Discovery mixes fact and fiction, extends the brand
The infotainment network forays into entertainment and sports, expands its local content library and plans a digital-first strategy for flagship channels
“We are transforming ourselves, going completely local with content,” says Karan Bajaj, SVP & GM, South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific as he lays out the game plan for the network’s upcoming GEC channel Discovery Jeet. The network, having spent over two decades in the region, is overhauling its programming, audience engagement tools and marketing strategies as it goes all out to grab a slice of the digital and television consumption pie.
It is targeting the young Indian male to dive deeper into the broadcasting universe with two new channels: Jeet and DSports. At the same time it is developing a digital first strategy for its flagship channels (Discovery, Animal Planet and TLC) that cater to metro and urban consumers.
“We are launching Jeet as a mass market product in the linear space and hope to keep bringing in more in that space. Second, we are also in the vibrant digital universe and we are creating digital first content for smart phones,” Bajaj says. Entertainment first The new channels are aimed at male audiences. According to TV audience measurement agency, BARC India, the Indian male viewer offers an average weekly reach of 487 million and contributes 50 per cent of total television viewership. The study says that despite the large demand that comes from this viewer base, it has been largely ignored by the networks. Male audiences display a similar taste for programmes and when it comes to lifestyle and sports content, they are day agnostic (weekend and week days make little difference in their habits) in rural and urban areas. And the study notes, “Late prime time hours (10-11.30 p.m.) during weekends could be effective for pan India targeting as viewership share for several genres (film, serials, sports and lifestyle based content), remains on par across markets.”
Discovery is targeting the hitherto untapped potential that this band represents, hoping to stimulate advertiser interest with potentially high viewership numbers. It has lined up two new channels: Jeet and DSports. “The first initiative is Discovery Jeet. It will be launched end of this year or early next year. We use facts but craft the story to entertain, so that we can reach the mass consumer,” says Bajaj. The programming line-up for Jeet includes ‘Baba Ramdev’s life story’, ‘Gabru: The Birth of Hip Hop’, a series on rap and hip hop revolution in India; ‘Gangs of Mumbai’, based on the city’s famed underworld.
With the new GEC, Discovery is also consolidating its foray into original productions. The network is building a bank of originals with close to 200 hours of local content, says Bajaj. Before drawing up the line-up for the channel, the company undertook a study of consumer expectations with respect to television viewing among its target group. The survey showed that in Tier II and III towns in India, a large number wanted to watch stories about people who had fought the odds to make it big. They want heroes and role models. “We are showcasing these heroes in a general entertainment format. That is our first major entry into the mass entertainment market in India,” he adds.
KARAN BAJAJ Senior VP & GM, South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific
Digital first The flagship Discovery channels will continue to focus on fact-based programming, Bajaj says emphatically. If that be the case, the brand could end up diluting its identity by getting into GEC. Bajaj is confident that will not happen because, he says the GEC foray is meant to bolster the brand’s offerings and help make the leap to a wider audience base.
The flagship channels are expanding their focus on digital for deeper brand penetration. The company says it will strike partnerships with digital creators and digital networks for the purpose. The strategy will be to offer content through both linear television and digital format. “Both co-exist and there is a market for both. However, India has skipped the phase of watching internet content on television, which has gained momentum in the US market, and jumped directly into consuming content through smart phones,” says Bajaj. The network believes that digital consumers want content that plays for shorter duration and Discovery will soon announce a strategy with digital-first shows.
Globally, the company has audiences across screens through digital-first programming from digital content holding company Group Nine Media, Discovery VR, over-thetop offerings Eurosport Player and Dplay and other channels.
“Our target projection is that the industry would see about 40-50 per cent on digital video revenue growth and 1012 per cent in the linear TV market. We are hoping to grow ahead of the market in the years to come through custom initiatives,” Bajaj says.
Three to five years, Bajaj believes, will see India hit the list of top ten markets for Discovery’s global business. Currently the channels figure between 15 and 20 in the overall Discovery Communication business. “I would love India to be a top 10 market for Discovery globally. That is a quantitative ambition. A more qualitative ambition would be we build scale, but scale with purpose,” adds Bajaj.
“I would love India to be a top 10 market for Discovery globally. That is a quantita- tive ambition. A more qualitative ambition would be we build scale, but scale with purpose”