iWorld
Digital space is no longer about just viewing content on multiple devices: Subhash Chandra
MUMBAI: With digital content becoming increasingly mainstream, media juggernaut Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd (Zeel) is taking extensive measures to drive larger market share of consumer eyeballs. The group intends to push for inorganic growth through improved content services and plans to leverage constant innovation to engage and ensure consumer stickiness on their media platforms
Zeel plans to monetise its digital offerings like dittoTV and OZEE through a mix of strategies including tie-ups with advertisers, targeted SEO and band solutions. To grow the subscription side of the digital business, the group will focus on multiple technological innovations that empowers consumer to get more by paying less and will allow better user experience and seamless content.
“The global media and entertainment industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4 per cent during 2015-18 to reach around $ 2.3 trillion. This may seem modest in relative terms but its absolute impact is significant… the share of various media is constantly getting recalibrated with digital growing at the fastest rate,” says ZEEL Chairman Subhash Chandra in the annual report 2015-16.
Further adding, “The digital space is no longer about just viewing content on multiple devices. On-demand viewing patterns have resulted in newer content formats, crisper episodes and differentiated content packaging tailor-made to audience preferences. This is where our expertise of rightly gauging the audience pulse is being leveraged ensuring that rich, engaging and relevant content is offered to our viewers across the globe.”
According to Chandra, India will be at the cusp of the transformation in the entertainment industry. Chandra and his team are definitely taking instrumental steps in achieving their long term goals and objectives. Its ditto TV offers its subscribers a complete on-the-go entertainment experience with a choice of over 120 premium live channels and over 40,000 hours of on demand content across TV shows, movies and videos. While all the Zeel channels form part of the ditto TV bouquet, it also aggregates both live and on-demand content from other broadcasters to cater to viewer preferences across genres and languages. ditto TV stands apart from other players for its ‘desh ka TV’ and ‘bees ka TV’ feature through which viewers can watch top shows, hours before their telecast along with digital premieres of movies. The platform has also entered the Limca Book of Records for being the only OTT service with the largest bouquet of channels across 13 languages.
“However, the share of wallet that entertainment commands today is lower than the global average presenting a great opportunity for growth,” he says.
The riposte recently launched dittoTV with a bouquet of 100 plus channels at a price point of just Rs 20 per month. The price gets even more lip smacking for users subscribing for three months (Rs 50), six months (Rs 90) and annually (Rs 170). The platform has tied up with major Indian broadcasters with the exception of the SunTV group and Star India giving it a portfolio of 100+ Hindi, English and regional language channels, encompassing general entertainment, sports, movies, news and lifestyle on board.
“With the new avatar of dittoTV, we aim to change the media landscape to suit the evolving media consumption preferences of consumers. It will allow users to control where they watch television in a way that has not been possible before. We are proud to present a platform that will help scale up this transformation by making it affordable for people across a wide economic spectrum,” voices Zeel MD & CEO Punit Goenka.
OZEE, Zeel’s free of cost VOD platform, launched to provide the vast library of entertainment on anytime anywhere basis, across devices. The platform showcases the latest and full episodes of TV shows from popular Zeel channels like Zee TV, & TV, Zee Marathi, Zee Telugu, Zee Tamil and more. The platform also hosts a vast library of popular music hits from Zee Music Company, and full length movies in Hindi and regional languages. It offers entertainment to over 11.6 mn users, generating 114.4 mn page views and 75.4 mn video views as of March 2016.
Zeel’s international OTT service, Zee Family TV streams over 30 live channels and has 2,000 plus movies on demand besides 25,000 plus hours of library content. It has over 86,000 users and is available across 152 countries. Zee Family TV is available across devices, and has considerably helped in curbing piracy.
“Increasing urbanisation coupled with the Phase III and IV digitisation by the government is ensuring better entertainment infrastructure and a more addressable and understandable. Zeel is proactively reorganising its operations focusing on newer delivery formats and ramping up its digital business in line with the changing dynamics of the operating environment,” opines Chandra.
The media brand offers content in multiple languages and has a strong presence in over 171 countries with a total viewership of 1 billion around the globe. It has a network share of 17.9 per cent while its total revenue comes close to Rs 58,515 million.
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
