MUMBAI: Sony PAL is having a serious moment in Indian living rooms—and it didn’t get there by chance. The free-to-air (FTA) Hindi general entertainment channel from Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has emerged as the fastest growing GEC in Hindi-speaking markets (HSM), with numbers that would make even primetime rivals sweat.

BARC data from April to June 2025 puts the channel's reach at a staggering 192 million viewers—the highest among all FTA Hindi GECs over 13 weeks (NCCS 15+, Weeks 14–26). In 9 out of those 13 weeks, Sony PAL ranked no. 1 in reach. That’s not just traction—it’s dominance.

The channel cracked the code by serving up tried-and-tested fan favourites—Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, Vighnahatha Ganesha, and The Kapil Sharma Show—for free. For the first time, these primetime giants were available without a subscription, and the move paid off.

With its family-first programming slate and no paywall in sight, Sony PAL has become the go-to channel for viewers looking for comfort food in content form. It’s the kind of television that skips the sass but delivers on sanskaar and smiles, hitting the sweet spot for India’s heartland audiences.

In a fragmented TV landscape, where loyalty is fickle and attention spans shorter than an ad jingle, Sony PAL has managed to hold its ground—and expand it. Its audience-first philosophy, combined with mass-friendly storytelling, is proof that when you make great content accessible, the viewers show up in droves.

And right now, they’re turning up in the millions.