iWorld
India premium VOD revenues top $1B in 1H 2024
Mumbai: The premium video-on-demand (VOD) category, driven by advertising and subscription, generated $1.04 billion in revenues over 1H 2024, up 38 per cent from $760 million in 1H 2023. Local content accounted for 86 per cent of premium VOD engagement in 1H 2024, with live sports and local drama & romance leading category demand. Sports content attracted the highest number of unique viewers, with nine of the top 15 titles belonging to the sports genre – six of which were BCCI events. Cricket was the standout, as IPL 2024 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 were the top two sports properties, driving significant viewership.
The take-outs were revealed by the latest analysis conducted by ampd, the digital measurement platform owned and operated by Media Partners Asia (MPA), which measures consumption and engagement across the digital economy in India, including VOD. In 1H 2024, a total of 8 trillion minutes were streamed across online video platforms in India. YouTube dominated the landscape, capturing 92 per cent of all online video consumption, while premium platforms—comprising AVOD, freemium, and SVOD services—accounted for the remaining eight per cent. Within the premium video segment, freemium platforms led with 92 per cent of the 645 bil minutes streamed during the same period.
Jio Cinema, Netflix, and Disney+ Hotstar led premium VOD category monetisation, contributing 70 per cent of the total revenues garnered by the category. Jio Cinema was the category leader in 1H 2024 with 36 per cent revenue share while Netflix led pure-play SVOD monetization with a 38 per cent share.
Premium VOD ad revenue in 1H 2024 was driven by Jio Cinema and Disney+ Hotstar, leveraging marquee cricket with the Indian Premiere League (IPL) and ICC World Cup. After a turbulent CY2023, total SVOD subscriptions rebounded from 110 million to 120 million in 1H 2024. India’s TAM of affluent audiences continues to expand, with Netflix and Prime Video capitalising on this trend through investments in local originals and films. Together, these platforms accounted for nearly 70 per cent of SVOD revenue in 1H 2024. Meanwhile, Jio Cinema’s launch of an affordable plan has further broadened the SVOD audience, incentivising more users to pay for streaming content.
Commenting on the findings, MPA India vice president Mihir Shah said, “Subscriber growth momentum will continue in 2H 2024, driven by aggregation and deeper partnerships with telcos, pay-TV operators, and OEMs. In addition, with the onset of the festive season at, advertising spending should be robust in Q4 2024. However, with no major sports events, spending will shift toward tentpole non-fiction shows on premium VOD platforms, with a significant portion moving back to high-reach UGC platforms. Netflix and Prime Video have a steady stream of content planned for 2H 2024. For freemium platforms, entertainment spends have started to come back under new advertising-friendly formats like TV++, which are similar to daily TV soap operas with 40-120 plus episodes per season. These formats have proven to attract new users and drive engagement with lower budgets.”
iWorld
Prime Video bets big on India with global originals, films and franchise expansion
Execs highlight scale, travelability and new IP bets as India anchors global strategy
MUMBAI: At Prime Video Presents 2026, the message was clear and confident. India is not just part of the plan, it is central to it.
In a lively fireside chat hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, Kelly Day, vice president of prime video and amazon mgm studios international, Nicole Clemens, vice president of international originals, and Gaurav Gandhi, vice president for Apac and Anz, laid out an ambitious roadmap. Think bigger stories, wider reach and a sharper focus on building franchises that travel.
Kelly Day, a regular visitor to India, set the tone early. Calling the country “one of the most important markets globally”, she pointed to the sheer scale and diversity of audiences as a driving force behind Prime Video’s growth. Indian Originals, she said, are not just local hits but global engines powering subscriptions and engagement.
That global appeal is already visible. According to Clemens, around 25 percent of viewership for Indian content now comes from outside the country. Shows rooted deeply in local culture are finding fans worldwide, proving that specificity, when paired with universal themes, travels well. From gritty dramas to sharp thrillers, Indian storytelling is increasingly crossing borders with ease.
Clemens, who joined recently to lead international originals, was particularly upbeat about India’s creative range. She highlighted a growing slate of over 100 shows in development and production, with more than 60 percent returning for multiple seasons. For her, the formula is simple. Authentic stories, told well, resonate everywhere.
Adding to the buzz, she teased new and returning titles, alongside a fresh superhero universe, the Kalyug Warriors. It signals a push into new genres while doubling down on familiar fan favourites.
If content is king, distribution is the clever courtier. Day outlined Prime Video’s layered business model in India, which blends subscription, rentals, add on channels and ad supported viewing through Amazon MX Player. The idea is straightforward. Give viewers choice, whether they want premium, free or pay per view.
India, she noted, has also become a testing ground for innovation. Tiered pricing, mobile only plans and language diversity have all been sharpened here before being exported to other markets. In many ways, the India playbook is now influencing global strategy.
For Gaurav Gandhi, the next chapter is about scale with intent. He outlined four priorities. Making Prime Video more accessible, pushing Indian content globally, building stronger franchises and supercharging the films business.
On films, the platform is moving beyond licensing into co productions and now theatrical releases in partnership with amazon mgm studios. These films will eventually stream on Prime Video, creating a full circle from cinema halls to living rooms across 240 countries.
Franchise building remains another key pillar. With hits like The Family Man, Mirzapur and Panchayat already enjoying multi season success, the focus is now on creating the next wave of enduring IP. Newer titles are already lining up for second seasons, signalling a steady pipeline.
What stood out through the conversation was a shared belief. Streaming in India is still in its early innings, and the runway is long. With a mix of local flavour and global ambition, Prime Video is betting that stories from India will not just stay at home, but travel far and wide.
Or as the executives seemed to suggest, the world is watching and India has plenty more to show.
