Aidem Ventures to handle advertising for Dangal

Dangal TV is a 24-hour free-to-air entertainment channel, with a programming mix of movies and fiction shows in Bhojpuri and Hindi.

Dangal, one of the leading general entertainment channels, has awarded its ad sales duties to Aidem Ventures, a media consulting, marketing and ad-sales agency. The channel has significant presence in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand, offering programming in both Hindi and Bhojpuri languages.

In the financial year that ended in March 2013, the total market size (advertising revenue) of UP was Rs 81.10 crore. The other major players in the market include Big Magic, Mahuaa, Dabangg, ETV UP and Zee UP Uttarakhand. Generally, out of the total number of advertisers on the Bhojpuri genre, close to 68 per cent per cent are national advertisers.

The agency plans to charge advertisers Rs 1,000 per 10-second ad-slot. Dangal is available across cable and DTH platforms including Dish TV, Videocon DTH, Airtel Digital TV and DD DTH, and was first launched in 2009.

Vikas Khanchandani, director, Aidem Ventures, informs that in 2012, regional channels accounted for approximately 27 per cent of total television viewership, which is proportionate to the advertising market share they commanded during the same period.

Aidem Ventures handles sales duties for other regional channels including Get Punjabi, Jaya TV and Mi Marathi. Other clients of the agency are Filmy, News 24, Firangi, Sahara One, Shagun and the Al Jazeera channels.

Khanchandani adds, "Advertising interest in regional markets is strong and broadcasters see immense potential for revenues from local advertisers who are willing to pay a premium to reach their targeted audience. From our own experience with regional channels, we have come to realise that a staggering number of advertisers are seeing the benefits of developing localised communication strategies using sponsorships, promotions and integrated branded content around regional TV."

Dangal TV is a 24-hour free-to-air entertainment channel, with a programming mix of movies and fiction shows in Bhojpuri and Hindi. Its movie library targets the largely untouched rural audience, along with the urban audiences in the state.

Manish Singhal, chairman and managing director, Dangal TV, says, "Our understanding on the Hindi-speaking belt and our huge investment in acquiring Bhojpuri and Hindi content serves as a strong endorsement of our vision to create a new standard in the Bhojpuri entertainment space. We look forward to achieve better yield for the channel over the long term, after partnering with Aidem."