Hindi TV channels look beyond soaps as ‘reality’ sinks in

Core Insights - The broadcasting industry is shifting its scheduling strategies by introducing reality shows on weekdays, moving away from the traditional fiction-led model [1][9] - Reality formats are appealing to advertisers due to their ability to attract gender-balanced audiences and their effectiveness across television and digital platforms [2][6] - The rise of non-fiction genres, driven by streaming platforms, is prompting TV channels to extend their programming to weekdays, targeting non-drama soap audiences [5][9] Industry Trends - Non-fiction shows are increasingly popular among advertisers, commanding a premium of 35% to 75% for sponsorships, as they aggregate essential audiences for brand campaigns [6][10] - Cricket remains the only male-targeted mass-appeal offering dominating weekday viewership, highlighting a gap for male audiences in non-fiction programming [7][9] - The strategy to incorporate more interactive non-fiction and game formats aims to enhance monetization and engage audiences across both television and mobile platforms [8][10]