Colors Infinity unveils content strategy; focusses on 'essential viewing'

9 pm to 12 midnight has been slotted for 'Essential Viewing'. The channel's marketing campaign will cover 25 cities and include all media platforms

Aanchal Kohli | Mumbai | July 8, 2015

Following the announcement of its new English GEC, Colors Infinity, last week, Viacom18 has now unveiled its content strategy and programming line-up for the upcoming channel. However, the launch date for the channel is yet to be revealed, though industry sources have said that the channel is likely to go on air this month.

Colors Infinity's programming line-up will include four hours of content with seven new shows seven days of week. The channel will be following the international trend of 'Essential Viewing', which will provide an immersive experience of watching three continuous episodes of globally applauded narratives back to back.

The channel has also added more launch partners in its kitty, which include L'Oreal Paris, Renault, Grey Goose and Integriti.

As reported earlier, the content for Colors Infinity will be co-curated by Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt, who will be seen contributing to the channel in terms of designing a disruptive and addictive show line-up.

Ferzad Palia

Speaking about the differentiated line-up, Ferzad Palia, EVP, Viacom18 and Head, English Entertainment, said, “The whole idea is to mirror the consumption pattern with our innovative programme line-up. The thought of airing seven shows on seven days and taking forward the trend of 'Essential Viewing' came across from our consumers while doing a consumer research. We realised that there was a need for something more innovative and different type of content among our viewers. Today, consumers do not want to see just one episode in one week, they want more.”

Palia further said that the channel would be following the 12-minute ad-cap format.

Sudhanshu Vats

Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18, added here, “In 2008, Viacom18 scripted the first few pages of its journey to establish its first milestone, Colors, thereafter disrupting the genre landscape. In 2015, we once again embark on a journey to recreate history, this time in the English entertainment space with Colors Infinity. The channel is all set to subvert convention in the genre through providing a consummate viewing experience.”

The 9 pm to 12 midnight 'Essential Viewing' slot will include never aired shows like 'The Flash' (Season 1), which will air on Mondays; 'The Musketeers' (Season 1) on Tuesdays; the US series, 'Forever', on Wednesdays; 'The Big C's' Season 1 on Thursdays; 'Orange is New Black' on Fridays; Season 1 of 'Better Call Saul' on Saturdays; and 'Fargo' on Sundays. The channel will air 'The Kitchen Rules' as a daily show between 8 pm and 9 pm.

“For a few shows we will be airing Season 1, but as soon as the second season is released in the US in September, we will get it for the Indian audiences. We will be matching the US timings,” Palia added.

The channel has unprecedented scale of 2,000 hours of international content acquired from studios like Warner Bros, International Television Distribution, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, BBC and Endemol Shine, amongst others.

To broaden the horizons and audience base, the channel will soon be embarking on an aggressive marketing campaign that will cover 25 cities and will take the channel to audiences beyond the metros. “The marketing campaign will be aggressive, covering all possible mediums – television, print and out of home and digital,” Palia said.

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