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MUMBAI: Launched in 2011 as a Hindi
regional entertainment channel, Reliance
Broadcast Network’s Big magic saw a
rebirth when it changed its positioning to a
light-hearted comedy channel in April 2014.
The channel now aims to strengthen its
foothold in the metro cities in 2015.
The first steps involved sorting out
distribution issues last year itself when Big
Magic hopped on to all the major direct-to-
home (DTH) platforms and cable TV
networks. Recently it also sealed a deal
with Tata Sky, the only DTH player missing
from its portfolio.
“We had been in talks with Tata Sky for a
really long time and the deal has finally
come through. This will give us 12 million
additional viewers in the metros. While our
core audience comes from the Hindi belts,
we also want Delhi and Mumbai as it’s a
great market for comedy,” Big Magic
creative director Uditanshu Mehta said.
Mehta added that while the shows are
mainly set in small towns, the channel also
plans to do shows for the metro markets.
However, they will not focus on metro
audiences at the cost of alienating their
inclusive core audiences. Presently,
‘Nadaaniyaan’ and ‘Mahisagar’ are its only
shows set in the cities of Delhi and
Ahmedabad.
Seasonal formats
In December 2014, Big Magic adopted a
seasonal format for all its shows. Viewers
have been seeing seasonal formats across
shows like ‘Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar
Birbal’, ‘Uff Yeh Nadaniyaan’, ‘Ajab Ghajab
Ghar Jamai’ and ‘Mahi Sagar’.
Currently the channel has around 21 hours
of original programming per week. Mehta
explained that taking a break after a
particular season of a format is not the
norm at Big Magic. Instead, they hit the
refresh button every 30–40 episodes or as
long as the story can last and introduce new
characters and storylines.
“The kids property called ‘Raavi and Magic
Mobile’ is particularly consistent. We sort of
moved away from our usual format and
launched it like a weekday episodic show.
But this is an exception rather than the
rule,” he said.
The channel will soon launch an array of
new shows. By the first week of March, the
channel will have launched a new fiction
show. This will be followed by another show
in April.
In terms of non-fiction, Big Magic is coming
up with a couple of shows that should be
ready to launch between April and June.
“We will be launching at least one show in
that quarter and the other one might follow
in the next. The idea is to keep creating
new and unique content that people want to
watch,” said Mehta.
Aiming to be inclusive, the team is focusing
on something that is fun for the entire
family. Thus, there will be some family game
show formats as well.
“Our viewers need a good destination for
mature comedy because TV comedy until
now has been associated with slapstick
humour. Our shows have depth and every
episode gives a sense of purpose. The
message is not preachy but is a good take-
away for people,” he stated.
One of the channel’s biggest properties is
‘Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal’. According
to Big Magic chief marketing officer Shalini
Gupta, the show contributes almost 50 per
cent to the channel’s total GRPs (gross
rating points).
Adding to that, Mehta stated that having
one episode of 21 minutes implies ensuring
that people watch it for at least 16–18
minutes. “’Akbar Birbal’, for example, has
reached an average TSV [time spent per
viewer] of 19–20 minutes if you look at
HSM CS4+ markets.”
Big Magic eyeing metro audiences | TelevisionPost.com
regional entertainment channel, Reliance
Broadcast Network’s Big magic saw a
rebirth when it changed its positioning to a
light-hearted comedy channel in April 2014.
The channel now aims to strengthen its
foothold in the metro cities in 2015.
The first steps involved sorting out
distribution issues last year itself when Big
Magic hopped on to all the major direct-to-
home (DTH) platforms and cable TV
networks. Recently it also sealed a deal
with Tata Sky, the only DTH player missing
from its portfolio.
“We had been in talks with Tata Sky for a
really long time and the deal has finally
come through. This will give us 12 million
additional viewers in the metros. While our
core audience comes from the Hindi belts,
we also want Delhi and Mumbai as it’s a
great market for comedy,” Big Magic
creative director Uditanshu Mehta said.
Mehta added that while the shows are
mainly set in small towns, the channel also
plans to do shows for the metro markets.
However, they will not focus on metro
audiences at the cost of alienating their
inclusive core audiences. Presently,
‘Nadaaniyaan’ and ‘Mahisagar’ are its only
shows set in the cities of Delhi and
Ahmedabad.
Seasonal formats
In December 2014, Big Magic adopted a
seasonal format for all its shows. Viewers
have been seeing seasonal formats across
shows like ‘Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar
Birbal’, ‘Uff Yeh Nadaniyaan’, ‘Ajab Ghajab
Ghar Jamai’ and ‘Mahi Sagar’.
Currently the channel has around 21 hours
of original programming per week. Mehta
explained that taking a break after a
particular season of a format is not the
norm at Big Magic. Instead, they hit the
refresh button every 30–40 episodes or as
long as the story can last and introduce new
characters and storylines.
“The kids property called ‘Raavi and Magic
Mobile’ is particularly consistent. We sort of
moved away from our usual format and
launched it like a weekday episodic show.
But this is an exception rather than the
rule,” he said.
The channel will soon launch an array of
new shows. By the first week of March, the
channel will have launched a new fiction
show. This will be followed by another show
in April.
In terms of non-fiction, Big Magic is coming
up with a couple of shows that should be
ready to launch between April and June.
“We will be launching at least one show in
that quarter and the other one might follow
in the next. The idea is to keep creating
new and unique content that people want to
watch,” said Mehta.
Aiming to be inclusive, the team is focusing
on something that is fun for the entire
family. Thus, there will be some family game
show formats as well.
“Our viewers need a good destination for
mature comedy because TV comedy until
now has been associated with slapstick
humour. Our shows have depth and every
episode gives a sense of purpose. The
message is not preachy but is a good take-
away for people,” he stated.
One of the channel’s biggest properties is
‘Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal’. According
to Big Magic chief marketing officer Shalini
Gupta, the show contributes almost 50 per
cent to the channel’s total GRPs (gross
rating points).
Adding to that, Mehta stated that having
one episode of 21 minutes implies ensuring
that people watch it for at least 16–18
minutes. “’Akbar Birbal’, for example, has
reached an average TSV [time spent per
viewer] of 19–20 minutes if you look at
HSM CS4+ markets.”
Big Magic eyeing metro audiences | TelevisionPost.com
