iWorld
Changing consumer behaviour as viewership spikes on ZEE5
MUMBAI: The current Covid2019 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown has not just stalled industries and economic activity but has also contributed to the ongoing change in behavioural patterns in people, including that of digital consumption. The restrictions on social interaction imposed by the government in response to the pandemic had already led to an increase in video viewership on OTT platforms. The lockdown led to more people inadvertently realising the convenience of OTT, which has shifted the way content is consumed on a day-to-day basis.
With Unlock 2.0, production studios are coming back to a new way of shooting; thus ensuring consumers get their daily dose of entertainment. With regional language channels launching new shows which are being shot in smaller towns to new episodes of old shows, viewership is growing week on week. ZEE5, India’s No.1 Contech platform, has observed a phenomenal spike in viewership as consumers consume more content on the platform, with the new Unlock!
Viewers bounce back:
As TV shows gear up to launch new episodes from 13 July, ZEE5 has observed a +52 per cent Week on-Week growth in video views across majority of languages. Shows such as, Rahichi Rahibi Tori Pain, Pavitra Rishta, Vedh Bhavishyaacha, Ninne Palladhata and many shows across Hindi, Oriya, Marathi, Kannada etc have observed a massive jump in video views.
With the increase in demand for digital content, more and more households have invested in Connected TV (CTV) devices like Apple TV, Amazon Firestick and Smart TVs. These devices provide regular televisions with internet access to stream video content on OTT platforms.
The Rise of Cord Cutting and Cord Shaving
Cord cutters are viewers who have cancelled paid multichannel subscription services like cable or satellite television. Cord shavers are viewers who have downgraded their TV packages, replacing those reduced services with on-demand video streaming services.
In a survey carried out by Eros Now and KPMG in September 2019, involved 1458 OTT users from 10 cities in India, revealed that 10 per cent of respondents prefer watching original content online. The report also revealed that OTT video could usher in cord cutting sooner than expected. While 38 percent of the respondents could consider cord cutting in the future, 14 percent of the respondents considered subscribing to OTT platforms as an alternative to TV subscriptions.
As more and more consumers decide to reduce or cancel their TV subscriptions to consume content on OTT, this has led to a rise in cord cutting and cord shaving.
The lockdown has driven this behavioural change into permanency and now manifests itself in viewers consuming old and new TV content again across all apps.
With three out of ten respondents viewing online video on telco platforms, also proved the importance of Telco platforms for the distribution of online video content. A recent study by YouGov (Feb 2020) suggested, that 42 per cent people spend time watching catchup content on OTT platforms while only 18 per cent prefer watching TV. The same report also mentioned that 72 per cent urban Indians prefer video on demand as compared to cable TV.
A large part of the TV viewing audience has migrated towards consuming content on digital-only platforms like OTT. The above table shows 10 shows which are produced for TV and are also available on ZEE5. Majority people have watched the episode on ZEE5 as compared to TV. This rise in viewing content online has opened new doors for advertisers. As more and more people move towards ZEE5, advertisers can use this opportunity to reach more people by leveraging ZEE5 content to increase their market presence.
Opportunity for Advertisers
As consumers adapt to the new way of living, they will likely continue to stream OTT content for the majority of their at-home entertainment. Hence OTT is becoming mainstream for most advertisers as the platforms are brand safe, have higher ad completion rates and cost per effective reach for the brand. As viewership increases, ZEE5 is the destination for brands to advertise which provides incremental and targeted reach through transparency in measurability.
ZEE5, Contech leader in this space, provides unique targeting through one on one targeting, lifestyle-based cohort segmentation and a powerful suite of Ads format to engage audience depending on business objective across an entire device ecosystem.
Learn more about OTT advertising and how this strategy could be implemented for your business by getting in touch with ZEE5 Ads.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
