Colors TV CEO Rajesh Kamat on plans for the Singapore market

Colors TV is due to launch on both Starhub and Mio TV today.

Speaking of the launch, Kamat said, “It's not only about getting access to eyeballs. The game’s about how we keep them interested and how we get them engaged with us. That's the spirit with which we're entering the market.”

Singapore is the latest country where Colors TV has launched as part of a global expansion also including the UK, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

Kamat said, “Our content is very much appreciated primarily because our programming is very different. That differentiation should make its mark in every market we get into, in every South Asian household.”

Speaking about the challenges of entering Singapore, which carries channels such as Star Plus and Sony Entertainment TV, Kamat said, “It's always challenging to create a position for the brand in the consumers mind. A very loosely used term in broadcast today is 'available but not seen'. We might be part of the pack but that does not guarantee eyeballs.”

“Assuming TV consumption is two hours a day, consumption is not going to change. I need to nibble into that half an hour at a time, an hour at a time, and that's the challenge. Once you have the viewers, you start increasing the time span. That’s when you say, now that I have the son as a viewer, why don’t I go for the mother? That’s pretty much the route we want to take,” he said.

Kamat said Colors intends to market the channel quite aggressively here. “We're putting our marketing plan with Starhub and Mio currently. We’ll try to target as many people in as many different pockets, with retail, above-the-line and below-the-line activities. But for a small fixed population of South Asians, it makes no sense for us to be in mass media,” he said.

One of the priorities is to let views sample Colors’ shows. “Once they like our product, there's a base level comfort. Availability is one thing, but liking and seeing the product is far more important,” he explained.

The feed used for the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand will be shared as an exclusive Asia-Pacific feed to be used for Singapore and the region.

Kamat said that Colors TV will roll out in several markets in Southeast Asia over the coming months. “You will see us soon in Thailand, Hong Kong, pockets of Malaysia, but Singapore and Malaysia remain the key markets in Southeast Asia,” he said.