With a female host and male contestants, the third season of FFKKK 3 has exhibited marginal skew towards the female audience
Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 3 (FFKKK 3) on Colors has brought in good news for both the channel and the advertisers alike.
As per TAM data (C&S 4+, HSM), the show has registered an opening TVR of 5.49. The previous edition of the show had an opening TVR of 4.37. The first season of the show, in 2008, had an opening TVR of 1.72.
The show, in the very first week of its launch, has made it to the Top 10 most watched shows on GECs; it is the fifth most watched show on GECs in Week 37.
Commenting on the opening TVR and the expectations from the third season of the reality show, Amin Lakhani, head, exchange, Mindshare India, says, "The opening TVR is better than the industry expectations. Since the format of the show (all boys cast as against girl contestants in the previous two editions) and the anchor (Priyanka Chopra) are new, there were some uncertainties. The opening TVR is a result of the hype and marketing might put behind the show by Colors."
Lakhani adds that a 5+ TVR indicates that people were curious about the new anchor and the format of the show. Also, stunts performed on the show appear interesting, too.
Speaking on the innovative marketing campaign initiatives, Rajesh Iyer, director, marketing, Colors, says, "The execution of the strategy is designed to take the "Khatra" experience to the consumer across the entire spectrum of touch points through a variety of media mix. We have planned innovative campaign ideas to create the desired impact and give the show a perfect launch pad."
Others in the industry feel that there is more to the success of FFKKK 3 - apart from the impactful promotional strategy implemented by Colors to ensure hype and interest around the third edition of the property.
According to RS Suriyanarayanan, business director, LMG, the success of the show has to be viewed from other factors as well. He reasons, "Cricket is god in India and every other property sees a dip in viewership when the game is on. At present, Champions League is in progress but the cricket tournament has had no success so far. This, coupled with the fact that there has been no other big launch on other channels, has also contributed to FFKKK's impressive performance."
With the Australia-India cricket series coming soon, one will have to watch the progress of the reality show.
Both Lakhani and Suriyanarayanan believe that the opening TVR is encouraging but it's going to be a wait and watch game for the next couple of weeks to determine the success of the show.
The initial opening of the show, as such, indicates a positive response to the new anchor, Chopra, and the contestants of the show. However, Mona Jain, chief operating officer, VivaKi Exchange, feels otherwise. For her, Chopra's act as the host of the reality show falls flat. She fails to match up to the energy and enthusiasm that was on display in the first two editions of the show, hosted by actor Akshay Kumar.
The TAM data for viewership pattern throws up interesting numbers for the third season of the reality show.
FFKKK 3 has been watched by more females than males. This time, women audience account for 51.8 per cent of the total viewership of the show, whereas the second edition exhibited higher skew towards men, with the viewership number for them standing at 51 per cent.
Industry observers term the viewership skew towards women audience as insignificant. They attribute it to the fact that it's but obvious that men at large would not like to see male contestants competing on the show in comparison to female contestants, who featured in the earlier editions.
Also, the fact that the show airs at 9 pm on weekdays is drawing in more viewership from women because traditionally, the 7-11 pm time band is known for drawing heavy viewership from the female TG (target group).
The third edition of FFKKK 3 has been said to have commanded 20 per cent premium over the second edition of the show. The 10 second ad slot for the show has been sold for Rs 1.2 lakh.
Suriyanarayanan maintains that the premium commanded by a property is not merely a function of rate and ratings alone. The premium is also about demand and supply.
He concludes, "Last year, things were just settling down and picking up. People are back on track and spending. There is demand for good slots and properties. Lately, a lot of new telecom brands have come into the picture. These brands require quick gain in the numbers and the eyeballs as well. So, we can see brands spending accordingly."