iWorld
Ditto TV sees more demand for regional content
MUMBAI: With an aim to be the default app on every internet enabled smartphone in India for content delivery, Zee’s dittoTV seems to have got its marketing pitch correct with #BeeskaTV and #DeshkaTV campaign.
Poised to clock an annual revenue of Rs 150 crore (according to a media analyst) from a base of approximately six million installs (downloads), mostly in the Hindi speaking markets (HSM), the OTT service is attracting audience from a segment that is still growing in India.
“We have received a phenomenal response across all our platforms— six million installs and counting! The viewers loved our television commercial and we trended at no. 3 worldwide on Youtube when the campaign went live,” gushed dittoTV business head Archana Anand.
#BeeskaTV and #DeshkaTV were among the top 10 Twitter trends worldwide, according to Anand who added that the the dittoTV app trended at #1 in the entertainment category in both the Android and iOS app stores.
With an aim to build on this trending success and further enhance penetration, the digital platform has tied up with sister company Siticable, which is one of the oldest and largest MSOs in the country. Both come from the Subhash Chandra and family-promoted Essel group.
As part of this collaboration, Siticable will be pushing the authentication and subscription to dittoTV from its portal to the subscribers of its cable TV service for free. The cable TV service will share 20 per cent as revenue for every ditto TV subscription that the operator sells.
dittoTV subscription charges for three months, six months and one year are Rs 50, Rs 90 and Rs 170, respectively.
“They say well begun is half done. By that theory, we are in an extremely good position. With the new alliance rolling out and the masses sharing the phenomena of #BeeskaTV, we see the start of a fun and exciting journey,” Anand explained, adding a strong uptake is also reflected on the service’s usage and good content consumption.
Anand and her team are working on getting new business partnership for the platform and some alliances are said to be in the pipeline, which were not disclosed.
The platform credits its success to a combination of factors: width and depth of content and its incredible pricing. dittoTV offers access to over 100+ Hindi, English and regional-language channels encompassing general entertainment, sports, movies, news and lifestyle at just Rs 20 a month.
What worked best on Indian television (general entertainment) seems to have mirrored on the OTT service too as GECs were key drivers of dittoTV, followed by regional and news channels.
“Regional language content performs superbly across all our platforms and is rising steadily,” opined Anand claiming that regional viewer is also a `returning viewer’ and spends higher time compared to the platform average.
“On certain days, we’ve actually seen higher consumption for certain regional GECs as compared to key Hindi GECs. Sports and News are very event based and do extremely well for us in bursts when there is a sporting event or breaking news,” Anand said.
The average view time on the platform has been up to 24 minutes per user. What the reason? Events like cricket (the West Indies vs. India series) and the bundling of dittoTV with data packs with telcos like Idea Cellular have contributed to this substantially.
dittoTV has deliberately positioned itself differently from other similar players in the markets like HotStar, Sony Liv and Voot as they follow a simple and clear strategy of providing live content similar to what is available on television.
An aggressive pricing strategy notwithstanding, dittoTV is still far away from replacing cable TV or DTH from consumer homes as a primary source of video consumption, but Anand is upbeat.
“TV is synonymous with entertainment for the Indian masses and dittoTV being a linear TV offering remains synonymous with TV. I strongly believe that our platform will be a game changer and will help us drive volumes as well as change the way people consume content on-the-go,” she concluded.
iWorld
Samay Raina confirms return of India’s Got Latent after controversy
Still Alive mixes humour and reflection as comedian revisits 2025 row
MUMBAI: Samay Raina has signalled a possible return of his controversial show India’s Got Latent, using his latest stand-up special Still Alive to address the past and hint at what lies ahead.
Released on YouTube, the special marks Raina’s most candid take yet on the backlash that forced the show off air in 2025. While much of the performance leans on humour, it also dips into more reflective territory, offering a glimpse into the emotional toll of the controversy.
Recounting the fallout, YouTube comedian samay raina said, “We were both extremely unsettled. How would we navigate this? It was terrifying. We were lost as to what was happening.” He also spoke about a moment involving fellow comedian Balraj Ghai’s family, describing it as overwhelming and difficult to process.
The personal impact of the episode came through most strongly when Raina spoke about his family. He admitted he struggled to even answer a call from his mother during the crisis. YouTube comedian samay raina said, “I hesitated to answer her call and show my tear-streaked face. How would she react? My mom is unaware of anything except how to love.”
Amid the introspection, Raina also dropped a clear hint about the future of his show. While he believes the first season ended on a high note, he confirmed that he intends to revive it. YouTube comedian samay raina said, “I will bring back the show because it used to be fun making it.”
The original run of India’s Got Latent had been pulled down following widespread criticism and legal scrutiny over controversial remarks that went viral, prompting debates around content boundaries in India’s digital entertainment space. Raina later removed episodes and issued an apology, stepping back from major releases for a period.
His return now appears more measured, blending humour with reflection and signalling a creative reset. He also hinted that the next iteration of the show could be more raw and unfiltered, though details remain under wraps.
For fans, the takeaway is simple. The show that sparked both laughter and debate may be gearing up for a second act, with Raina ready to test the limits once again, this time with a sharper sense of where the lines lie.
