Cartoon Network: The Indian Experience

The tournament was a promotional exercise, aimed at increasing the popularity of the channel and its cartoon characters. The match was scheduled to begin at 2.30p.m, but the 35,000 plus capacity stadium was almost full by 1.30 p.m. with children and their parents. By 2.30 p.m. the stadium was overflowing and many were waiting outside trying to enter the stadium, leading to a stampede. As the organizers kept trying to manage the crowds, they had to delay the match till 4.00 p.m. When the organizers announced the start of the match, children and their parents went wild with excitement and broke the barricades to meet their favorite cartoon characters. When pleadings and requests failed to control the crowd, the organizers had to threaten the children with the cancellation of the match to send them back to their seats.

This overwhelming response to the tournament was beyond even Cartoon Network's expectations. A stunned looking Cartoon Network official said, "I've never seen so many kids!" Though it was not the first time Cartoon Network had organized such a promotional event, they had never seen a response like this, where cartoon crazy children and their parents had gone so 'completely berserk.' Even the organizers were amazed at the popularity of Cartoon Network's characters. What was remarkable about this response to the event was the fact that the channel had built a huge viewership and brand loyalty in a short span of 5 years in the Indian satellite TV market Considering that most TV programs in India were based on family dramas, movies, and sports, the success of a niche channel such as Cartoon Network was indeed remarkable.