Low viewership fails to diminish reality show appeal

Despite declining viewership, reality TV shows persist, with Banijay Asia launching a space exploration series to engage diverse audiences and advertisers.

Fewer viewers may be tuning into the big reality TV shows but that isn’t deterring streaming platforms, broadcasters and content companies from making them. In their latest seasons, viewership numbers of reality TV shows such as ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati ‘(KBC) and ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ (KKK) may have declined but that hasn’t stopped production house Banijay Asia from pitching its brand-new reality series on space exploration to major media networks. Banijay Asia owns Endemol Shine and they make both scripted shows (‘The Night Manager’, ‘Call My Agent Bollywood’ and ‘The Trial’) and unscripted series like ‘Bigg Boss’, ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’, ‘MasterChef’, ‘Survivor’ and ‘Temptation Island’.

Low viewership fails to diminish reality show appeal

Tentatively titled ‘Race to Space’ the show will be made in collaboration with Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) to send one Indian into space on a Blue Origin mission. Any Indian above 18 years can apply, enrol, clear the selection process and receive training in the US if shortlisted.

But why is Banijay betting big money on an untested format? Deepak Dhar, founder and group CEO at Banijay, says it is not about the cost but about pushing the envelope in the genre with a disruptive idea. “It’s a giant leap for us in wanting to deliver a show of this size, scale and nature,” Dhar says.

Declining viewership of reality shows doesn’t bother him either since ‘Bigg Boss’ OTT has fared well, especially, in the regional language versions. An executive at Viacom18, which runs Colors and JioCinema, says ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ did not perform as expected but advertiser response to the two shows was good. Sony Entertainment Television’s ‘KBC’ opened with low TRP last month but it had a clutch of first-time sponsors on TV including Aditya Birla Group, Mountain Dew, Lauritz Knudsen Electrical & Automation and National Payments Corporation of India, among others. On SonyLIV, too, ‘KBC’ signed up Sensodyne, Veeba, Kalyan Jewellers and Raymond.

However, the Viacom18 executive says reality TV audiences are declining as viewers both for fiction and non-fiction shows are shifting to digital media. There is growing discomfort with appointment viewing.

Jai Lala, CEO, Zenith India, a Publicis Groupe media agency, attributes low TRPs of reality TV shows to significant audience fragmentation. “Massive exploration of content happening across TV and digital is dividing viewers. But this change should not be seen as a decline because it is not that people are not watching or consuming content, it’s just that there are too many options. Today even the top series on TV get only a TRP of 2. The big reality TV shows clock TRPs of under 2,” says Lala.

Yet advertisers flock to unscripted content since reality TV, cricket and news bring in what are called ‘light’ viewers who float in and out, Lala explains. They are affluent but difficult-to-catch viewers. They watch Netflix and Amazon but return to TV for cricket, news and reality shows. “So, while the reality show ratings are low, they give you a lot of new audiences, which otherwise I can’t reach,” says Lala.

Sony’s business head Nachiket Pantvaidya says its long-running properties like ‘KBC’ (25 years) and ‘Indian Idol’ (20 years) are not just formats but constantly evolving cultural institutions. “Such non-fiction content provides an essential viewing alternative to the predominantly female-targeted content, offering advertisers a unique opportunity to engage with a more diverse, male-skewed audience. They attract new viewers and deepen engagement with loyal audiences,” he says.

Lala says unscripted series offer brand integration opportunities since these shows are more interactive. “You can also create contests which add another layer to show,” he says. It’s their flavour which makes them attractive to advertisers.

Honestly, Indian reality TV is not about the winner or the prize money, says Lala. “It is about emotions, the ‘masala’. You watch ‘KBC’ not because it is offering ₹7 crore but because of the interaction between Amitabh Bachchan and the contestant. It is that chemistry which is attractive,” Lala says. How a space show will create drama needs to be seen.

Dhar, meanwhile, is confident. The new show will be on a mainstream general entertainment platform. “It has drama since an ordinary Indian will get a shot at space travel. It has emotion. I have produced a lot of reality television but haven’t seen something that has such a patriotic connotation.”