The onus is on the broadcaster to curate content that the audience finds entertaining

Picture this – two seemingly opposite forces that are interconnected and complementary. That’s how the ancient Chinese describe Yin and Yang. Two principles from different ends of the spectrum that co-relate, whose interaction influences creation. 

This definition certainly holds true when it comes to the broadcast vs digital debate that is now part of every boardroom or watercooler conversation in equal measure. The similarity is most apparent for the English Entertainment domain where the similarity of the audience is clear. This audience was first to experiment with and adopt international content, unearth hidden content on the web and take pride in sharing that much sought-after link, is perhaps no surprise that they continue to seek fresh international content on television and digital. For content creators, the emergence of multiple platforms has increased the need to build an engaged audience across platforms. So, if there’s one common thread that ties the two mediums together, it’s their sole purpose to Engage and Entertain. 

Flashback to the early 2000s, the consumption of English entertainment was still at a nascent stage in India where those who speak, understand and appreciate international content on television formed just a sliver of the pie. Cut to present, this community has grown manifold. Major credit goes to English entertainment channels who have shaped this genre, consistently curating new content and contributing to this rising trend through compelling programs, way before the digital video explosion. 

Earlier, international content that was dated and considered ‘library’ to the West was packaged as as ‘latest’ for viewers in India. This changed with Zee Café and a few others bringing the latest shows along with the international airing in early 2000’s. It also ushered a new wave of television programming where competition grew, and the consumer benefited. Television was the go-to place with a variety of fresh new international content to discover. Phrases such as ‘Along with the US’ became par for the course. 

Cut to this time last year, the entire category experienced an absolute reset with the implementation of the New Tariff Order. A reset, while being seemingly daunting, presents a tremendous opportunity and we at Zee English Cluster leveraged this paradigm shift. Our journey of firsts continued in the post-NTO regime. Innovations such as offering content that is TV-First, brining World Television Premieres of Hollywood blockbuster movies within months of their theatrical release or the introduction of multi-language feed were all initiatives keeping the consumer in mind. This led to the 72% growth on &flix, and 3X jump in viewership for &flix HD^[1] , with consistently being ranked top 3 in the English Movies HD Category.^[2] While, the period witnessed a flux in viewership for the entire English genre, it also paved the way to a homogenous set of consumers (subscribers) who are now choosing their English entertainment channels basis the value it provides, just like they do with consumer brands. 

At Zee English cluster, our approach was to simply address the consumer challenge amidst all the flux. While broadcasters were actively promoting ‘base packs’ and price points, we looked to address the new consumer behaviour which required active purchase of channels / bouquets. The #WhereIsMyChannel communication was 100% desi in its storytelling for a channel that was 100% English. Campaign aside, what we truly achieved is reimagining the tonality for the English cluster by addressing a homogeneous audience from metros, to large towns and beyond. Thus, the wake of the NTO regime, became the perfect aperture to expand our messaging from only a niche English-First audience to as subscriber base of aspirational English comfortable audience, now making a clear choice of their preferred channel through subscription. 

With OTT players being the new entrants in the ecosystem, viewer behaviour is evolving, and one needs to adapt to the needs of the viewer. While there is acknowledgement that the digital video platforms are here to stay, it is also evident that they are complementing view time on television. Studies reveal that consumption of overlapped content between TV and OTT grew on television from 59% pre-NTO to 82% post-NTO for sitcom, drama, reality genres. It naturally follows that consumption on TV and digital has been seamless and complementary in nature.^[3]

 John Oliver on his show drew an interesting analogy on how browsing content on digital was like going through a menu for forty minutes to find something good to consume. This is where television channels that understand their consumer and curate well, delight the viewer. Curated content on television makes for effortless viewing. 

Consumption appetite on television is built through continuous exposure and familiarity of culture. With SITCOMs becoming part of urban pop culture, we see that a whole new generation on Zee Café is discovering shows such as ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’. As the consumption appetite evolved to content that is visceral, complex, we introduced dramas such as ‘The Loudest Voice’, and ‘McMafia’, reality TV with ‘Titan Games’, and locally-nuanced light hearted conversational shows such as ‘Starry Nights’. We achieve this by working even more closely with studio partners in ensuring that content is curated and matched basis our audience interests which aides in building the appetite for a variety of English entertainment genres.

 Content availability is set to grow across platforms and fragmented viewing in turn will lead to a greater, more central role for television. Today, with what is regarded as the second golden age of television, viewers are spoilt for choice with a wide repertoire of acclaimed content and English entertainment is at an all-time high. Television is the new dining couch that fulfils the need for millennials to bond and unite over something and serving this need will, in turn, be a big opportunity for English entertainment. Curation of content on television that lends to co-viewing, making TV for a great community experience for family and friends, could emerge as the big differentiator. Moreover, given that English content on OTT is only available behind a pay wall, premium brands have traditionally found a more direct association with premium content which is possible on television.

 In sum, greater exposure to content from what was an appointment-led, engaged, in-home viewing occasion to multiple on-the-go occasions has only bolstered English entertainment overall. The onus is on the broadcaster to consistently curate content that the audience will find entertaining and engaging. The shift to content that is homogenous by content themes and that delivers to a broader audience base is the way forward for the category. While the classic conundrum continues, the commitment to Curate, Engage, and Entertain is and will continue to be the secret sauce to a promising decade for both broadcast and digital.

Sources:

[1] - BARC Data period: Week 42’19- Week04’20, Weekdays – 2100 slot, TG: NCCS AB 15-40, Mega Cities

[2] - BARC Data period: Aril 2019- YTD, TG: NCCS AB 15-40, Mega Cities

 [3] - BARC Data period – Pre NTO:  Wk 38’18-Wk52’18, Post NTO : Wk 45’19- Wk 06’20, target--NCCS AB 15-40 Megacities

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com.