iWorld
In Q2 earnings call, Netflix’s added focus on India
MUMBAI: Though Netflix did not deliver an outstanding performance for Q2 2018, its focus on India has surely risen. In the follow-up conference call, India was mentioned 20 times, which is higher than the last nine quarters combined.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings admitted the challenges in the Indian market. “We’re way behind YouTube, Hotstar. Those are really the leaders on the internet. There’s so much TV viewing, that linear TV that could be internet viewing and the advantages are tremendous in India for internet viewing because you don’t get the ad load that you see that’s so high in all of the other platforms. So, Netflix is having great success getting established, getting our reputation going,” he commented.
With Raw Stories, Sacred Games, and Ghoul, the company expects to gain good momentum but needs to focus on adding languages and better pricing. “It’s really I think accelerating the brand perception of Netflix as not just an out-of-towner, but someone who is producing content that you care about in every part of the world,” Sarandos commented on local content strategy in the global market. Its first Indian original Sacred Games is doing well while Ghoul is releasing in August.
“Paid net ads are up compared to year ago and forecast to be up on a year-over-year basis in Q3. The fundamentals have never been stronger. Our viewing is setting year-over-year records. So, we’re feeling very strong about the business,” Hastings said in an earnings call.
Netflix isn’t worried since it has observed a pattern of unprecedented growth in Q1 followed by flat growth in Q2 and Q3.
“We started investing our own unscripted programming and have had some really great, out-of-the-box hits with Nailed It and Fastest Cars and Queer Eye, that are doing great with our watchers relative to building an audience. Also, you saw Queer Eye did quite well at the Emmy nominations announced last week. We’re really excited with the progress and the speed to market we’ve been able to do our unscripted shows at really high quality,” Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said.
While the good romantic comedies have gradually disappeared in the last two decades, the internet content king is reviving the old charm with movies like Kissing Booth, Set It Up. The movies have been delivering good viewership, as claimed by the company. Other than this genre, Netflix will have movies with critically acclaimed directors like Martin Scorsese and Alfonso Corona next year.
While the company has planned to invest $8 billion only in content, it will continue to operate with debt to finance as it remains the most cost-effective source of capital for the company. “Obviously, we’d love to get to that point where we’re organically and self-funding content. We do see a point where we can get there. But until we do, we see debt as the right choice in terms of cost of capital,” Netflix chief financial officer David Wells said. This strategy may pay off well if it can raise the price with the addition of subscribers.
Going forward, Netflix wants to highly emphasise on products too. From better mobile UI, smart downloads to faster TV experience, everything is being talked about. Along with happy subscribers, it wants to make more people aware of the brand. Despite a worse Q2 result, it will definitely continue to be a good choice for investors.
iWorld
Prime Video to stream Tamil thriller Exam from May 15
Seven-episode series from National Award-winner A. Sarkunam streams in India and 240-plus countries
MUMBAI: Prime Video announced on April 27th that Exam, a taut seven-episode suspense drama set against the crucible of high-stakes competitive testing, will premiere on May 15th in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Written and directed by A. Sarkunam, a National Award-winner, the series is produced under the Wallwatcher Films banner by the creative duo Pushkar and Gayatri, who have previously delivered Suzhal: The Vortex (both seasons) and Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie for the platform. Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan lead the cast, with Abbas in a pivotal role.
The show will stream in Tamil with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada, and subtitles in 15 languages, including English, a distribution sweep that underscores Prime Video’s push to globalise Indian regional content.
Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India, framed the series as both timely and commercially astute. “Exam is a very timely and relevant story that captures the emotional intensity of competitive exams and masterfully transforms it into a thrilling high-stakes drama,” he said. “We believe it is a story that will resonate deeply with millions.” Madhok noted that it was a privilege to once again collaborate with Pushkar and Gayatri following the success of Suzhal and Vadhandhi.
For Pushkar and Gayatri, the series is as much a moral reckoning as a thriller. “With Exam, we wanted to dig into ambition, injustice, and those moral crossroads that people face when pushed to the edge,” the creative producers said. “At the heart of this story is a young woman who refuses to remain powerless. Her journey is not about glamorising defiance, but about exploring the emotional and ethical cost of standing up to a system stacked against her.” They described Prime Video as “an incredible collaborator” and “the perfect home” to bring the series to global audiences.
Wallwatcher Films, which Pushkar and Gayatri founded and run, has been on a productive streak with the platform. Beyond Exam, the company is also readying Vadhandhi Season 2 for Prime Video, making the duo one of the platform’s most active regional creative partners.
The real exam, it seems, is for Prime Video itself: can a Tamil drama about systemic injustice and a young woman’s defiance crack audiences from Chennai to Chicago? If Pushkar and Gayatri’s track record is anything to go by, the answer is likely yes, and the results will be out on May 15th.
