Exclusive | Strengthening position: Star India's Rasika Tyagi

Fox Crime, that has seen a phenomenal growth this season is now home to the best  crime shows in the world. The channel has the best of new and classic crime series. Looking at the growth status Fox Crime is believed to be India’s only channel that offers thrilling dramas and investigative crime shows round the clock. It has a strong line up with shows like Psych, CSI, Breaking In, Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It is also interesting to note that Fox Crimes Average Reach post digitization is higher than all three Big CBS channels put together.

In view of this significant development Adgully caught up with Rasika Tyagi, Senior Vice President, English Channels, Star India to know more about the growth of the English entertainment category, the reach, content and most importantly how digitization has impacted the growth of the channels.

When asked to share her view point on how digitization has contributed in registering the highest growth among Star English Channels, Tyagi said, “Post digitization the English entertainment category has grown by 26%. While Star World continues its leadership, FX and Fox Crime have been the key players in this growth story. The shares of these two channels have doubled and this has been very encouraging for us.”

Elaborating further she said, “The Reach of Star English entertainment channels have seen phenomenal growth, while the category reach has grown by an average of 15% Star World has grown by 8%, FX by 343% and Fox Crime by 117%.”

The average channel Share & GRP of channel FX is higher than Comedy Central and Big CBS. FX has also shown the highest growth in reach within the genre post Digitization. Sharing her views regarding this, she said, “FX is the real game changer post digitization and has taken the lead amongst some of the established English entertainment channels like Comedy Central and Big CBS (Week4’13 TAM data, CS 15+AB, All India 1Mn+).” She believes that this has strengthened their position and today they control 36% share of the English entertainment category.

According to her using and producing differentiated content works for their English channels. She says, “All three channels in our English entertainment category have very distinct positioning. Star World is home to the finest English entertainment and is leading the genre with its prime time shows like ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Packed to the Rafters’.”

These shows have story lines that are relatable and revolve around relationships. “The critically acclaimed thriller ‘Homeland’ which is being aired at 11 pm on Star World  too is getting a great response from our viewers. FX stands for ‘The Edge of Entertainment’; it is bold, provocative and edgy in its content with a line-up of shows such as Desperate Housewives, Harpers Island, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Call Me Fitz and Rescue Me,” she explained further. 

She went on to add, “Besides remarkable time spent, the channel share of FX has also outperformed AXN and Zee Café (Digital Homes in 7 metros with 15+ SEC AB audiences, week4’13).

When asked, going forward what growth strategies viewers can expect to see from Star English channels Tyagi says, “In most markets globally, English entertainment shows are aired only once a week. Thus, a typical season for any show runs longer. However, in India we have been habituated to watching soaps Monday to Friday.”

It is seen that digitization has contributed in a big way to make  Star’s channels popular with audiences. She believes that audiences today are more aware of the latest shows which are aired globally and they want to view it simultaneously here in India. This along with Digitization will play a big role in the growth of the English entertainment genre. “We will therefore continue our efforts to bring the best, latest and long running shows to India,” Tyagi said. 

Explaining how the dynamics have changed post digitization, Tyagi said, “We see digitization as an opportunity to grow even further in the category, with Star World as a distinct leader, and FX and Fox Crime being the fastest growing channels. Post digitization FX has challenged established competitors like AXN, Zee Café and Comedy Central.”

“With our current line-up of shows on Star World, FX and Fox crime, we are confident to be able to hold our position as the leading network in the English entertainment category,” Tyagi concluded.

It can be undoubtedly said that Star India’s differentiated content strategy has contributed to the growth of their channels and continues to attract eyeballs. Adgully wishes the  team great success in their forthcoming endeavours | By Aanchal Kohli [aanchal(at)adgully.com]