iWorld
Hoichoi to introduce pay-per-view, offline payment method
MUMBAI: SVF, the big name in Bengali entertainment industry, last year launched its Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi riding the wave of digital growth. In the second season of its journey, it is expanding its footprint into Bangladesh and UAE market. Though dependent on the SVOD model since birth, it will now introduce pay per view model as well. Moreover, in a first of its kind move in the industry, it has launched Hoichoi Top Up card which will be available in nearest retailers or upcoming Hoichoi kiosks. Given the preference for cash payment, this is an offline payment method.
Along with a new payment method and business plans, it has the ambition to add more than 100 hours of original content in the upcoming year. The new content pipeline includes 30 original shows, some of which are second seasons of popular web series already aired on the platform. While SVF, the parent company has a rich history in the Bengali film industry, the digital venture aims to add 12 original films.
Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta mentioned the high user engagement of the app though kept mum on subscriber numbers. He claims the average time spent in-app is one hour per day. It is not certain how the company has been able to get its return but the awareness of Hoichoi has been created.
Like other OTT platforms, Hoichoi is also seeing traffic from tier-II and III cities. In addition to that, almost 40 per cent of the audience comes from non-urban areas and Hoichoi director and co-founder Mahendra Soni mentions this as the rationale behind introducing offline payment method.
While Bengali industry makes many good films, the natives living outside Bengal don’t get the chance to watch them in theatres often. The plan of digital premiere is aimed to bridge this gap. “In yet another first in the Bengali entertainment space, we are now introducing the ‘pay per view’ feature as part of the TVoD model. We will be releasing movies on Hoichoi very soon after their theatrical release and the viewers will have the option to pay for the content on an a-la-carte basis,” Hoichoi director and co-founder Shrikant Mohta said.
A partnership with Airtel TV in India, Robi in Bangladesh and Etisalat and du in UAE have also been struck.
There is also a plan for a Bengali app and website interface making it more comfortable for users. Simultaneously, Hoichoi wants to dub the shows into other languages like Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. To position it more strongly as a brand, the platform also start merchandising.
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Amazon MX Player launches free micro-drama destination Fatafat
New platform offers serialized short-form stories with Munawar Faruqui campaign.
MUMBAI: Amazon MX Player just made micro-dramas free because the only thing shorter than the episodes is now the price tag (zero). Amazon MX Player has launched Fatafat, India’s first completely free premium micro-drama destination, giving mobile-first audiences access to fast-paced, serialized short-form stories without any paywall. Designed for quick viewing bursts, Fatafat features a growing catalogue of romance, drama, thriller and youth-led narratives in bite-sized episodes that are instantly bingeable. Unlike most micro-drama platforms that charge for access, Fatafat removes the barrier entirely, expanding the format’s reach across India.
The launch is supported by a humorous digital campaign fronted by comedian-actor Munawar Faruqui. The spots playfully highlight how small spends on paid micro-drama apps could be better used elsewhere, positioning Fatafat as the smarter, no-cost choice for engaging entertainment.
Amazon MX Player head Karan Bedi said, “Our vision has always been to make premium entertainment accessible to everyone, free of cost. With Fatafat, we are extending that promise to the rapidly growing micro-drama category quick, engaging and mobile-first while remaining completely free for viewers across India.”
Amazon MX Player head of content Amogh Dusad added, “Micro-dramas open up exciting creative possibilities for storytelling. With Fatafat, we are building a diverse slate of serialized stories across genres while keeping the experience fast, engaging and accessible to viewers everywhere.”
Munawar Faruqui said, “Today’s entertainment landscape is defined by content that is fast, engaging, and instantly accessible. Shooting for the campaign was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, especially as the scenarios felt incredibly authentic and relatable.”
Fatafat will continue to expand its library with several new titles in the coming months. The destination is available to stream for free on the Amazon MX Player mobile app.
In a country where attention spans are shrinking faster than episode lengths, Amazon MX Player isn’t just joining the micro-drama party,it’s throwing the doors wide open and telling everyone the snacks (and stories) are on the house.
