Show streams on the global OTT giant, spending approximately 60% more on production costs than its TV predecessor.
According to industry estimates, the production cost per episode amounts to Rs 4 crore, excluding actor expenses, on Netflix compared to Rs 2.5 crore spent on its TV show counterpart.
As per Netflix, audience reception has been equally warm with the show trending in the global top ten non-English shows for four consecutive weeks.
Sources say that Kapil Sharma commands a fee of Rs 5 crore per episode, while the rest of the cast members earn between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh per episode. Additionally, exchange4media has learned that the show will follow a seasonal format, with each season consisting of 10 episodes.
An industry expert, speaking on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the current season of "The Great Indian Kapil Show" is estimated to cost approximately Rs 100-120 crore.
They stated, "The format remains unchanged, with minor adjustments to the set. Taking into account production expenses, talent fees, and guest appearances, the total cost to Netflix could range between Rs 100-150 crore."
The Kapil Sharma Show aired for the last time on SET in July 2023 had an ardent fan following across the country. Despite all the excitement surrounding the show’s return on Netflix, experts noted that there has been a decline in viewership on the platform after a few episodes.
"There was initially a surge as the show returned after a seven-month hiatus, creating considerable buzz. People were eager to see what new elements the actor would introduce on Netflix. Nevertheless, the show maintained a similar format,” said an industry observer.
He, however, said that it is not fair to compare the viewership on digital versus linear TV “as one is the mass medium whereas the other is still considered a premium platform.”
Netflix, on the other hand, has rubbished whispers of the show's viewership paling in comparison to its TV run, maintaining that The Great Indian Kapil Show is the first Indian series on Netflix to trend globally for 5 Weeks with 9mn+ cumulative views from the last 8 weeks .
A spokesperson said, "Within just 2 days of its launch, The Great Indian Kapil Show landed at the 3rd spot on our global top 10 Non English TV list. It has trended in 14 countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Maldives among others. In India, the show has trended every week since its release and even secured the #1 spot for 5 weeks straight."
Previously, on SET, the show aired twice a week (on Saturday and Sunday), whereas on Netflix, new episodes are released every Saturday. So far the platform has aired seven episodes.
