Not bowled over: new TV shows during T20 tournament

When the first domestic T20 tournament launched five years ago, it affected not only the lives of TV actors and channel heads, but also the housewives watching their favourite shows.

When the first domestic T20 tournament launched five years ago, it affected not only the lives of TV actors and channel heads, but also the housewives watching their favourite shows. While the former had to struggle to maintain viewership, the latter had to fight for the remote with their husbands to catch their daily soaps.

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Thanks to the novelty of the game, the collective viewership by TV buffs and cinemagoers slipped by a colossal 25 to 40%. Looking at the way things stood, most channels refrained from launching new shows during the tournaments in 2008-09. Instead, they preferred to do so post the game season.

But since last year, the charm of the league seems to have worn off, thanks to the many scandals it has been embroiled in. And that has translated into happy news for channels. After three years of fighting competition by introducing fresh twists in their tales to engage their viewers, last year, the industry declared they were not scared of the game. That sentiment is only getting stronger this year. Many channels are putting their money where their mouths are and preparing to launch new shows.

All we can say now is, let’s wait and watch.