Star's first experiment to simulcast reality show on channels

For the first time on Indian television, a show is going to be common on Hindi and regional general entertainment channels.

Demonstrating its pan India power, Star India is launching its big ticket dance reality show, Just Dance, on three of its channels simultaneously and also on two channels down south.

Just Dance will hit the TV screens on 18 June and will be aired on Star Plus, Star One and Star Pravah (Marathi entertainment channel) at Saturday-Sunday 9 pm band.

The show will also have a deferred telecast on Asianet and Star Vijay in the afternoon slot.

Says Star India COO Sanjay Gupta, "With this bold move, Just Dance will transcend language and geography, and provide differentiated content for consumers. It will offer advertisers an unparalleled opportunity to maximise reach and unlock value. This is a significant initiative towards monetising the pan India power of the Star brand and showcasing its content on a platform larger than anyone else."

Several media buyers think of this simulcast as a "wise" and a "win-win" move for both Star and advertisers as Star is saving on production cost, getting more reach for the show and can charge a premium. The advertisers, on the other hand, are getting extra reach across languages and varied target groups.

A senior executive from a rival network is more cautious. “This is definitely a different move and something which is not tried in India before. But how much it will add to Star’s viewership remains to be seen. The same show on Star Plus and Star One doesn’t make any sense in my view.”

Gupta says it has selected the best of dance talent following a series of global auditions in cities from New York to Kolkata. "From over 30,000 participants, the channel zeroed down 52 contestants and finally 21 were shortlisted."

The show will see Hrithik Roshan, Farah Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant as the judges. Acclaimed choreographers have also been invited to contribute in training the contestants: Terence Lewis in Contemporary Dance, Saroj Khan in Indian, and Michelle Johnston in International Choreography.

Gupta points out that the show can only be made once, ruling out the chances of following seasons.

The winner of the show will be awarded Rs 10 million and a Swift car from Maruti Suzuki, apart from a dance video with Roshan.

Star has roped in Maruti Suzuki as the presenting sponsor while it is powered by Cadbury Bournvita.

The associate sponsors include Nokia, Parle hide & Seek, India Gate Basmati Rice, Kinder Joy, Adiction Deos, Alite, Pigeon, GNIIT, and Fair and Lovely Men. MTS is the mobile Internet partner, Red FM is radio partner. Fame is cinema partner, while Hindustan Times and Mid-Day are print partneres for the show.

Star India has also launched the marketing campaign for the show. The channel has created touch points for viewers with an “innovative and disruptive marketing campaign” that includes four music videos, digital initiatives and a unique “augmented reality” innovation, which allows viewers to dance with Roshan and share the same screen in Mumbai, Delhi and Lucknow malls.

“This type of marketing innovation has never been done before for any show on television – where the focus has been on selling a show – we have moved it to creating an experience,” says Gupta.

Content Courtesy - Indiantelevision