24 Season 2, India's most expensive fiction show, set for July 17 launch

The channel is geared up to rake in the moolah at an average of Rs 3.5 to 4 lakh per 10 seconds ad slot, while average associate sponsorship is expected to be sold at Rs 8-10 crore

Roshni Nair & Akansha Mihir Mota | Mumbai | June 9, 2016

Viacom 18's Hindi GEC, Colors, is expecting to rake as much as 20 per cent higher ad revenues from the second season of its most expensive fiction show, 24. The first season of the international thriller was telecast from October 4, 2013 to December 21, 2013. On Wednesday, June 8, 2016, the channel unveiled the first look of its much anticipated espionage thriller series, 24 Season 2.

Raj Nayak

Raj Nayak, CEO of Colors, said the channel was looking at a 20 per cent increase compared to the last season. “We don't want to be too ambitious but the ad rate we are looking at is an average of Rs 3.5 to 4 lakh per 10 seconds. This is just the spot rate, most of our advertising inventory goes through sponsors and our average associate sponsorship is about 8 to 10 crore,” he said.

The channel will have at least six associate sponsors but as of now, Maruti Suzuki has come on board as the presenting sponsor and Oppo Mobiles is the 'powered by' sponsor.

At the launch of the trailer, Anil Kapoor, the show's lead protagonist and producer, was present along with the cast and crew. Also present were special guest Aamir Khan, Colors' CEO Raj Nayak, RS Kalsi, Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Anil Kapoor's daughter Sonam Kapoor among others.

The second season will see Jai Singh Rathod, played by Anil Kapoor, fighting to save the country from an outbreak of a deadly virus that could put billions of lives in jeopardy. The new season will also have Sakshi Tanwar, Surveen Chawla, Sikander Kher playing key roles while Sapna Pabbi and Neil Bhoopalam will be reprising their roles from the first season.

24 is one of the costliest shows in the Hindi GEC genre. The first season reportedly cost the channel upwards of Rs 1.25 crore per episode. Refusing to divulge details on the increase in production cost this time, Nayak said, “It is a very expensive show. It is the biggest and the most expensive fiction show in India.”

In the first season, the show had Tata Safari Storme as the presenting sponsor and was heavily integrated in the show's storyline. This time around, Maruti has come aboard with its brand S-Cross.

RS Kalsi

Speaking about the association, RS Kalsi, Executive Director (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India, said, “We have a wide product portfolio from entry level to high-end customers, so it is quite a challenge for us to associate a specific product or a brand to a programme and then, to the specific target audience. S-Cross is our premium product and it is delivered through a premium channel. S-Cross is a global product and 24 is a global format, the show's hero Anil Kapoor has global recognition and he has a strong association with 24. So the traits of our product and the show match. We saw a synergy between the two and that is how we decided to associate with the show.”

Explaining the importance of this sponsorship over buying of ad slots, Kalsi said, “Buying ad slots is highly tactical. It may depend on a particular format and time, it is a sales activity. Whereas, associating our brand with a programme is a strategic decision and a marketing activity which fetches us long-term results and also makes a subtle impact on the customers, it is not in your face. This kind of association will have a long-term impact on our brand's relevance.”

Kalsi said historically Maruti has been a brand that has worked as performance-oriented, affordable and conservative. “By associating with premium shows like 24 with premium content, we want to change the positioning in the market and move towards becoming a premium, luxury brand while also catering to its original market share.”

The show that is all set to hit the television screens on July 17, 2016, and will possibly follow a similar telecast pattern of the previous season with two episodes every week – Saturdays and Sundays. The time slot for the show is yet to be decided.

Manisha Sharma

Manisha Sharma, Programming Head, Colors, said, “What 24 can deliver in terms of thrill and excitement to the viewers is something that cannot be replicated by any other show on Indian television. Anil Kapoor and our creative team have created a mass-friendly product for the Indian audience. The plotline is spellbinding from the start.”

Sky Li, Vice-President of Oppo & MD-International Mobile Business and President, Oppo India, said, “We are thrilled with this partnership with the popular show 24, the most awaited show this season. Oppo Mobiles has been a game-changer in the mobile devices industry through its innovation and leadership in selfie technology and camera performance and so is 24 with its action-packed drama amid twists and turns. Our alliance with the show enables us to draw synergies with the show's target audience and cater to their needs while increasing market penetration and brand recall.”

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com