iWorld
Eros Digital COO Ali Hussein on international partnerships for distribution & subscription
MUMBAI: As distribution plays a crucial role along with content for the business of over-the-top (OTT) platforms, Eros Now is betting big on partnerships in international markets to expand its reach in international markets. After recently striking deals with Vodafone Qatar and China’s WASU Media, the streaming player is also looking at such other partnerships. Although India definitely remains a large focus of the business, the company is trying to strengthen international distribution also.
Talking to Indiantelevison.com, Eros Digital chief operating officer Ali Hussein spoke about the objective of the partnerships. He emphasised on the importance of two of the partnerships as both the countries are very important for the company.
“We did an announcement for WASU in China which was our second partnership there. So, I don’t think any Indian OTTs really have any distribution partnership in China where we already have two. Moreover, China is doing a lot of investment in terms of market development on how to increase the further distribution of Indian programming or Indian content around the world. China is obviously a big market in terms of theatrical releases also and we are investing lots of resources trying to improve our digital distribution in China,” he commented.
Talking about the Vodafone Qatar partnership, he noted that the Middle East is a focus area for the company. The company would try to penetrate better in the UAE and now in Qatar with the partnership along with Bahrain and some of the other countries.
Hussein added that each market is unique in itself when it comes to content strategy thus requiring multiple strategies based on the market with localised approach like dubbing, subtitling, etc. Along with that, marketing is another area to get subscribers in conjunction with its partners also.
Interestingly, these markets have two kinds of audience as Hussein shared. The Indian audience and South Asian audience are watching a lot of South Asian content but it is some of the local audience watching Bollywood films. He also added that each market has a very different objective with different understanding of the audience behaviour. According to him, curating customer journeys, marketing the product and localisation of the product are also important factors.
“Direct subscription we are doing anyway. This kind of telco partnership helps because they have the billing relationship with consumers. They are very accurate in customer profiling. As Telcos are more accurate in what is the type of customers looking to watch what kind of content, customer targeting is better done through these partnerships. So, I think both these efforts continue to go ahead hand in hand. We don’t segregate, it’s just different means of how do you acquire customers,” he commented.
A recent KPMG report noted that telco partnerships contributed 30-35 per cent to the overall subscription revenues of OTT platforms in FY19. The report also added that although a majority of the subscription revenues are expected to come from direct subscriptions, the revenue from telco partnerships is also expected to achieve a robust growth, although slower as compared to direct subscriptions.
“Our maximum growth actually has been coming from beyond the top eight cities. Some of our originals are also garnering a large amount of viewership from beyond the top six or eight cities. Actually, the number from metros is quite high but if you look at the growth percentage from tier-II, tier-III cities, that has been maximum for us,” Hussein commented on the subscriber growth of the platform.
“Although user engagement also has a lot to do with the quality of network and quality of services, our time spent in terms of retention has gone north up of 75 minutes for most active users. A lot of original launches contribute to longer sessions. In general, we have seen a significant increase in time spent. For long-form episodic content, the company is trying to hit one original a month in the second half of the year,” he added.
The company is now looking at the interactive video area. Other key areas the company is focusing on are Eros Now Quickies and short films.
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.
