iWorld
Telecom bundling, availability of smart TVs boosting OTT market in India
NEW DELHI: The Covid2019 outbreak which brought the entire world to a standstill has helped one sector in India – the OTT industry. Post the pandemic, OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar gained massive popularity in the country, and they successfully expanded their userbase in 2020.
From bundling plans to cheaper smart televisions, there are various factors that have played a crucial role in elevating the popularity of OTT platforms in India, according to data shared by analytics firm Redseer.
Telecom bundling helps OTT platforms increase their userbase
Bundling plans offered by telecom and broadband providers have helped OTT platforms to increase their customer base during the pandemic.
Telecom companies like Airtel are offering subscriptions to Hotstar, Netflix, and Prime Video as a part of their bundling plans, while Jio Fibre's broadband bundling offers free Prime Video and Netflix subscriptions.
According to the report, unique paid user growth rate was 35 per cent in February 2021 when compared to April 2020. Subscriptions also increased by eight percent during the same period, and the subscription revenue also witnessed a rise of 41 per cent.
In an attempt to expand its customer base, Netflix last year launched a new plan priced at Rs 199, where the user can watch their favourite movies and shows on their smartphones. Even though this plan will not work on smart televisions, it has impressed the urban youth in the nation who spend most of the time on mobile screens.
The rise in smart TV users helps streamers
The growing number of smart TV users in India is also contributing to the growth of OTT platforms in India, the Redseer analysis revealed. Unlike previous years where smart TVs were confined to rich homes, the entry of companies like Xiaomi in the Indian market turned things upside down, as they are now offering full HD and 4K smart televisions at an affordable rate.
Indians spend 188 billion minutes streaming videos in February
According to the survey, Indians spent 188 billion minutes on OTT platforms in February, a drop of six percent when compared to the 200 billion OTT minutes Indians spent last April. The drop is primarily due to the country's return to normalcy, and the arrival of television soaps in channels. However, with more releases in the pipeline along with product improvement, the engagement is likely to increase in the coming months.
Out of the 188 billion minutes, users spent 69 billion minutes watching daily soaps, followed by movies with 31 billion minutes and then originals produced by the OTT platforms.
iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
