iWorld
ALTBalaji witnesses a significant growth in the subscription base
KOLKATA: One of the major players in the OTT space – ALTBalaji (India’s leading homegrown OTT platform) has witnessed higher engagement with the platform, with consumers watching more shows, including older library content that offers a bouquet of different genres of content spread across 62 original shows.
Understanding the changing OTT behaviour in urban towns v/s rural places, the percentage of traffic observed from top eight metros including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Kolkata during the fourth quarter is 44 percent as compared to viewership from non-metros, tier 2 /tier 3 towns, and cities, which equals to 56 percent. It translates to an increase in subscriber base from the hinterlands, with them spending more time on the platform hence providing a dual advantage.
ALTBalaji CEO and Balaji Telefilms group COO Nachiket Pantvaidya said, “There has been substantial growth in the subscription of ALTBalaji even before the lockdown had begun and more importantly during the three months of lockdown. As per statistics, India’s tier two and three towns have seen an upswing of internet users that has been hugely beneficial to the OTT platforms." .”
There’s no denying the fact that there has been tremendous growth in digital consumption, especially during the Covid-19 lockdown. Naturally, there has been a huge spike in the OTT subscription by the content-hungry populace.
He further added, “The last few months have been beneficial, in terms of content and subscribers’ growth. The growing demand for new seasons of the popular shows including, Baarish 2 and KehneKoHumsafarHain 3, among others, have also added to the brand popularity. Post lockdown, the target is to launch two shows every month, and we have got around 10-12 shows that are in various stages of production. We are the No 1 player with 62 original shows in various genres, and we will continue fuelling that position by putting more shows on our platform.”
According to a recent survey, the percentage of increasing internet users in rural areas is surprisingly more than the urban cities. The latest report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (published in Times of India) suggests that rural India had 227 million users, 10 per cent more than urban India’s about 205 million.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
