Sunny Deol’s ‘Gadar 2,’ Manoj Bajpayee’s ‘Silence 2’ Popular as ZEE5 Global Audiences Choose Sequels (EXCLUSIVE)
Sequels such as “Sunflower 2,” “Duranga 2,” “The Broken News 2,” “Gadar 2,” “Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout,” “Abar Proloy,” “Khichdi 2,” “Taj 2,” and “Kashmir Files Unreported” have dominated South Asian-focused streamer ZEE5 Global. And with good reason.
Among other insights, the platform says that shows and films with sequels have proven to be a strategic asset, contributing to 23% of total subscriptions for the financial year 2023-24. Success is particularly strong within the drama, crime and thriller genres, internal data seen by Variety has revealed. These genres align with viewer preferences, as previously indicated by ZEE5 Global.
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Original content from ZEE5’s franchises accounts for 20-25% of overall original content viewership, the data shows. Hindi-language series like “Sunflower 2,” “Duranga 2” and “The Broken News 2” led the viewership charts, with “Abar Proloy,” a Bengali-language spin-off, making it into the top 10 most-watched series.
In the movie category, “Gadar 2,” starring Sunny Deol, topped the charts, while Manoj Bajpayee’s “Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout” was among the top 10 most-watched films. Additionally, the first parts of franchises saw significant viewership boosts, with “Silence” experiencing a 200% increase leading up to “Silence 2,” and “Gadar: Ek Prem Katha” playing a crucial role in subscription spikes during the “Gadar 2” theatrical release.
ZEE5 Global boasts 200,000 hours of content comprising more than 4,000 films, 2,300 TV Shows and 800 originals in 18 languages.
Archana Anand, chief business officer at ZEE5 Global, said: “”Deep audience understanding fuels content success – that’s the core principle guiding ZEE5 Global. Last year, for instance, we saw a clear preference for sequel content. This insight has played a key role in shaping our originals, as evidenced by the surge in viewership and subscriptions. We’re confident that by staying attuned to these evolving preferences, we’ll continue delivering the content that resonates most with our viewers.”
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