HBO goes for a revamp!

HBO, one of the stepping stones of Indian television in the English movie channel space, has now revamped its visual appeal and programming and content strategy. The channel, adopting an aggressive stance, is giving a push to its original content with new mini series and films in a highly competitive market.

Game of Thrones, which is based on the fantasy book series 'A Song of Ice and Fire', will launch on 21 August at 6:30 pm and thereafter airs every Sunday before the 9 pm movie. Mildred Pearce, a mini series starring Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce, kicks off next month in five episodes. Some of the award winning films to be aired on HBO are Temple Grandin, The Special Relationship, and You Don't Jack.

Speaking on this occasion, Shruti Bajpai - Country Manager - South Asia, HBO says that, "20% of the lineup comes from original content and we hope it continues to do so. HBO Originals is different from the typical soaps and sitcoms. It helps build our brand and also gets in revenue."

Known for giving its audiences cult shows like Sex in the City and Six Feet Under; HBO has some competition from new entrants like Movies Now and Sony Pix and they do not deny it. Shruti further elaborates that, "the scale of production is out of the world and we have gone to the extent of creating our own language for our mini series." Highlighting a very important point, HBO has no expectations of number or ratings. Talking about issues and concerns of the censor law, the channel holds that, editing shall be done, only in dire need.

HBO holds a different strategy for USA and India. "In the US, there is watershed hour, so people are skeptical to bring in new shows;" she said. In India, there is a different ball game. "The profiles of the audiences is changing, and so is their awareness and understanding of the content of the shows, thus demanding original content", highlighted Bajpai.

This English movie channel also has a good movie library. This, along with the point of "original' content and offering something for everyone and be a one stop shop as their USP's, HBO aims and claims to break viewer fatigue, unlike its competitors by not telecasting films repeatedly.

Speaking about the advertising associations that the channel has and indicating new associations, Bajpai says, "our advertisers are not just advertisers, they are our partners. We believe that our dealings with the advertisers are not merely to bring in revenue and play the number game. But it is all about building a "relation' with them and thus other clients and eventually, the viewers." | By Ankita Tanna [ankita(at)adgully.com]