Media-entertainment distributors gear up their offerings in a bid to attract viewership to garner ad revenues, especially during the Indian festival period.

The season of festivities is one that the Indian media and entertainment industry is all set to cash in on, with all the broadcasters announcing their marquee properties and slated to win some more eyeballs as well as advertisement dollars.

Sony Pictures Networks India has rolled out the 17th season of its legendary quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati with the mediatic Amitabh Bachchan and intends to complete the television year with Indian Idol and India's Got Talent. The network rights also include the Asia Cup, including India-Pakistan.

JioHotstar showed the 19th season of Bigg Boss Hindi before its transmission on Colors TV, and regional broadcasts in the languages Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada will also be aired. Zee TV, in the meanwhile, is betting on innovative programming like Chhoriyan Chali Gaon and Kahaani Har Ghar Ki, a new celebrity talk show to be launched later this year.

The works of industry professionals mention that fiction is the main pillar of general entertainment, and non-fiction forms are a principal driver of reach and monetization. A big portion, about 50-55 percent of annual advertisement money in India, goes in the second half of the year, so the firms are strategic about ad launches to increase the impact.

With GST changes and tax cuts expected to stimulate spending, the categories expected to emerge as support coordinates are FMCG, automobiles, and paint segments. It is the hope among the broadcasters that robust festive programming will boost the advertising momentum as television continues to remain a powerful medium of the Indian media and entertainment industry.