Colors – from Viacom18 commences on 21 July

GEC ViacomColors, the new GEC (General Entertainment Channel) from Viacom 18 (50:50 JV between IBN18 and Viacom, not listed), is commencing from 21 July.This channel is expected to have four hours of original programming in the first leg and like other channels sources programmes from various local production houses.

With this launch the GEC space that commands a Rs 4,500 crore of annual ad revenues would now have 11 serious competitors (Ex Music, movie channels). Apart from this, near-term competition is set to increase with the introduction of a host of new programmes by incumbents. With near-term competition increasing, expect TRPs to remain volatile, leading to a range bound performance for the GEC stocks.