NEW YORK (TIP): Bolstering its debut this past Saturday, Zee TV’s new family quiz show Americas Smartest Family (ASF) has seem to have attracted some of the top advertisers and brand names servicing the South Asian demographic.
A quick look at the show revealed State Farm Insurance as the presenting sponsor, McDonalds as the Co-presenting sponsor, Remitly as the powered by sponsor and Kawan Foods along with St. Judes as Associate sponsors.
This stellar line up of brands bears testimony to the need of local and relevant programming for the community. Zee TV has taken the much-awaited initiative to program locally sourced content for audiences in the US. ASF joins a growing list of local programs developed by Zee TV that include “Married in 7 days”, “Breakthrough”, “Made in America” and “Those who Made It”.
All shows are being developed and produced in the US and contain relevant content designed specifically to target the evolving South Asian demographic.
“For Kawan, it’s important to continually connect with our consumer. The Kawan brand is specifically. Catering to the Desi audience living in the US and it is our endeavor to always support initiatives that drive locally sourced content”, said Tim Tan, Managing Director of Kawan Foods.
Hosted by 23-year-old YouTube sensation Zaid Ali, “America’s Smartest Family” is a unique mashup of the American household favorites “Family Feud” and “Jeopardy,” but with that special ZEE TV twist that celebrates its South Asian heritage. Complete with a diverse set of categories and a buzzer, each episode will feature five challenging in-studio question rounds, testing pre-screened contestants on their ability to answer quickly and more importantly – their ability to work as a team. Only the fastest, most well-rounded family will get to take home the crown.
Round one consists of four questions, with a toss deciding which family goes first. Participants can choose from one of five topics – including science, math, arts, history and geography. Once a category is chosen, it may not be selected for the remainder of the round. During the first round, 100 points will be awarded for every correct answer. There are no deductions for wrong answers until round three and four, when a mistake can cost a team 100 points for every incorrect answer.
As the game progresses, questions become increasingly difficult. By rounds three and four – each correct answer is worth 200 points. During the fifth and final round, the game takes a turn and host Zaid Ali spices things up by offering clues. If the team answers correctly without a clue, a maximum of 1000 points is awarded. If the family choses to get clues, each clue costs them 200 points. At the end of five rounds, scores may vary from -2400 to 5500. In the event of a tie, an extra tie-breaker round will identify the winner.
In the first four episodes of the season, four families will compete against one another, accumulating points for every correct answer. The eight winning teams from those early contents will move onto the semi-finals until just two families remain. The winners of the semi-finals will make it to finals, for the ultimate face-off, where one family will be named “America’s Smartest Family.”
“Nobody will dispute the fact that there is demographic shift in the South Asian Segment in USA. More than 35% of the market now reporting to be born in the United States, it is challenging yet exiting times for Indian programmers that so far have depended upon the first generation for consumption. Efforts like Zee US originals give us that opportunity that not only expands our reach but also engage the existing viewer more deeply.
We are extremely happy and feel privileged to have the support of these brands for the show. They share and support our vision for the community. Also, very proud of our ad sales team for all their smart work,” said Sameer Targe, Head of Americas for Zee TV.
“America’s Smartest Family” is broadcast every Saturday at 9:00 p.m. EST; 9:30 p.m. PST; and 9:00 p.m. AST on ZEE TV.
To learn more about “America’s Smartest Family,” visit https://www.zeeoriginals.com/americas-smartest-family/
About Zee Network
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India‘s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,818 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEE houses the world’s largest Hindi film library. Through its strong presence worldwide, ZEE entertains over 1 billion viewers across 172 countries.
About Zee TV USA
Zee TV USA was the first ever Hindi General Entertainment channel to be launched in the US way back in 1998. Since the start of the journey more than 2 decades ago, Zee now has 43 networks and full time dedicated work force across 5 different locations all across the North America and Caribbean. Zee TV USA was the first Asian channel to launch in HD. Zee TV was the first Hindi network to be measured by Nielsen in the US, Zee TV is also the most widely available Hindi General Entertainment network on all major DTH, Cable, Telco and IPTV platforms with availability over 86 million US households.
(Press Release)