Tamil television channels affiliated with former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa Jayaraman may see a decline in viewership after her death.
The popular Tamil Nadu politician was widely covered by Jaya TV, Jaya Max and Jaya Plus, which she controlled through holding company Mavis Satcom.
The popularity of these channels reflected that of Jayalalithaa and people interested in the AIADMK and the late chief minister’s activities formed a major part of their audience.
With Jayalalithaa’s demise, Tamil Nadu's politics is likely to undergo a shift and this will also affect major TV channels.
Media agency Allied Media’s CEO P.M. Balakrishana said: "It will have an impact on the channels owned by her for sure as she was a crucial factor in the visibility of the channel both from on ground distribution aspect and also audience following for the channel as her as loyal subjects."
He added, "It is obvious that the market dynamics from competitors’ view will change but it would be interesting to see how significantly it will affect the market place in the short term."
With the pro-AIADMK television channels losing their superstar, rival media groups are set to capitalise on this.
DMK leader M. Karunanidhi's nephew Kalanithi Maran-led Sun TV network and Raj TV are among the biggest rivals of Jaya TV in Tamil Nadu. Following the news of Jayalalitha’s cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, the shares of both the channels went up 17 per cent on Monday.
Sun TV network reported a net profit of Rs 270.35 crore for the quarter ended 30th September. While Raj Television profit declined by 57. 69 per cent to Rs 0.11 crore in the previous quarter.
As Tamil Nadu tries to overcome the shock of Jayalalithaa's death, the media that thrived during her life would be looking at ways to remain as relevant as before.
BW Reporters
The author is a journalist with BW Businessworld. He primarily covers Retail, Media & Entertainment and Travel & Tourism sectors
