EXCLUSIVE: In its twentieth year, India‘s version of Big Brother is breaking records.
JioHotstar‘s Bigg Boss has accrued 1 billion hours of watch-time in under 60 days, and seen votes cast hit 3.5 billion, up 71% on Season 19, with voters up 48%. That’s the fastest time it has hit those marks in its two decades on Indian screens.
The Hindi-language show is ranking among JioHotstar’s top five titles in the UK and Canada, where the streamer recently launched, and in Singapore, plus it’s the top-rated show on Starzplay in the UAE. In India, the highest viewing comes from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
The season premiered in September as one of six Indian versions to cater for the various language markets JioHotstar, the country’s biggest streamer, is catering for.
“Reaching one billion watch-time hours on JioHotstar is a testament to the incredible love and connection our viewers share with the show,” said Salman Khan, Bigg Boss host. “Every season brings something new, but what remains constant is the excitement and enthusiasm of our audience. This milestone belongs to each one of you.”
Alok Jain, Head – Hindi & English Entertainment Business (Streaming, TV & Studios) at JioHotstar parent JioStar, added: “One billion hours is a moment of real pride for all of us. That’s more than an hour of Bigg Boss for every person in the Hindi-speaking market, on digital alone, before you even count television.
We are excited to have crossed a billion hours on JioHotstar with nearly half the season still to go. It’s heartening to see viewers embrace a season we have shaped around what they love most about the show. Bigg Boss has always been made for every Indian, and today it is watched from the biggest metros to the smallest villages.”
We interviewed Jain earlier this week, and he discussed building the format, along with challenges in the Indian unscripted market and other shows such as the soon-to-end Koffe With Karan.
Banijay Asia’s Endemol Shine India makes Bigg Boss. Deepak Dhar, who oversees both companies, said the Season 20 audience engagement was a “testament to how Bigg Boss has defined unscripted content in India, and that is what makes us want to make it bigger, better and bolder with every season.”
Banijay Entertainment, Banijay Asia’s parent, owns the Bigg Brother format.
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