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The next season of the popular reality show "Bigg Boss" will stream its first six weeks on <keyword id="1245953" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT">OTT</keyword> and then make a gradual shift to television. The new season will be called "<keyword id="11600532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bigg-boss-ott">Bigg Boss OTT</keyword>" and will arrive early this year. "Bigg Boss OTT", which will stream on <keyword id="3113913" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="VOOT">Voot</keyword>, will introduce a 'janta' factor. The new format will give the common man the uncommon powers of "Bigg Boss OTT" by enabling them to handpick contestants and the contestants' stay, tasks and exit from the show. <keyword id="842774" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ferzad-Palia">Ferzad Palia</keyword>, Head of Voot Select says: "At Voot, experiences and innovation around content are at the forefront of our strategy. 'Bigg Boss' has witnessed tremendous success over seasons and grown to become India's biggest entertainment property. The launch of Bigg Boss OTT on Voot is another step towards solidifying our '<keyword id="50691" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital">Digital</keyword> First' approach as an organisation. We are confident that our loyal fans and subscribers will enjoy a truly world class experience through our 24 hour Live feeds, interactivity and gaming offerings." Actress Shweta Tiwari, an ex Bigg Boss contestant and winner of "Bigg Boss 4", is excited about the OTT streaming of the show. She says: "I'm extremely excited to know that my favourite reality show is arriving early this year. For me, Bigg Boss was a life-changing experience. Not only did it let the audience know me beyond my persona as an actor, but ended up teaching me to be more patient, tolerant and yet assertive. It also gave me friends like family. I watch 'Bigg Boss' every year, but I think that as an audience member, I am going to have more power than ever before to be the real judge of the show. That makes this OTT launch absolutely thrilling." SEE ALSO - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-calendars-new-rsvp-option-will-let-you-specify-how-you-want-to-attend-a-meeting/articleshow/84237490.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Google Calendar’s new RSVP option will let you specify how you want to attend a meeting</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-hires-over-20000-in-june-quarter-its-highest-ever-quarterly-addition/articleshow/84240423.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">TCS has loaded up half a million peeps as it expects many to move on</a>

Reality show Bigg Boss to premiere initially on OTT for six weeks before it hits television

<ul><li>As <keyword id="8612979" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="voot-select">Voot Select</keyword> completes a year of its launch, we take a look at the kind of growth it has witnessed in an otherwise difficult year.</li><li><keyword id="842774" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ferzad-Palia">Ferzad Palia</keyword>, Head – Voot Select &amp; International Business, <keyword id="187712" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18">Viacom18</keyword> takes us behind the scenes, telling us all that worked in favor of the platform and all that can be expected out of it in the next few months.</li></ul>It’s been a year since Viacom18’s over-the-top platform Voot launched its SVOD offering, Voot Select. It has been an eventful year but for the platform too, it has been one of a lot of milestones. “We’re the fastest platform in India to hit a million active, paying direct-to-consumer subscribers in less than a year,” shared Ferzad Palia, Head – Voot Select &amp; International Business, Viacom18, during an exclusive interaction with us. The platform was launched in March last year, right before the country went into its first (of many) lockdowns. And while it would have been a disadvantage for any business to launch at the moment, it did not work as a deterrent for Voot Select. People were stuck at home, desperately looking for some sort of entertainment. With production of fresh content on hold everywhere too, even TV wasn’t showing anything new. That’s where OTT players like Voot gained big. People were open to experimenting. And they were willing to pay for content that they liked. So eventually, its launch time worked in its favor. “Once we got off to a good start, the first thing that worked wonderfully well for us was our first original, <keyword id="3712608" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="asur">Asur</keyword>. It really got the audience to sit up and take notice because that's the power of one story. That probably gave us our biggest jump, right in the beginning which then got people to sample us and see what else we had to offer. And people liked that as well,” said Palia. The early inflow of audiences that came onto the platform put the platform on a strong growth trajectory and good momentum right, explained Palia. However, has the platform been able to keep up this initial momentum? “Yes, and that is really heartening for us. Obviously, we're not growing at the same pace as we grew in the first four months but that's also because we were a new service. But we've seen consistent month-on-month growth, even after the country has pretty much opened up. Despite being a price-sensitive market, there's been a big change in the audience mindset because they are now willing to pay for content, and good content experiences as long as there's something there for them to buy and at an affordable price,” said Palia. So is he confident that this growth momentum will continue, even this year? “While its early for us to gauge, I think we will grow in multiples. Our plan for FY22 is essentially doubling or even tripling down on originals, our before-TV offerings, our international suite as well as our marketing spends. If we do a few things right, like we did in the year gone by, we'll be right up there,” he answered. The platform will also continue to focus on strengthening its technology, to be able to give people the best possible experience, added Palia. The focus will also be on regional original content owing to the fact that there has been an increase in the amount of subscribers coming from outside the top 10 metro cities. “We already have about five originals ready, which we are yet to release, in Tamil and Bangla. And we will be creating more this year. We're still very new and therefore wanted to focus on getting the first market right, which is the Hindi-speaking audiences. And now that we're very confident with that, we will now start getting our learnings from regional markets. There should be between 10- 12 regional originals from us in FY22. And lastly, is he concerned about the OTT guidelines impacting the way they tell stories? “Not at all! Guidelines have always been around. We know that we have a responsibility to society, to the audience, to our customers, whether they're paying customers or customers who are on our AVOD service. We've always managed to stay within the boundaries as a responsible entertainer so I don't see that changing at all. There's nothing on our platform which circumvents any of the rules,” he explained. Along with new <keyword id="6157640" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="regional-content">regional content</keyword>, Voot Select will also be the new home to Showtime content in India and the exclusive destination for upcoming Paramount+ shows in the country. Its international content offering will include titles like Dexter (Limited Series), Ray Donavan Feature-Length Film, The First Lady from showtime and Frasier (Reboot) &amp; Why Women Kill S2 from Paramount+ amongst others.

We’re the fastest OTT platform in India to hit a million active, paying subscribers in less than a year: Ferzad Palia, Viacom18

Voot’s latest original The Gone Game is a series shot remotely with phone, CCTV and video calls

<ul><li>Voot's latest series <keyword id="9795416" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-gone-game">The Gone Game</keyword> has been shot entirely in isolation during the <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword>. </li><li>It has been executed through remote direction and limited equipment.</li><li>We caught up with Ferzad Palia, Head – Voot Select, Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18 to understand how it was all put together. </li></ul>When content creators scratched their heads and waited for the lockdown to open up, Voot Select was putting together a series that was shot entirely on phones, laptops, CCTV footage and video calls. The Gone Game is a show that breaks the barriers of space and location as it was shot entirely in isolation during the lockdown. It has been executed through remote direction, ingenious cinematography and limited equipment. Produced by Bodhi Tree Multimedia, The Gone Game is set during a global pandemic, with a nation in lockdown, the story starts amidst a mysterious disappearance. The protagonist, Sahil Gujral, disappears and leaves his loved ones wondering if he fell prey to the virus or was something more sinister at play? We caught up with Ferzad Palia, Head – Voot Select, Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18 to understand how it was all put together, if the platform had to compromise on the quality aspect for shooting remotely, and how has the lockdown and unlock period impacted Voot Select's growth so far. Palia shared some really interesting anecdotes with us and gave us a sneak-peek into what went behind-the-scenes, watch the video to know more: <div type="Video" msid="77668796" hostid="261" title="Voot’s latest original The Gone Game is a series shot remotely with phone, CCTV and video calls" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=77668796"></div>

Voot Select's latest original The Gone Game is a series shot remotely with phone, CCTV and video calls, here’s how they pull it off

<ul><li>Voot currently has 100 million monthly active users. With a new feather in its cap, Viacom18 is all set to expand its reach further. </li><li><keyword id="8612979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="voot-select">Voot Select</keyword> is the second subscription based streaming service from Viacom18 and will soon launch in India.</li></ul>Viacom18 will soon launch its second subscription-based streaming offering called ‘Voot Select’. Set to soon go live on Voot, the all new premium service, Voot Select will give users access to diverse multi genre marquee content experiences. The new business vertical under Viacom18 Digital Ventures will be helmed by Ferzad Palia, Head – Youth, Music &amp; English. Voot Select will be in addition to his existing responsibilities. Voot Select is the dawn of a new era in the story of Voot. The logo intends to reflect its commitment to providing exclusive content and quality entertainment for subscribers. Minimal, premium, and contemporary -- this wordmark distinguishes itself from the mother brand through its form, while being intimately connected with the core brand ethos through subtle gradients and rounded edges. It is a visual translation of the brand proposition to provide the best digital content for a discerning audience. Speaking about adding further scale to the digital business, <keyword id="1118047" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sudhanshu-Vats">Sudhanshu Vats</keyword>, Group CEO &amp; MD, Viacom18 said “The video on demand market is the fastest growing segment in the media and entertainment sector today. Subscription-led business models are going to be the next big growth drivers in the years to come. Having established Voot as India’s second largest premium AVoD platform, we think the time is apt for us to unveil our premium subscription offering, Voot Select. The new premium offering will bring more bespoke content to our always-on viewers.” Speaking on the same Gourav Rakshit, COO at Viacom18 Digital Ventures said, “With Voot, the successful launch of Voot Kids and now Voot Select, our aim is to build a versatile and immersive digital ecosystem that will add value to our users. The new offering will provide them with differentiated content experiences across genres and segments. Currently in its final leg of testing, the all new Voot Select, once live, will see many untapped genres being made available for our users to experience and enjoy.” Voot Select is the second subscription based streaming service from Viacom18 and will soon launch in India.

Viacom18 to launch a new subscription streaming service — Voot Select

<ul><li>Apart from running a pure SVOD model right now, <keyword id="8612979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="voot-select">Voot Select</keyword> is also looking at partnering with telcos to provide combined offers for their consumers. </li><li>After seeing 335 million interactions on Voot in 2019, <keyword id="260775" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gourav-Rakshit">Gourav Rakshit</keyword>, COO, <keyword id="2947361" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Viacom18-Digital-Ventures">Viacom18 Digital Ventures</keyword> is eyeing to triple it to 1 billion by the end of this fiscal and he believes that this approach will keep Voot ahead of its competition. </li><li>Rakshit further shares the content lineup for Voot Select, what encouraged them to launch SVOD-led model, its target audience and a few things that will drive its future. </li></ul><div type="Video" msid="74488859" hostid="261" title="Voot Select's Gourav Rakshit shares its content plan and vision to become the top India premium OTT player" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=74488859"></div>

 After becoming the first successful AVOD platform in India, Viacom18 is expanding its digital portfolio by launching Voot Select. Its latest SVOD platform envisions to be the leader of Indian premium OTT space by FY21. Talking about Voot Select’s vision, Gourav Rakshit, COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures said, "Just like Voot is the leader in the Indian OTT space and Voot Kids is definite a leader, I would like Voot Select to be the leader in the Indian premium OTT content space. I don’t know if we would be able to make a huge dent among the global majors that have set shops in India, but if we can achieve that, then I think it will be a well-spent year.” Content Plan for Voot Select Launched on March 3, Voot Select promises to deliver 30 originals in 12 months, offer over 1500 blockbuster movies, and have over 35 24-hours live TV channels. With the advent of Over-the-Top platforms, Indians have developed an insatiable need for watching content. Leveraging this opportunity, Viacom18 aims to transform into a digital-first network. As its first step in this direction, Voot Select will bring all fictional content from Viacom18’s portfolio on its platform, 24 hours before the episodes premiere on TV. All the non-fiction content can be accessed on the platform 15-30 minutes before its airing time. Voot Select will also provide a wide array of global content experiences through a few exclusive and unique content partnerships with CBS, CBS All Access, Showtime, Sony Pictures, Fremantle, BBC, Endemol Shine and more. 24/7 LGBTQ channel, Revry TV will make its debut in India on Voot Select. Apart from running a pure SVOD model right now, Voot Select is also looking at partnering with telcos to provide combined offers. Explaining its subscription and revenue model, Rakshit said, “There will be a very compelling direct-to-consumer business that will result in them paying the fees, but we will also partner with other providers in the market like the telcos or people who own the consumers, who have either reach-relationship or billing-relationship with the consumers. They would want to offer our service as a benefit to their consumers, so those partnerships will also emerge. But for now, SVOD will be the large part of the proposition.” A smooth 2019 that led to the launch of Voot Select Voot reached 100 million MAUs with 100 billion minutes of watch time in 2019. The platform witnessed 4X growth in the number of views from Tier II, Tier III and regional markets. It saw 335 million interactions in 2019, making it India's most engaged OTT platform. It took another leap last year by launching Voot Kids. Within the first two months of the launch, it saw 2.5 million downloads and 55 plus minutes were spent by per viewer. Speaking about Voot’s growth trajectory, Rakshit said, “Voot’s AVOD became unit-economics-positive in 2019 and that was a significant achievement because it also gave us the ability to try and invest in newer business and Voot Kids and Voot Select are a product of that success. A 100 million MAUs is also a testimony that a large number of people already exist on Voot and we will now primarily aim to bring that to Voot Select.” When asked what factors led to this success, Rakshit credited it to Voot’s investment on engagement and user loyalty. He said, “I think one of the big turning points that we had for Voot was that we really over-invested on interactivity. Rather than being a broadcasting or curating platform, we started engaging a lot more with our consumers. Our consumers started sharing their voices with us and that created a habit that made us number one in terms of engagement in the Indian OTT space. The frequency of people that come to our platform is also higher than everyone else and that helps to make your unit economy stronger because you are not spending as much money to bring in newer people onto the platform.” What lies in the future After seeing 335 million interactions on Voot in 2019, Rakshit eyes to triple it to 1 billion by the end of this fiscal and he believes that this approach will keep Voot ahead of its competition.

Voot Select envisions to be the leader of the Indian premium OTT space by FY21

Mumbai, Apr 12 () The transition from the magic of the big screen experience, complete with popcorn, candy and push back chairs, to the small screen has been rapid as audiences adapt to life under lockdown and filmmakers resize their offerings in keeping with the times. With the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, cinemas have downed their shutters and digital platforms are stepping up to meet the growing entertainment demands of millions of people across the world and in India spending their days confined to their homes. The trend is clear. The fear of the pandemic, which has infected more than 8,000 people and claimed at least 273 lives in India, could stay for maybe months after it abates. And audiences are unlikely to get back to the theatre in a hurry.Reading the writing on the screen, production houses and distributors have already moved their big screen releases to digital platforms.Irrfan's much awaited "Angrezi Medium" released on March 13 but theatres were already closing everywhere by then and the film was in the theatres for just a day. The movie is now available on newly launched Disney+Hotstar.Similarly "Bamfaad", which marks the debut of Paresh Rawal's son Aditya is available on ZEE5.In India, home grown digital platforms are reaping the benefits of the transition."Voot Select is seeing a definite surge in the uptake of subscribers. It is about 2.5 to 3 times higher than what we had estimated. But this growth cannot be attributed to increased consumption alone. The fact of the matter is Voot Select is a very new service - only three-week-old," said Ferzad Palia, head - Voot Select, Youth, Music &amp; English Entertainment Viacom18.Aparna Acharekar, programming head, ZEE5 India, said the platform is diversifying its content and even making it free."Through our initiative of #BeCalmBeEntertained, we have made a host of content available free for viewers. We also launched our Original 'State of Siege: 26/11' which garnered a fantastic response from the audience as well as critics."Besides "Bamfaad", which released on April 10, it also has a Short Film Festival coming up on April 15. The world, added Nachiket Pantvaidya, group chief operating officer, Balaji Telefilms and CEO of ALTBalaji, is facing a humanitarian crisis with most countries under lockdown to ensure the safety of their citizens."In the current scenario, we are encouraging our viewers to stay safe in self-isolation for which we shall continue to serve quality entertainment at the most optimized data usage," Nachiket told .Nachiket, who did not divulge data on the increase in subscriber count, added that they are urging subscribers to make the switch to SD (Standard Definition) from HD (High Definition)."While we have witnessed an increase in viewership and the time they spend consuming our content, our main objective is to ensure uninterrupted entertainment to their screens."Will all this forever change the way people consume content?That's the question uppermost in the minds of industry insiders as people settle into a lockdown routine and prepare for an extension. India has been under a lockdown after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on March 24."Cinema is a habit, if you break a habit for four-six months, you'll get a lot of people dissuaded to come to cinemas. Even if there is a reduction of 15-20 per cent of the footfall, which is anyway on a decline, cinema is going to be badly hit," Bihar-based exhibitor Vishek Chauhan told . The shrinking gap between theatrical releases and their debut on streaming platform has left cinema hall owners and exhibitors worried about their future."With everyone quarantined, digital platforms are "taking us by the throat and pushing down their content every week", Chauhan said. According to him, the comfort of OTT platforms poses a threat to the theatrical viewing experience because it's an "antithesis to appointment cinema". "Theatrical viewing is fixed at a particular time, a location, which isn't the case with OTT. You can watch unlimited content online using free data. This is a huge crisis we will face. It's not like the gates will open and people will throng our premises." "Imagine if I were Netflix or Amazon and made an offer to the makers of 'Sooryavanshi' to release it digitally, paying whatever amount they think they could've earned in theatrical, How long will Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty hold back?"There has been a substantial investment in the film and it's costing the makers interest on a daily basis as we speak," Chauhan said. "Sooryavanshi" is the third film in Rohit's cop universe after Ajay Devgn's "Singham" and Ranveer Singh-starrer "Simmba". The film was supposed to release on March 24 but has been postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic. Raj Bansal, senior distributor and exhibitor, said China, where the pandemic began, recently opened theatres but not many turned up. "That's such a clear indicator of where we stand today. No one is coming to cinema halls. At least that won't be on people's mind right now," said Bansal, director of Entertainment Paradise, a three-screen multiplex in Jaipur. Internationally, too, Disney, which recently launched its streaming service in India with Hotstar, has put some of its movies directly on Disney+. The titles include "Frozen 2" and "Onward" which arrived for home viewing faster than they would have had the cinemas been open.In an interview with Barron's, Disney's executive chairman Bob Iger said they were considering putting a few of their movies on the streaming platform."There are some we've decided to put on Disney+. We already announced one, Artemis Fowl, that would have been released in theaters. Others we've simply delayed. In some cases we've moved things onto Disney+ faster than we would have. 'Frozen 2' was one of them, but 'Onward' would be the biggest example. It was in theatres when this happened," Iger said when asked about films already in production. Similarly, Universal put "The Hunt" on streaming while Focus Features' made "Emma" available for early streaming. Dispelling the gloom, PVR Cinemas CEO Gautam Dutta said he is not worried about the future of theatres and considers the lockdown due to pandemic a challenging but short term problem. In an interview to recently, Dutta said, "Out of home entertainment is not just about watching movies. It is about eating out, about socializing, holding hands and creating memories. Once the lockdown is over and the situation improves, people will return to cinemas," he said. KKP BK MIN MINMIN

COVID-19 changes cinema game from big to small screen

<ul><li>Even after the record growth witnessed by streaming services in India, the question remains whether these platforms can retain the massive lockdown gains </li><li>With streaming services under pressure to provide new content frequently and producers trying to not lose money in films, web premiers might be another new normal. </li><li>Moreover, a KPMG report suggested that OTT platforms should look at gaming as an extension to their ecosystem offerings. </li></ul>Streaming services are the only bright spot for the millions who are isolating at home during lockdown. With ample leisure time and fewer options, usage of streaming platforms surged. Most of the 35 streaming giants in India — <keyword id="3960758" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime-Videos">Amazon Prime Videos</keyword>, <keyword id="6245082" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ZEE5">Zee5</keyword>. Voot, Hungama, AltBalaji, MX Player — witnessed a record growth fueled by quarantine. The Big Boost During the lockdown, there was a 265% increase in OTT traffic since February last week — in spite of the drop from HD to SD, according to Internet Exchange operator DE-CIX. The five services that gained the most are Amazon Prime Videos, Netflix, Youtube, Zee5 and Hotstar. Disney+ — which was launched soon after India locked itself down —<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/08/disney-has-more-than-50m-subscribers/"> added 8 million users </a>within a week. Whereas, Netflix India — which was earlier losing to the homegrown market — too <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/exclusive-app-tracking-data-for-netflix-reveals-the-countries-where-usage-spiked-in-march-and-suggests-strong-viewership-heading-into-q1-earnings/articleshow/75162782.cms">saw at least an 8% growth in Q1FY20 driven</a> by its cheapest mobile online plan at ₹199. Zee5, a homegrown OTT platform, saw 36% growth during the lockdown. Whereas its foreign arm, <keyword id="7124509" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ZEE5-Global">Zee5 Global</keyword> saw a 60% surge in users across the world including the Middle East and Canada. Alt Balaji, yet another homegrown platform, saw a 60% growth in its subscription. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">OTT services </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Change in viewership due to Covid-19 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Netflix India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+8% in Q1 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zee5 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+36% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hungama Play </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+20% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Eros Now </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+70-100% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">MX Player</td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">130% surge on engagement </td></tr></tbody></table> A short-term spike or a long-term gain A<a href="https://rollingstoneindia.com/how-the-coronavirus-is-impacting-audio-and-video-streaming-in-india/"> Nielsen report</a> predicted that lockdown can trigger a 60% rise in content consumption in India. Even after the record growth witnessed by streaming services in India, the question remains whether these platforms can retain the massive gains post lockdown. Hence, when Netflix recently said it added a record 15.8 million paid subscribers globally, it also added that it is treating it as “<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/21/neflix-q1-earnings/">a short-term spike” and the growth will gradually decline. </a> A KPMG report, however, believes that OTTs are likely to see continued accelerated growth. "While the same levels of consumption may not be achieved once we overcome this pandemic, there is definitely a new and higher normal that is likely to be established when it comes to time spent on OTT platforms," Girish Menon, Partner and Head, Media and Entertainment, KPMG in India told Business Insider. Moreover, Menon believes consumers are likely to develop a habit of consuming video online during lockdown which would later drive subscription growth. However, According to Karan Bedi, MX Player, OTT platforms might witness some immediate dip post lockdown, but the overall base and average time spent would continue the rise. With shooting of new TV series being delayed and movie theatres closed, services with large, legacy libraries and fresh content, have an inherent advantage. “A new normal has been witnessed as consumers adapt to the evolving situation of the pandemic. We feel this pattern will stay as it is in the post-COVID-19 era as well and perhaps there will be some incremental change in the overall user growth,” Aparna Acharekar, programming head of ZEE5 India. Ferzad Palia, who heads Voot Select in India too thinks the same. Rohit Paranjpe who heads SugarBox Networks believes new content will continue to enthuse people. The pressure on OTT services to release new content more frequently may also go up. Also, OTT players too should not be happy just retaining users and will have to engage them more. Apart from films, KPMG in a report suggested OTT platforms look at gaming as an extension to ecosystem offerings. “OTT will look to bring their consumer’s value in other areas: from aggregating other third party content providers who are not competing with them to promoting and pushing other adjacent services, like fitness and food delivery apps, and education platforms,” said Lior Friedman, VP - global partnerships and strategy at Amdocs Media. Directly onto OTT platforms With streaming services under pressure to provide new content frequently and producers trying to not lose money in films products, web premiers might be a new normal. Lakshmi Bomb featuring Akshay Kumar might release on Disney+Hotstar. MUBI is premiering Pablo Larrain’s film ‘Ema’ in India, UK and Ireland on May 2. Whereas, Zee5 is also considering premiering movies directly on its platform in the near future. AB Anni CD will be yet another film to be released directly on Amazon Prime Videos. Akshay Bardapur, the producer of the movie that stars Amitabh Bachchan said, “We didn’t want to keep audiences from watching two megastars. Also, it made sense to recover losses by selling content to the OTT.” But big-budget movies are preferring to hold back. Recently, the makers of Ranvir Singh starrer movie ‘83 said they will release the film in theatres first even <a href="https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/ranveer-singhs-83-to-not-release-on-ott-platforms-makers-aim-for-theatrical-release/articleshow/75401861.cms">if they had to wait for six or nine months. </a> “While producers of movies that have a reasonable budget may experiment with releasing movies directly on OTT platforms or opt for a pay-per-view model, bigger films are unlikely to be released until later this year or next year,” says Neeraj Roy, founder and CEO of Hungama Digital Media. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/cinema-halls-may-not-open-in-india-until-june-end/articleshow/75407053.cms">Cinema halls may not open in India until June end</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/lockdown-watchlist-want-to-binge-watch-a-show-that-lasts-a-week-try-these-long-running-shows-on-netflix-amazon-prime-disney-hotstar-and-others/articleshow/75173116.cms">Lockdown Watchlist: Want to binge-watch a show that lasts a week? Try these long-running shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar and others</a>

Streaming platforms who are on a new high — are hosting web premiers and might even expand to gaming

<ul><li>In 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.”

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