<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><keyword id="758541" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime">Amazon Prime</keyword> Videos deleted an entire episode of the CBS political drama Madam Secretary in its India version. </li><li>The deleted episode of Madam Secretary’s season 5 contained violent scenes against Muslims and other minorities in India — that could have possibly hurt sentiments. </li><li>In 2017, <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> India released Angry Indian Goddess in the theatres with several cuts to avoid a backlash. </li><li>While India has strict guidelines on what’s going to be released in theatres nationwide it is yet to regulate OTT platform. </li></ul>Last week, Amazon Prime <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/gadgets.ndtv.com/entertainment/news/amazon-prime-video-madam-secretary-india-censorship-hindu-nationalism-muslims-kashmir-2136139%3famp=1&amp;akamai-rum=off">deleted an entire episode of the CBS political drama Madam Secretary in its India version</a>. The deleted episode of season 5 contained violent scenes involving Muslims and other minorities in India — that could have possibly hurt sentiments. The episode also had dialogues regarding India-occupied- Kashmir — <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/amp.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2188041/kashmir-conflict-explained-what-brought-pakistan-and-india-air">a political hot potato </a>since independence and especially after the <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-asia-india-49234708">abrogation of Article 370</a>. Hence, all the Indian users were dropped straight to the second episode of the series, breaking continuity. This isn’t the first time Amazon has done something like this. Previously, it had either cut scenes from an episode of the Grand Tour or wiped out an episode from American Gods featuring cows — a holy animal for Hindus — that could have triggered controversy. Prime isn’t the only OTT platform which is pivoting its content either. In 2017, Netflix India showcased the movie <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/arts/television/netflix-censorship-turkey-india.html">Angry Indian Goddess in the theatres with several cuts to avoid a backlash</a>. However, after heavy user demand, it released the uncut version. Netflix said, “Our members reached out to us and we listened.” Netflix’s popular Indian series — Sacred Games — landed in a lawsuit after several political parties <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.ndtv.com/india-news/complaint-against-nawazuddin-for-abusing-rajiv-gandhi-on-netflix-show-sacred-games-1880837%3famp=1&amp;akamai-rum=off">alleged that the thriller drama has defamed India’s late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi</a>. OTT platforms which had niche users when it started had earlier broadcasted content which would have been otherwise censored. These shows which are ‘streamed’ and now ‘shown like TV shows; came with warnings ahead -- and allowed makers with a creative edge. However, this theory is diluted now that OTT platforms have gained popularity, and a few shows with cult following are coming under the radar of religious and political groups. OTT platforms are supposed to self-censor like in the case of broadcasters as no regulations exist. Since many TV channels have been staying away from controversy, a need for laws was never felt. But OTT platforms are all set to breach them and <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/netflix-hotstar-talks-indian-government-establish-regulation-code-content-1257664">now talks have been doing the rounds that the government might step in to regulate it</a>. Recently, all the leading platforms Netflix, Hotstar, SonyLiv, Zee5 <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/netflix-hotstar-talks-indian-government-establish-regulation-code-content-1257664">held a discussion with the Indian government over self regulation policies. </a>In January 2019 all the platforms reportedly came together to sign an industry code that will self-regulate online content in India. It means OTT platforms which started with ‘bold and uncensored’ content are toeing the invisible line set by invisible powers that govern the country. Business Insider India contacted Netflix, Amazon Prime and Alt Balaji for comment and is waiting for a response. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/netflix-and-hotstar-hedge-their-bets-against-government-regulation-through-self-censorship/articleshow/67573187.cms">After Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hotstar plan to go down the path of self-censorship in India</a>

From cuts to deleting an entire episode, here’s how Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services are censoring its own content

<ul><li>MX Player’s <keyword id="10275995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="samantar-2">Samantar 2</keyword> is one of its biggest regional shows yet.</li><li>The thriller has been appreciated outside of Maharashtra as well this time.</li><li>Gautam Talwar, Chief Content Officer, MX Player talks to us about the show’s performance and how the platform is planning to go big on regionalisation in the coming months by adding more languages.</li><li>He said that the success of Samantar 2, Queen and a few other international non-English series on MX Player have proved how language is not a barrier to a good story.</li></ul>In the last few years, regional shows have gained popularity in India and many small regional OTT platforms such as Hoichoi, Sun NXT, Koode, have been able to carve their own place among large international players such as Netflix and Amazon. With increasing internet penetration in India and new rural users coming in everyday, OTT platforms have increasingly attracted regional subscribers on a concurrent basis. According to 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. It has the potential to grow to be a $15 billion industry over the next 9 to 10 years Home-grown platform MX Player has also been increasing its focus on regionalisation. Its Samantar 2, a Marathi series, is one of the biggest regional shows on the platform yet. While the Marathi series performed well in Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur and Thane, the Hindi-dubbed version of the series was appreciated in Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Patna as well. Elaborating on how Samanatar 2 is faring on MX Player, Gautam Talwar, Chief Content Officer, MX Player said, “The franchise has lived up to its promise. Season 2 has performed exceedingly well, maybe even better than season 1, which is something you don’t see very often and Samantar has reversed that trend. This edge of the seat thriller is a Marathi show, having been adapted from the literary work of Suhas Shirvalkar, a Marathi writer but over 45% of this season’s users have watched the Hindi dubbed version, which is proof that regional content is now breaking linguistic barriers.” According to COTT’s latest Week 26 data i.e., 27 June, 2021 to 3rd July, 2021, Netflix’s Ray was the top show with 35.72 million viewers translating to a reach of 6.22%. It was followed by MX Player’s Samantar 2 with 32.71 million viewers, contributing to 5.7% of total OTT reach in Week 26th. <div type="image" title="image001 (1)" msid="84475496" hostid="261"></div> From movies to series, MX Player has ramped up its content offerings to cater to the upsurge in the regional audience base. Telling us what its content library looks like today, Talwar shared, “It's a very healthy mix of content – we’ve done big shows in Tamil and Marathi thus far with Queen and Samantar. We’ve also dabbled in Telugu, Gujarati, and Punjabi offerings as part of our acquired content slate of MX Exclusives. In fact, if you look at it, you're saying it's regional but even the international shows under our MX Vdesi catalogue - Turkish, Spanish, Korean and shows from other regions across the world that we've dubbed in Hindi are doing very well and to me, that is the regionalization of international content. The mix we have is extremely vast, we've got SunNXT down south, we've got HoiChoi in Bengal, so I think it is an interesting basket of offerings and I think these cohorts are only going to grow in the future.” Samantar isn’t the first regional series to be dubbed in Hindi on MX Player. Usually, OTT players in India launch a series in Hindi or English and dub it into different Indian languages. MX Player’s Queen, which was originally made in Tamil and English, was later dubbed in Bengali and Hindi due to its popularity. It encouraged MX Player to believe in its hypothesis that a story well told can travel in any language and it has been replicating the same formula for its other regional original content as well. According to the latest FICCI EY report, the share of regional language consumption on OTT platforms will cross 50% by 2025. And Talwar agrees. “The next big push is undoubtedly going to be regional content. I think the consumer is very clear, they enjoy content in their language for sure but also, contextually as well as culturally, they do prefer stories wherein they understand that their lives have been represented, be it from the lens of relatability or simply from being aspirational in nature. Therefore, as storytellers it is imperative that we capture cultural nuances in the narrative and then of course, the language becomes equally important. That said, identifying and bringing viewers universal stories is the end goal,” he said. The Times Internet-owned platform is also planning on adding more Indian languages since a major chunk of audience is in Tier II and III towns. “Apart from Hindi, we have a very robust Tamil, Telugu and Kannada library, we have an extremely large Bengali and Marathi library, and we’re working towards adding other Indian languages to the existing mix,” said Talwar. MX Player’s Samantar was appreciated outside of Maharashtra as well. Talwar said that the audience for the regional languages is growing in smaller pockets across the country and is looking for interesting stories, erasing language barriers. “I believe if you have interesting stories which are real and authentic, supported by a great storyline, consumers are very willing to watch it in other languages also and a great example of that is the Hoichoi shows dubbed in Hindi that are performing phenomenally well on our platform. Massive South Indian films that are dubbed in Hindi do very well in HSM markets. Our original shows dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Bengali do extremely well too. So, if you have a great story and if you make it accessible to a lot of people in their respective languages, it will work,” said Talwar. On a larger scale, MX Player’s vision is to stand true to its proposition i.e. have enough content to satiate every need gap. MX Player boasts of over 1,00,000 hours of licensed content from ‘<keyword id="11655979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mx-creators">MX Creators</keyword>’ and partners such as Alt Balaji, TVF, Arre, Hoichoi and SonyLIV. Telling us about his vision, Talwar said, “I think the vision for the brand has never changed, when we launched the brand, we launched it with the brand promise of Everytainment and that is still the philosophy by which we live. Day in and day out, we want to give every consumer a wide range of compelling offerings, a lot of genres that they can enjoy – be it crime, comedy, romantic dramas, thrillers and to just keep churning out some good stories in each of these genres. We are making sure that consumers have the best viewing experience, not only at the content level but also in terms of product, tech, and an overall user experience level. I think it's important that the consumer likes us for everything.”

MX Player’s Gautam Talwar on how the platform is increasing its focus on regionalisation to further expand its reach

By Manik Gupta New Delhi, Apr 26 () Actor Rajeev Khandelwal, who has been appearing on different OTT platforms, believes coronavirus-driven lockdown has given a "massive surge" to viewership for the digital entertainment space as more and more viewers are embracing the medium.Back in limelight with his Voot Original Show "Marzi", the actor on Sunday will make his debut in tele-theatre with legal drama "Court Martial" by Zee Theatre. It will have its premiere on television as well as the OTT platform."There is a massive surge in viewership for digital content now. I am getting calls from people who I never thought would ever switch to this platform but then they have no choice. For example, I got a call from my aunt who lives in a small town like Alwar, she was watching my show on digital," Khandelwal told . Khandelwal, who made his digital debut with ALT Balaji's "Haq Se", said earlier there were talks of how digital would change the world of entertainment in a year or two, but because of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown, "the whole thing has changed within one month only"."I am glad that most of my shows, and now this play, are in digital and will get a bigger audience," he added.Having made a name for himself, first in television, then movies and now in digital, Khandelwal said he has always been very "fearful" and "nervous" of doing theatre and would "create excuses" for himself for not performing on stage."I would love watching plays but could never push myself to do one, always saying 'nahi ho payega' (won't happen). In fact, it was during my first few visits to Bombay I had gone to Prithvi theatre to watch a play, there when I saw the stage and hall filled with the audience, I said to myself 'I Don't think I can do it'," he said.But "Court Martial", thanks to its "fantastic script" and the fact that many veteran NSD actors had performed it in the past, made the 44-year-old actor shed his inhibitions for good.The teleplay, which was written by renowned playwright and novelist Swadesh Deepak in 1980s, follows the unusual trial of a junior-ranked army man convicted of murdering his senior officer.Khandelwal will be seen in the role of Bikash Roy, an defence lawyer who goes deep into the shocking details behind the assault."Here the whole package was very tempting and the last nail in the coffin was it was Army based and I come from an Army background, my dad was in the Army and my brother is in the Army, so I was like the entire universe is conspiring to drag me into this play," he explained.That said, teleplay is still different from a traditional play. Unlike theatre, it is adapted for television and is done without a live audience.When asked Khandelwal he didn't deny any of it and said it was due to this reason that he got his "high" on the job not on the day when it was shot but the day before that."The day before the original shoot we performed the whole play – 90 minutes – without any cuts in front of our director, creative team, channel people. I was so happy, I was like 'yeh kar daala isko bhi'. "Also, we got a standing ovation. But more than that I in my head knew that I had done well and was finally through with this fear of stage and remembering long dialogues," he added.The actual shoot, he said, was done with three pre-decided cuts -- 30 minutes each. Elated with the whole experience of doing the play, the actor said "ab sher ke muh khoon lag gaya hai" and he is looking forward to doing more plays in near future."Now since I have spent a considerable time with this play, I guess it is only ideal that I take this play to different cities, perform it in theatres in front of a live audience and take their feedback. Also, I am open to new scripts," he said.Khandelwal is presently at his holiday home in Goa, growing vegetables, reading "Homo Sapiens" by Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari and watching "Money Heist" on Netflix. MG MAHMAH

Lockdown has increased viewership of digital content: Rajeev Khandelwal

<ul><li><keyword id="94550" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Sky">Tata Sky</keyword> will soon launch new set-top boxes with integrated Over The Top (OTT) services like <keyword id="128682" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>, Amazon Prime and Hotstar. </li><li>Tata Sky CEO <keyword id="171940" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harit-Nagpal">Harit Nagpal</keyword> believes the Indian market won’t abandon cable completely if such hybrid devices are made available. </li><li>The new set-top box will be in direct competition with Airtel Internet TV.</li></ul>Tata Sky may soon make Over The Top (OTT) services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar available on your television screens, according to the company’s managing director and chief executive officer Harit <keyword id="1585" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nagpal">Nagpal</keyword>. In an interview with the <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/nqeXsdgv5d4bUeY16LTwHP/Tata-Sky-will-be-the-supplier-of-Netflix-Hotstar-Amazon-Pr.html">Mint</a>, Nagpal said that services like Netflix, Hotstar, YouTube and Amazon Prime will available through a new hardware box. The new set-top box will not only have the ability to stream from satellite, but broadband as well. However, how exactly the integration will work was not shared. As with previous Tata Sky set-top boxes, the upgrade <a href="https://www.mysmartprice.com/gear/2018/05/22/tata-sky-hotstar-amazon-prime-netflix/">probably</a> won’t be free. There’s been a lot of talk about how the cable industry would survive the onslaught on online content but Nagpal believes that the cable television in India doesn’t face much competition from Over The Top (OTT) services. The cheaper prices keep people from switching over to OTT services like Netflix. He hopes that the marriage between the two platforms will also help in that regard, especially since their hybrid device, the new set-top box, will provide more options than watching conventional TV channels. The increase in internet speeds and accessibility played big roles in the <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/the-ott-play/703996/">popularity</a> of OTT services in India. Not the first Tata Sky won’t be the first cable company to embark on such an endeavour. Airtel had, in April 2017, <a href="http://www.bgr.in/news/airtel-internet-tv-will-make-your-tv-smarter-but-should-you-upgrade-right-away/">launched</a> their Airtel Internet TV which streams digital content alongside conventional TV channels. It was the first set-top device in India to run on Android. Users need their own subscriptions to the OTT services but Airtel allows direct streaming from Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Alt Balaji and YouTube. It basically gives you the ability to <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/reviews/story/airtel-internet-tv-review-future-forward-but-with-compromises-1025074-2017-07-19">switch</a> between the conventional <keyword id="130486" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-Digital-TV">Airtel Digital TV</keyword> interface and the Android TV interface. Speaking of basic Wi-Fi connectivity, <keyword id="124187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Videocon-D2H">Videocon D2H</keyword> has their own <a href="https://www.videocond2h.com/news-details.php?id=131">Wi-Fi SMART HD</a> set-top box that allows users to surf the internet while providing access to selected apps like Daily Motion and Twitter. Either way, the innovative edge of Tata Sky will be defined not by providing OTT services on their platform, but by how they go about achieving such a feat.

One of the largest satellite TV providers in India is serving customers Netflix and Prime Video

<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>In recent times, many brands have started recognising how humour sells and joining the bandwagon of <keyword id="8716263" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="meme-marketing">meme marketing</keyword> to reach out to Millennials and Gen Z. </li><li>We reached out to <keyword id="10320934" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="kyle-fernandes">Kyle Fernandes</keyword> CEO &amp; Co- Founder, <keyword id="10320850" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="meme-chat">Meme Chat</keyword>, a platform that owns 250 meme pages and has the potential to make a meme go viral. </li><li>Fernandes told us about the platform's plan to target Boomers, what sells in the meme market and how meme marketing benefits your brand.</li></ul>The pandemic this year has made consumers frugal and anxious. Many of them continue to work from home and battle with the anxiety of living in uncertain times. Mounting uncertainty, unending work pressure and the physical stress of sitting in one position for hours, have led to changes in our lifestyle and sleep patterns, which has added to the stress. As a result, consumers have started watching more sit-coms and spending more time with their families to keep them distracted from gloomy reality. They are also looking for comic relief on social media. In August, Yashraj Mukhate’s Rasoda rap had taken the internet by storm and instantly resulted into a meme fest. Many brands have started recognising how humour sells and are joining the bandwagon of meme marketing to reach out to Millennials and Gen Z. Meme Chat, an User Generated Content and networking app, has also seen its sales increase after COVID. Founded in 2019, the app currently has a user base of 700K+ with a monthly active user base of 130K+ and is aiming to hit million users in the coming time. Some recent and <keyword id="10320933" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="popular-viral-meme-trends">popular viral meme trends</keyword> like Biggini Shoot, Rasode mein kaun tha, Kamlesh, Deepak Kalal, JCB and Mature Guy, and the Lagan Pal (Paragliding Guy) trends were started by Meme Chat. Recently, it also partnered with OTT platforms like Hotstar, ALT Balaji, MX Player, Zee5, Amazon Prime, OnePlus, GetMega, Dream11, among others. One of the brains behind this app, Kyle Fernandes, started his entrepreneurial journey when he was only 15-year-old and got suspended from his school one day. He started a meme page called ‘Sh*t Indians Say’(SIS) with Taaran Chanana, which was later renamed and expanded into the social media platform we know today as Meme Chat. The founders, both 22, started growing their network by launching more meme pages such as Baba Chu, Terribly Dank Tales, Sarcasm hub. Today, they own 250 meme pages and if all added together, provide a reach of 300 million. “After our distribution channel became very strong and we had enough users who loved creating memes, we realised that brands are interested in paying for that content. Not that much, but they were paying. That’s when we realised that there’s a gap in the market for this kind of app. And that’s how Meme Chat came into being, where we value content creators by incentivizing them with monetary benefits and they make memes for brands. So it is actually a user recommendation,” shares Fernandes. “Almost every meme you see on the internet”, said Fernandes, is amplified through us. If you can think of a meme trend, it is probably because we have made it.” On International Men’s Day, 700,000 people posted memes on Twitter, indicating how demand for memes is growing in our country. Understanding the art of meme making Everyday, a team of 15 content moderators on Meme Chat goes through 30,000 memes and only around 4,000 of them make it to the main category. Memer is also becoming a serious and more recognised job role. Last year, Instagram had posted a job position for a memer. Instagram's Head of News and Publishing Partnerships, Lila King, said any contender for the job will have to be ‘a unicorn’ who is ‘equally fluent in the language of memes and the business of digital publishing.’ So, while hiring a memer, what should a brand look for? Fernandes answers, “If they can take your brand and really resonate with the millennial generation, that would be a perfect fit. For a millennial to share their content piece, they should be able to resonate themselves with the product offering. They should be in-sync with the trends that develop. You need to have that kind of spunk and absurdity.” Meme Chat is also trying to figure out how to cater to Boomers, who have a higher spending capacity than Millennials and WhatsApp forwards are their favourites. Elaborating on this challenging task Meme Chat has taken upon, Fernandes said, “Educating them about meme trends is a big task at hand. We have to do it in a way that is so well segregated because the current Gen Z and Millennial audience is going to leave if it is not. So, for this, we have to go into the normie direction. Basically, they watch news and read the news regularly. We have to give them content based on what they know and what they talk about.” Can you make a meme go viral? Many marketers have come to Meme Chat with one demand, “Kuch viral bana do” and Fernandes has happily agreed to deliver on this abrupt brief. Explaining the modus operandi behind it, he said, “Memes make things super viral and can take things way out of proportion. If a user goes through his/her social media feed, they see a weird trend someone has posted that they have no knowledge of. They choose to ignore it the first time, they scroll and see a few more people have shared it. You have the user hooked here, they are inquisitive to understand what is happening. What any Gen Z or Millennial will do next is share it even though they have no idea what it is about because they want to look ‘cool.’ That’s the thing -- people wanna look cool on social media! Nobody really knows the reason why it is trending, they just wanna jump on the bandwagon. The reason we are able to do this is because we control major meme pages in our country.” However, he does have one complaint about marketer who comes with an abrupt brief. “You should just leave us with our own devices -- you should not put too many restrictions over us if you want to make a piece of content go viral because we know what works. They think it is wacky so it won’t work but we have been in this entire ecosystem for a while now, so we know it will work. Brands have too many guidelines right now. Users are going to be brutally honest about their brand while making a meme, putting their heart into it -- expressing how they feel. That’s something a marketer should realise,” said Fernandes. Vision for the app After a recent successful fundraising round, Meme Chat is aiming to explore newer target groups, polish its video meme content quality and make its app more accessible for creators. “We are adding a lot more tools like AI and Machine Learning to make the process of making a meme easier. It should be with a click of a few buttons that memes get created, that is what we are aiming for. To empower a creator and get more creators to join your platform, you have to make the creating process very easy -- that’s what TikTok has done very well. To know how can meme marketing benefit your brand and if marketers consider it as a serious monetisation avenue, watch the video below: <div type="Video" msid="79373600" hostid="261" title="How can marketers benefit from meme marketing" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=79373600"></div>

Can a brand make its meme viral? Here’s what Meme Chat’s Founder has to say

<keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> is not stopping its juggernaut to gain the maximum market share in India and is pumping in money in digital content too. 
 
So far, Amazon has raked in nearly Rs 500 crore to create original content in India, spending more than what India’s most high-profile production houses such as Hotstar, Eros Now, Voot, etc invest. 
 <keyword id="2976376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime-Video">Amazon Prime Video</keyword> has invested about one-fourth of its Rs 2,000-crore India budget in local production houses. 
 
While Balaji Telefilm’s ALT's budget for 2017 is about Rs 120 crore, the other providers have allocations under Rs 400 crore each, ET quoted analysts. 
 Amazon's aggressive bid will take it a level up from <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>. 
 
"Amazon Prime is definitely giving the best monetary benefits to many of us creatives. Netflix is also paying but there are fewer deals happening where they are concerned,” a film director working with multiple production houses told ET. 
 
ET reported Amazon Prime Video is estimated to have paid Rs 40 crore to Akhtar and his business partner Ritesh Sidhwani's production house Excel Media and Entertainment. 
 
"We are looking at diverse genres. In the long term, our original content will build our brand in India,” said Nitesh Kripalani, country head of Amazon Video India. Told ET, adding “Our aim is to launch our first India original show by the end of March or early April.” 
 
“Domestic video streaming services will have the appetite to sustain losses for two to three years, after which the bosses will start asking budget questions and then you will see a shakeout,” Jehil Thakkar, media and entertainment head at KPMG, told ET. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Amazon is outspending to become number one in digital content race in India

<ul><li>SHAREit has more than 1.8 billion users worldwide, with a presence in more than 200 countries and regions around the world, out of which 500 million users are in India and Indonesia</li><li>Karam Malhotra tells us how did the brand manage to get organic users in India, without marketing campaign and advertisers</li></ul> SHAREit, which primarily started as a <keyword id="262736" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="file-sharing">file sharing</keyword> tool and built its brand purely on the back of word-of-mouth, is now casting its net wider. It is a content discovery, curation, consumption and sharing platform, which is also planning to introduce games soon. Currently, SHAREit has more than 1.8 billion users worldwide, with a presence in more than 200 countries and regions around the world, out of which 500 million users are in India and Indonesia. According to Karam Malhotra, CEO, SHAREit India, 40-45% of its user base hails from India, making it one of the most important markets for SHAREit. And in terms of revenue, India contributes to about 15-20% of the global figure. And what is unique about these figures is that the brand has achieved this growth organically; it hasn’t launched a single marketing campaign in any of the countries it is present in. While SHAREit began <keyword id="1751265" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monetization">monetization</keyword> on its platform just 8-9 months ago, predominantly through advertisements, Malhotra believes that one needs to be patient to run a business in the Indian market. Small advertising monetization is not a worry for him. SHAREit is concentrating more on user experience and engagement. “We don’t want monetization to hurt our user’s experience,” says Malhotra. Excerpts: Q. Monetization on SHAREit began as recently as 6-9 months ago. What has been the main source of income in the past five years? We have very small ad monetization in India. In the Indian market, we have to be patient to run a business. For us, our priority is user experience and engagement. We don’t want monetization to hurt our user’s experience. Q. Who is your primary target audience? Who do you want to target next? SHAREit is spread across India and its concentration is proportional to the population spread of the country. It has a more concentrated user base of about 60-70% in the Tier II and Tier III cities as almost two-thirds of the population resides in these regions. In terms of language, we have tapped the immensely potent and yet untapped non-English speaking audiences by promoting content in regional languages. Only about 15% of our users speak English, while 30-35% users speak Hindi, 18% Telugu, 17% Tamil, 15% Kannada, Malayalam, rest counts for Bhojpuri, Marathi, etc. In terms of growth, the aim would be to drive a rise in the duration of time people spend on the application through promoting more personalized content. While we would want to retain the audience that we already cater to by providing quality content and exploring newer and more exciting partnerships, we would also target newer avenues in the gaming space to make the consumer experience more engaging. Q. Curating content or creating it, what do you think works out better? SHAREit has always been a content sharing application and that is where our expertise lies. Being a content sharing platform, we are exposed to various insights in the consumer’s behavior. We know what people share, and hence understand what they consume. So, instead of breaking the consumer journey of consuming and sharing content from multiple applications, SHAREit makes use of these insights to curate personalized content for users. We do not indulge in content creation as we realize that’s not our strong suit. Q. SHAREit recently announced its intention to invest in the gaming space in India. Can you walk us through your plan? What is the budget set aside to introduce it on your platform? Gaming in India is an area that is extremely unexplored. An average gamer spends about 3-5 hours a day on games. With the foray of games like PUBG and Dream11 in India, the gaming sector is extensively evolving in India. Even the outlook towards gaming is changing with more and more people starting to pay for them. Since we aim to become a hub for gaming, we see this as a great opportunity. We’re trying to aggregate games from Korea, China, US, Europe etc. and bring them to India to enhance the consumer experience. Now we are at the beginning stages and users’ experience is our first priority. Our budget is open and flexible with the market trending and users’ engagement. Q. What are some of the key campaigns that SHAREit has launched in India and what has been your marketing strategy for the same? The growth that SHAREit has seen since its inception in India has been completely organic and has not been catalyzed by any marketing campaigns. However, SHAREit’s partnerships and associations with the likes of Viacom, Hungama, ALT Balaji and now Hotstar have paid impressive dividends. Q. How important is India as a market for SHAREit? India is one of the most important markets for SHAREit. It has the largest market share for the brand with about 40-45% of the user base from India. South Asia in general is extremely important for the company. About 90% of the users are from South Asia. In terms of revenue, India contributes to about 15-20% to the global figure. Globally, SHAREit has 500 million monthly active users while India boasts a healthy 200 million monthly active users out of a total of about 400 million users. The evolution of the Indian audience is another aspect that makes it an important market. With ease in availability and lower rates of internet, the content consumption patterns of Indian users have evolved significantly showing more inviting opportunities for content sharing platforms. Q. After the introduction of video ads, what kind of brands are interested in SHAREit? As you recently introduced video ads, a year down the line, what do you think would attract brands the most? SHAREit is open to collaborate with all brands that want to reach out to more users. We have more than 1.8 billion users globally and 500 million monthly active users. Our platform enables brands to achieve reach and omni-channel engagement. This includes offline and online actions such as visiting the brand’s website, downloading the app, or related engagements with task-based activities. Q. Where do you see SHAREit in the next three years? We always focus on users’ requirements, which bring us an amazing penetration rate in India. As user requirements shifted especially post reliance Jio, we are now looking to engage with our users and provide them with better service. As a consumer technology company, we are looking to empower our partners to explore our vast user base. We welcome partners to provide their premium service in our platform to meet our users’ requirements.

We Don’t Want Monetization to Hurt our User’s Experience: Karam Malhotra, SHAREit

<ul><li>In February 2019, Alugh won a popular reality TV show Splitsvilla XI along with Shruti Sinha. </li><li>The journey started in 2016 when he left his job as a marketing consultant in Delhi for a TV show called Roadies. </li><li>But his marketing background gave him an idea about how to put his fame to good use. </li></ul>What’s life like for a <keyword id="3001553" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Social-Media-Influencer">social media influencer</keyword>? Thousands of followers, free food at luxurious restaurants, free travel to exotic places, lots of gifts and glitzy brand endorsement deals. It certainly looks like they are living it up. “That’s true,'' said <keyword id="4925496" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaurav-alugh">Gaurav Alugh</keyword>, a reality TV show winner and a social media influencer with 140k followers on his Instagram. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 In February 2019, Alugh won a popular reality TV show Splitsvilla XI along with Shruti Sinha. MTV’s Splitsvilla features a group of men and women who participate in a series of tasks to find true love. It is on the same lines as Australia’s Love Island. Whether he found love or not is not known but Alugh found his pot of gold. Even as his TV career took off, yet another source of money came from brands that he endorses to his many followers. He recently promoted a range of male grooming products StudioX got 5,759 views. His average monthly average views ranges between 25000- 30,000. Gaurav has been a social media influencer since five years. He endorses fashion and lifestyle brands along with his own acting projects. The journey started in 2016 when he left his job as a marketing consultant in Delhi for a TV show called Roadies. He did not win the title but made it to the grand finale. But his marketing background gave him an idea about how to put his fame to good use. “My Instagram followers who were about 500, skyrocketed to over 55k as soon as I appeared on Roadies. Guess appearing on television adds a lot of followers. People want to follow you and know everything about your life. So I thought why not monetise it. I started endorsing brands,” he told Business Insider India. In 2016 he promoted several brands. But fame is fickle. After he left the show, thousands of followers quit him too. “Everybody wants to follow you as long as you are on a reality show. But as soon as the show wraps up the engagement number shrinks,” Alugh said. Gaurav hired a marketing agency One Impression later which helped streamline his income. He also shot back to fame again when he participated in Splitsvilla XI. When he was on the show—- his follower base increased to 100k. Currently, Gaurav promotes fashion and lifestyle brands including Bata India, Paresh Lamba Signatures, U Tropicana Resort Alibaug, and Swatch India. He has also done several acting project with top production houses including Qayamat ki raat with Balaji. "Latest is Alt Balaji’s Ragini MMS Returns 2," he added. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 “Influencers with a transnational audience and millions of followers charge 6 to 7 digits for a marketing campaign. A micro influencer whose audience is in thousand charges nearly ₹6,000 for their services. On an average, influencers earn ₹20,000-30,000 a month. However, there are people who earn ₹800,000 or even a crore in a month,” said Apaksh Gupta, Founder &amp; CEO of an influencer marketing solution One Impression. In just a few years Gaurav’s income swelled by 4 times, said Gupta. Social media influencing has turned is the lucrative for influencers, brands and way to earn big money for influencers, marketing agencies and brands alike. In 2019, as much as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-2019-influencer-marketing-report-2019-7?IR=T">brands spent $8 billion </a>was spent on influencer marketing. The global influencer marketing is expected to hit $20 billion by 2020, with India accounting to about $75 -100 million. But for an influencer, it is not as easy as clicking and posting. “When someone starts influencing digitally, they may not make any money but you will have to invest a lot more time and dedication towards what you are giving to your audience. But I know many Instagram influencers who are not able to differentiate between virtual and real life. They suffer from mental illness and depression when they lose follower,” Alugh told Business Insider India. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/check-out-these-latest-job-openings-in-advertising-and-media/articleshow/71885304.cms">Check out these latest job openings in Advertising and Media</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/exclusive-motu-patlus-creators-eye-the-big-fat-chinese-cartoon-market-with-5-new-shows/articleshow/71887606.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Motu Patlu’s creators eye the big fat Chinese cartoon market with 5 new shows</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/priyanka-chopra-gets-trolled-for-wearing-a-mask-and-commenting-on-delhis-air-quality/articleshow/71885449.cms">Priyanka Chopra gets trolled for wearing a mask and commenting on Delhi’s air quality</a>

A marketing consultant turned reality show star is now minting money on the internet

After the blockbuster beginning of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Box-Office-Humshakals-Strikes-Gold-But-Theres-No-Method-In-ThisMadness/articleshow/37123366.cms">Humshakals</a>, <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> has witnessed yet another runaway success in the <keyword id="1250908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="romantic-thriller">romantic thriller</keyword> <keyword id="2177024" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ek-Villain">Ek Villain</keyword>, directed by <keyword id="23758" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="mohit-suri">Mohit Suri</keyword> (of Murder 2 and Aashiqui 2 fame) and starring <keyword id="1420" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Riteish-Deshmukh">Riteish Deshmukh</keyword>, <keyword id="1320874" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sidharth-Malhotra">Sidharth Malhotra</keyword> and <keyword id="89958" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shraddha-Kapoor">Shraddha Kapoor</keyword>. And this time, we have an interesting plot, some brilliant acting and an overflowing <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> – all in perfect sync. Released on June 27 in more than 2,500 screens in India, the flick has netted Rs 50.70 crore at home in the first three days (Friday Rs 16.72 crore, Saturday Rs 16.54 crore and Sunday Rs 17.44 crore; however, trade figure stood at Rs 49.28 crore) – the second highest weekend collection in 2014, behind Salman Khan-starrer <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword>. 
 Compared to debut day, earnings dropped 55% on the first Monday but the medium-budget (it cost around Rs 40 crore) movie managed to nett Rs 8.10 crore at home. Tuesday collections also dipped (Rs 6.80 crore) but the movie amassed a total of Rs 65.60 crore from <keyword id="54324" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="india-business">India business</keyword> after Day 5, crossing <keyword id="1718975" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Humshakals">Humshakals</keyword>’ earnings (Rs 61.05 crore). Ek Villain has now become the fifth <keyword id="2385280" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="highest-grosser">highest grosser</keyword> of 2014, surpassing the lifetime collections of <keyword id="6377522" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="queen">Queen</keyword> (Rs 61 crore), Main Tera Hero (Rs 55 crore), Heropanti (Rs 53.40 crore) and Ragini MMS 2 (Rs 47 crore). Going by the trend, it may soon enter Rs <keyword id="6567206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="100-crore-club">100 crore club</keyword>. The movie was produced by <keyword id="6354597" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ekta-Kapoor">Ekta Kapoor</keyword> and <keyword id="154993" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Shobha-Kapoor">Shobha Kapoor</keyword> under Balaji Motion Pictures and ALT Entertainment. 
 
“Ek Villain passes ‘Monday test’ with flying colours. Weekend 50.70 cr, Mon 8.10 cr. Total: Rs 58.8 cr nett. India biz. MONSTROUS HIT,” tweeted trade analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh. “Overseas weekend total is approx $2.2 million [Rs 13.24 crore]. EXCELLENT,” he added. 
 
 
 
Although some movie buffs may notice a marked resemblance between Ek Villain and the Korean movie <keyword id="2258746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="I-Saw-The-Devil">I Saw the Devil</keyword>, director Suri had earlier told the media that it was not so. “That’s just one dialogue that I have taken from the <keyword id="700143" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Korean-film">Korean film</keyword>’s promo, just like I have taken another dialogue from the film <keyword id="796794" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jack-Reacher">Jack Reacher</keyword>,” Suri had told a daily. 
 Coming back to the movie itself, we must say that the ‘chill and thrill’ factor could have been more intense, especially when you have a <keyword id="1261139" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="psychopathic-killer">psychopathic killer</keyword> running loose, while the romantic part of the plot (gangster falling for the good girl) has been done to death by now and meanders a lot. In Ek Villain, all the key characters seem helplessly trapped in their own prisons and cannot get away. <keyword id="6410325" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="guru">Guru</keyword> (Sidharth Malhotra), a former hitman, only undergoes a temporary change when <keyword id="2396273" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aisha-Verma">Aisha Verma</keyword> (Shraddha Kapoor) walks into his life. But he goes back to his original vengeful self when Aisha dies, not of terminal illness but murdered by a serial killer. However, it is Riteish Deshmukh (<keyword id="2396274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rakesh-Mahadkar">Rakesh Mahadkar</keyword>) who walks away with the honours. He is the perfect psychopath – an oppressed individual, a henpecked husband, a desperate lover and a ruthless killer all rolled in one. 
 Overall, the concoction of drama and <keyword id="1278055" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="melodrama">melodrama</keyword>, romance and terror has diluted the plot. But one still gets to see some fine performance and the flick is certainly a lot different from the routine Bollywood themes. And the best part of it all? Ek Villain has won hearts and set the cash register ringing. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

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