Will World Cup catch TV shows on the backfoot?

It’s not even a month since the IPL (Indian Premier League) ended and another sporting extravaganza, the ICC Cricket World Cup, has taken over television screens. From June 5, when India faces off South Africa, cricket lovers across the nation will be glued to their TV sets. This means daily soaps and serials, which are the staple diet of viewers, are bound to take a hit. The producers, who had already seen a 10-15 per cent (as per industry sources) drop in the ratings during the IPL, will have to work doubly hard on incorporating twists and turns to stop the viewers from ditching their favourite shows. 

Says Asit Kumarr Modi, producer of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, “Cricket does affect television shows. It is like religion in India. World Cup is something every Indian wants to be a part of. We try to make tracks a little more interesting and work to give our best, but we do lose on audiences on days, especially when India is playing.” 

JD Majethia, who is producing Bhakarwadi, feels that not only India’s matches but also the decisive face-offs and the finale will have an impact. “Thanks to IPL, people now have  favourite players from different countries. So, they will watch when they are playing, too. World Cup is a big thing and with matches starting post 2 pm, the prime time will get affected from June to mid-July,” he says.

(Clockwise: Yeh Rishte Hain Pyaar Ke; Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah; Bhakarwadi; Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai)

In fact, this year general entertainment channels have had to fight competition from even news channels. The Pulwama attack, the Balakot strike, Wing Commander Abhinandan’s capture and release, the elections and exit polls have taken a toll on primetime shows. 

As Sumeet Mittal, producer of Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai, says, “With IPL, elections and the World Cup, the number of new shows launched in the last few months has been less. Channels are cautious as eyeballs get divided.

Every maker works hard and if the storytelling and characters in a new show don’t attract audience in the initial days, it becomes difficult to sustain. We can understand if people sample it and disapprove, but with these big events around, even that doesn’t happen.”

However, most of the makers have now learned to live with it. Some of them are even launching their big-ticket reality shows like Dance India Dance (DID) that marks the debut of Kareena Kapoor Khan as the judge bang in the middle of the sporting event. “World Cup is a reality we, in the general entertainment space, must live with. That hasn’t come in the way of us launching shows we have conviction in, neither in the past nor in the present. DID with 
its revamped format, 

Kareena’s debut and truly international production standards is bound to be a compelling watch for families over the weekend,” says Aparna Bhosle, Business Cluster Head — Zee TV & FTA channels. Even veteran producer-director Rajan Shahi, who has Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Yeh Rishte Hain Pyaar Ke on air, is not planning any high points in his shows during the World Cup. He reasons that the sporting event is akin to the launch of any new show! “No doubt, it will affect the ratings, but now there is no need to panic. We just have to rely on our strengths and work around it intelligently,” he reckons. He argues that the way the TV industry is functioning, there is always pressure to perform. “It's on a month-to-month basis —if the ratings dip, the show goes off air immediately. It is happening more so today because of the budget issues, and you have to be on your toes,” he explains. 
Yet, there is no denying the added threat that the World Cup poses. “It’s part of the game. But we always bounce back after World Cup,” smiles Asit.