Mumbai: Oriya entertainment Group Sidharth TV Network has mandated Whitepixel and GapBox to handle its sales operations. Founded by Namita Agrawalla and Sitaram Agrawalla, Sidharth TV has four channels, namely, Sidharth TV (GEC), Sidharth Bhakti (devotional) Sidharth Gold (film), Jay Jaganath (niche channel on Lord Jaganath).

Sidharth TV has been around for nearly four decades, bringing a range of premium entertainment content to the viewers across formats and genres including reality shows, dramas, events, comedies, game shows, dance shows, and others. It was founded by Namita Agrawal, renowned playback singer and a household name across Odisha, and her husband Sitaram Agrawalla who has been a known name in the entertainment business across TV, FM, music and movies. The channel was subsequently sold to Zee TV Group after which it became Sarthak TV. After a buy back last year, Sidharth TV Network returned to the field with the Sidharth TV platform on digital and now on satellite.

Odisha is a rapidly rising market in the entertainment, music, and devotional content arenas, with an estimated audience size of over 45 million. The state’s entertainment preferences are dominated by its rich musical and religious past. Devotional programs, talent hunt shows, and serials that depict the cultural aspect are among the most demanded genres.

“We have been in the field of creating artistic and engaging content for the Odia audiences for nearly four decades now. We had earlier established Sarthak TV which became a household name and was later acquired by Zee TV,” says Sidharth TV Network head-operations Bibhuti Bhusan Mishra.

“We have also built a strong presence in the the digital entertainment field with 23 YouTube channels across devotion, music, entertainment, and other popular verticals with combined followership of 22 million subscribers. With Sidharth TV, Sidharth Gold, and Sidharth Bhakti, we are aiming to bring the best in entertainment, cinema, and devotional content to Odia viewers. We have entrusted our sales duties to Whitepixel and GapBox and look forward to using their expertise,” he adds.

Whitepixel co-founder Abdul Aziz points out, “Sidharth TV, Sidharth Gold, and Sidharth Bhakti are platforms that have created a humongous bank of premium Odia content across genres. They have some of the best entertainment shows, TV serials, music and devotion programming depicting the salient features of Odia culture and heritage. We are keen to leverage our media sales, marketing, and advertising outreach to take this content to every viewer across the state and beyond.”

“Whether it is the highly popular serials such as ‘Mangula Kanya’, and ‘Aparajita’, or reality shows such as ‘Sampurna Laxmi’ (based on the high-rooted traditions of Orissa), talent hunt reality show ‘Tike dance tike acting’ judged by three cine stars, or upcoming singing reality show ‘Odisha nua Swara Junior,’ we as a channel leave no stone unturned in delighting the viewers. We understand the pulse of the market and consumer sentiments very well,” states Sidharth TV Network head –sales Rabindranath Padhy.

Sidharth Gold has over 100+classic odia movies along with 300+ jatras (Odia street palys), and the Sidharth Bhakti channel has 20 new devotional shows providing a daily dose of spirituality and devotion to the masses.

“As India’s leading branded content/infomercial (DRTV) agency, we have been successful in establishing links between brands and communities. We believe in building modern brands that foster a rich cultural heritage. This is where Sidharth TV comes across as a perfect partner,” shares GapBox founder Srinivas. “They have built a network that has Odisha’s rich cultural heritage, practices and devotional depth at its core. The network also caters to all popular entertainment genres in vogue among the audience today. It is a joy to work with such a valued brand and bring about a transformation in Odia language entertainment industry, and we look forward to a long-term association with them.”