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<ul><li>The pandemic gave a huge boost to the streaming industry. The <keyword id="1245953" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ott" source="Orion">OTT</keyword> sector in India witnessed a 30% rise in the number of paid subscribers, from 22.2 million to 29.0 million between March and July 2020.</li><li>According to <keyword id="215381" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amdocs" source="Orion">Amdocs</keyword>’ India Streamer 2021 report, 76% of surveyed consumers are expected to add to their current number of subscriptions – the most likely being video streaming services, wellness and e-health, and eLearning services.</li><li>Here are a few changes we can expect from the industry in the near future, writes <keyword id="5626068" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="raman-abrol" source="Orion">Raman Abrol</keyword>, GM &amp; Chief Commercial Officer, <keyword id="12413885" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amdocs-media" source="Orion">Amdocs Media</keyword>.</li></ul>The Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns saw public entertainment across India grind to a standstill. With theatres, cinemas, music concerts, shows and other events closed – and new releases and productions put on hold – consumers flocked to streaming services. 2020 redefined screen-watching for consumers and enabled them to watch their preferred content at their preferred time. A young, growing population with increasing digital skills and more affordable smartphones, growth in mobile and broadband subscriptions and increased time spent at home are among key drivers that have made Over-the-Top (OTT) services a go-to choice for many. As a result, the OTT sector in India witnessed a 30% rise in the number of paid subscribers, from 22.2 million to 29.0 million between March and July 2020. According to Amdocs’ India Streamer 2021 report, 76% of surveyed consumers are expected to add to their current number of subscriptions – the most likely being video streaming services, wellness and e-health, and eLearning services. What changes can we expect on the horizon? This data shows some major emerging trends in the OTT space, which will further transform the way content would be created in the years to come. Here are four areas where we might see traction. 1. Continued demand for personalized, mega-content bundles: Consumers are increasingly looking at options to create and pay for content packages limited to only the content they want to watch. They do not want to pay for the service provider’s entire content library. With schools, offices, and entertainment all coming together under one roof, entertainment services such as wellness, telehealth, e-learning are also becoming popular. However, managing multiple subscriptions across multiple providers is a major challenge that consumers are facing today. To deal with this, communications service providers (CSPs) are looking at offering consumers the ‘perfect bundle’. This would serve as a centralized space where they will be able to access their preferred media and entertainment subscriptions. The Amdocs survey shares that about 56% of the consumers would pay more to include on-demand binge-worthy TV series, 49% would prefer all games for one specific sporting team, 46% of the consumers would bundle up virtual classes/training, while 45% would prefer fitness classes with a “celebrity” trainer. 2. Growing popularity of localized content: The past year has seen a surge in demand for regional content. To cater to this rising demand by viewers for local language content, several regional OTT platforms have emerged in markets like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. <keyword id="12413884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oho-gujarati" source="Orion">OHO Gujarati</keyword> (Gujarati), <keyword id="1723835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hoichoi" source="Orion">Hoichoi</keyword> (Bengali), and <keyword id="4660234" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sun-nxt" source="Orion">Sun NXT</keyword> (Malayalam) are some examples of popular regional OTT platforms. They have carved a niche space for themselves among the existing big players such as <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword> and <keyword id="2976376" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon-prime-video" source="Orion">Amazon Prime Video</keyword>, among others. These OTT platforms are catering to local tastes and preferences, offering content in regional and local languages, showcasing local cultures, traditions and lifestyles. An increasing number of viewers from tier-2 and tier-3 cities and towns are also driving this growth. For example, since its launch in February 2020, Telugu service Aha Video has reached 1 million paid subscribers. With consumers looking for quality content, irrespective of the language, this trend is only expected to grow in the coming years. Regional language consumption on OTT platforms is expected to cross 50% of the total time spent by 2025, moving past Hindi at 45%, according to a FICCI-PwC report. 3. Rise in low-budget short-films production: Continued uncertainty around the pandemic has made the entertainment industry cautious about spending on big-budget productions. The growing demand by OTT subscribers for new, enthralling and diverse content is leading to an interesting trend gaining momentum – short stories and web series. These realistic, powerful, thought-provoking short films are sitting well with modern viewers. With consumers hungry for authentic, out-of-the box, realistic content, this trend for short, anthology-style films is expected to continue growing. 4. Immersive technology and 5G network will be game changers for Indian OTT players: The growing trend of streaming 4K videos requires enhanced internet bandwidth. With the accelerated pace of 5G technology adoption in the country, OTT providers are planning on providing their customers with seamless 4K video quality streaming solutions. 5G connectivity is expected to drive the growth of immersive entertainment experiences for users. Advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are increasingly proving to be transformative across different areas of the home entertainment industry. With the help of 5G 5 , consumers will be able to watch content using AR/VR gadgets, taking the entertainment experience to the next level. Way forward The OTT industry was experiencing slow and steady growth when Covid-19 acted as a catalyst for rapid transformation of this medium. From being on the curb to jumping onto the main street of entertainment, OTT has captured consumer eyeballs and hearts. Adoption of digital technologies, personalized bundling options, investments in original and locally relevant content, among others, will aid in furthering growth in the Indian OTT space.

How the pandemic has changed the streaming landscape for good

<ul><li>Technology and the role it plays in our lives is evolving everyday.</li><li>While we have come through the Google and <keyword id="1721621" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Social-Era">social era</keyword>, the next phase is going to be about getting things done through assistants. </li><li><keyword id="9921086" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="shane-mac">Shane Mac</keyword>, SVP of Marketing &amp; Partnerships, Conversocial &amp; <keyword id="9921084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Avishai-Sharlin">Avishai Sharlin</keyword>, Division President of <keyword id="9921085" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="amdocs-technology">Amdocs Technology</keyword> write about the role technology will play in the future, to help build relationships.</li></ul>While we have been using technology from the past 20 years, the complete reformation is still to come. Till now we have been experiencing phases of technology. First, technology phase was to search for the ability to find anything in the world and organize that. That was the ‘Google Era’. Then it was the ‘Social Era’ that got us all on the social media platforms and people were able to connect with their old friends, relatives sitting at the other corner of the world. The next will be about getting things done, the ‘Assistant Era’ as the internet now has the power of predicting your action, habits, and therefore it can anticipate what consumers want. It can accordingly start doing things together with IoT and <keyword id="1096432" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="connected-devices">connected devices</keyword>. This is the biggest technology era that no-one had ever imagined, an era where the work would be done by devices. Artificial intelligence-based technology solutions like, Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant are pouring all their capital, as APIs have been building to expose them to mobile apps. With this, the future of mobile apps will be diminished, however, the digital infrastructure is being set to force every individual in the world to build API &amp; to expose all their systems. “As we are exposing all the systems in the world to Alexa, Google Assistant &amp; Siri, or the other voice assistants we haven't thought of yet, people can now talk to all those systems. While giving a voice command to these systems/devices, language is tying together all these systems in the world that don't talk to each other.” While we are becoming connected with devices and technologies, we are gradually disappearing from social connections. All that we are doing right now is staring at our devices all day, every day and not interacting with social beings. At dinner tables as well almost every family member from each segment of age groups is engrossed in their smartphones or watching TV rather than interacting with each other after the day-long activities they must have done individually, inside or outside homes. The next phase of technology will be built to ‘get us off technology’. Relationships can now be formed, grown and built through mediums online. And this is what exactly that has happened due to this pandemic. After being well equipped with devices and data, people still realized the need to step out of homes, interact with friends and family members. Family members who had in ages never spoken to each other took time to interact over social media, Zoom video calls celebrating birthday parties, anniversaries or usual day chats! Similarly, businesses will have to tweak the way they communicate with consumers. 90% of the time, people are using text messages/ chatting apps to communicate with their loved ones. And there have been rare times when people visit a company’s website seeking an answer to their query. However, many get irritated talking to the chatbots or dropping emails for their queries for which usually they get automated response only. For 95% of brands in the world, the website is irrelevant. The brand should intelligently add automation to certain use cases and integrate the systems to get the work done. It's this hybrid of bots and humans together that creates a messaging experience that is the single most channel that brand should use. Marketing is turning into creating a customer experience and care is turning into a retention metric, not a cost metric. Human behaviour studies suggest that the secret is people don't like human interaction in a business format that's transactional. Therefore, companies with the help of technologies need to build bots and technologies to provide customized &amp; emotion-based customer service. Disclaimer: The article is result of ‘Future of Tech’ podcast series organized by Amdocs.

The future of using technology to build relationships

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This story was delivered to Business Insider Intelligence Connectivity &amp; Tech subscribers earlier this morning.</li><li><a href="https://store.businessinsider.com/products/connectivity-tech-pro-membership?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=content_marketing&amp;itm_campaign=briefing_post&amp;itm_content=top_text&amp;itm_term=bundle_subscription_text_link-telecoms-need-to-educate-consumers-on-benefits-of-5g-2020-2">To get this story plus others to your inbox each day, hours before they're published on Business Insider, click here.</a></li></ul>Telecom software and services company Amdocs <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1kb2NzLmNvbS9ibG9nL25ldHdvcmstdGFsay9yZXNlYXJjaC13aGF0LWNvbnN1bWVycy1yZWFsbHktd2FudC01Zw/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bdb1a6324" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveyed</a> 2,000 UK and US consumers revealing insights into consumers' understanding of 5G. In particular, UK consumers are highly aware of 5G's existence, with 95% recognizing the term - which could be a result of a <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL2V1cm9wZS9icml0YWluLXJlc2lzdGluZy11cy1wcmVzc3VyZS10by1hbGxvdy1zb21lLWh1YXdlaS1lcXVpcG1lbnQtaW4tNWctbmV0d29ya3MvMjAyMC8wMS8yOC81MmU3MDhiNC00MTQ1LTExZWEtOTljNy0xZGZkNDI0MWEyZmVfc3RvcnkuaHRtbA/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bb552208d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-profile</a> national debate around Huawei's role in the country's 5G build-out.However, just over half (55%) of UK consumers say they're able to articulate the benefits of the next-generation networking technology. This awareness seems to be translating into 5G adoption, as 35% of UK consumers plan to purchase a 5G smartphone in 2020, <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly90ZWxlY29tcy5jb20vNTAyMTkzL2xvYWRzLW9mLWJyaXRzLXBsYW4tdG8tYnV5LTVnLXBob25lcy1idXQtdGhleXJlLW5vdC1zdXJlLXdoeS1hbWRvY3Mv/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B5a3d0c59" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per</a> Amdocs data cited by Telecoms.com. The bulk of 5G adoption will likely be driven by consumer upgrades to new smartphones equipped with 5G chips as standard, rather than consumers looking for 5G phones. In the latter half of 2020, most major smartphone brands running Android will <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9hbmRyb2lkLXBob25lcy0yMDIwLTVnLXN1cHBvcnQtc25hcGRyYWdvbi04NjUtMjAxOS0xMg/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B1a3551c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> a 5G chipset in their upcoming flagship device models, and Apple is <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25uLmNvbS8yMDE5LzEyLzAyL3RlY2gvYXBwbGUtNWctaXBob25lcy0yMDIwL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B365dedb5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to unveil up to four 5G iPhone models in late 2020.Additionally, 5G is expected to <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25ldC5jb20vbmV3cy9tZWRpYXRlay1icmluZ3MtNWctdG8tbGVzcy1leHBlbnNpdmUtcGhvbmVzLXdpdGgtZGltZW5zaXR5LTgwMC1jaGlwcy8/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B4007ea15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penetrate</a> lower-cost smartphones in 2020 as well. This proliferation of 5G among phone models means more consumers' next phone could be a 5G device - whether they intend it or not - as they buy the newest version of their current device. However, consumers are holding onto their phones for longer, meaning upgrades to 5G phones will likely be a slow process: In 2018, in EU countries including the UK, the consumer upgrade cycle increased to <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25iYy5jb20vMjAxOS8wNS8xNy9zbWFydHBob25lLXVzZXJzLWFyZS13YWl0aW5nLWxvbmdlci1iZWZvcmUtdXBncmFkaW5nLWhlcmVzLXdoeS5odG1s/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bdc4b8c68" target="_blank" rel="noopener">26.2 months</a>, from 23.4 in 2016. To drive 5G upgrades, smartphone makers and carriers that sell devices need to extol the value of 5G phones. Two popular consumer 5G use cases they can emphasize are media streaming or cloud gaming: 74% of consumers would use a 5G handset to interact with streaming services and 27% would use their 5G devices for cloud gaming, <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY29tcHV0ZXJ3ZWVrbHkuY29tL25ld3MvMjUyNDc3ODEzL05vLTVHLXNpbHZlci1idWxsZXRzLW9uLWhvcml6b24tYnV0LWEtdGhpcmQtb2YtVUstY29uc3VtZXJzLXBsYW4tdG8tYnV5LTVHLWhhbmRzZXQtdGhpcy15ZWFy/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B69c3b68f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per</a> Computer Weekly.This can be done by giving consumers real-world examples of how 5G can affect their lives to illustrate value beyond network performance numbers. For example, users can download season 3 of Netflix's hit show Stranger Things in just a handful of <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmllcmNld2lyZWxlc3MuY29tLzVnLzVnLW5ldHdvcmtzLWRlbGl2ZXItc3VwZXItZmFzdC1zcGVlZHMtYnV0LW5ldy1uZXh0LWdlbmVyYXRpb24tc21hcnRwaG9uZXMtbmVlZC10by1jaGlsbC13c2o/5adde55340f86675182a51c9B3fbb1819" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minutes</a> with 5G, compared with almost an hour on a 4G network.To show consumers this speed in real time, carriers and smartphone manufacturers should set up pop-up stands in public areas, like malls or parks, to allow consumers to test a 4G device back-to-back with a 5G device. This will allow consumers to experience the difference for themselves and pass along the experience to friends and family - consumers are <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19354263.3/aHR0cHM6Ly9jaGFpbnN0b3JlYWdlLmNvbS9uZXdzL3N0dWR5LXRoaXMtaXMtd2hvLWNvbnN1bWVycy10cnVzdC1tb3N0LWZvci1zaG9wcGluZy1yZWNvbW1lbmRhdGlvbnM/5adde55340f86675182a51c9Bba20e1eb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">twice</a> as likely to trust friends and family for shopping recommendations than any other source.Want to read more stories like this one? Here's how to get access: <ol><li>Sign up for Connectivity &amp; Tech Pro, Business Insider Intelligence's expert product suite keeping you up-to-date on the people, technologies, trends, and companies shaping the future of connectivity, delivered to your inbox 6x a week. &gt;&gt; <a href="https://store.businessinsider.com/products/connectivity-tech-pro-membership?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=content_marketing&amp;itm_campaign=briefing_post&amp;itm_content=get_started_text&amp;itm_term=bii_briefing_text_link-telecoms-need-to-educate-consumers-on-benefits-of-5g-2020-2&amp;vertical=connectivity-and-tech">Get Started</a></li><li>Check to see if you already have access to Business Insider Intelligence through your company, or inquire about access if you don't. &gt;&gt; <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/corporate-check?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=content_marketing&amp;itm_campaign=briefing_post&amp;itm_content=learn_more_text&amp;itm_term=enterprise_text_link-telecoms-need-to-educate-consumers-on-benefits-of-5g-2020-2">Check If You Have Enterprise Access</a></li><li>Explore related topics in more depth. &gt;&gt; <a href="https://store.businessinsider.com/collections/connectivity-tech?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=content_marketing&amp;itm_campaign=briefing_post&amp;itm_content=learn_more_text&amp;itm_term=enterprise_text_link-telecoms-need-to-educate-consumers-on-benefits-of-5g-2020-2">Visit Our Report Store</a></li><li>Current subscribers can log in to read the briefing <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/post/consumer-5g-knowledge-presents-a-hurdle-for-telecoms-changes-in-tech-leadership-hpes-new-cloud-security-acquisition-2020-2">here</a>.</li></ol><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/connectivity-and-tech-pro?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=5g&amp;itm_campaign=connectivity-and-tech-pro-2"></a>

Consumers' limited knowledge of 5G presents a hurdle for telecoms

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">NetflixThe pay-TV industry is bleeding subscribers, and MVPDs are turning to more niche content bundles to offer a la carte experiences to customers.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The pay-TV industry just had its second-worst quarter of subscriber losses.</li><li>To blunt the damage, MVPDs will try to appeal to viewers with more specific content bundles.</li><li>It might be the only option available to them as they fight against subscriber losses.</li></ul>Pay TV had another disastrous quarter of subscriber losses.Some analysts are <a href="http://www.btigresearch.com/2019/02/13/cord-cutting-accelerated-in-q4-2018-programmer-sub-losses-to-increase-in-2019-goodluckbundle/">projecting the industry lost almost 1 million subscribers in the fourth quarter</a>, the second worst only to a quarter before, when the sector lost more than one million subscribers. To stave off further declines, MVPDs are considering new video content offerings, Darcy Antonellis, who runs Amdocs Media, told Business Insider. Amdocs provides top MVPDs like Comcast, AT&amp;T's DirecTV, and Dish with customer engagement and analytics help to better understand their customers.Antonellis sees MVPDs moving past the typical "skinny bundle" packages that contain fewer channels than traditional cable and trying out themed content packages aimed at digital-first audiences. The company has been building what it calls "micro-packs" of video content for MVPDs around topics like cooking, kids, and Bollywood. International MVPDs already offer such packages, and based on conversations with US clients, the Amdocs expects them to be available there in the future. The company wouldn't identify the clients, citing a need to protect its competitive advantage. Distributors elsewhere use the packages as a free perk to retain current subscribers as well as selling them to generate more revenue. In Africa, for example, TelOne Zimbabwe offers a package of music videos and Hollywood content to some subscribers.Companies can use such offerings to prop up other parts of their business. A telecom company could offer free video content to households with mobile phone services to boost data usage, encouraging people to keep their mobile and video services.Comcast - which lost 344,000 subscribers in 2018, nearly double the 186,000 it lost the year before - has said it plans to win back customers by developing skinnier bundles; unbundling the "triple play" of broadband, video, and phone; and introducing a greater variety of price points, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-comcast-plans-to-win-back-cable-subscribers-2019-2">Matt Strauss, a Comcast EVP, told Business Insider</a>. Such strategies may be one of the few options available to distributors.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/profiles-of-the-key-players-at-comcast-2019-2">Meet the power players of Comcast who will do battle with Disney and Google in the year ahead</a>MVPDs don't control their programming costs and content owners, not MVPDs, determine which channels they will package together. That leaves MVPDs with few ways to retain subscribers other than trying different ways of bundling content or better tailoring it to customers, Dan Rayburn, a media analyst at Frost &amp; Sullivan, told Business Insider. That's also why MVPDs have begun to acquire more content, Rayburn said. AT&amp;T bought Time Warner last year and Comcast purchased NBCUniversal in 2011.Companies also use live streaming services to promote and upsell other products and services or platforms, he said. For example, the PlayStation Vue streaming service is all about selling Playstation gaming console, Rayburn said.And the video field is about to get more fragmented, with AT&amp;T's WarnerMedia and Disney set to launch streaming services this year.Rayburn predicted cable operators' subscriber losses would slow, giving MVPDs an opportunity to develop more offerings to hold on to customers. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-model-x-perfect-safety-crash-test-rating-2019-2">Why Tesla's Model X was the first SUV to receive a perfect crash-test rating</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

After another disastrous quarter for pay TV, distributors are looking to new video packages - and it might be their only option

<ul><li>Netflix, Disney+ <keyword id="2739840" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hotstar">Hotstar</keyword>, <keyword id="758541" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime">Amazon Prime</keyword> Video and other over-the-top (OTT) platforms are seeing more paid users come online than ever before.</li><li>The coronavirus pandemic may have been the trigger for people being willing to spend for entertainment, but it has led to a larger shift in user behaviours.</li><li>Indian consumers have been wooed by telecom bundling, new launches shifting online and annual subscriptions offering a bigger bang for the buck.</li></ul>Over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix, Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video have come out on top during the coronavirus pandemic. And their dominance is only set to grow further. The pandemic may have been the trigger, but sustainability is coming from other factors — with telecom bundling at the fore, users opting for annual subscriptions, and more people choosing to watch movies online rather than in theatres — according to a report by consulting firm RedSeer. It highlights that the number of unique paid users grew by more than 35% in February 2021 as compared to April 2020. The overall number of paid users now stands at a whopping 31 million. Subscriptions increased by 8% during the same period and each user is estimated to have 1.4 subscriptions to their name. Meanwhile, revenue from subscriptions jumped by a whopping 42% from $49 million to $68 million. <div type="image" title="Copy of NPA banks" msid="81757718" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Number of paid subscribers is increasing even as engagement on OTT platforms is seeing a dip in 2021&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Telecom bundling The COVID-19 lockdowns meant that more people were spending time at home. This meant watching more content on smartphones and the television. It also helped that theatres were shut down to prevent the spread of the infection, leaving users with no option but to sign on for services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar in order to catch the latest releases. A survey conducted by consultancy firm Ovum and software and services provider Amdocs revealed that 44% of Indian respondents were willing to spend more on their mobile and fixed broadband bills primarily due to bundling media services that were on offer. And more than half said they subscribed to more than one OTT platform in order to meet the varied requirements of different members within the family. New launches and the shift to online In July 2020, Dil Bechara starring Sushant Singh Rajput made the biggest opening ever on Disney+ Hotstar. This was just one of many success stories of web platforms last year. Ludo, Gulabo Sitabo and Choked were some other critically acclaimed films that made their debut on streaming platforms rather than in the theatres due to the lockdown. <div type="image" title="unnamed" msid="81757757" hostid="261"></div> RedSeer’s research shows that out of the 188 billion minutes users spend on OTT platforms, the highest proportion is geared towards daily soaps. “Over the past year, consumer behaviour has largely changed as they now heavily rely on OTT platforms for new content. This will inevitably accelerate the growth trajectory of the industry,” said the report. Longer term subscriptions The old conjecture that Indians are willing to shell out money changed drastically during the pandemic. Not only are they willing to spend, but the fact Indian users are budget conscious means that they are willing to sign on for longer term subscriptions since it gives them a bigger bang for their buck. According to a joint report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), people were willing to pay for longer subscriptions since out-of-home expenditure reduced during lockdowns. The excess was being redirected to spending on in-home services. This was helped by the fact that the coronavirus pandemic was not a short-term phenomenon, and more users recognised that. This meant that users were willing to opt for annual subscription packs, especially with the discounts and offers that were up for grabs from different players. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/the-ripple-effect-of-archegos-capitals-collapse-may-cost-global-banks-6-billion/articleshow/81754362.cms">SIMPLY PUT: The ripple effect of Archegos Capital's collapse may cost global banks $6 billion</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/nazara-technologies-sees-a-blockbuster-listing-shares-list-at-80-premium-within-minutes-of-trading/articleshow/81753300.cms">Nazara Technologies sees a blockbuster listing – shares list at 81% premium</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-just-rebranded-itself-to-speak-to-millennials-while-still-betting-on-certainty/articleshow/81757143.cms">India’s biggest software exporter just got itself a millennial makeover after 15 years</a>

Netflix, Hotstar and Amazon Prime are seeing more paid users than ever before — here’s why

<ul><li>Even after the record growth witnessed by streaming services in India, the question remains whether these platforms can retain the massive lockdown gains </li><li>With streaming services under pressure to provide new content frequently and producers trying to not lose money in films, web premiers might be another new normal. </li><li>Moreover, a KPMG report suggested that OTT platforms should look at gaming as an extension to their ecosystem offerings. </li></ul>Streaming services are the only bright spot for the millions who are isolating at home during lockdown. With ample leisure time and fewer options, usage of streaming platforms surged. Most of the 35 streaming giants in India — <keyword id="3960758" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime-Videos">Amazon Prime Videos</keyword>, <keyword id="6245082" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ZEE5">Zee5</keyword>. Voot, Hungama, AltBalaji, MX Player — witnessed a record growth fueled by quarantine. The Big Boost During the lockdown, there was a 265% increase in OTT traffic since February last week — in spite of the drop from HD to SD, according to Internet Exchange operator DE-CIX. The five services that gained the most are Amazon Prime Videos, Netflix, Youtube, Zee5 and Hotstar. Disney+ — which was launched soon after India locked itself down —<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/08/disney-has-more-than-50m-subscribers/"> added 8 million users </a>within a week. Whereas, Netflix India — which was earlier losing to the homegrown market — too <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/exclusive-app-tracking-data-for-netflix-reveals-the-countries-where-usage-spiked-in-march-and-suggests-strong-viewership-heading-into-q1-earnings/articleshow/75162782.cms">saw at least an 8% growth in Q1FY20 driven</a> by its cheapest mobile online plan at ₹199. Zee5, a homegrown OTT platform, saw 36% growth during the lockdown. Whereas its foreign arm, <keyword id="7124509" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ZEE5-Global">Zee5 Global</keyword> saw a 60% surge in users across the world including the Middle East and Canada. Alt Balaji, yet another homegrown platform, saw a 60% growth in its subscription. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">OTT services </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Change in viewership due to Covid-19 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Netflix India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+8% in Q1 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zee5 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+36% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hungama Play </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+20% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Eros Now </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+70-100% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">MX Player</td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">130% surge on engagement </td></tr></tbody></table> A short-term spike or a long-term gain A<a href="https://rollingstoneindia.com/how-the-coronavirus-is-impacting-audio-and-video-streaming-in-india/"> Nielsen report</a> predicted that lockdown can trigger a 60% rise in content consumption in India. Even after the record growth witnessed by streaming services in India, the question remains whether these platforms can retain the massive gains post lockdown. Hence, when Netflix recently said it added a record 15.8 million paid subscribers globally, it also added that it is treating it as “<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/21/neflix-q1-earnings/">a short-term spike” and the growth will gradually decline. </a> A KPMG report, however, believes that OTTs are likely to see continued accelerated growth. "While the same levels of consumption may not be achieved once we overcome this pandemic, there is definitely a new and higher normal that is likely to be established when it comes to time spent on OTT platforms," Girish Menon, Partner and Head, Media and Entertainment, KPMG in India told Business Insider. Moreover, Menon believes consumers are likely to develop a habit of consuming video online during lockdown which would later drive subscription growth. However, According to Karan Bedi, MX Player, OTT platforms might witness some immediate dip post lockdown, but the overall base and average time spent would continue the rise. With shooting of new TV series being delayed and movie theatres closed, services with large, legacy libraries and fresh content, have an inherent advantage. “A new normal has been witnessed as consumers adapt to the evolving situation of the pandemic. We feel this pattern will stay as it is in the post-COVID-19 era as well and perhaps there will be some incremental change in the overall user growth,” Aparna Acharekar, programming head of ZEE5 India. Ferzad Palia, who heads Voot Select in India too thinks the same. Rohit Paranjpe who heads SugarBox Networks believes new content will continue to enthuse people. The pressure on OTT services to release new content more frequently may also go up. Also, OTT players too should not be happy just retaining users and will have to engage them more. Apart from films, KPMG in a report suggested OTT platforms look at gaming as an extension to ecosystem offerings. “OTT will look to bring their consumer’s value in other areas: from aggregating other third party content providers who are not competing with them to promoting and pushing other adjacent services, like fitness and food delivery apps, and education platforms,” said Lior Friedman, VP - global partnerships and strategy at Amdocs Media. Directly onto OTT platforms With streaming services under pressure to provide new content frequently and producers trying to not lose money in films products, web premiers might be a new normal. Lakshmi Bomb featuring Akshay Kumar might release on Disney+Hotstar. MUBI is premiering Pablo Larrain’s film ‘Ema’ in India, UK and Ireland on May 2. Whereas, Zee5 is also considering premiering movies directly on its platform in the near future. AB Anni CD will be yet another film to be released directly on Amazon Prime Videos. Akshay Bardapur, the producer of the movie that stars Amitabh Bachchan said, “We didn’t want to keep audiences from watching two megastars. Also, it made sense to recover losses by selling content to the OTT.” But big-budget movies are preferring to hold back. Recently, the makers of Ranvir Singh starrer movie ‘83 said they will release the film in theatres first even <a href="https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/ranveer-singhs-83-to-not-release-on-ott-platforms-makers-aim-for-theatrical-release/articleshow/75401861.cms">if they had to wait for six or nine months. </a> “While producers of movies that have a reasonable budget may experiment with releasing movies directly on OTT platforms or opt for a pay-per-view model, bigger films are unlikely to be released until later this year or next year,” says Neeraj Roy, founder and CEO of Hungama Digital Media. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/cinema-halls-may-not-open-in-india-until-june-end/articleshow/75407053.cms">Cinema halls may not open in India until June end</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/lockdown-watchlist-want-to-binge-watch-a-show-that-lasts-a-week-try-these-long-running-shows-on-netflix-amazon-prime-disney-hotstar-and-others/articleshow/75173116.cms">Lockdown Watchlist: Want to binge-watch a show that lasts a week? Try these long-running shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar and others</a>

Streaming platforms who are on a new high — are hosting web premiers and might even expand to gaming

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Bebeto Matthews/APNew York City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, center, speaks during a conference in Gordon Triangle Park in the Queens borough of New York, following Amazon's announcement it would abandon its proposed headquarters for the area, Feb. 14, 2019.</div></div></div>Hello!First, if you're a Prime subscriber, we'd love to hear what you think. Please take our quick survey <a href="https://bievents.typeform.com/to/thLadq">here.</a>What a week it's been for Amazon. The company accustomed to being slobbered over by local municipalities got a cold welcome when it tried to expand to New York City, and ended up pulling out. It was another sign that the public's goodwill toward big tech is fading. Amazon's business will be just fine without New York City. But more crucial to its business, and less publicly, it's trying to become the third player in digital <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> behind Google and Facebook. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-is-streamlining-how-brands-buy-ads-2018-9">Advertisers have found it tough</a> to parse all Amazon's ad formats, though.Amazon's latest attempt to expand its ad business, with video search ads, is running into obstacles with advertisers. As Lauren Johnson <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-is-revamping-its-push-for-video-ad-dollars-2019-2">reported last week</a>, advertisers have issues with the price, creative demands, and data limitations. "It's not something that we have clients clamoring for," Nich Weinheimer, VP of e-commerce at Kenshoo, a company that helps marketers plan and buy digital ads.That kind of challenge is giving rise to tech companies that are emerging to help marketers leverage Amazon, Tanya Dua <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brands-are-tapping-into-this-startup-to-help-them-crack-amazon-ads-2019-2">reported</a>.Amazon needs to get formats like this one right if it's going to expand beyond performance ads.-- LuciaThanks for subscribing. If you got this newsletter forwarded, sign up for your own <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/advertising-media-weekly&amp;hash=f4e91136c13f3c40c496d77bc7347502">here</a>. And to read most of the articles here, subscribe to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/prime-vip">BI Prime</a> and enter promo code AD2PRIME2018 for a free month. Here's what else we've been up to this week.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-is-losing-time-to-save-facebooks-ad-business-2019-2">Instagram is already running out of room for ads, and that's a threat to Facebook as it looks for new avenues to keep revenue growing</a> Speaking of growing pains, Facebook is running up against a wall growing Instagram. The app was supposed to be the savior of Facebook's ad business, but it's already getting saturated with ads itself. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-york-times-is-looking-to-raise-subscription-prices-2019-2">The New York Times has more subs than ever. That's not necessarily good news for the rest of the industry.</a> I talked to Meredith Levien, COO of The New York Times Co., on the heels of a strong fourth quarter for subscription growth. But while the Times has many reasons to be optimistic about its ability to keep growing subscriptions, it's less clear that other subscription publishers can replicate that success. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pay-tv-is-suffering-so-distributors-are-looking-to-new-video-packages-2019-2">Pay TV distributors are looking to new video packages after another disastrous quarter, and it might be their only option</a> Cable companies are running out of ways to hold on to cord-cutting subscribers, which is why one trend on the horizon could be bundling themed content in niche entertainment interest areas like kids and Bollywood. That's according to Amdocs, which works with MVPDs like Comcast, AT&amp;T's DirecTV, and Dish and is talking to clients about offering packages like this in the US in the months ahead.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/a-new-cottage-industry-is-trying-to-cash-in-on-brands-taking-ads-in-house-2019-2">Giant brands like Unilever and Marriott are taking more of their advertising in-house than ever before, and a whole new cottage industry of companies is trying to cash in on the opportunity</a> Disruption creates all kinds of pains and opportunities. As more marketers try to bring their advertising in-house, some are getting help from new companies that have emerged to help them figure out how to cut out the agency middleman.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/as-buzzfeed-scales-back-scrutiny-focuses-on-ceo-jonah-peretti-2019-2">BuzzFeed cut 15% of its staff, and some critics are now taking shots at CEO Jonah Peretti's strategy</a> BuzzFeed represented soaring hopes that online media operators could reinvent the news model for digital, but since it had to lay off staff to get profitable, some in and outside the company are questioning decisions made under CEO Jonah Peretti, from its ballooning staff to aggressive overseas expansion to rejecting a reported offer from Disney.Feel free to send tips or thoughts to me at lmoses@businessinsider.com.Here are other good stories from tech, media, and entertainment:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-describe-peak-2019-2">60-hour weeks, ambulance callouts, and 'swag bucks': 30 employees describe the intense reality of working for Amazon during its busiest time of the year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-overtime-raised-23-million-in-icy-media-climate-2019-2">The CEO of sports media startup Overtime explains how he was able to quickly raise a $23 million round, even as gloom and doom grips the industry</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-change-sec-filing-well-being-users-2019-2">Two words in Facebook's latest regulatory filing shows how worried the company is about what it's doing to people</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oscars-ads-selling-at-a-record-high-despite-low-ratings-2019-2">Oscars ads will hit a record high this year despite the steady decline of ratings. Here's why ABC keeps making more and more money</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dark-horse-movie-and-tv-netflixs-umbrella-academy-hellboy-2019-1">How Dark Horse is building its own movie and TV empire out of comic books, from Netflix to a 'Hellboy' reboot</a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-north-south-poles-flip-magnetic-field-2018-4">Earth's north magnetic pole is on the move - here's what will happen when our poles flip</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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