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<ul><li>After <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>, another OTT platform is moving to an advertisement-based video-on-demand (AVOD) model.</li><li>Regional OTT platform Aha announced that it would have ads on its platform and a no-ad subscription option.</li><li>AVOD models are money churners for OTT players. According to the TMT<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/in/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/big-bets-on-smartphones-semiconductors-and-streaming-service.html"> Predictions 2022 report</a> by Deloitte, AVOD is expected to garner more revenue than subscription-based video on demand (SVOD).</li></ul>India is home to around <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/a-cred-like-platform-is-what-indian-ott-users-want-to-juggle-multiple-subscriptions/articleshow/92570894.cms">60 over-the-top</a> platforms but most of them haven’t been able to make profit, as subscription revenue isn’t bringing them the revenue they desperately need. Netflix finally gave in and announced that it was now looking at ads on its platform. Regional player Aha, which provides Telugu and Tamil content is the latest to switch to a hybrid model. This is a mix of advertisement-based video on demand (AVOD) and subscription-based video on demand (SVOD). “All OTT platforms right now are burning a lot of cash in terms of both creating content and acquiring subscribers. Across India, there's only a certain amount of paid subscribers that you can bring onto the platform. So, at some point, everybody needs to walk towards profitability. The natural answer here is AVOD, which is where the consumer base is 10x or more than the subscription base that you have,” Vaasudev Koppineni, VP - content and strategy, Aha told Business Insider India. Aha will have three options for consumers by October. There will be free content with ads, gold subscription and premium with high-definition content. Aha is also optimistic that it would be on the path to profitability after moving to a hybrid model. “With our team expanding the non-subscription revenue into brand solutions, AVOD and other new initiatives, I think we are on our path towards profitability,” said Koppineni. AVOD models are money churners for OTT players. According to the TMT<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/in/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/big-bets-on-smartphones-semiconductors-and-streaming-service.html"> Predictions 2022 report</a> by Deloitte, India’s AVOD market will double from $1.1 billion in 2021 to $2.4 billion in 2026. Rural consumers prefer affordable OTT plans Having established a strong presence in the cities of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Aha wants to expand and go deeper into the country and that was one of the reasons behind the switch in business models. “We wanted to reach out to the rural audience of AP, Telangana, where we were able to lower the entry-level pack. That's when we decided that it's time to launch inventory on our platform, take down the back price for our entry-level consumers, so that they can afford our premium-content viewing with ads,” Nitin Burman, head of non-subscription at Aha, told Business Insider India. He said that rural India was a price-sensitive market. Currently, Aha’s annual premium subscription plan is priced at ₹699. There’s a ₹399 basic annual package and the quarterly package is priced at ₹199. The prices will be revised in the festive months. To make the most of its budget and pass on the benefits to consumers, Aha also focuses on creating original content, which Koppineni says is more viable for a streaming platform from a business perspective. “Creating content or having your own IP makes more sense than acquiring content because today, with growth in the competition, everybody's fighting for the same piece of content, which actually leads to the costs going high. What was earlier capped at 40% recovery of a content piece from digital has now grown to 60%-70%. So acquisition has become more expensive,” said Koppineni. Growth of regional Born just before the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, Aha currently has 10 million monthly active users (MAUs) and its app is installed by 30 million people. It has captured over 2 million paid subscribers and each of them share their passwords with 2-3 people – so around 8 million users access Aha content on an average. According to a FICCI-EY <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/brandwagon/regional-ott-on-the-rise-as-subscribers-choose-native-language-over-hindi/2272860/">report</a>, the share of regional language consumption on OTT platforms will cross 50% by 2025 from the 30% share it held in 2019. FICCI-EY believes that regional consumption will surpass Hindi, but will settle at 45% of the pie. “As per various reports, the next step for any national player to get consumers on board is from the regional audiences. And we have already captured urban markets and are in phase two of going to Tier II and III markets,” said Burman. Aha is also aiming to become a super app of sorts for its regional audience by adding gaming onto its platforms.

Aha takes the Netflix way to reach out to subscribers from small towns

<ul><li>After the pandemic, many of us were stuck within the four walls of our houses and OTT platforms like <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>, Amazon Prime and <keyword id="2739840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hotstar" source="Orion">Hotstar</keyword> sometimes became the only source of entertainment in our lives.</li><li>The pandemic also gave a push to the regional <keyword id="9056838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-industry" source="Orion">OTT industry</keyword> and saw the birth of native language streaming players like Hoichoi, aha, Sun NXT, Planet Marathi, Koode, and City Short TV.</li><li>As per experts, the regional OTT players have already captured 50% of the OTT market in less than 3-4 years.</li></ul>Kaiser, the homicide detective who tries to deal with double murders and his own demons side by side; then there is Three Roses – with young girls who are in the middle of to-be-married mess in the complex Indian juxtaposition of tradition and independence. Yes, you have guessed it right. They are all topics of superhit web series but you can’t find them on Netflix, Prime or even Disney Hotstar – they are from Hoichoi, Bengali OTT and aha, a Telugu and Tamil OTT, respectively. Apart from regional cinema taking over <keyword id="143" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bollywood" source="Orion">Bollywood</keyword>, a silent revolution is underway where regional OTTs are taking away the eyeballs of Indians – by offering them quality content in their mother tongue. And, there are a lot of these. Of the total <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/a-cred-like-platform-is-what-indian-ott-users-want-to-juggle-multiple-subscriptions/articleshow/92570894.cms">60 OTT </a>platforms in India, around 12 of them are exclusively regional across languages like — Sun NXT, Planet Marathi, Koode, and City Short TV, which is a hyperlocal content OTT. One movie, every week According to a FICCI-EY <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/brandwagon/regional-ott-on-the-rise-as-subscribers-choose-native-language-over-hindi/2272860/">report</a>, the share of regional language consumption on OTT platforms will cross 50% by 2025 from the 30% share it held in 2019. As per FICCI-EY though, regional consumption is expected to surpass Hindi, which is predicted to touch a 45% consumption rate. But a few players are confident that it has already hit this number. “The regional OTT market today probably is 50% already of the total OTT market size in India, including all regional languages. It is set to grow faster than Hindi for sure,” Ajit Thakur, CEO of Telugu and Tamil OTT platform aha told Business Insider India. The OTT, which is adding one movie every week, has touched 10 million monthly active users (Maus) in two years. Its app saw 30 million downloads. It has also generated $2 million in non-subscription <a href="https://www.afaqs.com/news/media/telugu-ott-platform-aha-to-rely-on-avod-to-break-even">revenue </a>in the last six months and is considering adding gaming onto its platform and becoming a super app. Aha also intends to target Tamil-speaking viewers as well after winning the hearts of the people who speak the fourth most spoken <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45902204">language </a>in India and also one of the top 10 fastest-growing <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45902204">languages </a>in America. The magic price point Apart from the content, the price points of these OTTs are attractive too — as it’s akin to subscribing for a regional TV channel pack as opposed to the full range with all genres and offerings across languages – like Netflix, Prime, Disney Hotstar or even Zee. Hoichoi however has ‘eased’ its subscription with a syndication deal with mainstream OTT players such as MX Player and Amazon Prime. Hoichoi, one of the earliest regional OTT platforms to launch in India, is trying to capture the 250 million Bengali speakers across the world. “The generic OTT market has grown at least 30-50% over the year and we've all outpaced that industry by a fair margin. We've got about 120 odd shows, in addition to about 600-700 movies. In fact, April, May and June were bigger than COVID months for us,” Vishnu Mohta, co-founder of the Bengali streaming platform told Business Insider India. Its extensive content library remains unmatched in the OTT universe. But Mohta says that it’s just ‘getting started’. “I see a stable growth trajectory for the next five years,” he said – which is much higher than the growth in ‘national’ OTTs. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">OTT platform </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Plan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Price </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Netflix </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Annual mobile </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1788 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Amazon Prime Video </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Annual </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1499 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">aha </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Annual </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹299 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hoichoi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Annual </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹999 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Planet Marathi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Annual </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹365 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Trending across 7 countries Planet Marathi was a pandemic baby as it was launched during the lockdown. As the name suggests it caters to Marathi-speaking audiences India and abroad. <div type="image" title="Planet marathi" msid="92795598" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Planet Marathi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> It already has a superhit web show to its name – Raanbaazaar, which delves into the murky world of politics and two escorts and the mindgame involved. The show became the most-watched Marathi series on OTT and trended across seven countries – thanks to the state’s extensive expat population. “We launched 13 Planet Marathi originals and have another 24 planned out over the next year. Our viewership comes from India and across the world. There has been an increase in the stickiness of the content, with time spent by users increasing almost 350% after Raanbaazaar’s release,” said Akshay Bardapurkar, founder of Planet Marathi. In the meanwhile, top OTTs haven’t been ignoring these viewers either. In fact most of them release regional movies and shows with audio and subtitle options – thereby ‘extending’ the reach of regional content to non-regional players as well. The best example in this list is the recently launched Modern Love Hyderabad which has an original Telugu show dubbed across five languages including Hindi and English, for those who want to catch the flavour of the show in their own language. ZEE5 too has <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/zee5-plans-to-triple-investment-in-tamil-telugu-content-in-2022-328762-2022-04-05">tripled </a>its investment into regional content this year and international player <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/netflix-on-the-lookout-for-regional-language-content-in-2022/article37835172.ece">Netflix </a>is also looking to deeper inroads in India by zooming in on regional market — but whether they would be able to win the war in every regional turf across India is left to be seen – as India has 121 official <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/more-than-19500-mother-tongues-spoken-in-india-census-5241056/">languages </a>and 19,500 mother tongues.

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

<ul><li>Indian <keyword id="9648057" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-viewers" source="Orion">OTT viewers</keyword> are frustrated by juggling between 2-3 platforms on average to catch the latest content.</li><li>Since more expansion is expected in the market, an aggregator who would bring the best and offer it under one roof is in the offing.</li><li>As per a recent report by PwC, the OTT market is now ripe for aggregation.</li></ul>Before the fintech app CRED launched, Indian consumers downloaded at least 2-3 banking apps to pay their credit bills. CRED identified this gap and consolidated them all under one platform, for a small commission. The next market that’s desperately in need of an aggregation is the OTT market – which has over <a href="https://www.exchange4media.com/digital-news/ht-medias-ott-play-premium-service-eyes-15-million-paid-subs-by-year-end-120746.html">55 </a>offerings. “The largest streaming services in the market are Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon and Netflix. The country also has a vast array of smaller local SVODs, including provisions from local broadcasters like Zee TV and premium cinema providers like Eros Now. Due to its size and diversity, the market is ripe for aggregation,” says a report by PwC. Many streaming services, many more subscriptions Apart from the national offerings, Indian OTTs have become specialized and niche over time with regional offerings like Hoichoi, Aha, Sun Nxt and more. Since more expansion is expected in the market, an aggregator who would bring the best and offer it under one roof is in the offing. In fact, <keyword id="758541" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon-prime" source="Orion">Amazon Prime</keyword> has also started this with Prime Video Channels but has eight channels that users can subscribe to and pay at one go. Such offerings can only expand from here. Most <keyword id="13730389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-users" source="Orion">OTT users</keyword> have more than 2 subscriptions According to media consulting firm Ormax Media, the average number of video streaming subscriptions per person has reached 2.4 in India – since no one OTT can replace what hundreds of channels provided earlier. Currently, platforms like Tata Play, OTTplay, YuppTV Scope, ScreenHits TV and Airtel offer subscriptions to a few OTT services under one roof – but the choice, like in the case of Amazon Prime, is limited. Times Prime offers 15+ OTT subscriptions under one roof. "We are pulling out all the stops to ensure that our members get the best experiences under one umbrella. The Times Prime app, which is super easy to use, is the perfect product for consumption of content in today's subscription environment," says Harshita Singh, business head of Times Prime. 33-year-old Mumbai resident Khushboo Alag watches content across four <keyword id="5293670" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott-platforms" source="Orion">OTT platforms</keyword>. She has subscribed to two of them, and shares two more with her family. “I have tried a couple of aggregators but I haven’t found the one yet that offers personalized experience. Existing apps haven’t been helpful and I am still looking for that one space where I could just log in to watch all the content that I am interested in,” says Alag. Some entertainment lovers have bought a smart television or a firestick to easily juggle through different OTT platforms on their television set. Firestick is just not enough, say users Vaamanaa Sethi, a Delhi-based resident, is one such user who has access to Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix and ZEE5 — thanks to her firestick. “We need an aggregator that can allow us to select which movie we want to watch under one roof. If I want to watch a movie and it is not available on Netflix, then I can easily switch to Amazon Prime. I don’t want to struggle,” says Sethi. Then there is the problem of managing and paying multiple subscriptions. Chaittali Dave, a Mumbai resident who is a mother of twins, said that she can’t watch OTT content on her television set. She is hoping to find a mobile-agnostic aggregator. “I can’t watch Mirzapur on television in front of my kids. You can use a firestick or Tata Play if you live with a nuclear family,” says Dave. 23-year-old Mumbai resident Shraddha Khaire is particularly a movie buff. She has subscribed to 6-8 OTT apps and says that it has been a frustrating experience for her to pay a premium price for one movie. “There have been times that I had to subscribe to a whole new OTT just to watch that one show or movie, and let’s not forget the premium charges for the same,” shared Khaire. Her experience with teleco aggregators hasn’t been very pleasant either. She hopes a new aggregator will make the whole experience very seamless, simple and efficient for me as a regular user of various OTTs, such as her. “There will be a single sign-up, single ID for accessing multiple platforms. While telcos like Jio and Airtel, DTH services like Tata Sky, etc., offer an array of OTT services, but you need a connection to these services to access the OTTs. Overall, I think if there was a platform that offered access to a bundle of more streaming services, I wouldn’t mind going for it,” adds Khaire. Disclaimer: Business Insider India is a part of Times Internet India

A CRED-like platform is what Indian OTT users want to juggle multiple subscriptions

<ul><li><keyword id="17816462" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="Tata-Play-Binge" source="Denny">Tata Play Binge</keyword> is now available for non-DTH users as well. </li><li>The <keyword id="17816463" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="OTT-aggregator" source="Denny">OTT aggregator</keyword> offers access to up to 27 applications with one subscription. </li><li>Tata Play Binge offers monthly <keyword id="17816464" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="subscription-plans" source="Denny">subscription plans</keyword> starting at INR 249 per month. </li></ul>Tata Play Binge has said that it has become the biggest over-the-top or OTT aggregator platform in India, offering users access to 27 platforms at once. Keeping with the times, the Tata Play Binge service has now been available to all users and there is no requirement of having a DTH connection from the company. Tata Play Binge says that a single subscription offers access to 27 national, international and regional applications in 13 languages, including Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5 and SonyLIV on mobile, desktop and television. If one subscribes to Tata Play Binge, one doesn’t have to take individual subscriptions to OTT platforms. The company’s plans allow up to four users to use the application at once to stream their favourite content. "Availability of many apps has made subscription to and search for content cumbersome for OTT viewers. Our years of experience in helping TV viewers subscribe to content of their choice and building an intuitive user interface that makes the discovery of content easy, has helped us create a similar platform, this time for OTT,” said Harit Nagpal, managing director and chief executive officer, Tata Play. Tata Play Bing subscription The Tata Play Binge subscription is available in two plans – Mega – The Mega plan is priced at INR 349 per month and offers access to all 27 applications and supports <keyword id="17816465" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="streaming" source="Denny">streaming</keyword> on four devices at once. Super – The Super Plan offers access to 22 applications for INR 249 a month. This plan also supports streaming on four devices at once. Tata Play Binge applications <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Disney+ Hotstar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sun NXT </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hungama Play </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sony LIV </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ReelDrama </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Eros Now </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ZEE5 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Voot Kids </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ShemarooMe </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jio Cinema </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Chaupal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Curiosity Stream (Mega) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hallmark </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Namma Flix </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">EPIC ON </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">MX Player </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Planet Marathi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Travelxp </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lionsgate Play (Mega) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">manoramaMAX </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">DocuBay </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Aha </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Koode </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ShortsTV (Mega) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">VROTT </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tarang Plus </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Gaming </td></tr></tbody></table> Tata Play Binge launches campaign Meanwhile, Tata Play Binge has launched a campaign, Bachcha Bachcha Janta Hai, with <keyword id="17816466" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="Saif-Ali-Khan" source="Denny">Saif Ali Khan</keyword> and Kareena Kapoor Khan to promote its new offering. “Entertainment is a unifier unlike any, and it is an absolute delight to be a part of Tata Play Binge's journey to becoming the largest OTT aggregator in India. With an initiative like this, entertainment will know no limits, which is exactly how it should be,” said Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/smartphone-makers-urge-indian-government-to-reduce-input-tariffs-to-increase-competitiveness/articleshow/101272037.cms">Smartphone makers want India to take the fight to China and Vietnam further</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/nothing-phone-2-pre-orders-to-begin-from-june-29-heres-how-to-book-yours/articleshow/101278663.cms">Nothing Phone (2) pre-orders to begin from June 29 – Here’s how to book yours</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/jiophone-5g-leak-reveals-design-key-specifications-ahead-of-launch/articleshow/101209095.cms">JioPhone 5G leak reveals design, key specifications ahead of launch</a>

Tata Play Binge claims becoming India’s biggest OTT aggregator with 27 apps

<ul><li>Going hyperlocal, STAGE, a participant in <keyword id="1417364" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shark-tank" source="Orion">Shark Tank</keyword> Season 2, plans to upload OTT content in the top 20 dialects of the country.</li><li>STAGE started with <keyword id="41646" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="haryana" source="Orion">Haryana</keyword>vi dialect content in 2019, now has over 225,000 subscribers across Haryana and Rajasthan. </li><li>Urban OTT markets have reached their saturation point with top 6 metros contributing only 10% to <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>’s OTT universe, Ormax Media reported. </li></ul>Shark Tank Season 2 participants and builders of Indore-based hyperlocal OTT platform STAGE, call themselves ‘cockroach’ founders. Back in 2018, when <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/social-media/data-of-up-to-87-mn-users-harvested-facebook/article23442333.ece">87 million</a> Facebook profiles were harvested for data without consent by a British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, <keyword id="1464818" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vinay-singhal" source="Orion">Vinay Singhal</keyword>, <keyword id="2921541" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="parveen-singhal" source="Orion">Parveen Singhal</keyword> and <keyword id="3503521" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shashank-vaishnav" source="Orion">Shashank Vaishnav</keyword> lost their ₹300 crore content startup WittyFeed overnight, losing millions of followers, traffic and money. The startups offered content across entertainment, tech, politics, health and more. “Most of our traffic was dependent on Facebook with a majority chunk coming from the USA, approximately 60 million users from there. In November 2018, Mark Zuckerberg got stuck in legal battles due to Cambridge Analytica and we got blocked. STAGE is our comeback,” said Shashank Vaishnav, co-founder and CTO of STAGE, told Business Insider India. Beyond languages to dialects Fast forward to 2019, STAGE shifted focus from out-of-India subscribers to Bharat. The startup claims to provide, quite literally, a ‘stage’ to local artists across India. Going beyond the regional language based OTTs that are already gaining attention, this startup claims to provide content across different dialects across Rajasthan and Haryana. “In India, there are about 50 OTT platforms uploading regional based content. Dialects don’t have their own scripts, cinema or literature as opposed to language. Haryana has 11 different dialects, Bhojpuri alone spoken by 100 million people. STAGE aims to give a platform to local artists from these spaces,” said <keyword id="16058" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="singhal" source="Orion">Singhal</keyword>. Regional OTTs like Koode in Malayalam, City Short TV in Gujarati, aha in Telugu, hoichoi of Bengali and Planet Marathi are some of the regional streaming services that are popular with users within and outside India. Video viewership in India is dominated by the regional language user base. Consumers today spend about 50-60 percent of the average time on Hindi videos, followed closely by 35-43% on regional content videos with only 5-7% on English, states a <a href="https://ficci.in/events/23490/ISP/The%20Digital%20First%20journey_Web.pdf">FICCI-KPMG</a> ‘The Digital First Journey’ report. After independence, India preached the idea of one nation, one language. Languages that had their own script and culture survived while dialects, which are spoken in conversations, began getting lost, Singhal said. “Hindi grew rapidly and thus dialects began to shrink. In 1900, India had about 19,500 different spoken dialects and languages. As of today, only 700 of these remain,” he added. STAGE currently has over 5,000 artists, uploading content in dialects of Mewari, Harauti, Sikhawati, Bangaru to name a few. It’s valued at ₹290 crore, having raised ₹40 crore in Series A funding led by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/shark-tank-s2-participant-stage-raises-40-crore-in-a-series-a-round/articleshow/96704515.cms">Blume Ventures</a>. The rise of Aam Aadmi’s viewership India’s diversity in terms of viewership is evident in the fact that there are over <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1177588/india-number-of-satellite-tv-channels/#:~:text=As%20of%20June%202022%2C%20892,Organisation%2C%20commonly%20known%20as%20ISRO.">892</a> TV channels in India across music, movies, general entertainment, news, sports and more – and each of these divided into languages and a few local channels too survive till date. India OTTs in spite of their growth are unable to cater to the diversified needs, and at the same time younger audience beyond metros are seeking new-age entertainment provided by the streaming services. “Urban OTT markets have reached their saturation point and content is bound to go hyperlocal. The top 6 metros contribute only 10% to India’s OTT universe but 33% to total paid subscriptions in India,” said The Ormax OTT Audience Sizing Report 2022. Indian OTTs have already hit a wall when it comes to acquiring the next set of customers. “A large share of the 20% growth in audience base has come from rural India and small towns. The metro cities have reached saturation levels, with more than 79% OTT penetration. Platforms will have to rely on the smaller markets for the next phase of growth,” said <keyword id="161338" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shailesh-kapoor" source="Orion">Shailesh Kapoor</keyword>, founder and CEO of Ormax Media. This is the sweet spot that STAGE intends to cater to. <div type="image" title="OTT growth in India since 2021" msid="96754688" hostid="261" sizebytes="43766"></div> The rise of Hariwood: Haryana-wood Local voices and their stories in the form of social drama, stand up comedy, documentaries and web series can find seekers easily. And, it’s a growing business. As per <a href="https://ficci.in/events/23490/ISP/The%20Digital%20First%20journey_Web.pdf">FICCI-KPMG</a> report, the demand for original content was estimated to increase from 2,500 hours in 2021 to over 4,000 hours by 2024. Moreover, there is enough and more talent across the grassroots that can be easily channelized onto the OTT platform. “Standup artists from hyperlocal regions take to this craft because their real dream is to become an actor. Since the nascent industry of dialects is not making any movies, they started performing stand up to gain exposure. We have successfully created a local Bollywood in Haryana. They even refer to the industry as ‘Hariwood’. The same situation is in Rajasthan,” said Vinay Singhal. The fact that movies like Kantara in a tribal setting found viewers across India, shows that hyperlocal platforms are capable of telling compelling ‘stories of the soil’. Very literally, there are many dances like the one seen in Kantara and have not been showcased on the right platform as of now. “There are numerous local folk dances that people enjoy locally a lot. For example, in Haryana there is a live theatrical folk dance called Ragni. In Rajasthan, there is Kalbeliya dance, which is also a popular folk music performance widely witnessed in the state. We have started recording these local artists and their folk rituals and performances for STAGE,” said Parveen Singhal, chief content officer at STAGE, told Business Insider India. A cockroach born in the winter In spite of great potential, STAGE like most startups has to face the test of time that’s funding winter. But the startup itself is a survival story, and claims to be a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/article/unicorns-are-pass-cockroaches-are-the-new-favourites-of-venture-capitalists/articleshow/95734214.cms">cockroach</a> that’s tough enough to survive any adversity. “We are very frugal and our company was born in the winter so we are confident of raising and maintaining capital. But capital infusion will see improvement from April 2023 onwards because there is a lot of dry powder available in the market. Last year, the VCs raised a significant amount of capital to be deployed in startups,” Singhal said. The idea of appearing on Shark Tank India Season 2, with their episode airing on January 4, was initially dismissed by the founders as the previous season of the show only funded early stage startups. STAGE was in the process of raising their Series A funding. But it was a pleasant surprise for the startup to discover that the show now progressed from early stage to late stage funding as well. STAGE was offered ₹1.5 crore for 0.6% equity and ₹1.5 crore debt at 18% interest from Namita Thapar, Aman Gupta and <keyword id="824423" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="peyush-bansal" source="Orion">Peyush Bansal</keyword>, judges at Shark Tank India Season 2, which they accepted. “We have already started preparing our website for the kind of traffic that is expected from the reality show, which has led to 3 times growth for companies who featured last season. Even though the judges are known to ask tough questions, they understood our story and it was an emotional moment for us,” said Singhal. STAGE started with Haryanavi content in 2019, now has over 225,000 subscribers across Haryana and Rajasthan. By 2027, they aim to upload content in the top 20 dialects of the country, reaching over 200 million households across India. It also plans to raise its Series B funding later this year. Its existing investors include Better Capital, IPV, TCA, Venture Catalysts and Blume Ventures. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/from-0-to-100-million-in-5-years-thats-how-long-startups-founded-in-2017-took-to-scale-up-says-redseer-report/articleshow/96739954.cms">From 0 to $100 million in 5 years – That’s how long startups founded in 2017 took to scale up, says Redseer report</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-infosys-wipro-and-other-it-companies-earnings-preview-for-q3-fy23/articleshow/96731891.cms">December quarter likely to be a weak one for the IT sector – Infosys amongst top analyst picks</a>

A hyperlocal OTT born in funding winter wants to tell stories in Indian dialects

What's the Bechdel Test that Sushmita Sen’s Aarya, Kajol’s Tribhanga rated high on?

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

How the pandemic has changed the streaming landscape for good

<ul><li><keyword id="10862183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi-crime-season-2">Delhi Crime season 2</keyword> is the most awaited web series of 2021, <keyword id="15508" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouGov">YouGov</keyword> survey.</li><li>Among the shows released this year, Family Man Season 2 is the most popular with two in five calling it their favourite series.</li></ul>The Coronavirus pandemic gave a huge boost to the booming OTT video- streaming industry in India. As consumers endured lockdowns and restrictions, digital content became a major source of entertainment as well as a platform for the industry to connect with their audiences in these unprecedented times. YouGov’s latest study reveals that among the upcoming web series this year, Season 2 of Delhi Crime is the most awaited show by OTT platform viewers in the country (as said by 22%). The International Emmy winning drama series enthralled viewers with its first season and we see excitement building up for the next edition, despite the absence of an official release date. <div type="image" title="image002" msid="84997672" hostid="261"></div>It seems audiences are looking forward to the sequels of some of the popular shows of the past years. Along with Season 2 of Delhi Crime, viewers are also excited for the sequel of Voot’s mythological thriller Asur (20%), Kay Kay Menon’s Special Ops Season 2 (19%) , Kota Factory’s Season 2 (18%), Four More Shots Please Season 3 (14%) and Little Things Season 4 (13%). New shows like Rudra- the edge of darkness (11%) and Finding Anamika (9%) have also managed to spark interest and feature among the most awaited shows of 2021. YouGov also asked people about the web series they enjoyed watching in 2021. Among the shows already released this year, action-thriller Family Man Season 2 (40%) emerged as the most favourite show of OTT viewers in urban India. The ever-charming Manoj Bajpayee’s performance, and the engaging plot totally lived up to the expectations of fans, especially after the cliff-hanger ending of season 1. <div type="image" title="image004" msid="84997697" hostid="261"></div>Other series that received the appreciation and love of the audiences are Tandav (14%), Aspirants (12%) and Maharani (10%). With lack of entertainment choices, it is not surprising to see consumers shift to digital entertainment during the pandemic. Data suggests that a majority of respondents (59%) claim to have watched more content online than on TV in the past one year. One in ten have started exploring global (non-English) content in the past year (9%) and almost as many (11%) have begun watching regional content (non-Hindi) during this time. Roughly a fifth among those who claim to watch regional content like watching Telugu (22%) and Marathi (20%) language series. Gujarati (18%), Punjabi (17%), Tamil and Kannada (16% each) series are also popular among people. Language has become an important factor in determining people’s choice of content. One in eight respondents (12%) consider the language or origin of a series important when deciding what to watch on OTT platforms. Having said that, the genre of the show (22%), recommendations of family &amp; friends (21%) and reviews and ratings (19%) are ranked higher than language as consideration factors by people. <div type="image" title="image006" msid="84997721" hostid="261"></div> When it comes to digital platforms, Amazon Prime (53%), Netflix (47%) and Disney Hotstar (43%) are the most preferred channels for watching Indian web shows. Even though international networks are more popular among the masses, regional platforms like Sun NXT, Aha and Hoichoi also feature in the list, indicating the growth of regional content consumption in India. <div type="image" title="image008" msid="84997744" hostid="261"></div> With an interest in regional language streaming, non-Bollywood cinema is likely to come out of Covid in a better shape. Almost half of the total surveyed respondents (49%) said that they are open to watching regional movies in theatres, with younger adults between the age of 18-39 years more likely to say so than older ones of 40 years and above. Data collected online by YouGov Omnibus among 1009 respondents in the country between June 15th-20th, 2021 using YouGov’s panel of over 11 million people worldwide. Data is representative of the adult online population in the country.

Here are the top most awaited Indian web series of 2021 as per YouGov's survey

<ul><li><keyword id="1134273" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ruchika-Sharma">Ruchika Sharma</keyword>, Manager – Brand and Customer Marketing, <keyword id="3139442" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="CleverTap">CleverTap</keyword> shares why The next decade is going to play a crucial role in shaping the future of the internet, and as the world’s largest democracy with a burgeoning mobile-internet population, India has a unique opportunity to influence the new rules that will shape the evolving mobile internet ecosystem.</li><li>She further writes what should do mobile marketers do to cater to millennials in India to grow in the next decade. </li></ul>A long time ago I came across a quote by Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb: "Build something 100 people love, not something a million people kind of like." Today, a lot of brands have found their eureka moment in this saying when India unfolded the millennial market for marketers and advertisers. But have they been able to tap the true potential of this market fully? Are they communicating the right content, or even choosing the right channel? While it’s true that millennials take more selfies than other generations, labeling them the “selfie” generation seems to miss the mark, especially as it relates to their attitudes around identity and lifestyle. They have grown up with the Internet and social media apps, as opposed to the baby boomers, who have mostly relied on television and traditional forms of entertainment. Even then, millennials are largely misunderstood. And why wouldn’t they be, when each one of them is approaching adulthood in a different way? Millennials residing in urban cities are growing in an expanding world of choice, and because of this they view life very differently. They don’t see just one path available to them—they see limitless possibilities to make their life their own. This is exactly what they expect from brands: more choices to cater their taste, preference, and most importantly mood. When it comes to buying or decision-making, urban millennials are more value-conscious than price conscious. They are willing to spend generously on personalized consumer experiences. On the other hand, the 300 million rural millennials that represent 36% of the rural Indian population are at the helm of defining purchase decisions across the region. Rather than aimlessly following brands and names, these millennials are settling on choices that elevate their social status by choosing quality and trends while embracing affordability. These consumers choose a brand based on word-of-mouth and are often inspired when brands present a visually compelling story. While we have some insight into their behavior, it's important to understand why brands are continuously targeting this population. According to a <a href="http://cmrindia.com/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2019/12/vivo-CMR-Report-2019.pdf">report launched by Vivo and Cybermedia Research</a>, an average millennial spends one-third of their waking hours on their phone. That translates to 1,800 hours a year! 75% of respondents said they owned a smartphone in their teens, and of them, 41% were hooked to their phones even before graduating from high school. Furthermore, availability of affordable data leading to higher connectivity has resulted in the rise of indigenous content apps that have further increased an average millennial’s screen time. The ease of in-app communication to navigate challenges faced by millennials and provide them with real-time solutions is why most brands have adopted a mobile-first approach while addressing all their digital marketing initiatives. However, to tap the potential of this population, it is important for marketers to go beyond the traditional realms of digital marketing to drive business and brand outcomes. The cognitive process in humans is faster than we thought, and the human brain needs less than half a second to engage with an ad and trigger a positive or negative reaction. Mobile has significantly contributed to the speed in which people process ideas and information, and there has been a massive shift towards mobile video consumption due to both data democratization and the convenience that mobile phones provide for video viewing. Marketers and creative agencies urgently need to understand and embrace this consumer shift and rethink advertising tactics for consumers who are always on the run. As we embark on the next decade, it is imperative that brands focus on measuring the right business outcomes as much as they focus on building exciting campaigns. Since 2014, digital ad spend in India has consistently grown, yet the industry lacks robust measurement standards. Keeping all of these factors in mind, what do mobile marketers need to tap this segment? <ol><li>Personalization of in-app engagement for different millennial segments. For example, jargon like checkout, cart, shipping, etc. do not resonate with millennials residing in Tier 3 markets and beyond. With the rise in indigenous mobile apps and availability of vernacular content, it is now important for brands to communicate in a lingo that relates with millennials.</li><li>Millennials often relate to meme-based content that helps in adding humor even while addressing real-life crises. Brands that utilize humor in their marketing and communications gain strong millennial followings because they’re able to effectively deliver their message.</li><li>Multilingual voice and audio-based mobile advertising is needed to widen customer bases and open new market avenues. In 2019, Godrej Hit integrated its Dengue Helpline and Platelet Donation Campaign with Alexa and Google Assistant helping consumers get real-time information on donor availability and precautions for vector borne diseases. The helpline received 100+ million enquiries across India.</li><li>Due to its temporal nature, ephemeral content forces marketers to be more spontaneous and can increase engagement. Ephemeral content — images and videos that are only accessible for a brief period — has become more popular with formats such as gifs, polls, stories, and stickers. Brands are able to command greater engagement and achieve focused targeting with ephemeral content.</li><li>Branded content is here to stay. Customers use phones not to buy things but to research, educate themselves, and make informed choices. With branded content, the key is to grab the audience’s attention and drive engagement through content. We find that branded content entertains, teaches, and results in better engagement than standard content.</li><li>Tap audiences in media dark regions through mobile gaming and regional OTT platforms like HoiChoi, Aha, Sun NXT, and Koode. These platforms have dominated regional markets with expanded audience reach, providing brands with a larger canvas to paint their story.</li><li>User generated content platforms are gaining traction due to increased mobile penetration in Tier II and III cities as well as semi-rural and rural areas. These users are constantly watching, sharing, and uploading video content via mobile phones. They have an inherent need to co-create, giving brands an opportunity to connect with them. Using short, imaginative mobile videos can become a catalyst for not only building brand awareness, but for engaging directly with this rapidly growing, immensely aspirational market.</li></ol>We are living in a world where change is the only constant. The next decade is going to play a crucial role in shaping the future of the internet, and as the world’s largest democracy with a burgeoning mobile-internet population, India has a unique opportunity to influence the new rules that will shape the evolving mobile internet ecosystem. Therefore, brands need to be on their feet to ride these rapid changes, evolve their communication techniques, and build a strong connection with consumers.

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