Colors increases ad rates of Khatron Ke Khiladi by 15 per cent

The show is expected to be launched in May. It will have 16 episodes that will run for eight weeks. The one-hour show will occupy the 9 pm slot and will be aired on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Akshay Kumar's (AK) return to Fear Factor-Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 4 (FFKKK4) may turn out to be a lucky charm for Colors -- not only in terms of viewership, but in revenues as well. In anticipation, the channel has decided to increase the ad rates of the property by as much as 15 per cent over last year.

The property is being sold for Rs 2 lakh per 10 seconds, while the channel has charged Rs 10 crore for the title sponsorship. The associate sponsors are believed to have shelled out Rs 4.5 crore each.

Thums Up is the title sponsor. The associate sponsors signed so far are Scorpio, Samsonite, HUL-Sure, and Amul Macho. The channel is looking out for six-eight associate sponsors.

Simran Hoon, national sales head, Colors, says, "We expect to close on more sponsors in the telecom, consumer durables, mobile, health supplements, and FMCG categories."

Last year, the property had made approximately Rs 50 crore in billing and this year, FFKKK4 is expected to reap even better numbers. "This season, the show is expected to make about Rs 65-70 crore," says Sejal Shah, vice-president, West and South, IME.

Media experts say that in 2010, while Colors initiated the title sponsorship rate for FFKKK3 at Rs 12 crore, the deal concluded at a price below Rs 8 crore. Meanwhile, the associate sponsors paid approximately Rs 4 crore for the same, while a regular 10-second ad spot on the show went for less than Rs 1.2 lakh.

Says Hoon, "Every year, we sign sponsors and spot buys much before the show goes on air. We always generate higher revenues on FFKKK, but yes, the AK factor will certainly peg the property to garner even higher numbers."

NP Sathyamurthy, president and chief operating officer, Lintas Media Group and chief executive officer, Karishma Initiative, is optimistic that Kumar will certainly bring back the attraction of FFKKK in its latest season. "A mix of varied advertisers who did not associate with the IPL, either because of high costs or because they were not getting back much value from the cricketing property, are sure to buy into FFKKK4," he opines.

But, with so much money spent on cricket, will advertisers have enough to shell out?

"Yes," says Satyajit Sen, chief executive officer, ZenithOptimedia. "The IPL inventory is already running full, and advertisers are ready to spend more. This year, the television advertising industry is expected to see an optimistic growth and advertisers will surely get associated with properties where they find value," he adds.

Last year, when Colors chose to get Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra to fit into the shoes of Kumar, little did the channel know that the flagship property would fail to grab the requisite eyeballs. After a positive audience response in its first week, FFKKK steadily dropped in ratings as Chopra was not as popular as AK as a host.

It is pertinent to note here that the initial upswing in the viewership was led by Colors' marketing prowess and the curiosity factor of seeing Chopra as the host.

FFKKK4 is expected to be launched in May. It will have 16 episodes that will run for eight weeks. The one-hour show will occupy the 9 pm slot and will be aired on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.