Odia content, 3rd biggest in TV market after Bengali, Marathi

Odisha seems to be emerging as an ideal destination for investors in media and entertainment industry as the market for Odia content in television is growing at a fast rate.

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha seems to be emerging as an ideal destination for investors in media and entertainment industry as the market for Odia content in television is growing at a fast rate.
The latest statistics released by Broadcasters Audience Research Council (BARC) India suggested that Odia language is third biggest market after Bengali and Marathi in regional media segment.
While TV penetration has grown by 15 per cent in Odisha in the last two years, it is the third fastest growing TV market after Bihar/Jharkhand that witnessed a growth of 25 pc and North East/Sikkim, which grew by 23 pc.

Odisha is, in fact, placed among the Top-5 fastest growing TV markets in the country. The viewership is said to have increased owing to rising prosperity levels and availability of power.
According to the statistics, highest viewership of 42 pc in Odia TV market comes from serials followed by 24 pc from films and 10 pc from News. General entertainment channels contribute a whopping 74 pc of total Odia viewership.

CEO of BARC India Partho Dasgupta said, with 75.8 pc daily tune-ins and 93.2 pc weekly tune-ins, people in the State watch television on an average 3.36 hours against the national average of 3.48 hours.
“There is a huge opportunity for the media market in the State. TV ownership here has grown by 12 pc compared to the national growth of 7.5 pc. In fact, Odia is the third biggest market after Bengali and Marathi in Hindi speaking market,” he said.

Dasgupta was here recently to attend the second edition of Make-in-Odisha conclave. Detailing the growth of media and entertainment industry, he said there is a high appetite for TV viewing in the State.
“Odia viewers prefer to consume news in local language while devotional content is consumed more than sports or news. Be it serial or news investment in local content will further drive the growth of broadcast industry,” he said. 

Discussing on the reasons behind growth of the industry, the media expert said electricity availability in the State is better than the national level and it led to rural penetration. A majority of TV viewership comes from the rural areas of the State, Dasgupta added.

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The New Indian Express
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