NDTV Imagine has had the highest debut night figures beating the likes of other recently launched channels like 9X and ZEE Next.

Looks like NDTV Imagine's CEO Sameer Nair's hard work has finally paid off. It clocked a GRP of 55 in the debut week (20-26 January), according to Tam data.

The network left no stone unturned to market the channel pre-launch. Celebrity presented shows such as Saroj Khan's 'Nachle Ve' and Malaika Khan's 'Dhoom Macha De' have become instant winners for the channel.

NDTV Imagine has notched up 5.4% of the market share, which if compared to INX's channel 9X (3.7%) and ZEE Network's sibling ZEE Next (1.3%) is remarkable.

NDTV Imagine says it has outperformed all other GEC launches in the last four years as far as first week rating goes. While 9X recorded 21 points, ZEE Next crawled with 6 points in the launch week.

Says Nair, "The ratings are a clear indicator of the connect we have made with viewers across the country. It is a good start and we promise to continue to entertain and delight our audiences with fresh and compelling programming."

In the weekdays (Mon-Thu) prime time (19:00 - 23:00), NDTV Imagine claims to enjoy the third spot in the Hindi GEC space (behind STAR Plus and ZEE TV) with a relative channel share of 6.6%.

NDTV Imagine is expected to launch in the UK later this year.

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