GECs gain ground, while Zee slips further

Interestingly, Star Plus (the top Hindi GEC) and SET Max (the official broadcaster of IPL) have garnered equal points in Week 18.

In the fifth week of the Indian Premier League Season 6, the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) are finally seeing some increase in the viewership numbers. The top GEC, Star Plus, which was 23 points behind SET Max (the official broadcaster of IPL) has finally levelled with Max. Both Star Plus (which continues to be No. 1 in the genre) and SET Max have earned 224 GRPs in the current week. Star Plus was able to pull four of its properties in the most watched shows' list.

At No. 2, Zee TV is the only GEC (apart from Sahara One) to lose viewership in the week ended May, 4. The channel has garnered 175 points, down from last week's 191 GRPs, while three shows from the channel have featured in the top shows' list in the week.

At No. 3, Viacom 18's Colors has been able to register 166 GRPs, marginally above last week's 164 points. Five of the channel's shows are among the most watched this week. At No. 6, MSM's Sony, too, has earned four extra points to clock 154 GRPs in the current week. After a long time, the channel's crime-based shows, CID and Crime Patrol, have made it to the most watched shows' list in Week 18.

SAB TV, the sibling GEC of Sony, has got 131 points, up from 125 points that it garnered last week. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to feature in the top shows' list on Hindi GECs.

Life OK, Star Plus' sibling channel, has garnered 102 GRPS, and Sahara One follows it with 15 GRPs.

Continuing at the top, Diya Aur Baati Hum has clocked 4.5 TVRs, followed by Zee TV's Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke with 3.3 TVRs. At No. 3, Star Plus' Pyar Ka Dard Hai and SAB TV's flagship property Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma jointly own the spot with 3.1 TVRs each.

At No. 4, Colors' Balika Vadhu (3 TVRs) is followed by Star Plus' Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (2.9 TVRs). The sixth spot in the most watched programmes' list is shared by Zee TV's Qubool Hai and Colors' Sasural Simar Ka, with 2.8 TVRs each.

Madhubala from the Colors stable stands at the seventh spot with 2.7 TVRs. Star Plus' latest non-fiction property, India's Dancing Superstar and Sony's crime-thriller, CID, stand at No. 8, clocking 2.6 TVRs each. Spot 9 is shared by three properties - Sony's Crime Patrol, Colors' Sanskaar (for the first time in the top shows' list) and Colors' Uttaran, each with 2.5 TVRs.

Lastly, Zee TV's kids' talent hunt show, India's Best Dramebaaz, has got into the most watched shows' list after a very long time, with 2.4 TVRs.