iWorld
OTTplay forays into streaming aggregation in partnership with 12 OTTs
Mumbai: Over-the-top (OTT) content recommendation platform OTTplay forays into streaming with the launch of its premium service in partnership with 12 Indian and international OTTs.
The OTT aggregator has partnered with platforms such as Sonyliv, Zee5, Lionsgate Play, Sun Nxt, ShemarooMe, Curiosity Stream, ShortsTV, Docubay. It has also launched four international streaming services in India with Hallmark Movies Now, Dust, Fuse+ and Tastemade+.
It offers five premium subscription plans which offer five Hindi OTTs, eight English OTTs, four OTT focused on South languages and five assorted OTTs.
The pricing platform starts at Rs 50 per month to be paid annually. A user that purchases an OTTplay premium subscription pack could save anywhere between Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,500 per year, claims the platform.
OTTplay has a user base of five million who navigate the complex OTT landscape with AI-based personalised recommendations every month. Users can discover titles across multiple OTT platforms as well as get relevant content by OTTplay’s editorial team in terms of ratings, reviews, interviews and news.
“We specialise in curation, aggregation, recommendation and hence personalisation. With the launch of subscriptions on the OTTplay app, we now have a better understanding of our viewer’s preferences through not just their stated preferences, but also their actual consumption patterns, and we are very excited to see the upgrade in the accuracy of our personalized OTT recommendations across platforms, genres and languages,” said OTTplay’s founder Avinash Mudaliar.
He further said, “Our aim is to enable consumers to spend time watching their favourite content, not searching for it; according to a recent Accenture report, close to 70 per cent of Indian OTT consumers find the process of navigating different OTT apps ‘frustrating’, and that is the precise problem we had set out to solve with OTTplay.”
“Our partnership with OTTplay is an exciting opportunity to expand our international footprint as we bring Hallmark Movies Now to India for the first time,” said SVP international distribution Francisco Gonzales. “Indian audiences now have a one-stop destination to access a curated mix of signature Hallmark content.”
“Our endeavour has been to ensure that viewers are provided with a curated line-up of content for the best viewing experience. Taking this forward, we are excited to partner with OTTplay to reach a large and diverse sector of consumers with a digitally-driven offering enabling consumers to spend more time watching than searching – this is in-line with our ethos of ‘play more, browse less’. We look forward to a successful partnership with the end user discovering the best of content, said Lionsgate Play EVP Amit Dhanuka.
“We are excited to be a part of this endeavour aimed at broadening the horizons of digital content consumption and improving online entertainment experiences for consumers,” said a spokesperson from Zee5. “At Zee5, we passionately believe in and have been democratising content for the country’s diverse entertainment seekers through innovative offerings with an added value proposition. With this collaboration, we aim to strengthen our connect with the wider audience base and enable them to enjoy Zee5’s extensive and diversified content library.”
“At Curiosity, we know our audiences want to know more and our factual content and documentaries satisfy that need. We are very pleased to partner with OTTplay as they optimize valuable insights to superserve their consumer with the factual content they are searching for, providing for the ultimate customer experience,” Curiosity Inc. managing director and head of international Bakori Davis.
OTTplay premium offers content across 12 OTT platforms, 10 Indian languages, a host of international languages, 18+ genres and 20,000+ shows. The platform works seamlessly across all operating systems and does not need any additional hardware to be installed. OTTplay is available as a website as well as on iOS and Android apps.
“I am delighted to direct Kanda Naal Mudhal. It has an eccentric plotline with significant characters who have their set of dreams and desires,” said director Radha Krishnan. “How each of the characters fulfil their dreams while also balancing their relationships is the crux of the story. Furthermore, it was a treat to direct such a terrific ensemble with tremendous acting prowess, with the rustic locations serving as a complement. I am grateful that Colors Tamil has given me the opportunity to be a part of the show where all characters represent an important facet of society.”
iWorld
Paramount revamps app with short videos to boost mobile viewer engagement
Streaming giant borrows from TikTok playbook to drive daily usage on phones
LOS ANGELES: Paramount Skydance is giving its streaming strategy a mobile-first twist, rolling out a redesigned version of its Paramount+ app that leans heavily on short-form video to capture viewer attention, according to a Reuters report.
The updated app, currently available to iPhone users via Apple, features scrollable clips such as sports highlights, news snippets, UFC moments and trailers. The idea is simple but effective: get users to open the app multiple times a day, much like they do with TikTok or Instagram.
By encouraging repeat visits, Paramount is betting it can deepen engagement and unlock new features such as real-time statistics during live events and interactive viewing elements. The approach reflects a broader industry shift, where streaming platforms are borrowing cues from social media to stay relevant in an increasingly crowded market.
The stakes are high. In the first quarter of 2026, Paramount accounted for just 2 percent of global app-based streaming, trailing rivals such as Netflix, HBO Max and Peacock, according to data cited by Reuters. Even a potential combination with Warner Bros Discovery would only place it fourth in the streaming rankings.
Meanwhile, YouTube, owned by Google, continues to dominate the mobile video space, boasting user numbers far ahead of Paramount+. This gap has pushed traditional studios to rethink how audiences discover and consume content.
Industry insiders suggest Paramount could go further by experimenting with micro dramas or tapping digital creators to draw in younger viewers. Rivals are already moving in that direction. Netflix is investing in video podcasts featuring names like Pete Davidson, Michael Irvin and Brian Williams, while Amazon has teamed up with Jimmy Donaldson for a reality series.
There are also hints of potential collaboration with TikTok, given shared links to Larry Ellison of Oracle, though both companies have said no formal agreement exists.
The revamp is part of a wider overhaul of Paramount’s streaming operations, including both Paramount+ and Pluto TV, as the company looks to sharpen its competitive edge.
In a market where attention spans are shrinking, Paramount’s latest move signals a clear pivot. If viewers will not come to long-form content, the strategy suggests, then perhaps the content must first meet them in short bursts.
