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<ul><li>OTT has helped bring an ocean of content to our fingertips. However, it has also made it difficult to sift through the vast amount of content and select one according to our taste.</li><li> <keyword id="1659188" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="content-discovery">Content discovery</keyword> platform <keyword id="9574458" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="flyx">FLYX</keyword>, launched last year, is trying to solve this problem.</li><li> We speak to <keyword id="350051" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shashank-Singh">Shashank Singh</keyword>, Founder and CEO, FLYX to understand how the platform works, its revenue model and how it is bringing more users to its platform.</li></ul>The advent of over-the-top (OTT) platforms has introduced a new problem in our lives, what is the best content available in this vast universe and where to find them! Haven’t all of us spent more time deciding what to watch rather than watching the content? FLYX was conceived keeping this very consumer problem in mind. It is a discovery platform specially aimed at people faced with the perennial dilemma of selecting content worthy of watching. The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown led to many people flocking to different OTT platforms, to keep themselves entertained while staying locked at home. This led to a surge in interest among people to get better content recommendations and led to an earlier launch of FLYX which had been in the making for the past couple of years. Despite being in the pre-revenue stage currently, the platform is working towards creating opportunities for content producers to reach the right audience at the right time through the business platform the company is currently working on. We caught up with Shashank Singh, Founder and CEO, FLYX to understand how the platform works, how it is planning to monetize itself and the kind of opportunities it will present to marketers in the future. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Excerpts:" comment="subhead" text="Excerpts:">Excerpts:</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) FLYX was launched in the middle of last year’s lockdown. Briefly tell us about your journey so far." text="Q) FLYX was launched in the middle of last year’s lockdown. Briefly tell us about your journey so far.">Q) FLYX was launched in the middle of last year’s lockdown. Briefly tell us about your journey so far.</cmsannotation> FLYX was conceived with the idea to provide a platform for the seamless discovery of movies and shows for people who were faced with the dilemma of selecting content worthy of watching. Our aim is to create a new-age digital platform to empower consumers and content creators to ensure great content wins. As the first step toward the goal, we have launched a unique social network to connect friends, family, celebrities, casts, crews and influencers to help get recommendations. Research has shown us that two-thirds of our video streaming habit is influenced by friends and family and that is the best way to discover great content. We started working on the idea since the last couple of years and opened up our private beta in early 2020, then publicly launched at the end of April 2020. Since then, it has been an interesting journey and we are really excited for what lies in the future. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) How did the pandemic and the lockdown affect your business?" text="Q) How did the pandemic and the lockdown affect your business?">Q) How did the pandemic and the lockdown affect your business?</cmsannotation> The pandemic brought with it a surge in the number of people turning to OTT platforms to fulfill their cinematic cravings. This scenario prompted us to pre-pone our launch. We had launched in a private only beta earlier in the year, and had decided upon a late summer or early monsoon official release. However, as the pandemic swept through the world, we saw a sudden and a huge spike in activity within our small group of close to 500 private beta testers. Our family and friends wished to introduce their acquaintances to the app too and demanded that FLYX be launched. Therefore, contrary to expectations, the pandemic forced us to launch sooner than we had intended, and so far, the response has been overwhelming. India, which serves as the home for over 40 OTT platforms, and is the second largest OTT market predicted to reach $5 billion in size by 2023, is our primary focus market. It is encouraging to see that the people are tuning in more than ever to OTT platforms within the confine of their premises. People are still wary of going to go to theatres but want to keep themselves entertained. We already have more than 100,000 users in India from key locations like Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Chennai, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Patna. We have been strengthening our team in India to further expand our footprint. We recently partnered with <keyword id="5714" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Filmfare">Filmfare</keyword> for their first-ever OTT awards which was very well-received by the audience as well as the industry. This is a validation of the work we are doing. We were able to double our user base and witnessed a huge spike in engagement across our social media. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) Tell us a bit more about your association with Filmfare." text="Q) Tell us a bit more about your association with Filmfare.">Q) Tell us a bit more about your association with Filmfare.</cmsannotation> Over the past few years, with the advent of digitalization, the streaming industry in India has garnered greater attention. New talent, innovative, gripping narratives and layered characters have all been limned in the limelight, and OTT platforms have facilitated the recognition of this new, brilliant facet of cinema. Our collaboration with Filmfare was motivated by a common goal - to celebrate and honor the best content creators and artists who have kept up with our entertainment needs and delivered quality content to us even during unprecedented times. Filmfare’s legacy and FLYX’s dedication to bringing modern-age technology to digital entertainment contributed to the distinctiveness of the award show. The overall response to the event was also gratifying. All in all, an atmosphere of camaraderie and shared excitement was cultivated and we were amazed at how the industry came together in such a short period of time and helped us make this a historic event for the OTT industry. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) Have you seen any trend in the demographics, gender, age group of your users?" text="Q) Have you seen any trend in the demographics, gender, age group of your users?">Q) Have you seen any trend in the demographics, gender, age group of your users?</cmsannotation> We conducted a survey to examine the consumer behavior during the pandemic. The respondents were in the age group of 18-65 years and formed a multifarious group of students, professionals, business owners and self-employed individuals, among others from major cities of India, including Delhi NCR, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata. 56% of the respondents were male and 42% were female. The survey revealed that there has been an upsurge in both purchase of OTT subscriptions and viewing hours among Indian users. Over 50% of the respondents said that they had purchased new subscriptions during the pandemic, along with a 5x increase in those spending 16+ hours weekly and a 4x increase in those spending 12-16 hours weekly on OTT platforms. This has made it evident to us that people from all age groups and both the sexes have shown a pre-ponderance for OTT platforms and all that is associated with them. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) What is your current revenue model?" text="Q) What is your current revenue model?">Q) What is your current revenue model?</cmsannotation> We are still at the pre-revenue stage but there are huge opportunities in this space. FLYX want to create opportunities for content producers to reach right audience at right time via the business platform we are currently working on. We are targeting to launch this in the second half of 2021. We are also working on some really cool and exciting stuff and will create some experience for premium users who will have access to some premium features. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) You are a content discovery platform. Are you exploring advertising or brand integrations?" text="Q) You are a content discovery platform. Are you exploring advertising or brand integrations?">Q) You are a content discovery platform. Are you exploring advertising or brand integrations?</cmsannotation> This is definitely one very important part of FLYX journey. We aim to democratize content discovery and FLYX will provide brands a platform to reach out directly to the end consumers and show them the right content at the right time. Various brands who are associated with the entertainment industry directly or indirectly can also participate in the promotion of the content in which they are involved. In future, we will also allow them to sell merchandise to the fans. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) Who are your competitors? And how are you differentiating yourself?" text="Q) Who are your competitors? And how are you differentiating yourself?">Q) Who are your competitors? And how are you differentiating yourself?</cmsannotation> Currently, we have two competitors in the segment: Just Watch and Likewise. What sets FLYX apart from its contemporaries, however, is the fact that it is a one-of-a-kind, highly interactive and fun social platform where users can engage with their friends and followers through stories and chats, watch trailers, read news, create shareable lists and exchange notes and comments with followers about the new and upcoming releases. Recently, we also launched a new exciting and innovative feature called Sharelist on the platform. This feature will enable users to share recommendations of movies and shows with their friends and family and across social media platforms in real-time and is available for both Android and iOS users. We are also working on some really cool stuff which will take interaction among fans and with celebrities to the next level and make it very fun and exciting. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) Where do you see FLYX in the next 3-5 years?" text="Q) Where do you see FLYX in the next 3-5 years?">Q) Where do you see FLYX in the next 3-5 years?</cmsannotation> Our vision is to become a platform that will play its part in democratizing the media and entertainment industry by shifting focus on quality content. Our app will not only help users discover great content, but will also open avenues to connect with family, friends and favourite cast and crew members. We aim to bridge the gap between those who produce content (the entertainment industry) and those who consume it (their intended audiences). We are also working on some inventive, new age products and features that will certainly alter the industry radically.

Here’s how FLYX, a content-discovery platform, is trying to bridge the gap between content producers and consumers

<ul><li>From buying groceries to ordering a paracetamol, the lockdown forced the entire nation to avail digital services. </li><li>It has opened up an opportunity for Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms to rise to the situation and curate a seamless streaming experience for their consumers as they are quarantined 24x7.</li><li>Shashank Singh, CEO &amp; Founder, <keyword id="9574458" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="flyx">FLYX</keyword> writes how innovation in storyline is the key factor that is fuelling the growth of OTT platforms and why OTT needs to be censorship-free. </li></ul>Times are tough for businesses across industries, including the entertainment industry. Though theatres have been opened with limited capacity, the unprecedented growth and breakthrough of OTT platforms have been undeniably unparalleled. Even though the charm of cinemas and going to a theatre can never be replaced by streaming platforms, it is interesting to acknowledge and recognize how far we have come along in our content-viewing journey. During the past few months of the global pandemic, people staying at home around the world have turned to various streaming services for entertainment. The once advocated hypothesis that there are not enough hours in the day to consume content has changed, and streaming services worldwide are seeing a<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/27/21195358/streaming-netflix-disney-hbo-now-youtube-twitch-amazon-prime-video-coronavirus-broadband-network"> huge spike in traffic.</a> According to a report by ACT Fibernet called ‘State of Internet Traffic Trend’, India saw a staggering 55% hike in overall streaming traffic during the lockdown1. Various industry reports throw light on the popularity of homegrown OTT platforms. Indian player Disney+Hotstar has the most number of subscribers, followed by Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. This is mainly due to the local language content available on Disney+Hotstar that appeals to the majority of Indians.2 According to a recent PwC report, India is currently the world’s fastest growing OTT (over-the-top streaming) market, and is all set to emerge as the world’s sixth-largest by 2024. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.6% over the next four years to touch revenues of $2.9 billion. With covid-19 pandemic resulting in a seven-month shutdown of movie theatres, several producers have taken their films directly to digital platforms which has seen OTT platforms gaining at the expense of cinemas. In 2018, SVoD revenues were a third of India’s total box office revenue but the shift of eyeballs to digital platforms in the medium to long term will ensure India’s movie box office falls by 2.6% over the next four years as SVoD grows by 30.7%. Using technology to gain competitive edge Content is one of the most important factors that makes people subscribe to a streaming video service, but another equally important factor is the ease of use. This is where technology comes into play. Deloitte in its recent <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/technology/digital-media-trends-consumption-habits-survey.html">digital trends survey</a> found that streaming during Covid-19 compared to the pre-pandemic market is not so much ‘before and after’ as it is ‘before and faster’. People are signing up for services quickly and are leaving services even faster. With almost every streaming service offering free trials, consumers are lapping up the trials. However, the real test in retention will come down to technology. Streaming providers have to create a seamless experience for content viewing, and it starts with content discovery. Leaders in this market should look to invest more in technology by offering a great search experience. This means not only making it fast, but also very personalized. Providers will have to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand the consumer’s intent and offer the right content at the right time. Streaming Content and Censorship With so much content being produced and added to streaming platforms every day, there has been a growing issue about content censorship across the world. Platforms such as Netflix and Amazon, among others, are receiving <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/a35jna/netflix-and-amazon-may-have-to-censor-explicit-content-in-india-soon">content removal notices</a> from various governments and authorities. Recently, the debate about regulation and censorship is heating up in India. Patal Lok on Netflix in India has been surrounded by controversy because of violence, sexual content and portrayal of the hypocrisy of upper caste men. Rasbhari too has created a furore because of its sexual content. While currently there is no censorship of OTT platforms, this is likely to change in the future. The Information and Broadcast Ministry of India is proposing that OTT platforms fall under its purview so that they can be regulated just as other media such as TV, radio, films, etc.4 The Future Path Innovation in storyline is the key factor that is fuelling the growth of OTT platforms, and it is currently free from any regulation or censorship before it hits your favourite device. Censorship kills creativity, and this can be easily seen by how good the content of new streaming shows is versus content released in theatres. Streaming content should ideally follow the food industry model, meaning series/ movies should have full disclosures about its contents and allow the consumer to decide if they want to purchase or watch it. Currently, all major <keyword id="10213289" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="streaming-players">streaming players</keyword> are following their own standards. What we need is a regulatory body that standardizes these disclosures and uses technology to audit for compliance, without censoring any content. Here again, artificial intelligence and machine learning could play a big role in automatically classifying the content and generating full disclosures. The next decade in streaming will be very exciting and also very challenging. Winners will not only be decided by who has the best content but also who has the most advanced technology to make the service more intelligent and super easy to use. Ultimately, the streaming wars will empower consumers and revolutionize how they consume media.

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Here’s how FLYX, a content-discovery platform, is trying to bridge the gap between content producers and consumers

Samarpita Banerjee

OTT: Technology, censorship and the future

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