The Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) kids' entertainment market pie is being spliced in a different way, driven by growing number of 24-hour kids channels in the Indian entertainment space.
If a latest study is to be believed, mass entertainment channels such as Star Plus and Sony are losing out in popularity stake to 24-hour kids channel such as Cartoon Network and Pogo, specially in the metros.
According to market research agency TNS India's latest research for Cartoon Network, a Time Warner company, the channel gained in popularity across the country in 2004 with 54 per cent kids surveyed voting it as the most liked channel. In the preceding year, the channel had notched up 46 per cent votes.
Star Plus, which was earlier voted the second most favourite channel by 22 per cent kids, found favour with only 13 per cent kids in 2004. Most of the channel's popularity has been usurped by Pogo, also a Time Warner channel that was introduced in India in early 2003.
Pogo has been voted the third most favourite by nine per cent children surveyed. It displaces Discovery channel, which ranked third in 2002 with five per cent kids voting in favour.
In the metros, the top two slots are cornered by Cartoon Network, with 52 per cent rooting for it, and Pogo at 15 per cent. Star Plus ranked third with eight per cent kids voting in favour.
The remaining pie is divided among Sun TV (six per cent), followed by Ten Sports that has four per cent kids voting for it. Discovery channel and National Geographic each find favour with one per cent of the kids interviewed.
Clearly, metros show a skew in favour of channels that cater primarily to kids. The launch of Ronnie Screwvala-promoted kids channel Hungama TV on September 26 will further affect the market shares of different channels in that space.
Again, it is the mass entertainment channels that are likely to be affected most by the presence of more kids channels in the entertainment space.
Interestingly, Nickelodeon, the kids channel distributed in India by the Sony-Discovery distribution company OneAlliance, found no mention in the entire report. Turner Entertainment Networks Asia vice-president, research, Duncan Morris, told reporters that it was because the channel's name didn't surface in the responses.
