Our consumer-centric vision has generated massive fan loyalty: Kevin Vaz 

Star Plus’s newly-launched non-fiction show ‘Smart Jodi’ garnered 19 million viewers in its first week, and is still growing strong. In fact, the launch day witnessed the highest viewership that the category (PHGEC) has seen for non-fiction shows in the past 17 months. 

‘Smart Jodi’ is an adaptation of the network’s Telugu GEC’s show ‘Ishmart Jodi’. This is not the first time Star Plus has adapted its regional show in Hindi. In the past, shows like Anupamaa, Imli, and Kulfi Kumar Bajewala were adapted in Hindi, and went on to be among the top five shows in Hindi GEC.  

In a conversation with exchange4media, Kevin Vaz, Head - Network Entertainment Channels, Disney Star, spoke about Smart Jodi, Star Plus’s programming strategy and much more. 

Excerpts: 

How was the year 2021 for Star Plus both in terms of viewership and revenue? 

2021 was a year of triumph for Star Plus. The channel held the No. 1 position in the category (PHGEC) throughout the year. Star Plus also had the highest reach in the category in 2021. 

What led to the launch of Smart Jodi? What impact does the show have on the channels' ratings? 

As the leading television network in the country, we constantly look at offering high-quality content across genres and formats. We understand the pulse of our viewers and wanted to introduce a non-fiction show that is truly different. We are humbled by the response. The launch day witnessed the highest viewership that the category (PHGEC) has seen for non-fiction shows in the past 17 months. Both Saturday and Sunday slots observed remarkable growth as well. While the weekend overall witnessed 18% growth in the slot reach, Sunday saw a whopping 61% growth. ‘Smart Jodi’ enabled us to attract new viewers to our channel as well. The show reached out to 19 million viewers in its first week (Source: BARC, MF15+, HSM Urban, Original programming, Weekly cume in mn, Wk 9 ‘22).

What led to the success of this show? 

There are multiple factors behind the success of the show. The selection of the format itself. We were looking for a format that would stand out in the Hindi non-fiction category, something that has not been tried before. We did not need to look much further and found a gem from our Telugu general entertainment channel Star Maa. The essence of the show is where couples look back on their journey together and what they hold precious about each other.

Casting was crucial to the show as well. We wanted a diverse cast from various backgrounds. The show has a cricketer, a couple known for their Vlogs, and a mix of other stars from entertainment.  We also looked for couples with different stories from various stages of their married life that they would be willing to share with our viewers.

We are delighted with the admiration received from our viewers across platforms. While the show continues to do phenomenally well, the show reached out to 130 million+ viewers on social media through various engagements with the show contestants.

Will you increase your investment in non-fiction shows since you have recently launched a new format with ‘Smart Jodi’? What has been the programming strategy for the channel, especially for the non-fiction shows? 

We believe in providing variety to our viewers and Smart Jodi is a step in that direction. This show is our endeavour to attempt a reality show with a difference and entertain our viewers with a fresh format. Smart Jodi simply looks at reminding our married viewers about the beautiful relationship they share with their spouse and relive the journey with our celebrity couples. This home-grown format focuses on positivity, emotions and a feel-good factor. Our ultimate aim has always been to introduce newer formats and showcase relatable stories beyond the existing realm, and Smart Jodi delivers exactly that. Viewers are our North Star, and we will continue to offer compelling content on the channel across fiction and non-fiction.

Currently, Star Plus's fiction programming airs Monday to Saturday. Do you intend to form a separate band for non-fiction weekend shows?

We have been offering viewers differentiated content on Sundays for a while now. Prior to ‘Smart Jodi’, we had our successful franchise Dance+, as well as specially shot feature-length untold stories of some of our most loved shows – ‘Nazar’ and ‘Pratigya’. Our endeavour is to provide our viewers with seven days of high-quality entertainment week on week.

How have the advertisers responded to the show? 

‘Smart Jodi’ has seen a stupendous response from advertisers. We have nine sponsors on-board. This is a testimony to the strength and uniqueness of the show. Just like the variety of backgrounds our ‘Smart Jodis’ come from, on Star Plus the brands come from diverse categories too – driven primarily by e-commerce, FMCG, and Cosmetics. In addition to these categories, we have episodic sponsors from the Auto, Social Media and Insurance industries.

What is going to be the focus area for Star Plus this year? Will we see more non-fiction shows this year?

Our acutely consumer-centric vision over the years has garnered massive loyalty from our fans across the length and breadth of the country. We will keep working towards offering our viewers compelling content and creating characters and formats that resonate with the masses. As a channel, we constantly have an exciting line-up of shows in the works.