Vibhu Agarwal to launch a Hindi GEC

On the heels of the success of his digital OTT App, founder Vibhu Agarwal is now set to enter the broadcasting space with a new Hindi General Entertainment channel with a brand new name which will be soon unveiled. After establishing his prowess in the metal industry, Vibhu entered the then-nascent OTT space. By being one of the few home-grown OTT platforms launched in December 2018, the app has grown to be one of the leading competitors. Now the media maverick is set to enter the broadcasting space with a new general entertainment channel that will primarily cater to the segment of 15+ years.

The GEC, which is set to launch in the first half of the new financial year, will have both fiction and non-fiction series spanning genres like action, comedy, and thrillers. However, what will make it stand apart in the already existing cluttered GEC space is that it will run finite series. Each show will have a limited no. of episodes and will keep the audience engaged throughout the run.

According to the recent EY FICCI M&E 2022 report, television revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4-5% and reach Rs 826 billion by 2024. Revenue from subscriptions for TV channels is expected to reach Rs 415 billion in 2022. Pay TV will continue to grow as states like UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, and West Bengal get electrified. On the other hand, free TV subscribers are expected to cross 50 million in 2025. Thus, predicting the overall growth of TV connections at a pace of over 5% per year to cross 67% of Indian households by 2025.

Speaking on the foray into the broadcasting industry Vibhu Agarwal shared, “We have experienced tremendous success in terms of subscription and popularity with our unique offering on our flagship OTT Platform. Over the last three years, we have built a formidable content library spanning multi-genre content and age groups. While the digital entertainment space is poised to grow exponentially, the broadcasting industry is here to not just stay but also grow. Our new Hindi general entertainment channel will have a varied bouquet of shows targeting all segments of society. It will be heavy in both fiction and non-fiction which will have genres like thriller, crime, comedy, horror, and suspense, and star some of the most renowned actors. We will be working with the best of production houses and the most noteworthy talent across to bring content-rich hours of programming. Each show will have slick production value, a novel concept, differentiated narrative, characterization, and a finite run time. The shows will also be available on the television channel’s own new OTT App wherein the audiences will be able to watch them at their own leisure. This is our commitment to bring entertainment to the household of every Indian across the country that enjoys and understands Hindi”.

The Channel will be available across TATA SKY, Airtel, Dish, D2H, and all cable networks like Hathway, Den, and GTPL in India. IWM Buzz