We thought we could provoke him into a naughty answer one last time this year, but then you can’t do that with our Wizard with Word. Here’s Dr Bhaskar Das in the December 28 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…
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Q. Clearly the merger of Sony & Zee nearly coming through is the standout event of 2022. But anything in the business of entertainment that was the highlight of the year for you?
A. The merger of Zee and Sony is itself a harbinger of changing times in terms of coopetition and collaboration. It’s a fact that the Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) category has been facing some challenge (may read as churn) in viewership in major markets mainly due to the prolonged Covid-induced lockdown that had forced most people to remain indoors. It has changed the consumption habits due to lack of fresh content. But that’s history, hopefully. Now, the upward trend of consumption thorough Connected TV and OTT streaming (not to forget the revised NTO regime) could pose some fragmentation of viewing habits. I am sure that in terms of sheer numbers, in the Indian context, Linear TV would still win the day and for some time both would coexist. At the same time, the strategists of GEC channels have to remember the arrival of Gen Z and penetration of 5G along with increasing penetration of smartphones could pose a different consumption behaviour amongst the audience. Don’t forget, only paranoids survive.