Legacy shows anchor Hindi GECs as fresh launches try to gain ground

The Hindi GEC space seems to be witnessing an old vs new battle, where legacy shows provide stability as fresh launches swing between highs and lows.

While ‘Mann Sundar’ on Dangal and ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ on Star Plus continue to anchor performance, new entries like Zee TV’s ‘Tum Se Tum Tak’ and Dangal’s ‘Jhalli’ delivered sharp spikes, even as others such as ‘Kahani Pehle Pyaar Ki’ faltered quickly.

On the legacy side, Mann Sundar proved to be Dangal’s strongest stabilizer, peaking at 25.12 GRPs in Week 28 and closing Week 30 with 25.16 GRPs in the Hindi Speaking Market (Urban + Rural) on Free TV. It also consistently stayed above 8 GRPs in combined performance, touching 9.3 by Week 30.

Similarly, Star Plus relied on Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, which remained steady in the 13.47–13.78 GRP range, dipping only slightly to 13.09 in Week 30, while also holding top combined performance.

More on GEC Viewership

GRPs provide a measure of the total weight or impact of an advertising campaign across various channels. They indicate how many times, on average, a particular ad is seen by the target audience.

New launches, however, produced a more volatile story. Some showed upward momentum, while others collapsed quickly.

Zee TV’s Tum Se Tum Tak (launched on July 7) rose from 8.25 GRPs in Week 27 to 13.06 by Week 30 on Pay TV, with combined numbers climbing from 5.69 to 9.02 — one of the strongest recent debuts.

Dangal’s late-night show Jhalli (launched on July 21) also surprised, surging from 12.74 GRPs in Week 29 to 20.28 in Week 30, creating unexpected traction in a non-prime slot.

The Kyunki Story

In sharp contrast, Kahani Pehle Pyaar Ki (launched June 30) collapsed from 7.61 GRPs in Week 27 to just 1.75 by Week 30, underlining the risks of fresh experiments. Bade Ghar Ki Choti Bahu fell from 11.34 to 2.04 GRPs in the same period, while Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad hovered around 5 GRPs, showing weak traction.

At the channel level, Star Utsav led Free TV, rising from 118.7 GRPs in Week 26 to 128.9 in Week 28 before settling at 122.8 in Week 30. Its strength came from Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, which aired across three slots. The 8:00 PM run peaked at 23.11 GRPs in Week 27, the 8:30 PM telecast surged to 22.72 in Week 29 before dropping to 6.79 in Week 30, while the 9:00 PM slot held steady in the 15–16 GRP range.

Star Plus also held firm, moving from 114.1 GRPs in Week 26 to 116.2 in Week 30, after a mid-period dip. Anupamaa climbed steadily from 12.31 to 14.18 GRPs on Pay TV and peaked at 9.80 combined, while Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai remained its primetime anchor. In contrast, newer bets such as Jhanak (8.73 to 3.69 GRPs) and Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad (~5 GRPs) struggled to sustain loyalty.

Past Vs Future

Dangal, while moving from 83.4 to 79.9 GRPs, continued to display remarkable consistency in its overall performance. Mann Sundar dominated the charts with 25.12 GRPs in Week 28 and closed Week 30 with 25.16 GRPs in the Hindi-speaking market (Urban + Rural) on free TV. The show also maintained a strong combined performance, consistently staying above 8 GRPs and touching 9.3 GRPs by Week 30. The recently launched Jhallee surged from 12.74 GRPs in Week 29 to an impressive 20.28 GRPs in Week 30, creating unexpected traction in a non-prime slot.

Prem Leela, though already off-air and aired only for two days in its last week, still managed to deliver 15.37 GRPs in Week 27 and 4.47 GRPs in Week 30.

Bade Ghar Ki Choti Bahu experienced the impact of its time-slot change, with ratings adjusting from 11.35 GRPs in week 29 at 9.30 pm to 10.34 GRPs in week 30 at its new 9:00 pm slot, further rising to 12.6 GRPs in week 31. Likewise, Kahani Pehle Pyaar Ki at the 6:30 pm slot registered a decent performance, sustaining viewership in a competitive band.

Zee TV, by contrast, displayed the best balance of old and new. The channel climbed from 68.5 GRPs in Week 26 to 79.1 in Week 30, with legacy shows providing a solid base. Kumkum Bhagya held between 6.54 and 7.65 combined GRPs, Vasudha between 6.11 and 7.21, Jaane Anjaane Hum Mile between 6.26 and 6.75, and Jagriti – Ek Nayi Subah grew from 6.04 to 6.49. On top of this stability, Tum Se Tum Tak’s strong surge drove incremental growth.

The battle between Colors and Sony SAB further underlined diverging fortunes. Sony SAB slipped from 113.1 GRPs in Week 26 to 105.8 by Week 30, while Colors rose from 80.0 to 86.5 before softening to 83.2.

For Colors, Mangal Lakshmi provided steadying influence, staying in the 9.09–9.42 GRP range on Pay TV and improving combined numbers from 6.27 to 6.50.

Other players also shifted sharply. Sony Pal doubled from 37.1 to 74.4 GRPs, while Colors Rishtey fell from 58.7 to 38.6, dragged by Barrister Babu. Anmol TV slipped from 51.0 to 46.3. Dangal 2, Manoranjan TV, Sun Neo and Shemaroo TV made small gains, while Star Bharat, Shemaroo Umang, The Q and Nazara stagnated. HD channels remained under 10 GRPs, reaffirming SD dominance.

Broadcasters are also experimenting with nostalgia by reviving cult shows in fresh avatars. Star Plus has relaunched Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi with new episodes, banking on its iconic title and recall value to attract both older loyalists and a younger generation of viewers. Similarly, Sony has leaned on evergreen franchises like CID, whose comeback reinforces familiarity and trust in an otherwise fragmented market. These legacy-driven revivals combine the comfort of known brands with renewed storylines, offering channels a safer path to engagement at a time when many new concepts falter.