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<ul><li>The Indian <keyword id="1245953" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT">OTT</keyword> industry which was roughly of the size of $1.7 billion (both Video and Audio) in FY20 has the potential to grow to become a $15 billion industry over the next 9 to 10 years, according to independent transaction advisory firm RBSA Advisors.</li><li>The pandemic has given a big boost to the OTT industry.</li><li>The massive investments made by OTT services like <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>, Amazon, Disney+ Hotstar and others in original as well as acquired content will help subscription video-on-demand make up a lion share of the total OTT revenues going forward.</li></ul>India's Over the Top (OTT) entertainment industry has the potential to grow to be a $15 billion industry over the next 9 to 10 years, according to independent transaction advisory firm RBSA Advisors. The size of the OTT market in FY20 stood in the range of $ 1.7 billion (both Video and Audio) and it is burgeoning into a multi-billion-dollar industry, cannibalizing into the established bastion of traditional television, radio and cinema auditorium forms of media and entertainment. With access to better networks, digital connectivity and smartphones, OTT platforms in India have increasingly attracted subscribers on a concurrent basis. Apart from top favourites like Disney+ Hotstar, <keyword id="2976376" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime-Video">Amazon Prime Video</keyword> and Netflix, the space is seeing many local and regional OTT players, such as <keyword id="3163762" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="SonyLIV">SonyLIV</keyword>, <keyword id="3113913" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="VOOT">Voot</keyword>, <keyword id="6245082" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ZEE5">Zee5</keyword>, <keyword id="2480506" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Eros-Now">Eros Now</keyword>, ALTBalaji, Hoichoi and Adda Times, to name just a few. <keyword id="1257401" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajeev-shah">Rajeev Shah</keyword>, MD &amp; CEO RBSA Advisors, "Covid-19 has changed the way audience consume media. An undeniable trend surfaced in this period with the adoption of OTTs. The growing market and consumer appetite for content of choice available on OTT platforms fuelled this spurt. OTTs offer a never before consumer experience–choice of content, ease of access, choice of device/mediums (hand phone, laptop, tablet or TV screen), liberal censorship policy." Adds Shah, "We find ourselves in extraordinary times, where pandemic has had a negative effect on many traditional sectors. Conversely Covid has accelerated the shift in consumers' behaviour, pulling forward OTT disruption, otherwise which would have taken minimum half a decade." NV Capital Co-Founder and Managing Partner Vivek Menon adds, “India is the next bastion after US for boosting the subscriber base of International OTT players given the highly regulated environment of International OTT players in China. Add to that there are many international entrants like Comcast owned “Peacock” &amp; HBO sitting on the fence waiting to make their mark in India. Looking at this trend as well as the rapid rise of home-grown OTT providers, this industry will continue its strong growth momentum in the years to come.” The quality of content will always remain a significant driver of consumer growth. In recent years, we have witnessed a massive rise in original content being aired on OTT platforms. Apart from creating original content and facilitating binge-watching, networks and production houses have also begun to see value in getting rights to live events and performances. Audiences in India recently saw Filmfare and streaming social networks join forces for the first-ever OTT awards. This was a landmark event for India's media and entertainment industry. The massive investments made by OTT services like Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ Hotstar and others in original as well as acquired content will help subscription video-on-demand make up a lion share of the total OTT revenues going forward. Further, the next wave of growth in the OTT landscape will come from tier 2,3,4 cities and the Indian language speaking population. Key Factors Driving the industry • India has the second-highest per capita consumption of online video in the world • Cheapest mobile data in the world at INR 18.5/GB (2015 - INR313/GB) • Growth in rural internet penetration • The number of smartphone users in India is increasing at astronomical rate •The average monthly data usage per user in India increased 20% year-on-year to 13.5 GB in December 2020 as Indians spent about five hours daily on a smartphone, as per the Mobile Broadband India Traffic Index (Mbit) 2021. • Smartphones with affordable data have also brought the vibrant native speakers base of 22 scheduled Indian languages from Tier 2, 3, 4 cities online and created a massive opportunity • The next wave of growth in the OTT landscape will come from our very own Tier 2,3,4 cities and the Indian language speaking population • The viewing habits of Indian consumers have evolved a lot in the last few years. While on the one hand, short-form video content consumption on smartphones and social platforms has been on the rise, binge-watching shows on various OTT platforms have also become more common on the other hand

India's OTT industry to be worth $15 billion by 2030: Report

<ul><li>India’s fast expanding OTT universe still has just over a 100 million paid subscribers, as per an Ormax report.</li><li>In the last one year, OTT subscriptions have grown 13.5%.</li><li>During the pandemic years, when OTT subscriptions saw a boom, the growth rate was approximately 20%. </li></ul>Almost half a billion Indians (481 million, to be precise) are streaming shows on over the top (OTT) platforms like <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>, <keyword id="758541" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon-prime" source="Orion">Amazon Prime</keyword> among others. However, as per Ormax Audience Report 2023, only one in three people are paying for it, as the OTT universe currently has 102 million paid subscribers. OTT penetration in India is at 34% across the country, the report says. It defines an OTT audience as the one who watched at least one online video either paid or free in the last one month. As many as 2.8 people watch an OTT subscription, it reveals. In spite of its good show during the pandemic, the OTT growth might have peaked, believes <keyword id="18337059" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="keerat-grewal" source="Orion">Keerat Grewal</keyword>, head of business development (streaming, TV &amp; brands), Ormax Media. “After the upsurge in the Indian OTT market during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, the growth has settled down at more moderate levels. The Indian OTT audience base grew 20% from 2021 to 2022, but has grown only 13.5% over the last one year, highlighting that the category is now past the peak growth phase it witnessed in the two preceding years," said Grewal. Fair share charges? As per Ormax, 102 million Indians are B2C subscribers, who take a membership directly with the OTT platform unlike B2B subscriptions are taken via telecom packs offered by various operators. The substantial number of B2C subscribers throws light on the ongoing feud between OTTs and telecom players on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/telecom-industry-defends-fair-share-charges-on-otts-proposal-rejects-impact-on-net-neutrality/articleshow/104496095.cms">fair-share charges that the </a>latter is demanding from the former. The report does not reveal the number of B2B subscribers of OTTs. Telecom service providers via the industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) have been asking Late Traffic Generators (LTGs) or the bigger OTTs to make a ‘contribution’ to telcos. They argue that LTGs are responsible for 70% of the total internet traffic. “LTGs are using TSP networks to deliver their services, but making no contribution to the development, upkeep and sustenance of robust and quality telecom networks across the country – that’s required for catering to the huge traffic being loaded on the networks,” said Lt Gen Dr S P Kochhar, director general of COAI. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/pvr-woos-netflix-n-chill-crowd-back-to-big-screens-with-its-passport/articleshow/104919450.cms">PVR woos Netflix n Chill crowd back to big screens with its Passport</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/what-do-genzs-think-about-the-number-of-work-hours-in-a-week/articleshow/104874213.cms">My shift is over: Why do GenZs say it, and is it a bad thing?</a>

One in three Indian binge watchers actually pays for content

<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

<ul><li>As per the report, <keyword id="10150755" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-sector">OTT sector</keyword> will directly benefit from the closure of cinemas, as some film studios choose to fast-track new releases to home video platforms. </li><li>OTT video in India is expected to see the largest gain and reach 5.2% by 2024, closely followed by <keyword id="441315" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="internet-advertising">internet advertising</keyword>.</li></ul>According to PwC’s <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/tmt/media/outlook.html">Global Entertainment &amp; Media Outlook 2020-2024</a>, the Indian E&amp;M industry’s long-term outlook remains robust as it is expected to grow at 10.1% CAGR to reach 55 billion USD by 2024. A K-shaped bifurcated recovery is on the horizon in which sectors like OTT, internet advertising, video/games/e-sports, and music and podcasts are expected to spearhead growth in the industry. Globally, Digital revenue is expected to contribute 60% to the total E&amp;M revenue by 2020, alone. In terms of individual segment market size as a percentage of total E&amp;M revenue, OTT video in India is expected to see the largest gain and reach 5.2% by 2024, closely followed by internet advertising. Segments like advertising and those dependent on physical locations are likely to be further impacted in a negative manner whereas digital E&amp;M spending will increasingly be regarded as a non-discretionary expense. While globally, newspapers and magazines are dropping the free online model and starting to ask readers to pay for quality content online, digital paywalls are yet to become commonplace in India. Furthermore, while India will remain the world’s biggest cinema market in admission terms, cinema revenue in India will contract at a -2.6% CAGR to total US$1.5bn over the next 5 years. Rajib Basu, Partner &amp; Leader – Entertainment &amp; Media, <keyword id="148915" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PWC-India">PwC India</keyword> said, “ "We find ourselves in extraordinary times, and the pandemic has accelerated ongoing shifts in consumers’ behaviour, pulling forward digital disruption and reaching industry tipping points that wouldn’t otherwise have been reached in the next few years. Our research shows that India will be the fastest growing entertainment and media market globally in terms of pure consumer revenue.” Coming out of COVID-19, a K-shaped bifurcated recovery is expected in which some sectors rise while others fall. Over the next 5 years, the outlook remains highly positive for digital led segments such as OTT, Internet Advertising, Online Gaming and Music &amp; Podcasts that were perfectly positioned to meet consumers where they are in 2020 - predominantly at home and online. However, companies simultaneously have to prepare to meet them where they will be two years from now. They will need to build and maintain direct-to-consumer relationships, offer enough differentiation or scale to compete, and unlock greater value using the right technologies. This is a unique window of opportunity for E&amp;M businesses to transform and make themselves more resilient and relevant for the future.” added Rajib Basu. Top 4 segments to advance rapidly: OTT Video: India holds the most potential of any market in the world and its breakneck rate of growth will see total OTT video revenue overtake South Korea, Germany and Australia to jump to being the sixth-largest market in 2024. Subscription video on demand will be the prime driver of revenue, increasing at a 30.7% CAGR from US$708mn in 2019 to US$2.7bn in 2024. OTT video growth is coming from both inside and outside the home as Internet-connected devices proliferate as the new ‘at-home’ environment has led to the rise of direct-to-consumer apps, local ‘bite-sized’ entertainment platforms and user-generated content (UGC) formats Internet Advertising: India is now the sixth-largest Internet advertising market in the Asia Pacific region. Mobile will be the primary driver of revenue in the Internet advertising market revenue due to increased data affordability, new mobile-first formats, ability to measure, and strategic targeting. Nonetheless, from a global perspective, Internet advertising in India remains underdeveloped and has massive headroom for growth Video, <keyword id="10150756" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="games-e-sports">Games &amp; E-sports</keyword>: Gaming and e-sports are capitalizing on the need to bring live experiences into the home in more personalized and more engaging ways. E-sports represented less than 1% of overall market in 2019, but has become one of the fastest growing segments today with a projected 33% CAGR by 2024. However, despite surging growth and enormous potential, the sector tackles with the biggest challenge of low levels of app monetisation Music, Radio &amp; Podcasts: Podcast industry was already experiencing rapid growth prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Fuelled by the uptake of music-streaming brands, the overall space is expected to grow at a 13.5% CAGR, to total revenue of nearly US$1.7bn in 2024. India will also see strong increase at a 30.4% CAGR in its monthly podcast listener base over the next five years, supported by entry of foreign players and original content on topics including news, society and culture As the industry navigates into the post-pandemic world, one can witness new opportunities for capturing growth: Players bolster subscription offerings - With consumers increasingly paying a monthly fee to access a library of entertainment content, such as films, music, content, fitness etc., <keyword id="126927" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Media-and-Entertainment">media and entertainment</keyword> industry players are catching on to the value of subscription based models to bring in business. Optimising revenue mix or pricing models to emerge more resilient and capture a bigger share of the wallet will be the focus Physical events look for digital alternatives - Another opportunity made more compelling by the pandemic is bringing live experiences into the home in a more personalized and engaging manner. Digital spaces—e-commerce platforms, virtual event spaces, gaming channels, podcasts—are evolving into powerful new platforms for marketing. Creating new content propositions will help realise new revenue streams OTT will thrive in 2020 as cinema and traditional TV degrow - OTT sector will directly benefit from the closure of cinemas, as some film studios choose to fast-track new releases to home video platforms. Since OTT platforms offer convenience and accessibility to consumers who are likely to hold on to their new habits of streaming ‘at home’, global SVOD revenue may overtake box office spend very soon Landmark acquisitions are out; buying growth and cash flows are in – As companies look for ways to navigate barriers, strategic investments &amp; alliances in search of scale and growth will be crucial to determine success in the E&amp;M media industry

India’s E&M industry expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1% to reach US$55 billion by 2024: PwC India Report

<ul><li>In our latest series, we look at different industries to understand what was 2020 like for them and to crystal gaze into the upcoming year, and identify some of the trends that will set the tone for 2021.</li><li>During the past few months of the global pandemic, people staying at home around the world have turned to various streaming services for entertainment. </li><li>With the coronavirus still around, we speak to OTT players to find out what would 2021 look like for the industry. </li></ul>Better connectivity, cheaper devices and even cheaper data plans have been aiding the growth of India’s over-the-top (OTT) industry over the past few years. However, 2020 became a year when more and more people came onto the digital ecosystem, thanks to being stuck at home during the lockdown. With people barely moving out of their houses, they turned to the digital world for their daily fix of entertainment. Also, people were more open with experimenting with different platforms. If an IBEF report is to be believed, the OTT sector in India saw a 30% rise in the number of paid subscribers, from 22.2 million to 29.0 million between March and July 2020. There was a visible increase in the time people were spending on most platforms. It therefore became important for platforms to come up with differentiated, fresh content that would help them stand apart. Owing to the fact that multiplexes were shut for months, many platforms also started launching movies directly on digital. Consumers have been happy for the most part. As we enter 2021, expectations from the sector are high. With the coronavirus still around, many people will continue staying in. So what will this mean for the OTT sector in 2021? Will more and more people continue coming onto platforms, and prefer to pay for the content that they like? How will OTT platforms be able to ensure consumer stickiness? What are a few trends that will stand out in 2021? We reached out to a few experts from the industry and here’s what they had to say. Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global: <div type="image" title="Archana Anand zee5" msid="79998579" hostid="261"></div> I see two key themes that swung into prominence in 2020 emerging as key drivers of the <keyword id="9056838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-industry">OTT industry</keyword>’s skyrocketing growth in 2021. With the lockdown, we’ve seen a trend of people across the globe warming up to the idea of paying for quality content, and also being willing to commit to annual subscription packs where they see value. I see this trend only accelerating in 2021, leading to strong SVOD growth. This has also been a year where international content has gained massive traction across markets. With ZEE5 and other OTT platforms offering dubbed and subtitled content, enabling people in one geography to seamlessly access stories from any other, content is now truly democratized. Storytelling is increasingly blurring boundaries and storytellers are finding newer audiences beyond their own borders. I think 2021 is going to be the year that international content comes into even greater prominence as online audiences literally discover a world of new content via their OTT platforms. Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited: <div type="image" title="Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited" msid="79995505" hostid="261"></div> 2021 is going to be an exciting year as OTT is already riding the wave of increased data consumption and internet penetration in the small towns and rural India. The year gone by also saw some great innovations and developments in the OTT space. From direct-to-digital releases to the increasing growth in the regional content, this year has bolstered the growing popularity of OTT to an all-time high. One trend that is expected to take centre stage is highly localised and regional content. The key to ace the trend is to have an in-depth understanding of the traditions and culture of the viewers. Understanding the deep-rooted connections our viewers have with their mother tongue, we have developed a strong regional strategy for Shemaroo across all our platforms. We have a huge content bank that ranges from Bollywood, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Kids, Devotional, and various specialised trays. Content companies saw a huge change and spike in the content viewing pattern of the audiences during the lockdown. Our regional offerings saw an impressive surge in viewership especially in the Gujarati category with viewership as high as 102% in the peak months of the lockdown. While Bollywood is our mainstay, our teams have been constantly acquiring and upgrading our regional offerings, so our audiences have something new every time they tune in. We aim to make it a more robust and comprehensive pick for any consumer who wishes to enjoy varied regional content. Ferzad Palia, Head, Voot Select, Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18: <div type="image" title="Ferzad Palia." msid="79995514" hostid="261"></div> Year 2020 saw the OTT category driven by groundbreaking storytelling and macro factors resulting in significant growth for SVOD services. Viewers’ willingness to pay for quality content is now well established. However, around 65% of subscribers are still from Top 10 metros. 2021 will buck this trend and see the Premium OTT Category in India expand its footprint outside of the top 10 metros, heralding the next phase of growth for the category. Karan Bedi, CEO - MX Player: <div type="image" title="Karan Bedia Mx player" msid="79998628" hostid="261"></div> Video streaming has become the primary mode of entertainment for most digital consumers across India this year. With this backdrop, India is set to become a key market for growth in OTT video in 2021. This will lead to an avalanche of new unique original content for these audiences as they have very little to watch on TV. In this situation, marketers are also increasingly aware of where their money works best, and would like to focus on those mediums, namely digital and OTT. Divya Dixit, SVP, Marketing, Analytics and Direct Revenue, ALTBalaji <div type="image" title="Divya, altbalaji" msid="79995519" hostid="261"></div> Digital is an ever-evolving medium and when it comes to OTT players, competition across the industry is soaring high with everyone at their toes trying to secure their places in the minds of consumers. While the pandemic of 2020 redefined content consumption, the year 2021 will chart new business alliances and revenue models for platforms to acquire direct subscriptions. The report from FICCI and E&amp;Y predicted 30-35 million paying subscribers on OTT platforms alone in the year 2021, and we are excited about carving a substantial pie out of the same. Our objective has always been content massification and with the next billion internet users set to hail from the Hindi heartlands, India’s digital industry promises a host of fresh avenues to explore and expand. The soon-to-arrive 5G networks will only work as an important factor for OTT platforms to scale further heights. Prime Video India spokesperson: “2020 has been a very exciting year for us at Prime Video India – at a time when a large section of customers, looking for high quality entertainment, are turning to streaming video - we launched 18 direct-to-digital movies (across 5 Indian languages) and 8 Indian Amazon Original Series, in addition to several Global Originals and hundreds of licensed and exclusive titles. One of the most consistent trends we observed in 2020 is that great content transcends geographical barriers. Indian stories are traveling across the globe - 1 out of 5 viewers of Indian Originals are from outside India. Both Four More Shots Please! and Made in Heaven were nominated for the International Emmy Awards, a testimony to local, authentic stories finding a global audience. Our first slate of DTS movies received close to 50% (and sometimes more) viewership for titles in Indian languages from customers outside the home states. Our Bollywood direct-to-service movies were block-buster hits - Gulabo Sitabo and Shakuntala Devi have been our most-watched movies on Prime Video in India as well as the most-watched Hindi/ Bollywood Movie outside India. Localized content not only helps us remain relevant, relatable but eventually also helps in widening audience reach - we also see global shows going deeper in India. We released Parasite with Hindi subs in India and that opened viewership to a whole new audience. We also dubbed some of our popular Global Amazon Originals like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and more recently, the second season of the The Boys in Indian languages, leading to more people discovering and watching these titles. This gives us an insight that customers are ready to watch content that has originated from any part of the world, if the story and the characters resonate with them.”

OTT: The trends to watch out for in 2021

<ul><li>Owing to lack of physical mobility in last 1.5 years, people stayed in-house, and digital adoption increased across devices.</li><li>On-demand content viewership on CTV increased manifolds.</li><li>Cheaper internet packs, affordable smart TVs, convertibles and connectable like fore stick etc transformed traditional TV into CTV.</li><li>Therefore, OTT consumption / gaming etc. on the connected big screen went up.</li><li>This report highlights who is the consumer, what does she/he want, how are they accessing content and what will future trends look like.</li></ul><keyword id="12034873" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india-ctv-report" source="Orion">India CTV Report</keyword> 2021 - Mapping Connected TV (CTV) Viewership in India and the Opportunities for Brands” a report from mediasmart, an Affle company, highlights the changing media consumption patterns of the Indian consumer. India is undergoing digital transformation and consumers are steadily moving away from traditional linear TV to CTV and OTTs. This change presents an untapped advertising opportunity for brands and advertisers. The report highlights consumer adoption insights layered with an expert view on possible advertising potential of the CTV medium. According to the report, key CTV viewership trends and insights include:<ul><li>Out of the select audience surveyed, 78% own a Smart TVand 93% of these smart TV users access internet based content</li><li>Mobile-first, active and aware CTV consumers: CTV users are young, urban adults who are already mobile-first and are actively engaging with diverse apps such as - 89% of the respondents are social media users, 82% are e-commerce, 44% are gamers and more</li><li>Content on demand: over 59% respondents prefer downloading apps via Smart TV App Store, while 26% respondents primarily consume content via pre-installed apps and a small section (15% respondents) use the dongle to stream content on TV</li><li>One device, many uses: Close to 70% respondents spend between 1 to 4 hours on CTV watching movies (91%), streaming music (64%), playing games (47%) or watching news (64%)</li><li>Spending ability and OTT preferences: Over 65% respondents subscribe to more than one OTT app. There is 40%+ adoption for the leading eight OTT apps in India: Disney+Hotstar, Amazon’s Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5, MXPlayer, Sony LIV, VOOT and Alt Balaji. The inclination on app usage is also heavily dependent on seasonality and timing</li><li>Limited barriers to viewership and adoption: Unlike mobile usage of internet, which requires literacy levels, CTV consumption cuts across age, language, and city barriers. By going vernacular, advertisers can engage with users in ads of their language</li></ul>Nikhil Kumar, Sr. Director, mediasmart talks about the CTV potential in the report - “The world is moving towards immersive watching experiences and CTV is an exciting space to be at. It is interesting to see leading advertisers in the country adopt CTV advertising as a critical new addition to their media mix. CTV advertising is here to stay and with evolutionary solutions provided by mediasmart on Household Sync technology, we are powering brands to engage with relevant consumers across the connected devices.” India is a young market with a tremendous potential for CTV adoption. CTV inherently is more engaging than traditional TVs and brings together the twin strengths of (a) engaging storytelling associated with CTV advertising and (b) targeting associated with Programmatic &amp; Digital advertising. Affle’s mediasmart platform offers an innovative approach to help optimise the CTV opportunity. With mediasmart’s unique Household Sync technology, advertisers can make ads more engaging by syncing CTV ad campaigns with ads on other connected devices in the same household. Brands can launch CTV campaigns to a specific audience in the same household, target premium inventory, measure results and drive them to the nearest store. Amardeep Singh, CEO of Interactive Avenues, talks about the CTV opportunity in the report - “Advertisers globally - and in India - are lapping up the CTV opportunity as it continues to grow as an exciting medium for digital advertising. We have seen great results and ROI for some of our top clients who are already using the CTV ad technology from mediasmart. This research is a step in the right direction to build standard industry metrics, even as technologies like Household Sync make CTV more measurable and impactful.” With data plans becoming more affordable, India is one of the biggest markets of internet users. Availability of cheap Smart TVs, diverse and affordable internet content and an untapped demographic group opening to the digital-first world presents a massive opportunity for CTV adoption and growth. This makes for a fertile ground for advertisers to innovate solutions for different brands with diverse business needs. Affle’s mediasmart is driving the CTV innovation across India, SEA, Europe &amp; other key markets and aims to revolutionise the way brands interact with consumers on various connected devices.

Over 66% people in India subscribe to more than 1 OTT app: Report

<ul><li><keyword id="2739840" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hotstar">Hotstar</keyword>, India’s largest OTT player, is wooing India by giving what it loves the most: free content. </li><li>The OTT platform announced that it will provide high quality content to its Hindi audience without any charge. </li><li>With the new campaign ‘Hotstar ka vaada, free entertainment sabse zyada’, Hotstar says it is targeting the Tier II and Tier III cities which have been “fueling the growth of online video consumption in India.” </li></ul>Hotstar, India’s largest OTT player, already has 60% market share but it wants more. So it is wooing Indians, especially those in smaller cities and towns, a lot more free content. The bar is raised further for the likes of <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> and <keyword id="18635" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> that are dwarfed in competition. The move is further timed well, just before the beginning of the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that is a big money churner and a hot favourite in Indian drawing rooms. Presently, Hotstar’s free content library includes several movies like Chhichhore, Mission Mangal, Star Plus soap operas like <keyword id="83396" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yeh-Rishta-Kya-Kehlata-Hai">Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai</keyword>, Nazar, <keyword id="381946" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kasauti-Zindagi-Kay">Kasauti Zindagi Kay</keyword> and shows from Star Bharat like Savdhaan India along with News. Getting people away from TV With the new campaign, Hotstar says it is targeting the Tier-II and Tier-III cities which have been “fueling the growth of online video consumption in India.” It aims to get all those people on board who have lost access to paid channels after Telecom Regulatory Authority of India imposed new tariffs. While one set of the family may be hooked to these soaps, those within the same family who are interested in cricket may pay for the subscription. It is bad news for television channels too as it may lead to migration from traditional TV subscriptions to OTT. “The next wave of growth for OTT platforms will come from smaller cities as adoption picks up. In fact, non-metros today outstrip metros in terms of video consumption. Through this campaign, our endeavor is to engage with our audiences further in Hindi-speaking markets and take digital video consumption to new frontiers,” said Varun Narang, Chief Product Officer, Hotstar. Going all out Not just that, Hotstar is also planning to opt for door-to-door marketing in Tier-II and Tier-III cities using different mediums of marketing including billboard to advertise about their free library. The campaign comes a week after Netflix removed free first month trial for their consumers. It is now offering a new plan to select new subscribers in India with the first month at ₹5. The offer is only available as an introductory offer to select new subscribers and not for existing users or anyone who is signing up again for premium subscription. India is all set to witness a tough battle in the over-crowded OTT space this year. Hotstar, the leader of the OTT space, plans to break down its own record of 18.6 million concurrent viewers during the IPL season. It has also set aside ₹120 crore to make seven originals across languages. Whereas, Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos are upping their game by investing millions of dollars in originals. Zee5, on the other hand, is aiming to produce 80 originals this year. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/netflix-is-losing-to-hotstar-zee5-amazon-prime-video-india-as-the-country-remains-addicted-to-soaps-and-movies/articleshow/74111720.cms">Netflix is losing to homegrown OTT players in India — as the country remains addicted to soaps and movies</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/zee5-plans-to-release-80-original-shows-this-year-across-indian-languages/articleshow/74367269.cms">Zee5 plans to release 80 original shows this year across Indian languages</a>

Hotstar is adding to 'free' content — making life more difficult for Netflix, Amazon and the likes

<ul><li>The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown has changed our lives, perhaps forever. It has brought about many behavioural changes among consumers. While some were temporary, there are many that will perhaps become permanent.</li><li>People discovered the many conveniences of <keyword id="1245953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott" source="Orion">OTT</keyword> platforms during the last 2 years and the sector is only expected to grow from here.</li><li>Baskar Subramanian, Co-founder and CEO, <keyword id="751982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amagi" source="Orion">Amagi</keyword> writes why OTT is getting consumer love and why the streaming media is here to stay. </li></ul>The pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns completely transformed our entertainment experience. From 'Let's go for a good movie', we moved to 'What should we watch on <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>?'. Movie premiers and live sporting events like IPL and others have moved to OTT. For example, Netflix released the Kangana Ranaut starrer Thalaivi and Zee5 released Bob Biswas starring Amitabh Bachchan exclusively on OTT platforms. Homegrown web series like The Family Man, Sacred Games, Aarya, Special Ops, Aashram, Mirzapur and more undoubtedly elevated the popularity of OTT platforms among the tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z population who had embraced OTT over Cable TV or DTH subscriptions even before the onset of the pandemic. Post the pandemic, however, the trend has only increased, fuelled by the many conveniences that OTT offers over traditional broadcast. With streaming TV, the fight for the remote is laid to rest. Every person in a household can watch their favorite shows on their personal devices. Content can be viewed even while travelling, and consumers are spoilt for choice with languages, content variety, and on-demand viewing. Consumers have made their preferences clear - more people are cutting the cord, shifting from paid TV subscriptions to internet-based streaming services. Boston Consulting Group predicts that the OTT content market is at an inflection point in India and is likely to reach a market size of $5 billion by 2023. From just two OTT platform providers in 2012 to about 40 players at present, the OTT revolution has come a long way in India. Estimates from Phando Corp suggest that monthly active users (MAUs) for India’s OTT video sector have grown at a blistering rate of 300% since 2019 to reach 680 million in 2021, with rural and tier 2 &amp; 3 cities consumption reaching an 80% share. West Versus India Several factors including the widespread availability of broadband infrastructure, the ubiquity of mobile phones and other connected portable devices, and quest for personalised experiences have spurred the adoption of OTT consumption in the Western world. At the same time, technology investments, the emergence of new apps, features, and independent platforms for OTT content have also been growth drivers. Tech companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Apple, YouTube, connected device providers such as Samsung, Xiaomi, LG, and studios such Disney, MGM, Paramount, Sony are among the major corporations who have entered the OTT space, giving a plethora of programming choices to the consumers in the West. The growth in OTT platforms combined with the subsequent content boom has seen vernacular content from different regions gaining international popularity. South Korean dystopian drama broke all records by becoming the most watched content on Netflix by netizens around the world. Similarly, Indian dramas such as Sacred Games and Delhi Crime were viewed and enjoyed by a global audience. As a result, all eyes are now firmly set on opportunities in emerging economies, specifically in the Indian subcontinent, with major players from the west entering the foray with attractive subscription offers, and diverse content catalogues. Some have chosen to collaborate with or acquire local brands to establish a firmer foothold in the region. For example, with the launch of Disney Plus in the US back in 2019, the streaming service promptly expanded to many other countries, including India. However, instead of getting a dedicated app for Indian users, the company acquired the Hotstar streaming platform and soon rebranded to Disney+ Hotstar. The coming together of Disney and Star TV Network (20th Century Fox) attracted tens of millions of subscribers in India and provided them access to a premium catalogue of content from Disney and Star TV. One of the challenges in India is the ability to monetize online content. Research suggests that the Advertising-led Video on Demand (AVOD) model is far more popular than Subscription-led video on demand (SVOD) models given the reluctance of viewers in India to pay for online content. While about 60% of total video viewing in India happens on YouTube, Netflix has 40 Mn monthly active users. Disney Plus Hotstar too has reached the critical mass with its freemium model, well-supported by relevant collaborations, such as sports (read cricket), which drives volume. Also, a KPMG study reveals that, unlike the West, only 10% of viewers access OTT platforms for watching original content. Rather, OTT is used primarily for the convenience of anytime and personal viewing of movies, music, sports or to catch-up with TV content. Driving OTT Growth in India As a country with a population of 1.23 billion, India is the next big market for OTT platforms. Some of the growth drivers for OTT players in India, based on the precedent from the West include: ● Investments in Content Video streaming services are expected to spend around ₹1,920 crore to create original content for India in 2021, driven in part by the sharp rise in audiences during the 2020 lockdown. The platforms will further increase spends, including on sports, to ₹30,000 crore, during 2021-25, according to the latest FICCI-EY media and entertainment industry report. Around 500 original titles are likely to be released in 2021 across platforms, as opposed to 385 titles in 2019 and 220 in 2020. The investment in original content makes sense given that viewers are learning to pay for the content they consume, especially original content. In 2020, 29 million subscribers paid for 53 million OTT video subscriptions (not counting subscriptions bundled along with data plans), a figure that is estimated to increase to 39 million subscribers for 71 million subscriptions in 2021. Netflix has more than 40 originals scheduled for 2021 and is expanding its slate by nearly three times compared to 2020. Amazon Prime Video has 50 local originals in various stages of development and 30 in various stages of production. Demand for original content will likely double by 2023 compared to 2019 levels. ● Content – the New Battlefield for Viewers Increasing number of consumers from tier-2 and tier-3 cities have spurred the production of regional content. Alt Balaji has seen a change after the pandemic. Before the pandemic, the top 8 cities in India contributed to 70% of their total audience; post-April 2020, 60% of the traffic is from other tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Old favourite shows are being re-aired on OTT platforms, while investments in new content production continue. Recently Amazon announced the acquisition of MGM, for $8.45 billion, giving it access to MGM’s library of 4000 film titles and 17,000 TV shows. We have witnessed the emergence of a wide variety of content including Indian content since India has a diverse market with over a dozen languages that are widely spoken across the country. OTT players are shifting their focus towards localisation of their platforms, to be able to connect with the Indian users, be it in terms of regional languages, geography and user experience etc. India already has about 40 OTT players and 10 music streaming apps in existence catering to various entertainment and media demands. This has opened the doors for OTT platforms to promote regional and hyperlocal content. In fact, a leading OTT player recently released 11 shows during the lockdown- all locally curated shows. The share of regional language consumption on OTT platforms is expected to cross 50% of total time spent by 2025, easing past Hindi at 45%. ● Government Regulations The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has, in the past year, stressed the need for some form of regulation of OTT Platforms to streamline the sector. In this regard, the MIB recently notified the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. The new rules require OTT platforms to set up a robust three-tier grievance redressal mechanism. The first level will comprise regulation by the OTT Platform itself through a grievance officer. The second level will be an institutional self-regulatory body formed by publishers of content and their associations. This self-regulatory body will comprise industry experts headed by a retired Supreme Court/ High Court judge /eminent personality in the relevant field. At the third level is an inter-department committee constituted by the MIB that will provide oversight and hear appeals for decisions taken at level two or if a complaint is referred to the inter-department committee by MIB. Regulation might help improve the quality of content in the future. ● The Future of OTT - New Applications and Content Innovations There is no doubt that the future of <keyword id="6357922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="television" source="Orion">television</keyword> is OTT, and the industry is at a nascent stage. Content is the force that defines the direction of evolution in the industry. New applications such as learning, education and fitness are being explored. Pricewaterhouse Coopers reported that in 2018, more than 40% of new internet users in the world were children. Edtech platforms like Byjus and Unacademy use the OTT streaming approach for education. Similarly, possible applications for learning management in corporations are being explored. While fitness was never considered an activity that could be done remotely, the pandemic saw this notion change. According to a Bobble.AI report, besides video conferencing apps and websites, fitness applications such as Lose Weight, Cure.fit, recorded a 104.53% rise in daily active users. Video streaming platforms are also creating content to cater to this trend. Disney+ Hotstar has partnered with Brilliant Wellness, to introduce content from its fitness experts, yoga, and spiritual gurus. -- India’s large population and relatively young age demographics make the business environment dynamic and interesting. Digital savvy young consumers in India are spread over a wide geography and have a vast range of preferences, languages and appreciate multi-cultural entertainment. As content and technology come together to create a solution that caters to this unique business environment, OTT and streaming media are here to stay.

How India is ‘Cutting the Cord’ to drive an OTT revolution

<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>After the pandemic, many of us were stuck within the four walls of our houses and OTT platforms like <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>, Amazon Prime and <keyword id="2739840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hotstar" source="Orion">Hotstar</keyword> sometimes became the only source of entertainment in our lives.</li><li>The pandemic also gave a push to the regional <keyword id="9056838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-industry" source="Orion">OTT industry</keyword> and saw the birth of native language streaming players like Hoichoi, aha, Sun NXT, Planet Marathi, Koode, and City Short TV.</li><li>As per experts, the regional OTT players have already captured 50% of the OTT market in less than 3-4 years.</li></ul>Kaiser, the homicide detective who tries to deal with double murders and his own demons side by side; then there is Three Roses – with young girls who are in the middle of to-be-married mess in the complex Indian juxtaposition of tradition and independence. Yes, you have guessed it right. They are all topics of superhit web series but you can’t find them on Netflix, Prime or even Disney Hotstar – they are from Hoichoi, Bengali OTT and aha, a Telugu and Tamil OTT, respectively. Apart from regional cinema taking over <keyword id="143" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bollywood" source="Orion">Bollywood</keyword>, a silent revolution is underway where regional OTTs are taking away the eyeballs of Indians – by offering them quality content in their mother tongue. And, there are a lot of these. Of the total <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/a-cred-like-platform-is-what-indian-ott-users-want-to-juggle-multiple-subscriptions/articleshow/92570894.cms">60 OTT </a>platforms in India, around 12 of them are exclusively regional across languages like — Sun NXT, Planet Marathi, Koode, and City Short TV, which is a hyperlocal content OTT. One movie, every week According to a FICCI-EY <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/brandwagon/regional-ott-on-the-rise-as-subscribers-choose-native-language-over-hindi/2272860/">report</a>, the share of regional language consumption on OTT platforms will cross 50% by 2025 from the 30% share it held in 2019. As per FICCI-EY though, regional consumption is expected to surpass Hindi, which is predicted to touch a 45% consumption rate. But a few players are confident that it has already hit this number. “The regional OTT market today probably is 50% already of the total OTT market size in India, including all regional languages. It is set to grow faster than Hindi for sure,” Ajit Thakur, CEO of Telugu and Tamil OTT platform aha told Business Insider India. The OTT, which is adding one movie every week, has touched 10 million monthly active users (Maus) in two years. Its app saw 30 million downloads. It has also generated $2 million in non-subscription <a href="https://www.afaqs.com/news/media/telugu-ott-platform-aha-to-rely-on-avod-to-break-even">revenue </a>in the last six months and is considering adding gaming onto its platform and becoming a super app. Aha also intends to target Tamil-speaking viewers as well after winning the hearts of the people who speak the fourth most spoken <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45902204">language </a>in India and also one of the top 10 fastest-growing <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45902204">languages </a>in America. The magic price point Apart from the content, the price points of these OTTs are attractive too — as it’s akin to subscribing for a regional TV channel pack as opposed to the full range with all genres and offerings across languages – like Netflix, Prime, Disney Hotstar or even Zee. Hoichoi however has ‘eased’ its subscription with a syndication deal with mainstream OTT players such as MX Player and Amazon Prime. Hoichoi, one of the earliest regional OTT platforms to launch in India, is trying to capture the 250 million Bengali speakers across the world. “The generic OTT market has grown at least 30-50% over the year and we've all outpaced that industry by a fair margin. We've got about 120 odd shows, in addition to about 600-700 movies. In fact, April, May and June were bigger than COVID months for us,” Vishnu Mohta, co-founder of the Bengali streaming platform told Business Insider India. Its extensive content library remains unmatched in the OTT universe. But Mohta says that it’s just ‘getting started’. “I see a stable growth trajectory for the next five years,” he said – which is much higher than the growth in ‘national’ OTTs. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></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 platform </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;">Plan </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;">Price </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 </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;">Annual mobile </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;">₹1788 </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;">Amazon Prime Video </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;">Annual </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;">₹1499 </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;">aha </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;">Annual </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;">₹299 </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;">Hoichoi </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;">Annual </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;">₹999 </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;">Planet Marathi </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;">Annual </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;">₹365 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Trending across 7 countries Planet Marathi was a pandemic baby as it was launched during the lockdown. As the name suggests it caters to Marathi-speaking audiences India and abroad. <div type="image" title="Planet marathi" msid="92795598" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Planet Marathi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> It already has a superhit web show to its name – Raanbaazaar, which delves into the murky world of politics and two escorts and the mindgame involved. The show became the most-watched Marathi series on OTT and trended across seven countries – thanks to the state’s extensive expat population. “We launched 13 Planet Marathi originals and have another 24 planned out over the next year. Our viewership comes from India and across the world. There has been an increase in the stickiness of the content, with time spent by users increasing almost 350% after Raanbaazaar’s release,” said Akshay Bardapurkar, founder of Planet Marathi. In the meanwhile, top OTTs haven’t been ignoring these viewers either. In fact most of them release regional movies and shows with audio and subtitle options – thereby ‘extending’ the reach of regional content to non-regional players as well. The best example in this list is the recently launched Modern Love Hyderabad which has an original Telugu show dubbed across five languages including Hindi and English, for those who want to catch the flavour of the show in their own language. ZEE5 too has <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/zee5-plans-to-triple-investment-in-tamil-telugu-content-in-2022-328762-2022-04-05">tripled </a>its investment into regional content this year and international player <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/netflix-on-the-lookout-for-regional-language-content-in-2022/article37835172.ece">Netflix </a>is also looking to deeper inroads in India by zooming in on regional market — but whether they would be able to win the war in every regional turf across India is left to be seen – as India has 121 official <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/more-than-19500-mother-tongues-spoken-in-india-census-5241056/">languages </a>and 19,500 mother tongues.

Hoichoi, aha and Planet Marathi - regional OTTs challenging Netflix, Prime and Hotstar

<ul><li>As we enter a new year, we wanted to understand what to expect from the Over-the-top (<keyword id="1245953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott" source="Orion">OTT</keyword>) industry in 2022.</li><li>In today's feature, we speak to industry experts who share their thoughts on what this year has in store for us.</li></ul>After 2020 we had hoped that 2021 would bring us some respite from the pandemic. However, things were challenging for a large part of the year. With many of us stuck within the four walls of our house for the most part of the year, OTT platforms sometimes became the only source of entertainment in our lives. Not only did 2021 see the launch of a lot of big-budget originals on various OTT platforms, a lot of movies like Sardar Udham Singh, Mimi and Shershaah launched on these platforms. Content producing companies put their best foot forward and created award-winning shows that won both commercial and critical acclaim. There has been a visible increase in investments in content production, a trend that is here to stay in 2022 as well. A recent joint report by industry body CII and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) stated that the Indian OTT sector is currently in the scaling stage with strong subscription growth and high investment in premium as well as original content. The Indian OTT sector is one of the most competitive amongst emerging markets with over 40 players. While there have been debates about more and more people moving away from TV, Mandeep Kohli, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group India states that we are still some time away from that happening at a large scale in India. “The share of traditional media is slowly declining with increased digital adoption but there is still high headroom for penetration with only 54% of Indian households having a pay TV connection compared to more than 70% in China. For many households, TV continues to be the center of the home and a significant part of family time,” said Kohli, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group India. The report further stated that the industry is at a scaling stage currently and has the potential to become a $13-15 billion industry by 2030. To understand what the new year has in store for us, we spoke to a few of the most important voices from India’s OTT industry, along with some of the biggest content production houses. Here is what they had to say about what lies ahead: Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, <keyword id="6245082" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zee5" source="Orion">ZEE5</keyword> India The already-growing online media and entertainment business received a major boost with the black swan event that the Covid-19 pandemic was, setting a new growth trajectory in the last year. The audience adopted a more digitally advanced way of entertainment, something that went beyond the conventional mediums, leading to mass adoption of OTT platforms which resulted in a surge in both viewership and watch-time. This pandemic-induced growth in demand for quality content led to an increased focus on storytelling across languages leading to the creation of extensive and expansive content libraries. People also became more open to sampling diverse content from different languages and were keener to opt for the living room experience thanks to the increased adoption of connected devices. This growth of the connected devices ecosystem has made OTT a preferred choice not only for personal but also for family consumption. At ZEE5, we have seen a 3X growth in the viewership on connected devices. The rise in power-packed dynamic storytelling and the rise of connected devices has led to the advent of the ‘Home Box Office’ which is a trend that is here to stay. While we grew 200% this year at the back of an aggressive slate of content line-up and hyper-personalization, we aim to make deeper inroads into Indian homes going into 2022. Sameer Nair, CEO, <keyword id="1322450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="applause-entertainment" source="Orion">Applause Entertainment</keyword> <div type="image" title="IMG_8153 (1)" msid="88694220" hostid="261"></div> I believe the biggest emerging trend for the streaming industry in 2022 and beyond is the increasing flattening of the Earth, with both geographical borders and language barriers breaking down as internet connectivity reaches the remotest audiences. Our audiences, both local and global, have become smarter, more perceptive and way more critical; this requires us as Content Creators and Distributors to significantly improve the quality of our storytelling, of our productions and of the consumer experience we offer. Authentic, rooted stories that have a universal appeal can and will breakout to reach audiences globally. The more we collaborate with talent from diverse cultures and geographies, the richer we will become as storytellers. The ‘One Planet One Species Shared Cultures’ is an idea whose time is truly upon us. Divya Dixit, SVP, Marketing &amp; Revenue, <keyword id="4241922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="altbalaji" source="Orion">ALTBalaji</keyword> With the traditional marketing budgets on a decline and digital and influencer marketing taking center stage, there are many trends, however interrelated, that we will see emerging in 2022. The digital audiovisual industry will explode; according to Bain and Company, India's online video user base has increased to more than 350 million people, growing 24% in the last three years. Influencer marketing will rapidly move to include micro-influencers and not just be dependent on Celebrity influencers, thereby also promoting UGC. Video marketing, live streaming will give rise to Social commerce and tier 2 and 3 cities will claim the growth chart curve. With all these interrelated events/trends triggering off, Users will expect personalized experiences which will be offset by deeper integration of ML, which will give rise to AI usage; however, the world of marketers will also see a more focused emerging curve towards Organic retention – CRM, surveys, retention tools, recommendation cycles, SEO, UI/UX as Google continues the stance of stopping 3rd party cookies by end of 2023. Manjit Sachdev- Head – Originals, Voot and Voot Select, Viacom18 Digital Ventures <div type="image" title="Manjit Sachdev _Head Content at VOOT AND VOOT Select" msid="88694240" hostid="261"></div> After an unprecedented 2020, with an acceleration in the growth of OTT platforms, 2021 was a year for creating milestones in curating unique and enthralling stories for the audience. Now as we step into 2022 with hope and resilience, the OTT sector will witness an increase in the demand for personalized and purpose-driven content. Given the increasing competition in the OTT space, staying relevant and purposeful is most critical. Considering the changing realities in today's times, having a purpose-driven story telling approach is the way to go. Content with purpose has the power to travel beyond boundaries, spread values, knowledge and positivity and build deeper engagement with subscribers. This trend will act as a key differentiator in changing behaviours. Megha Tata, Managing Director, South Asia, Discovery, Inc As SVOD continues to grow aggressively, we are seeing an increasing number of audiences now willing to pay for good content. I believe a right combination of compelling content and pricing would be the key in attracting a bigger share of consumers into the SVOD world next year. Also, differentiated programming will add to a player’s competitive advantage in the midst of most mainstream players offering similar content. This is a trend familiar to what we saw even broadcast channels go through. I believe some players will be able to carve out a niche for themselves, while most streaming catalogs will end up resembling each other. Rishi Negi, COO, Banijay Asia 2020 was a game changer for the whole world, we strategized a smooth transition to the streaming era and the year 2021 was about sustaining the positive change and envisioning the prospects of growth. With changing narratives and experimental content taking a lead, along with the fact that the data &amp; streaming charges have dropped, has resulted in the content reaching a much bigger audience. I anticipate the year 2022 to be vibrant with original productions, compelling storytelling and some path-breaking performances. Fighting the content inflation with a wide variety of exceptional chronicles intertwined with existing catalog shows in this post-pandemic world, viewers are streaming more than ever. With nominal data plan and streaming charges, content is reaching even the darkest corner of the world. Considering the pace of content transmission, at Banijay Asia, we have become more aggressive towards producing content that delights the heartland of India. We see a hike in demand for stories which are untold, female centric and with CTV on the rise, we anticipate growing interest in regional unscripted content in 2022. While we have seen this trend kickstart already with our Tamil unscripted show The Survivors as it received unparalleled response from the audience and our hinterland drama Matsya Kaand recently crossed a 100M views on <keyword id="2214311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mx-player" source="Orion">MX Player</keyword> within a month. These numbers affirm that the trendsmap that we're following leads to a sustainable future. Given these past two years have been a real tester, we have pushed through every possible challenge posed by the virus this year and successfully produced shows for the streaming giants and kept the show running. While we have covered grounds with our scripted, non-scripted, international format adaptation, book adaptations, in the upcoming year, we aim to keep up with our pace and keep reinventing our ways. To sum it up, we are thoroughly looking forward to 2022 to be a year full of exciting and enthralling projects to keep our audiences engaged and invested. Rohit Jain, Managing Director, <keyword id="193261" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lionsgate" source="Orion">Lionsgate</keyword> South Asia and Networks, Emerging Markets Asia 2022 is going to be an exciting year for OTT players as the content pipeline will be stronger than ever. While the pandemic has leapfrogged growth in terms of viewers and subscription we expect 2022 to further amplify the reach and will witness growth not only in the metros but also in tier II &amp; tier III cities. Today’s viewers are constantly looking for edgy and unique stories. We have always said premium content is the ultimate winner. The OTT industry will have to concentrate on quality content over quantity of content. Siddhartha Roy, COO, Hungama Digital Media The media and entertainment industry has been making rapid strides in the interior of India. Regional markets are becoming the industry’s point of convergence as the digital infrastructure expands across the length and breadth of the country. Content houses and creators are going vocal through local, thereby, making homegrown, high-quality content available at the click of a button. Going further, consumption of entertainment, in addition to audio and video, will be extended to varied mediums, such as gaming. As the Indian online gaming sector is witnessing tremendous growth in 2020 it sets a tone that gaming will be the next big thing. The industry will witness a rapid rise in the use of AI and ML to create a customised and personalised experience for audiences. This makes industry consumer friendly; not just that, it helps in massive consumption and double consumer engagement. Hiren Gada, CEO-Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd <div type="image" title="Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd." msid="88726664" hostid="261"></div> With regional internet penetration growing at a rapid pace, localization of content and OTT apps are going to be one of the emerging trends to look out for. Content that was earlier restricted to just Bollywood and Hollywood is getting extended to other native languages and it is going to play a key role in attracting new consumers and in supporting other industries such as dubbing and subtitling that will further boost the content bank. Other than localization, we will also see content being offered across other segments that include devotional, and kids’ categories. As we see new OTT apps being launched almost every month with multiple paying models, the consumers will have more flexibility and power to make their own choices. With increased smartphone adoption along with affordable data, mobile penetration of the OTT will see more focus. Mobile-centric plans have been introduced by most OTTs today to cater to the Millennials and GenZs who have the hunger to consume content but not the deep pockets to pay. This space will continue to grow with the increased bundling of OTT by telecos. Additionally, the arrival of 5G which is most likely to take off this year will be a game-changer not just for the OTTs but also for the consumers. It will enable faster connectivity, accessibility to content and further enhance the viewing experience with reduced buffering issues, and an uninterrupted real-time streaming experience. Shailesh Kapoor, The Founder &amp; CEO, Ormax Media The last two years have been exceptional for the OTT market in India, aided in no small measure by the lockdowns. As things begin to get back to normal, the question that we will hear a lot more in 2022 is: Where is the next level of OTT growth in India going to come from? The category has grown at an estimated 30-35% in its user base and more than 50% in paid subscriptions over the last two years. But these growth rates are not sustainable in the long run. Platforms will have to look for offerings that are both compelling and distinctive, to get new subscribers in a category that will continue to grow, but at more modest levels of 15-20% per annum. Crossover content, be it Indian (such as Jai Bhim) or foreign (such as Squid Game or Money Heist), will play an important role in this regard. The language barrier has been broken considerably by the OTT medium, and with dubbing and subtitles available in many languages for all major shows and films now, platforms cannot stick to single-language, homogenous offerings anymore. We can expect more language-led experimentation, both in content acquisition and presentation."

Where the Indian OTT industry is headed in 2022

<ul><li><keyword id="18076926" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bbc-player" source="Orion">BBC Player</keyword> and <keyword id="18076927" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bbc-kids" source="Orion">BBC Kids</keyword> will be available for Prime Video subscribers, as an add-on.</li><li>Benedict Cumberbatch-starring Sherlock, BAFTA -winning Happy Valley and crime thriller Six Four are some of the shows that will be available on the streaming platform.</li><li>BBC Kids will offer shows like Hey Duggee, Go Jetters, JoJo &amp; Gran Gran, Sarah &amp; Duck, Junior Bake Off and others. </li></ul>The bustling Indian OTT video market has a new entrant — the legendary BBC, which launched its services on <keyword id="12162669" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-video-channels" source="Orion">Prime Video Channels</keyword> on Thursday. Both its OTT offerings – BBC Player and BBC Kids will bring a curated line-up of old and new content across dramas, documentaries, comedies and more. Prime members will be able to purchase an annual add-on subscription of BBC Player for ₹599 – which will also provide full access to BBC Kids. Alternatively, members can subscribe to BBC Kids only for ₹199 annually. BBC’s popular show Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch, BAFTA award-winning Happy Valley, crime thriller Six Four, British political thriller The Diplomat and sitcom Citizen Khan – are some of the shows that will be available on the new OTT offering that’s entering India. BBC Kids will offer BBC Studios’ kids shows like Hey Duggee, Go Jetters, JoJo &amp; Gran Gran, Sarah &amp; Duck, Junior Bake Off and others. “These brands will offer a curated, multi-genre content line-up, offering the best of British entertainment to the discerning Indian audience. Subscribed members will gain access to some of BBC Studios’ latest hits as well as our classics shows, including our well-acclaimed wealth of kids’ entertainment, all under one roof,” said Stanley Fernandes, vice president-distribution, BBC Studios, South Asia. Prime Video Channels bring 20 international and regional OTTs under its umbrella including – Lionsgate Play, discovery+, Eros Now, ManoramaMAX, hoichoi, NammaFlix and many more. Subscribers of Prime Video can add on to their subscription by choosing these OTTs. “Since its launch in India, Prime Video Channels has seen exponential growth in India with people subscribing to Channels of their choice from the length and breadth of the country,” said Vivek Srivastava, head – Prime Video Channels, Prime Video. The Indian OTT market is expected to see a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% to produce revenue of $3.5 billion by 2027, says a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. “With new launches from international players and increasing pay-lite options, OTT revenue has surged in recent years, expanding a further 25.1% in 2022 to reach $1.8 billion This is over six times the revenue of 2018,” said PwC. The report also estimates that subscription service revenue will expand at 13% CAGR, while advertising-supported services (AVOD) will grow at a higher rate, albeit from a lower base.

BBC takes the India OTT market plunge – Sherlock, Happy Valley & more on offer

<ul><li>From buying groceries to ordering a paracetamol, the lockdown forced the entire nation to avail digital services. </li><li>It has opened up an opportunity for Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms to rise to the situation and curate a seamless streaming experience for their consumers as they are quarantined 24x7.</li><li>Shashank Singh, CEO &amp; Founder, <keyword id="9574458" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="flyx">FLYX</keyword> writes how innovation in storyline is the key factor that is fuelling the growth of OTT platforms and why OTT needs to be censorship-free. </li></ul>Times are tough for businesses across industries, including the entertainment industry. Though theatres have been opened with limited capacity, the unprecedented growth and breakthrough of OTT platforms have been undeniably unparalleled. Even though the charm of cinemas and going to a theatre can never be replaced by streaming platforms, it is interesting to acknowledge and recognize how far we have come along in our content-viewing journey. During the past few months of the global pandemic, people staying at home around the world have turned to various streaming services for entertainment. The once advocated hypothesis that there are not enough hours in the day to consume content has changed, and streaming services worldwide are seeing a<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/27/21195358/streaming-netflix-disney-hbo-now-youtube-twitch-amazon-prime-video-coronavirus-broadband-network"> huge spike in traffic.</a> According to a report by ACT Fibernet called ‘State of Internet Traffic Trend’, India saw a staggering 55% hike in overall streaming traffic during the lockdown1. Various industry reports throw light on the popularity of homegrown OTT platforms. Indian player Disney+Hotstar has the most number of subscribers, followed by Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. This is mainly due to the local language content available on Disney+Hotstar that appeals to the majority of Indians.2 According to a recent PwC report, India is currently the world’s fastest growing OTT (over-the-top streaming) market, and is all set to emerge as the world’s sixth-largest by 2024. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.6% over the next four years to touch revenues of $2.9 billion. With covid-19 pandemic resulting in a seven-month shutdown of movie theatres, several producers have taken their films directly to digital platforms which has seen OTT platforms gaining at the expense of cinemas. In 2018, SVoD revenues were a third of India’s total box office revenue but the shift of eyeballs to digital platforms in the medium to long term will ensure India’s movie box office falls by 2.6% over the next four years as SVoD grows by 30.7%. Using technology to gain competitive edge Content is one of the most important factors that makes people subscribe to a streaming video service, but another equally important factor is the ease of use. This is where technology comes into play. Deloitte in its recent <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/technology/digital-media-trends-consumption-habits-survey.html">digital trends survey</a> found that streaming during Covid-19 compared to the pre-pandemic market is not so much ‘before and after’ as it is ‘before and faster’. People are signing up for services quickly and are leaving services even faster. With almost every streaming service offering free trials, consumers are lapping up the trials. However, the real test in retention will come down to technology. Streaming providers have to create a seamless experience for content viewing, and it starts with content discovery. Leaders in this market should look to invest more in technology by offering a great search experience. This means not only making it fast, but also very personalized. Providers will have to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand the consumer’s intent and offer the right content at the right time. Streaming Content and Censorship With so much content being produced and added to streaming platforms every day, there has been a growing issue about content censorship across the world. Platforms such as Netflix and Amazon, among others, are receiving <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/a35jna/netflix-and-amazon-may-have-to-censor-explicit-content-in-india-soon">content removal notices</a> from various governments and authorities. Recently, the debate about regulation and censorship is heating up in India. Patal Lok on Netflix in India has been surrounded by controversy because of violence, sexual content and portrayal of the hypocrisy of upper caste men. Rasbhari too has created a furore because of its sexual content. While currently there is no censorship of OTT platforms, this is likely to change in the future. The Information and Broadcast Ministry of India is proposing that OTT platforms fall under its purview so that they can be regulated just as other media such as TV, radio, films, etc.4 The Future Path Innovation in storyline is the key factor that is fuelling the growth of OTT platforms, and it is currently free from any regulation or censorship before it hits your favourite device. Censorship kills creativity, and this can be easily seen by how good the content of new streaming shows is versus content released in theatres. Streaming content should ideally follow the food industry model, meaning series/ movies should have full disclosures about its contents and allow the consumer to decide if they want to purchase or watch it. Currently, all major <keyword id="10213289" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="streaming-players">streaming players</keyword> are following their own standards. What we need is a regulatory body that standardizes these disclosures and uses technology to audit for compliance, without censoring any content. Here again, artificial intelligence and machine learning could play a big role in automatically classifying the content and generating full disclosures. The next decade in streaming will be very exciting and also very challenging. Winners will not only be decided by who has the best content but also who has the most advanced technology to make the service more intelligent and super easy to use. Ultimately, the streaming wars will empower consumers and revolutionize how they consume media.

OTT: Technology, censorship and the future

<ul><li><keyword id="1245953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott" source="Orion">OTT</keyword> had a watershed year in 2020 and the growth continued in 2021. Most reports are predicting that OTTs growth is here to stay.</li><li>Homegrown <keyword id="959269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-platform" source="Orion">OTT platform</keyword> <keyword id="4241922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="altbalaji" source="Orion">ALTBalaji</keyword> has been witnessing healthy growth on the back of its differentiated, localized content with a mass appeal.</li><li>We speak to <keyword id="3381161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Divya-Dixit" source="Orion">Divya Dixit</keyword>, SVP - Marketing &amp; Revenue, ALTBalaji to take a look at ALTBalaji’s journey so far and the factors that have helped it woo audiences in a space that is increasingly becoming cluttered.</li></ul>It won’t be an exaggeration to say 2020 was a watershed year for the Over-the-Top (OTT) industry. With people being stuck at home, yearning for fresh content with nowhere to go, OTT platforms came to the rescue. Most platforms witnessed an uptick in its uptake, with people spending more and more time on the platforms. According to a recent report by FICCI and the Producers Guild of India, around 148 million Indians subscribed to online curated content platforms. Another report by RBSA Advisors also predicted that India's video OTT market may hit $12.5 billion by 2030 from around $1.5 billion in 2021 owing to access to better networks, smartphones, and digital connectivity. The pandemic no doubt has given the industry a boost and most platforms are doing all they can to woo consumers. While competing with each other for producing and licensing better, more differentiated content, last year also made most of these platforms realize that consumers are wanting to watch local content and most platforms have been investing on producing local and regional content. Within the OTT space in India, homegrown platform ALTBalaji has been witnessing a healthy growth in the past few years. The 4-year-old platform said recently that it is currently catering to an MAU base of over 10 million, having sold 2.9 million subscriptions in H1 alone. The platform is also seeing an audience engagement metrics of 83 minutes per day. While witnessing good growth from non-metro cities in India, ALTBalaji also recently announced its partnership with Telenet to further its reach into Nepal. We recently caught up with Divya Dixit, SVP - Marketing &amp; Revenue, ALTBalaji to take a look at ALTBalaji’s journey so far and what has helped it woo audiences in a space that is increasingly becoming cluttered. Excerpts: Q) It's been over 4 years since the launch of ALTBalaji. Can you walk me through a few of the highlights? ALTernative content being the core ethos of the group, ALTBalaji completed four glorious years of entertaining the audience with their non-stereotypical and out of the box storytelling. Currently catering to an MAU base of over 10 million, we have sold 2.9 million subscriptions in H1 alone, in this highly competitive Over-The-Top business. The platform also sees an audience engagement metrics of 83 minutes per day, with different genres catering to varied audiences. At ALTBalaji, we constantly sought innovation in content, technology as well as marketing. With a library of around 90 original shows on the app and yet many more to be released, our content library has received accolades for its disruptive work and also seen the engagement time grow to over 83 minutes since the last quarter. As a result, there has been a steady upward growth for the past two years. Furthermore, being one of the most economically viable OTT platforms in the country, catering to almost all sections of society with a varied genre of shows, the various web series on the digital platform have received recognition from IMDB in terms of the ratings and numbers. Our recent action-thriller web series Cartel with an IMDB rating of 8.2; Broken But Beautiful 3 with 8.7; Mai Hero Boll Raha Hu with 8.7; Apharan with 8.3, The Test Case with 8.4 and Bose with 8.8 are some of the shows which have received rave reviews and numbers. With the growth of technology, penetrative pricing and tailor-made content for audiences, ALTBalaji has seeped into the country's hinterlands. We worked quickly and identified the needs of the hour, leading to shows that made impact and kept people entertained right in their homes. Q) Considering how people have been stuck at home since last year, they are still looking for entertainment and looking for it on OTT. How did you strengthen your content offering in the last 1.5 years to create an edge for yourself in the market? While the pandemic added to the platform's growth, ALTBalaji's journey over the past four years has been ever-growing. Engagement time has exponentially increased and subscriptions continue to grow at a steady pace. Many variables decide viewership, ranging from the technology available to the preferred content to the time people had in hand. So fortunately, from the platform's perspective, there has been no dip in the number of viewers. Cities like Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata with a 2.19%, 1.32%, and 0.99% growth YOY are among the few major cities that have added to a significant expansion in ALTBalaji's subscribers in the past year. We have been quick to understand that content is the deciding factor to draw in more viewers. So, it was essential to personalize content as per the viewer's preferences, which we constantly work on. The most crucial part our strategy is our out-of-the-box narratives. The content itself is tailor-made to attract larger audiences. We believe in creating shows that appeal across segments and narratives out of the box or unexplored. Recent shows like The Married Woman, Broken But Beautiful 3, and Cartel have been making headlines, and we are ecstatic with the response. Broken But Beautiful 3 set benchmarks with 180 million viewers and 220 million impressions with an innovative marketing strategy. Other notable shows like Crashh, Mai Hero Boll Raha Hu, His Storyy and Cartel have given ALTBalaji an edge over most platforms. Q) What sort of investments are you putting in on acquiring new content, producing them yourself? OTT content consumption has witnessed a steady growth throughout and will continue to do so on its own. However, the lockdown period has scaled up the OTT content consumption game, and I believe now is the time for OTT platform players to sit back and rethink their strategy. ALTBalaji has always sworn by original content. The platform churns out unique content and gives a launchpad to many aspiring talents across the board. Since our launch in 2017, we have ensured that our costs are restricted to Rs 150-Rs 160 crores per annum, out of which content cost has been around Rs 110 crore. Also, we aren't in the business of acquiring content. It is because we've mastered the art of making content at one-third the price that our peers are spending. In the year 2021 alone, the platform launched 20 original shows, and many more are in production Q) What kind of growth did you witness last year after the lockdown? Have you been able to retain the growth? The pandemic has scaled up the OTT content consumption game and ALTBalaji has seen a significant rise in engagement levels. ALTBalaji has seen a 15-20% growth in its viewership numbers; however, the lockdown increased subscribers from the Hindi heartlands. With the increase in appetite to consume our diverse library of originals and our shows catering to the mass audience, we have 59% of our viewership coming from the non-metros. While cities like Lucknow, Ludhiana, and Guwahati saw a huge increase of 189.84%, 106.50%, and 108.41%, respectively, Srinagar, Shimla, and Ranchi weren’t behind either, with an uprise of 103.81%, 103.05%, and 192.01%, as compared to ALTBalaji's viewership from these cities in 2020. 18% of our overall traction comes from the global audience, without any aggressive marketing. ALTBalaji established a precise positioning of 'OTT of the masses' with Hindi Colloquial Content for the Bharat audience and Hindi Speaking Diaspora. Q) With multiplexes opening up, do you think the growth for your platform will stagnate? What is your customer retention strategy? OTT has created new opportunities for content distribution across geographies. Viewers have adapted to the flexibility of time, convenience and choice of watching content. 2020 certainly acted as a catalyst in transforming the audiences' content consumption habits, converting fence-sitters and one-time visitors to subscribers, thereby increasing the overall subscription base and engaging more with the existing ones. Furthermore, the low cost of mobile network and affordable smartphones have revolutionized the OTT video streaming industry. In conclusion, surviving the market demands despite the opening of theatres is possible with affordable pricing, diverse content bouquet, buffer-free experience, and immersive innovations. Going out to mingle and unwind by watching movies is still a part of our culture and hence multiplexes will always remain important. Q) From a marketing perspective, what are you doing differently to be top of mind in the consumer's mind? Going ahead, what will your key areas of focus be? Our digital strategy covers all the bases when it comes to youth-friendly platforms. We have realized that influencer engagement is the way to go in this time &amp; age. Our romantic series Broken But Beautiful 3 have been picked up as a case study since the show achieved 180 million viewers with 220 million impressions through our marketing campaign. We also partnered with short format apps for youth oriented UGC, multiple digital payment gateways for our various youth-centric brands to ensure the audience has the smoothest experience possible. In 2020 alone, ALTBalaji has partnered with almost 25-30 brands for each of our show release that enabled incredible growth for both parties. We have a robust analytics platform with a live dashboard that provides us information on views and engagement along with the socio-economic and demographics of our viewers to generate behavioural consumption patterns to sharpen our retention strategy. What works optimally for us is to focus on consumer segmentation, mapping audience behaviour, focused customer retention, optimizing customer life cycle, and progressive strategies for onboarding new consumer segments; who are new to the internet or women in smaller markets, etc. Besides Instagram and Twitter, we also actively use WhatsApp to engage with our users. To further penetrate the Hindi heartlands, we will simplify our UI/UX by bringing in voice search, one button click registration, and easy payment modules in retail and digital. We foresee that we can target growth in the youth segment, over and above male and female target audience aged between 20-40 years. Vocal for local is sure to make it big in 2021. Gamification and Virtual reality, along with social commerce, will be the next big consumer engagement drivers on OTT. Q) Since digitization has sped up since the lockdown, how are bringing in new users? How are you reaching out to audiences deeper in the country who are also hungry for good content? Massification of content has been our goal right from the very beginning, and that shall see us lay further impetus towards expanding our content library. The various genres that we dabble into have massive scope for OTT players to explore the segment and expand their footprint by tapping into Tier II and Tier III markets. In parallel, we are continuously improving our UI/UX to ensure easier subscription, voice search, vertical video formats and a more effortless viewing experience for our audiences. The data analytics combined with targeted marketing also allows us to acquire customers lower than the industry standards. We also intend to extensively leverage data for predication analysis on the shows as the library expands, which feeds back into the content teams, enabling them to take sharper decisions on content creation Q) How are you making the platform more user-friendly, technologically more stable to be on the same level as a few of the global OTT players? The entry of new players in the OTT landscape or the rising influence of an existing player does not bother us. We welcome competition. It expands the consumer base and brings in new business opportunities and strategies. ALTBalaji also tied up with Amazon Pay and MobiKwik, two of the most trusted and convenient payment options for online transactions making the app more user-friendly, especially at payment and checkout. The tie-up with Amazon Pay enabled the subscribers to win up to Rs 50/- cashback while MobiKwik gave subscribers up to 10% cashback, credited to the users' wallets in under 24 hours. With these offers, subscribers will have no difficulty switching over to these safer and quicker, one-click transaction options for all future purchases. A buffer-free experience and immersive innovations are constantly worked upon. To further penetrate the Hindi heartlands, simplifying our UI/UX further, by bringing in voice search, one button click registration, as well as simpler payment modules in retail and digital is what we will be looking to innovate constantly

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OTT: Technology, censorship and the future

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