One Piece: Can Luffy & Crew Rescue Cartoon Network in India?

One Piece made its debut on Cartoon Network India amidst declining TV viewership and advertising revenue in the kids' genre. The strategy to broadcast popular anime in Hindi and regional languages is seen as an effort to revive Cartoon Network in India. It's noteworthy that the kids' genre in India contributed three percent to the overall AdEx, which dropped to around one percent post-Covid.

One Piece, an anime produced by Toei Animation Inc. based on Eiichiro Oda's bestselling manga, follows the epic adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they navigate a world of bravery, friendship, and challenges to find the legendary treasure "One Piece," which will help Luffy become the King of the Pirates. The anime premiered on Cartoon Network India on May 5 at 1:00 PM, with repeat telecasts scheduled from Monday to Friday at 9:00 PM. Cartoon Network also announced that One Piece will be available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam dubs.

When asked if the strategy to revive Cartoon Network India by airing One Piece will be successful, Karan Taurani, Senior Vice President at Elara Capital, commented, "It is too late for One Piece anime to be broadcasted on Cartoon Network India. It would make more sense for it to be on OTT platforms, especially since youth and audiences aged 15-18+ have transitioned to OTT significantly. Meanwhile, the age group of 3-8 or 8-12 has not used TV at all post-Covid, as kids today are glued to mobile and connected TV for content viewing."

Regarding ad revenue, Taurani added, "The ad revenue for the kids' genre was 3 percent of the overall AdEx, which has declined to close to 1 percent post-Covid. There has been a sharp decline in the kids' genre due to kids consuming content on YouTube and other OTT platforms like Netflix, offering a wide variety of global content. Similarly, Disney offers a wide array of kids' content, so I think the challenge will persist, and I don’t see a comeback of TV kids' genre except in selective tier II and III markets where TV remains a consumption point for rural areas."

Speaking at Comic Con Mumbai, Radhika Raje, Marketing Manager International, Pan Macmillan India, stated, "I believe Cartoon Network’s viewership and popularity declined because of the platform, not the content. Today's audiences do not watch TV and have shifted to OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. No one will switch to satellite TV to watch One Piece on Cartoon Network India. I doubt One Piece will revive Cartoon Network in India."

In contrast, Savio Mascarenhas, Group Art Director, Amar Chitra Katha, thinks Cartoon Network India could leverage the quality of content that One Piece offers to its audience. He commented, "It depends on the content that would capture the attention of audiences and young viewers. Characters like Chhota Bheem became popular because of Pogo, but today there's a wide array of content on multiple platforms. One has to ensure the content is top-notch. If the content is strong enough, it will definitely help Cartoon Network India revive in the Indian market."

Notably, One Piece will not start from Episode 1 on Cartoon Network India but will begin airing from the Land of Wano Arc, starting from Episode 890. This means viewers hoping to catch the show from the beginning on TV won't be able to do so.

Ajinkya Mhatre, an avid anime and One Piece fan, expressed disappointment, saying, "One Piece is already available on Netflix, and Cartoon Network India airing the show midway is disappointing for Indian fans. Watching anime in Hindi or regional languages is another letdown as we prefer watching them in English."

Warner Bros. Discovery India spokesperson was unavailable for comment. The news story will be updated upon receiving a comment from Warner Bros. Discovery India. 

However, it is not clear if the Licensing and Merchandising rights of One Piece anime in India will remain with Warner Bros. Discovery India. Only time will tell if this beloved anime can breathe new life into Cartoon Network's presence in the Indian market.