Creates history by becoming the #1 channel across all 100+ channels on Free Dish in its debut week in Maharashtra, garnering two-thirds of the market share in the region

Mumbai : Zee Chitramandir, the latest Marathi movie offering from ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), has struck the right note with audiences, emerging as the #1 channel on the Free Dish platform within a week of its launch. Garnering over two-thirds of the market share* in the Marathi-speaking cluster, Zee Chitramandir was the most viewed channel with the highest TSV of 368 minutes* and a record-breaking opening reach of 39.1%* on the Free Dish platform in Maharashtra. The newest addition to ZEE’s Marathi channel portfolio, Zee Chitramandir addresses the need for a quality Free Dish offering in the Marathi movie space with the largest and richest library of 600+ popular movie titles from non-stop masala hits, gripping dramas and thriller movies to light-hearted comedies and a special curation of devotional offerings.
In India, movie watching is a collective experience for the entire family to come together and unwind. Addressing this core viewing habit, Zee Chitramandir has curated slots that enrich the viewing experience by becoming the family’s cinema hall. The channel provided enthralling offerings throughout the week with the sole intention to thoroughly entertain its audience. Maharashtra’s favourite megahit movie- Sairat, premiered on the channel during its launch, followed by a plethora of blockbuster titles. In addition to offering quality movie entertainment, Zee Chitramandir’s specifically curated devotional offerings cater to varied mind states and entertainment needs across dayparts.
Commenting on the performance, Amit Shah, Cluster Head – North, West & Premium Channels, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited said, “We are extremely delighted to receive such a phenomenal response from the audience for Zee Chitramandir, despite launching the channel during the pandemic. As a Free Dish channel, Zee Chitramandir, in a short span of time, has successfully reached a majority of movie enthusiasts in Maharashtra by offering quality and engaging movie content. At ZEE, we are obsessed with a consumer-first approach, our hyperlocal strategy is based on our in-depth understanding of consumers’ interests as well as deep market intelligence, thereby helping us achieve undisputed leadership by garnering over two-thirds of the market share in the Marathi entertainment space. ZEE’s Marathi cluster entertains 43.8 million** viewers every week, and we aim to further strengthen our foothold in the market with our portfolio of offerings catering across all audience segments.”
Speaking about the success, Ashish Sehgal, Chief Growth Officer – Advertisement Revenue, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited said, “Since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the media and entertainment space has witnessed the emergence of multiple new trends and has broken certain age-old norms. Regional content viewership across the country has registered double-digit growth, suggesting viewers’ reliance on TV as the most preferred medium for entertainment. On a national level, the movies genre has registered a significant growth in viewership and ad volumes driven by the rise of family viewing. Zee Chitramandir is tailor-made to suit the palette of the viewers in Maharashtra, which has further boosted the advertiser’s response towards the channel. Zee Chitramandir’s launch plugs the need gap of the movie-loving Marathi-speaking households who form 80% of the total households in Maharashtra. After a stellar premiere of the movie Sairat, Zee Chitramandir will continue to woo its viewers with an exciting line-up of movie premieres from the inspirational Dr. Prakash Baba Amte and Kesari to laugh riots such as Altun Paltun and a love story Gast. Furthermore, a strong brand proposition and understanding of the audiences’ preferences has helped in curating a series of film festivals, including one on ‘Ashok Saraf’s birthday’ as well as the ‘Jodicha Mamla Film Festival’ and ‘Vatapoornima Special’, to entertain its audience in the coming weeks.
To build a deeper connect with the audience, Zee Chitramandir is the first channel in the Free Dish Market to come up with a one-of-a-kind consumer engagement activity, with an objective to facilitate retuning of the Free Dish boxes to increase channel sampling and strengthen the connection with consumers. As part of the engagement initiative, viewers can convey their wishes to their loved ones across Maharashtra, on special occasions. The activity was widely appreciated by the audience witnessing massive participation with over 30,000 entries within 2 weeks of its launch.