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<ul><li>As <keyword id="10411622" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-consumption">OTT consumption</keyword> sees an uptick, <keyword id="2214311" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mx-player">MX Player</keyword> cuts down video streaming <keyword id="1588632" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Data-consumption">data consumption</keyword> by half. </li><li>MX Player upgrades to video encoding and compression technology to H.266 (Versatile Video Coding) that slashes data usage for streaming videos by more than half.</li></ul>Online video consumption in India has grown exponentially, accounting for 80% of consumer internet traffic. But the user experience continues to remain highly dependent on data usage and network speed. MX Player, India's entertainment super-app with over 200 million Monthly Active Users has become the world’s first OTT platform to upgrade its video encoding &amp; compression technology to H.266 (Versatile Video Coding) that slashes data usage for streaming videos by more than half. MX Player as well as MX TakaTak users will be the first in the world to experience the benefits of H.266, enabling them to consume higher quality HD video streams with significantly less data consumption. With H.266, MX Player users will be able to stream more content with less data and network bandwidth - video streams will load faster and buffer less since they require only half (or less) the data it would need otherwise. H.266/VVC is the world’s most advanced video codec designed to succeed H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC used by most of the streaming video services worldwide today. Unlike its competitors, the H.266 upgrade makes MX Player the first OTT platform in the world to deploy this technology. <div type="image" title="image" msid="83537290" hostid="261"></div> <keyword id="1005666" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karan-Bedi">Karan Bedi</keyword>, CEO, MX Player and MX TakaTak said, “Video consumption dominates internet usage wherever you go across India, but the quality of experience deteriorates in areas with inconsistent data networks. The new standard is an opportunity for MX Player to give millions of users, regardless of where they are, an exceptional streaming experience that allows them to consume content the way content creators intended: faster loading, buffering-free, and true-to-life HD quality.” Sidd Mantri, SVP Product, MX Player further added, “At MX Player, the future is now. We relentlessly focus on raising the customer experience bar for Indian users. We were amongst the 1st few OTTs to deploy AV1 that reduced data consumption by 20-30% compared to H.265. With H.266, we are taking it to the next level. H.266 offers the most advanced video compression standard available in the world and reduces data usage by more than 50%. Many users in India live on daily data consumption caps, so with H.266 they can watch more as well as watch better on MX Player.”

MX Player cuts down video streaming data consumption by half; upgrades its video encoding and compression technology to H.266

<ul><li>The combined short video platform will have over 300M MAUs and 100M strong creator community.</li><li><keyword id="11984975" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mx-media" source="Orion">MX Media</keyword> and its shareholders will become strategic shareholders of <keyword id="3358959" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sharechat" source="Orion">ShareChat</keyword>.</li></ul>MX Media Co. Ltd, the parent company of <keyword id="9555198" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mx-takatak" source="Orion">MX TakaTak</keyword>, and ShareChat, the parent company of <keyword id="8678883" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="moj" source="Orion">Moj</keyword>, today announced a strategic merger between Moj and MX <keyword id="7638068" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="takatak" source="Orion">TakaTak</keyword>, to create the largest short video platform for Indians, whereby the two platforms will now be controlled by ShareChat. The combined platform will have 100 million creators, over 300 million Monthly Active Users (MAU), and nearly 250 billion monthly video views. Post this transaction, MX Media and its shareholders will become strategic shareholders of ShareChat. Since its launch in July 2020, Moj has emerged as the largest Indian short video app, with over 160 million MAUs and over 50 million creator communities in the 15 Indian languages. The company has been investing heavily in social and live commerce and growing its AI/ML team which is now over 100 people strong and spread across the US, Europe, and India. MX TakaTak was launched in July 2020 and reached 150 million MAUs, across 10 languages. The platform’s deep access to content talent and understanding of the MX Media ecosystem user base has seen this high growth in a short span of time. MX TakaTak will continue to function as a separate platform for now, but the two platforms’ creator base, content supply and recommendation algorithms will be integrated. In the coming months, the experience of users and creators will converge enabling creators from both platforms to reach the most extensive set of audiences in India. This will provide users access to unique features including best-in-class camera creation tools with Snap filters, live commerce, and a vast music library. Commenting on the merger, Ankush Sachdeva, CEO and Cofounder, ShareChat &amp; Moj, said, “We at ShareChat are building India’s largest content ecosystem which has been on an unprecedented growth trajectory. MX TakaTak is a popular platform and this merger further solidifies our position in the short video ecosystem. With this development, we aim to build the largest original content platform on Moj along with the largest community of users across India.” Commenting on the partnership, Karan Bedi, CEO MX Media said, “I am excited to announce the strategic merger of India’s two most popular social media platforms. As India's largest digital entertainment platform, MX has always strived to build superior world class products, and TakaTak is no exception. This combined with Moj’s AI and execution capabilities makes the combined business a truly world class short video platform. MX has created two ‘unicorns’ within one business, unlocking significant value for our shareholders, and will now continue to double down on OTT, with significantly increased financial resources.”

ShareChat and MX Media announce a strategic merger of Moj and MX TakaTak

<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><keyword id="691847" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Cloud">Google Cloud</keyword> has appointed <keyword id="2776926" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bikram-Singh-Bedi">Bikram Singh Bedi</keyword> as its new India Managing Director.</li><li>Bedi’s appointment comes as Google Cloud had recently elevated its India head Karan Bajwa as the Vice President of Google Cloud in Asia Pacific.</li><li>Bedi was the man who set up Amazon Web Services in India and led the vertical for six years long.</li></ul>Google Cloud has appointed Bikram Singh Bedi as its new India Managing Director. Interestingly, Bedi was the man who set up Amazon Web Services in India and led the vertical for six years long. Bedi’s appointment comes as Google Cloud had recently elevated its India head Karan Bajwa as the Vice President of Google Cloud in Asia Pacific. Right before joining Google Cloud, Bedi was the President Strategy and New Initiatives of Indian grocery startup Grofers. At Google, Bedi will be responsible for leading Google Cloud’s sales and operations teams in this dynamic market. “I’m excited about this new challenge and I look forward to extending Google Cloud’s momentum in India. The true test of 2021 will be how enterprises will leverage cloud computing to modernize and scale for growth and Google Cloud is committed to help them accelerate their digital transformation to build a strong foundation for the future,” said Bedi. The India cloud market is ramping up with players like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, IBM all looking for a share in the segment. The overall India public cloud services market is likely to touch $7.4 billion by 2024 growing at a CAGR of 22.2% for 2020-24, said a report by International Data Corporation. And Google has been making its presence felt in the segment with clients like industry leaders Wipro, TVS to startups like Sharechat. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/interview-a-hedge-fund-manager-explains-where-to-invest-when-nothing-is-cheap-in-india/articleshow/80682629.cms">INTERVIEW: A hedge fund manager explains where to invest when nothing is cheap in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/kishore-biyani-says-sebi-ban-wont-stop-future-group-deal-with-reliance/articleshow/80680781.cms">Kishore Biyani says SEBI ban won't stop Future Group's deal with Reliance</a>

Bikram Singh Bedi, the man who set up AWS in India, has now joined Google Cloud

<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

Ahead of the festival of lights, the digital platforms are brimming with fresh exciting titles, that will keep you on the edge-of-your seat. From Ishaan Khatter-starrer '<keyword id="632110" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="Pippa" source="Orion">Pippa</keyword>', to inspiring tale '<keyword id="1968022" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ghoomer" source="Orion">Ghoomer</keyword>' featuring Abhishek Bachchan, here is a list of five titles on various OTT platforms that have caught the attention of this week. <keyword id="9657892" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="valatty" source="Orion">Valatty</keyword> A tale of tails, 'Valatty' is a Malayalam adventure comedy drama written and directed by Devan Jayakumar. It stars the voices of Roshan Mathew, Raveena Ravi, Soubin Shahir, Sunny Wayne, Saiju Kurup, and Aju Varghese. The makers have used real dogs as actors without VFX in the movie. It will be streaming from November 7 on Disney+Hotstar in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Vigilante The Korean series 'Vigilante' stars Nam Joo-hyuk, Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Kim So-jin. Based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Kim Gyu-sam, it follows a model student from the police academy who protects the law during the day, but at night lives as a 'vigilante' and dispenses justice to criminals who evade the law. It will release on Disney+Hotstar on November 8. Pippa Ishaan Khatter-starrer war film 'Pippa' is a thrilling narrative of a landmark moment in history, the 'Battle of Garibpur', during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, that was pivotal in Bangladesh's struggle for independence. The film features Ishaan as the real-life war hero Captain Balram Singh Mehta along with Mrunal Thakur, Priyanshu Painyuli and Soni Razdan in pivotal roles. The movie is based on the book 'The Burning Chaffees' by Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta. The film is written by Menon, Tanmay Mohan, and Ravinder Randhawa. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala under the banner of RSVP and Siddharth Roy Kapur's Roy Kapur Films, and directed by Raja Krishna Menon, it will release on Prime Video on November 10. Ghoomer With an inspiring storyline, the movie features a stellar cast of Abhishek Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Saiyami Kher, Angad Bedi and a special appearance by Amitabh Bachchan. Helmed by R Balki, Ghoomer is produced by Hope Film Makers and Saraswati Entertainment. It is an emotional story with multiple layers. In 'Ghoomer,' Saiyami plays Anina Dixit, a talented cricketer whose dreams are shattered by a tragic accident leading to the loss of her right arm. Paddy (played by Abhishek), a former test cricketer, becomes her coach and helps her become the first-ever one-armed spinner, propelling her to play for the Indian National Team. The coach gives her new hope, trains her with unconventional techniques and invents a Ghoomer bowling style to turn her fate around. 'Ghoomer' shows how people can win over tough times and get another shot at success beating all odds. It will release on Zee5 on November 10. Wynonna season 1 It follows the story of Wyatt Earp's great-great-granddaughter as she battles demons and other creatures. With her unique abilities and a posse of dysfunctional allies, she's the only one who can bring the paranormal to justice. The first season centres on Wynonna fighting the revenants who kidnapped her older sister Willa from their homestead when they were girls and the threat posed by Bobo Del Rey, the leader of the local revenants. It will be released in Hindi on MX Player on November 15.

Diwali delights: 'Pippa', 'Ghoomer', 'Valatty' to sparkle on OTT

Mumbai, Mar 25 () With people staying at home during the 21-day lockdown called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the streaming services in India have decided to temporarily suspend HD and ultra-HD services to ensure smooth running of internet services.The lockdown, a measure taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country, will lead to more traffic on the cellular network infrastructure, a release from the digital industry said post the meeting of key players."It was unanimously agreed that as an exceptional measure, all companies will immediately adopt measures, including temporarily defaulting HD and ultra-HD streaming to SD content or offering only SD content, at bitrates no higher than 480p on cellular networks. These voluntary measures will be in effect until April 14. All participants are immediately taking measures," the release said.The virtual meeting on Tuesday was called by Uday Shankar, Chairman, Star &amp; Disney India and attended by NP Singh (Sony), Sanjay Gupta (Google), Ajit Mohan (Facebook), Sudhanshu Vats (Viacom18), Gaurav Gandhi (Amazon Prime Video), Punit Goenka (Zee), Nikhil Gandhi (Tiktok), Ambika Khurana (Netflix), Karan Bedi (MX Player) and Varun Narang (Hotstar). BK BKBK

Lockdown: Streaming platforms suspend HD, ultra-HD services until April 14

<ul><li>The streaming giant <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword> announced last week that it will start charging extra for users outside their households as a way to prevent password sharing.</li><li>Netflix CEO Reed Hastings had recently said the company was “frustrated” that it couldn’t get subscriber growth momentum going in India.</li><li>So if Netflix were to crack down on password sharing in a price-sensitive market such as India, it could lose its subscriber base to other platforms, experts say.</li></ul>In India, your Netflix account isn’t just yours. Well, mostly. It is a collective account of your friends, their friends and even their ex-partners who are not in touch with them anymore. One person pays for the subscription and three to five other freeloaders mooch off of it; a new-age bond that transcends across religion, age and geography. So, when streaming giant Netflix made an announcement that it wants its users to stop sharing passwords with their friends and family — an update that is currently live across Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru — it riled up many internet users. Shortly after, a meme fest sparked up. <div type="twitter" handle="Shweta_baranwal" handlename="Shweta Baranwal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1458726529173577729/rtylniVq_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1" retweetcount="0" status="Looks like it's time to giveup few friendships #netflixpassword" createdat="1647604581000" id="1504788798051614727"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="fine_as_wine1" handlename="Mekia ♊" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1501471608233414657/P8aqqFwF_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1" retweetcount="0" status="Went up on the price now trying to dictate people sharing their passwords all without even adding new content 🙄 Car… https://t.co/fBrlc3woIP" createdat="1647723017000" id="1505285553297760265"></div> Should freeloaders be worried in India? In a <a href="https://about.netflix.com/en/news/paying-to-share-netflix-outside-your-household">blog </a>post that went live on Wednesday, Chengyi Long, director of product innovation said, “They [multiple streams] have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households – impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.” So, Netflix will now start charging extra for users outside their households as a way to prevent password sharing in these markets, to begin with, and later evaluate whether to bring it to other markets. It is adding two features to curb sharing – ‘Add Extra Member’ and ‘Transfer Profile to New Account.’ While Netflix hasn’t given any indication as to whether it plans to expand this new feature beyond initial test markets, if it does, it could have a negative impact on its rather <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/netflix-added-8-3-million-paid-subscribers-in-last-quarter-its-slowest-growth-since-2015/articleshow/89033252.cms">slow growth</a> trajectory in India. As per data and analytics platform <a href="https://www.data.ai/en/insights/market-data/state-of-mobile-2022-bouyant-economy/">App Annie</a>, Netflix currently has the largest global footprint among video streaming services and is set to surpass 1 million downloads in over 60 countries in 2022. However, the story is different in India. The California-based global streaming platform Netflix is losing its users to homegrown platforms. As per App Annie’s State of Mobile 2022 report -- sorted by total downloads as of 2021, Disney+Hotstar is the most downloaded app, followed by MX Player and ZEE5. <keyword id="3194526" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix-india" source="Orion">Netflix India</keyword> didn’t make it to its top 10 list. While Netflix doesn’t reveal its user base for the Indian market, <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/netflixs-lack-of-success-in-india-frustrating-cofounder-reed-hastings-says/articleshow/89044470.cms">media </a>reports indicate that it is between 4.3 million-4.5 million, which is a small fraction of its competitor Disney+Hotstar (close to 36 million) and Amazon Prime Video (over 17 million). Even Netflix’s co-chief executive (CEO) and cofounder Reed Hastings admitted that the team has been stumped by the lack of success in India. In the company’s post-results webcast for the October-December quarter of 2021, Hastings said, “The thing that frustrates us is why haven’t we been as successful in India. But we are definitely leaning in there.” Business Insider India has reached out to Netflix India for comments on the story, but the company has not responded till the time of filing this report. Before Hastings voiced his frustration publicly, Netflix India had <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/netflix-india-cuts-prices-across-its-streaming-plans/articleshow/88267582.cms">slashed </a>its pricing for the mobile-only plan from ₹199/month to ₹149/month in December 2021 to expand its user base and cut through intense rivalry from Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video and other 60 over-the-top (OTT) platforms. With its choppy growth numbers and slow subscription rate, if Netflix were to restrict password sharing in a price-sensitive market like India, it could slide even further downhill. The streaming platform was launched in India in January 2016 and it is in the initial days of the launch, brand guru and founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc., Harish Bijoor, says that a brand or business must set the right practice, and changing it all of a sudden has aspects of ‘negative-peril biting into it.’ “Netflix is watched in India by more people who pay for it. And that is a reality that has its positives and negatives. Password-sharing is today the norm and accepted practice. Something Netflix did not curtail as a practice in its early days. India is a jugaad market. Password-sharing is today a practice that upset the apple cart of many a viewer and many a subscriber. It is going to have quite the effect that a Whatsapp could experience if it became a fee-paid service. Netflix's frustration is really of its own making,” explains Bijoor. As per consulting firm Ormax Media’s OTT sizing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/media/article/india-has-353-million-ott-users-and-96-million-active-paid-subscriptions-which-translates-into-a-penetration-of-25-3-ormax-media-report/articleshow/85791184.cms">report </a>2021, India had a total of 353.2 million OTT users, out of which only 40.7 million i.e., 11.5 % were subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) users and a huge chunk of this market relies on password sharing. Gautam Jain, partner, Ormax Media says, “A large set of OTT users are SVOD Non-paying -- around 19.8 % (69.8 million), i.e., those who watch SVOD content but through password sharing or downloads. While the SVOD subscribers would have shown growth, this non-paying segment would have also grown given the price sensitivity amongst Indian audiences.” In Chile, Peru and Costa Rica, Netflix is charging an extra fee to users who share their accounts outside their household. Subscribers will be charged about $2.98 a month in Chile, $2.99 in Costa Rica and about $2.12 in Peru. As per research firm Trust Research Advisory’s (TRA) CEO, N Chandramouli, the Indian market is so price sensitive that fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) giants are scared to make even a 2 rupee change in their packets of biscuits, shampoo or noodles. Similarly, he says that Netflix’s price-slashing strategy from ₹199 to ₹149 has not attracted new customers. It has allowed its current subscribers to move to an even cheaper plan. And in India, Chandramouli says, pirates are always a step ahead than creators. So, if Netflix were to revise its pricing strategy for the third time in India, it could confuse users, leading to a rise in pirated content. To buy pirated content in Mumbai without having to download an app, all you have to do is walk down the Fort area and you would find 4-5 vendors chasing you — offering the latest releases on a CD or a pen drive, he adds. “There is a huge amount of piracy, which has now climbed onto the OTT bandwagon. Whether it is Telegram or Chinese torrent apps, pirated OTT content is shared there indiscriminately. From the very beginning, from softwares to movies, Indians don't find too much of [sic] qualms about piracy. On top of that, there are about 40 OTT platforms in India. So, the options in entertainment is proliferated [sic] and in this market, a slight price increase could have an impact. Netflix is attempting different strategies in order to attract new subscribers, but nothing has happened. People have downgraded their plans. So, Netflix will suffer a big backlash from existing users if at all it was to renew prices and stop password sharing,” he says. According to a <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/as-digital-piracy-rises-amid-pandemic-original-content-creators-losing-money-ey/article34743362.ece">report </a>by Digital TV Research, the loss of revenue for OTT players on account of piracy in India is expected to hit $3.08 billion by 2022. OTT players are trying to woo consumers with exclusive Bollywood movies and regional content. Chandramouli pointed out that Netflix or Amazon Prime haven’t been able to get their acquisition strategy right in India yet. Citing a recent example, he said that both these streaming services rushed to get Amitabh Bachchan’s movie Sooryavanshi onto their platform for ₹100 crore, which is at least shown once a week on Set Max and other television channels. On television, a viewer can get a minimum of 900 channels in ₹300-350 per month bouquet. It is the only entertainment medium that drives close to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/media/article/how-india-is-cutting-the-cord-to-drive-an-ott-revolution/articleshow/90347924.cms">60%</a> of its revenue from a subscription-based model as compared to other forms of traditional media that are heavily dependent on advertisements. So, if Netflix charges a 10-15% extra for sharing passwords within an Indian household, which is ₹25 to 30, research firm Elara Capital’s senior vice president Karan Taurani also believes that it could have a negative impact. “Indian consumers are very value-centric and they don’t pay for one platform but a bundle of platforms. Netflix has done well in India after reducing its prices and offering a quantity of content. This two-fold strategy has led to the scaling of their subscriber base. If they ask for substituent fee from separate family members, it could work in a negative way because we haven’t been used to it. We pay for one TV set-up box and there are three-four watchers in every household,” says Taurani. When Netflix came to India, it priced its maiden premium plan at ₹500, which Tarurani says was 7X-8X higher than TV bundle plans and other OTT platforms. It was competing with OTT platforms and a huge TV-watching audience in India back then. This challenge led to Netflix’s slow growth and the streaming company has changed pricing as well as introduced a mobile-only plan in the country since then, slashing its price by 60%. “Netflix India revenue has grown 65% YoY in FY21 and it has a market share of almost 35% in India’s SVOD market; we believe Netflix has the first-mover advantage in India, as it was one of the first pay based OTT offerings in the country; it has been able to create a strong brand recall within Indian audience for premium content offerings behind a paywall and this will help it gain more market share as it penetrates deeper in India,” says Taurani. After the October-December quarterly results, Taurani says that Netflix is headed in the right direction. If Netflix now revises its password-sharing policy and price point, it could send the company back to square one.

Could the days of mooching off Netflix accounts come to an end in India? Here’s what experts say

India’s <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> scene is changing drastically. Internet penetration has unboxed a new world of exclusive content that’s widely popular among the masses. 
 At such a critical crossroad when most industries are expected to go the <keyword id="6369871" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mobile-app">mobile app</keyword> way, Business Insider India chats up with Karan Bedi, COO of <keyword id="2480506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Eros-Now">Eros Now</keyword> to find out what the future of the entertainment might look like. 
 
1. A mere 7-8% of India’s population is online. Don’t you see that as a limiting factor to online movie streaming? 
 
While the numbers today are not that large, they are growing, and with telcos gearing up for 4G, it’s a massive potential market. In India, 7-8% is still a large number, and we expect it to be 50% in the next 2-3 years. 
 
2. Eros Now has announced online-only premieres for some recent films. Could this dilute the media attention theatrical premiers get? 
 
 Theatrical premiers are of paramount importance. The charm of the big screen is here to stay. With our online initiative of ‘TV se pehle’ (Before it comes on TV) we are streaming some of our key properties for online viewing. At Eros we believe digital is the future of the entertainment industry, and we’ve stepped ahead of satellite television to jump directly to Eros Now. 
 
3. Online original series are a rage today with players like AIB and TVF grabbing eyeballs. What’s the potential market for such free online shows? 
 
The limit is only the size of the population that has access to the internet. Like with TV, there is always space for everyone in the country to be involved in some form of online entertainment content. TVF and AIB have their focus on short-form funny stuff, and while we may have similar content, some of it has a completely different genre. 
 
4. How do you see entertainment consumed in the future? 
 
There is an unequivocal belief that the future of entertainment is on the internet. India is primarily a mobile-first market, and is getting to a point where it might be a mobile only market. Entertainment has moved light years ahead of TV. 
 
5. Many experts argue against that with the statistics of the digitized TV audience. Your comments on that. 
 
Being the largest studio in Bollywood, Eros has been historically known for top quality entertainment. Our sense of content is unparalleled and that’s a big driver of audiences to our platform. Our technical base also allows us to offer cool new platform specific features that our audiences would enjoy and can innovate with. 
 
6. Developing economies like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are the global hubs for piracy. Do you see these people willing to pay for movies or music? 
 
Piracy has been a concern for the entertainment industry for times immemorial. Now we have pirated DVDs, before that we had pirated cassettes. As platforms evolve, piracy would also evolve. However, if you give people easy access to content that promises them a great experience at a reasonable price, they would come on board. 
 
7. What could possibly be the dominant models for entertainment monetization? 
 
There are several monetization models - transactional, ad supported or subscription-based. Many others are evolving. It’s too early to decide what works best and what doesn’t. 
 
8. Any plans to go app only? 
 
There are no plans as of now. We are rolling out apps for Smart TVs and adding new functionalities to the app and website. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

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