iWorld
Amazon Prime hits 200 million subscribers
NEW DELHI: Amazon Prime, which comprises the e-commerce giant’s video streaming service, has reached a userbase of 200 million, an increase of over 50 million post the outbreak of the Covid2019 pandemic, revealed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in a letter to shareholders.
For comparison, Netflix had over 204 million users at the end of 2020, while Disney+ has amassed more than 100 million users in an year of its launch. Considering the viewing plans, Amazon is considered the most affordable when compared to Netflix and Disney+, and it is giving the OTT platform widespread acceptance in countries like India.
Streaming service Prime Video is simply an added value element included in Prime membership. Amazon has never officially revealed how many Prime subscribers are actively using the Prime Video function.
However, the company’s attention to churn out video content has surged significantly over the years. Web series and movies produced by Amazon Studios (which invariably land on Prime Video) are finding favour not only with viewers but critics, too. The OTT platform’s star has been rising on the back of popular shows like The Boys and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as well as Oscar-nominated films like Borat Subsequent MovieFilm and Sound of Metal.
Bezos, who will be replaced by former AWS head Andy Jassy as Amazon CEO this year, said in his final letter to the company’s shareholders that Amazon customers have connected more than 100 million smart home devices to Alexa.
Further, he informed that Amazon is currently employing more than 1.3 million people worldwide.
"Last year, we hired 500,000 employees and now directly employ 1.3 million people around the world. We have more than 200 million Prime members worldwide. More than 1.9 million small and medium-sized businesses sell in our store, and they make up close to 60 per cent of our retail sales," wrote Bezos.
The world’s richest man added that Amazon has created $1.6 trillion of wealth for shareowners. Additionally, the etailer spent $11 billion on video and music content in 2020, up from $7.8 billion in 2019, and it includes contents for Amazon Prime Video and royalties from Amazon Music.
Talking about Andy Jassy, Bezos said, "Andy is brilliant and has the highest of high standards. I guarantee you that Andy won’t let the universe make us typical. He will muster the energy needed to keep alive in us what makes us special. That won’t be easy, but it is critical. I also predict it will be satisfying and oftentimes fun.''
iWorld
Banijay Asia’s The 50 tops OTT charts with 8.1 million JioHotstar views
Reality competition becomes most watched show on JioHotstar in debut week.
MUMBAI: Fifty contestants walked into a palace, but millions of viewers showed up for the drama. Reality competition The 50, produced by Banijay Asia, has emerged as the most watched show on JioHotstar, clocking 8.1 million views in its debut week. The figure, reported by Ormax Media, places the show at the top of the OTT viewership charts and marks a strong opening for the digital reality format.
Adapted from a popular French format, The 50 brings together 50 personalities from television, digital platforms, music and reality shows inside a grand palace setting. Over the course of a 50 day competition, participants form alliances, compete in unpredictable tasks and navigate eliminations as the field steadily narrows.
Guiding the game is a mysterious figure known as The Lion, an unseen game master whose voice introduces twists, challenges and strategic turns throughout the show, adding an extra layer of suspense to the contest.
What distinguishes The 50 from typical reality competitions is its audience driven prize structure. Instead of the winner taking home the final reward, the prize is awarded to one of the winner’s registered followers through the show’s dedicated app. The mechanism effectively turns viewers into participants, allowing fans to have a direct stake in the outcome.
The contestant lineup features a mix of television actors, reality stars and digital creators, including Karan Patel, Urvashi Dholakia, Divya Agarwal, Mr Faisu and Dushyant Kukreja, each bringing their own fan following to the show.
With its blend of celebrity personalities, strategic gameplay and interactive viewer participation, The 50 has quickly carved out a strong foothold in India’s digital entertainment landscape. Its 8.1 million views in the opening week underline the growing appetite for large scale reality formats designed specifically for OTT audiences.
