iWorld
Survey finds word of mouth best way to discover content online
MUMBAI: All the world’s advanced technology has not been able to change this simple formula. With more video content to choose today than ever before, picking the best is a challenge. A survey from Parrot Analytics has found that word of mouth still reigns the lot when it comes to new show recommendations.
The easiest way to find new content today is through YouTube, Netflix and Amazon etc. But it seems that the audience is not satisfied with these automated algorithms predicting their tastes. All the 10 surveyed markets have one thing in common – the habit of consulting friends and family for recommendations.
Parrot Analytics conducted the survey in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and Japan to get an insight of the ways by which people discover new content to watch. Total 10,000 respondents participated in the survey.
Among other ways for discovering offline content, TV guide or TV listings also play a major role in many countries. Besides this, television commercials or other sorts of advertisements help people to find new show across all the 10 markets. For online content, browsing articles or blogs help many people.
People from the US, the largest market of television industry, widely rely on word of mouth for discovering both online and offline content. Other big markets like UK, Canada, Australia also reflect the same habit. The community is a big player to make a show popular since in many markets social media and peer-to-peer network are key sources of finding new content other than word of mouth.
Germany is one with its peculiarity for the old. Germans mainly prefer television listings and guides for offline content and find online content via browsing articles, news. In other markets, Mexico and Japan highly depend on television commercials and a third of the people in Brazil take clues from TV listings or guides for offline shows and 32 per cent of people go for online platform recommendations.
The availability of content and demand for it is rising proportionally worldwide. Audiences want new ways of finding relevant content. Content discovering demands more organised algorithms and search engine optimisation to make audiences happy with recommendations and moreover to make the content hunting easier for everyone.
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Govt pushes live events sector to Rs 196 billion by 2028
LEDC roadmap targets 15–20 million jobs and global hub status by 2030
MUMBAI: India’s live events story is getting louder and this time, it’s policy turning up the volume. The fourth meeting of the Live Events Development Cell (LEDC), chaired by Chanchal Kumar, was held on 30 April 2026 at Vigyan Bhavan, bringing together representatives from nine Central Ministries, six States and 12 industry stakeholders to chart the sector’s next phase of growth. The numbers already tell a compelling story. India’s organised live events industry was valued at Rs 145 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at 10 per cent to Rs 196 billion by 2028 making it one of the fastest-expanding segments within the media and entertainment ecosystem.
Set up in July 2025 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the LEDC is tasked with turning that momentum into a structured growth engine. Its long-term ambition is ambitious, position India as a global live events hub by 2030 while generating an additional 15–20 million jobs.
At the meeting, officials emphasised the sector’s multiplier effect spanning tourism, employment and allied industries while underlining the need for coordinated execution. A key update was the rollout of a single-window clearance system for live event permissions via the India Cine Hub portal, aimed at simplifying approvals and improving transparency.
States have been urged to adopt the system, alongside implementing the “Model Executive Order for Streamlining Licensing and Permissions for Live Events in India, 2026” by 31 May 2026. The framework seeks to standardise what has long been a fragmented and time-consuming regulatory process.
Beyond permissions, the discussion also turned to infrastructure and talent. A draft concept for greenfield venue development was tabled, alongside plans to build a skilled workforce. The Indian Institute of Mass Communication, in collaboration with industry bodies MESC and EEMA, is set to introduce certificate courses tailored to the live events sector.
Chanchal Kumar stressed that alignment across stakeholders is already in place, with the next challenge being execution at scale. The government, he noted, remains committed to creating a facilitative and transparent ecosystem for organisers.
For an industry once seen as fragmented and event-driven, the message is clear, India’s live events business is no longer just about the show, it’s about building an entire stage for growth.
