NEW DELHI: Viacom18, a joint venture between broadcasting firms Viacom and Network18, today said it will launch a new channel, 'Sonic', by mid-December, targeting viewers in the age group of 10-17 years.
Sonic is the fifth channel in the country from Viacom18, apart from Nick, MTV, Colors and Vh1.
"Sonic, to be launched in mid-December under the Nickelodeon umbrella, will target young adults, or 'Grownabes', in the 10-17 year age bracket. This group is drawn toward thrill, action and there is no channel available to cater to this segment, a gap that we are looking to fill with Sonic," Sonic and Nick EVP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria told PTI.
She added that the channel aims to reach 40 million households in the first phase of the launch.
The new channel will be distributed through Sun18 Media Services and will include shows like Shaktimaan (animated), Kung Fu Panda - The Legend of Awesomeness, Jackie Chan Fantasia, King Kong and Power Rangers. Action movies will be aired on weekends.
The channel will be available in Hindi, English and two regional languages.
"This post-kids, pre-youth target group wants to do their own thing and break free of parental control. They are early adopters, very tech-savvy, have an opinion and to an extent, have a lot of say in buying decisions. So even from an advertiser point of view, this is an important segment," Jaipuria said.
The channel will also have a strong digital presence. "Through sonicgang.com, we want to be the online destination for young adults. It will have games, mobile interactivity, Facebook and Twitter links and so on," Jaipuria said.
There will also be a digital show available only on the website, she added.
Marketing will be focused on all platforms and the company will invest about Rs 10 crore for various activities.
