MUMBAI: Colors‘ flagship dare devil reality show Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi returns on 3 June with a weekend telecast, a strong indication that Hindi general entertainment channels are getting more serious about powering content on Fridays and Saturdays as they seek to expand viewership outside weekday primetime.
The time slot remains unchanged at 9 pm but the fourth edition of Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi will air on Fridays and Saturdays and not on weekdays.
Said Colors programming head Ashvini Yardi, "While the earlier seasons were aired on weekdays, this season Khatron Ke Khiladi is slotted on the weekends to further strengthen our weekend viewing. Viewers are looking out for differentiated content and we are confident that Torchaar is their best weekend appetite. With the strong line up of sponsors and partners, we are extending the show across all levels to every home."
The decision to place the big-ticket show on weekends was also influenced by the fact that Colors had stabilised its primetime slots on weekdays. "Last time, Colors had not stabilised its 9 pm weekday slot. So it made sense to put Fear Factor in that slot," a media analyst who closely tracks the channel said.
Colors gets 30 per cent of its viewership from Fridays and Saturdays. "With the introduction of Fear Factor, Colors would be hoping to see a 15 per cent growth of viewership on these two days," the analyst said.
The reality show, which has Akshay Kumar returning as host, has attracted five new associate sponsors. The channel collaborates with brands like Scorpio (Mahindra & Mahindra), Samsonite, Sure Dedorant (Hindustan Unilever Limited), Amul Macho, and Woodland Shoes & Apparel as advertising partners for this new season.
For the fourth season, soft drink brand Thums Up, which Kumar is brand ambassador of, will present ‘integrated product‘ for the first time on a Hindi general entertainment channel. While Kumar was the host in the first two seasons of Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi, Priyanka Chopra anchored the show in the third edition.
The fourth season, Khatron Ke Khiladi - Torchaar, will be shot in South Africa with 13 couples.
