MUMBAI: Discovery Communications India, country’s leading infotainment player, has intensified focus on India centric programming in the lead-up to the festive season. The network, which is devoted to creating highest quality purposeful entertainment, will showcase an unprecedented 8 India centric shows over the next 4 months on Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and TLC. The India specials will be in addition to the premiere of staggering 20 + global IPs on the 3 network channels.
“We are excited with the growth that we have been able to garner this year. All our core channels – Discovery, Animal Planet and TLC – are now undisputed leaders in their respective genres while Discovery Kids has emerged as the fastest growing channel in the kids genre. Our aim is to further build on it and accelerate the growth over the next 4 months,” said, Karan Bajaj, General Manager, Discovery Communications India. “It is a conscious strategy to increase India centric pipeline with original production or programming acquisitions. With the unmatched line-up of Indian and Global IPs till the end of the year, we are confident to deepen our local connection while further extending the lead over competition for all of our network channels.”
This year Discovery has already showcased a line-up of impactful India led programming including Breaking Point: The Indian Submarines, Breaking Point: Air Force Academy. Over the next 3 months, Discovery channel will showcase 5 new India centric shows including Women Fighter Pilots (Premiers August 24), a new Military tentpole High Altitude Warfare School (October), India’s Citizen Squad (November) and Moon Bound (November) – a special about Team Indus’s attempt as a part of Google Lunar XPrize and a special documentary on Sunny Leone’s life Mostly Sunny (December). TLC, which has shown huge resurgence since January 2018, will showcase an Indian original production which has shaken the digital space with its promise of a TLC travel scholarship - The Calling (October). Animal Planet, India’s leading wildlife channel, is currently showcasing an anthology of shows ‘The Red List: Save The Wild’ which focuses on the trials and tribulations of endangered species in India and across the world. The channel will showcase Mission Big Cat – an anthology focused on Big Cats including Lions, Leopards and Tigers in the month of October celebrating World Animal Day.
Discovery India is working overtime to reduce the time-gap between global and Indian premiers. On the anvil is a mouthwatering palate of global premiers on Discovery Channel including Shark Week, Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge S3, American Chopper and Running Wild With Bear Grylls Season 4 featuring celebrities such as tennis legend Roger Federer, Scott Eastwood, Don Cheadle, Lena Headey, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Uzo Aduba. TLC’s is getting revamped with the introduction of Scripps led content including blockbuster IPs like Chopped, Cup Cake Wars, Extreme Homes, Bizarre Foods, Extreme Chefs and Giada in Italy and global tentpoles like American Beauty Star.
Animal Planet as a part of new brand philosophy ‘Humans Like Us’ will sharpen focus on stories linked to animal conservation as it aims to awaken viewers to the need for animal welfare and conservation. The channel has lined-up number of global IPs for Indian audiences. The family of Steve Irwin, the much-loved wildlife expert who created a distinctive new style of wildlife documentary, returns to Animal Planet with - The Irwins- a special show focused on Steve Irwin’s zoo in Australia.
Discovery Network is the undisputed leader in the infotainment category with 48% share. Discovery channel with 24%* share in the leading channel followed by Animal Planet which is at no 2 position with 16%* share. Infact, 7 out of the top 10 shows* in infotainment genre are from Discovery. TLC is now ranked no 1 in the lifestyle category with 33% share*. TLC has grown share by 7% over last year when it was placed at the second spot with 30% share. Infact, 7 out of top 10 shows in the Lifestyle Genre are from TLC. Discovery Kids has leap-frogged to 4th position from 9th position in the beginning of the year. The ratings of Discovery Kids have grown by 426% since the start of the year.
