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

• BBC Player and BBC Kids will be available for Prime Video subscribers, as an add-on.
• 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.
• BBC Kids will offer shows like Hey Duggee, Go Jetters, JoJo & Gran Gran, Sarah & Duck, Junior Bake Off and others.
  

The bustling Indian OTT video market has a new entrant — the legendary BBC, which launched its services on Prime Video Channels 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 & Gran Gran, Sarah & 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.