iWorld
Pricing, analytics, customization, video quality crucial to decide OTT market leader: Frost
MUMBAI: The nascent over the top (OTT) video market in India is growing as smartphone penetration and 3G and 4G subscribers continue to increase rapidly. The recent launch of Reliance Jio’s affordable data services and initiatives, such as Bharat Net, will continue to drive down data service prices, boosting video consumption over fixed and mobile broadband.
“It will be critical for market participants to gauge viewership trends, price sensitivity and technical requirements while offering their video services,” said Frost & Sullivan digital media director Vidya S Nath. “Pricing, data analytics, personalization and video quality will be crucial in defining the market leader in the next five years.”
The Over the Top (OTT) Video Market Update, India, 2016 analysis is part of Frost & Sullivan’s Digital Media Growth Partnership Service program, which includes research, consumer analytics, consulting and advisory services on pay television (TV) services and media technologies.
While the dominance of YouTube and TV reins in subscription-based models, making digital advertising the most used business model for now, OTT video providers have confidence in the growth prospects of the market:
. India has over 300 million Internet users and about a billion smartphone users
. Millennials and Gen Y comprise about a third of the population and are driving viewership trends toward personalized content
. The country’s fragmented demography offers more than 20 types of audiences by major languages, creating tremendous opportunity for content creators and producers
. OTT providers can target Indian immigrants internationally
The market is already crowded with about 25 market participants that include telecom operators, direct-to-home (DTH) TV providers, broadcasters and individual OTT providers. The number of participants will grow further over the next two years.
“Even though the return on investment for OTT services providers is slow and does not justify the business proposition in the short run, competition will spur all broadcasters to consider the OTT business,” noted research analyst Aafia Bathool. “Exclusive content at a competitive price with a sophisticated, user-friendly interface is the way forward. To achieve this, the market will see increasing strategic alliances among ecosystem players.”
Key participants in the current market include Hotstar, Eros Now, Ditto TV (Zee Networks), Asianet Mobile, YouTube, and Netflix. New market participants who will likely intensify competition include Amazon and Balaji ALT. Other market participants include Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone, Zee Network, Voot, Viacom, Spuul, Veqta, Yupp TV, Dish TV, HOOQ, Hungama, Shemaroo, SonyLIV, and Tatasky.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
