There were times when Hum and Geo were churning out the best content among its competitors. Those were the days of Doraha, Humsafar, Zindagi Gulzaar Hai, Bashar Momin, etc. ARY’s content in those days even with shows like Daam, Pyaray Afzal, and Shukk, wouldn’t get the same level of recognition.

Over the years, however, ARY has not only improved in terms of the quality of its content but has also incorporated several other good practices that align and connect with its viewership better. Now, this doesn’t mean that ARY has started claiming the share of its competitors and doing better than others in terms of TRPs.

But what this means is that if the channel persists on these policies whereas channels like Hum and Geo persist on theirs, there is a good chance that we see a significant shift in viewership trends in the near future. There are a couple of reasons behind this analysis, reasons that make ARY a more viewer-friendly option than its other two big competitors; we list those reasons here.

1. Versatility in Content

Comparing ARY with the other top competitors, the channel hosts the most versatile content when it comes to television. From soaps to morning shows, to even game shows, ARY has all. Although Hum and Geo also had their morning shows till a short time back, they were shut down for reasons unknown. ARY, however, is continuing with those shows and successfully capitalising on a vast audience that mostly consists of housewives.

Similarly, Fahad Mustafa’s gameshow, Jeeto Pakistan is still the most popular game show and is aired over the weekends. And this is all besides the soap operas of the channel.

2. Versatility in Soap Genres

ARY has been winning hearts with its soap operas since the last decade, and that is mostly because of the versatility that the channel has to offer in term of genres.

While we see the stereotypical soaps on other TV channels that mostly revolve around the oppressed lives of women in our society, ARY is experimenting a lot with its content. Although it also has soaps that revolve around the same run of the mill themes, it has some refreshing options too.

For example, the channel’s Cheekh is a suspense serial that whenever is on, leaves the audiences glued to their television screens. Similarly, another one of their on-going dramas, Bandish makes black magic its subject, something that is a very prominent phenomenon in our society, yet very different in subject.

In contrast, Hum TV’s most anticipated serial, Aangan, despite having an amazing cast, is losing its shine because of its slow and bland storyline. What had started as a period drama, portraying the pre-independence era, has turned into the story of a family feud, something that is again, pretty usual.

3. Choice of Actors

Besides the storyline, the actors also play a huge role in pulling the audience. The cast and their popularity also play a prominent role in the marketing of a TV serial. While Hum and Geo have a great list of actors on their screens right now, ARY has the best to offer.

From Monday to Thursday, the prime time ARY serials have actors like Saba Qamar, Bilal Abbas, Ayeza Khan, Imran Abbas, Neelam Muneer, Muneeb Butt, Shehzad Sheikh, Javaid Sheikh, Asma Abbas etc. Even the new names like Saheefa Khattak and Areeba Habib are proving their worth.

In comparison, Hum only has Aangan, Bandhi and Ranjha Ranjha with star casts, whereas Geo only has Babajani which has gotten a good rating and is currently running.

4. Availability on the internet

In today’s fast world, it is difficult for most people to follow a program at the exact time that it is aired. People now like catching their favourite shows at a time of their convenience. This is perhaps the reason why a platform like Netflix is becoming globally popular, whereas YouTube holds the same reputation in Pakistan as far as the TV content is concerned.

A lot has already been talked about this from our platform, and the gist of all the discussion is that the unavailability of TV shows on the internet plays a huge role in its popularity.

While Hum and Geo are gradually taking their content down, ARY offers all its TV serials on YouTube through its original channel there and also has its own website where you can watch the serials as soon as they are aired on television.

5. Airtime and Repeat Telecast

One of the ideas that ARY has introduced is the increased airtime of primetime shows. While traditionally, primetime serials used to be an hour long, ARY serials have a two-hour air time, which offers the audience a lot more entertainment in one sitting.

On the other hand, the repeat telecasts of ARY serials have a fixed time slot. Unlike Geo that runs the episodes of its primetime shows around six times a week, and overexposes the content, ARY maintains the interest of its audience through limited repeat telecasts.

We believe that all these factors contribute in winning and losing these fierce competitions between the channels, and as of now, ARY, despite there being a lot of room for improvement, seems to be winning this battle. Tell us in the comments if you agree or disagree with our analysis.