iWorld
Zee Digital launches AVOD platform OZEE
MUMBAI: Zee Digital Convergence Limited (ZDCL), the digital arm of media & entertainment conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has launched a new video on demand platform called OZEE.
The platform will follow the AVOD (advertiser based video on demand) model. Pertinent to note here is that Zee already has an over the top (OTT) platform in DittoTV.
The new platform OZEE will celebrate life at the consumers’ own pace and will offer entertainment in a manner that resonates with the vision of ZEEL’s corporate philosophy – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is My Family.
The app highlights enhanced user experience, tempting first time exploration followed by loyal viewing on personal gadget. An official statement said, “The name hence inspired by the ‘O’ symbolising the circle that encompasses our universe and the entertainment we seek in it – the world of Zee.”
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited MD and CEO Puneet Goenka said, “In India, entertainment is life. The fact that today people are finding it easy to cut away from appointment viewing and are able to watch their chosen entertainment anytime and anywhere, has only driven consumer expectations higher. The video on demand platform has become the need of the hour and we are excited to bring to our viewers this whole new level of entertainment. OZEE will offer a user friendly platform and the comfort of watching your favourite ZEE show/movie at your convenience. Living in the ‘instant’ era, OZEE will make content available within minutes of its television telecast. With this offering, we hope to conquer the hearts of our viewers as much as we have been doing with our other products.”
Zee Digital Convergence Limited CEO Debashish Ghosh added, “We believe that OZEE will define the future consumption benchmarks of Entertainment Content from ZEEL and deliver an effortless and pleasurable experience to all viewers of On Demand content on OZEE – irrespective of location, age group, SEC and comfort with technology platforms. While OZEE will deliver the best entertainment content from ZEE – which viewers have loved over decades – it is also designed to make the viewing experience truly unique and trouble free. We hope the world will love what OZEE has to offer”.
OZEE will launch with the following shows across each channel:
The platform will also showcase exclusive content, be it award shows, movie premieres or concerts; anything and everything to do with entertainment.
iWorld
Streaming boom crosses 200 million as India shifts to sustainable growth
From content bets to CTV rise, industry leaders map streaming’s next phase
MUMBAI: India’s streaming story has entered a new chapter, and this time it is less about land grab and more about staying power. At a panel on the evolving streaming economy, industry leaders agreed that with subscriptions crossing 200 million and revenues surging, the focus has decisively shifted to sustainable growth, smarter content bets and sharper partnerships.
Moderator EY partner Raghav Anand, set the tone by pointing to the sharp jump in paid subscriptions, driven by a mix of sports, bundling and improved distribution. The result is a fast-maturing ecosystem where subscription revenues are beginning to complement, and in some cases rival, advertising-led growth.
For Amazon Prime Video Svod business India director & head Shilangi Mukherji, the past decade has been about balancing choice with clarity. “It’s not an either-or market anymore,” she noted. “There is space for everything, from television to ad-supported streaming to subscriptions. The real win is when they all grow together.”
At the heart of this growth lies a simple trio: selection, value and convenience. Content remains king, but not in isolation. Platforms are now curating vast libraries that blend originals, rentals, and third-party services, all under one roof. The aim is to create an ecosystem where viewers do not need to hop between apps to find what they want.
Content itself is also evolving. Mukherji highlighted that nearly half of Prime Video’s viewership comes from outside a show’s home region, underlining the collapse of traditional language silos. Stories are no longer “regional” but increasingly pan-Indian, with talent and narratives travelling seamlessly across states.
Franchise-building has become another cornerstone, with a majority of shows designed for multiple seasons. The goal is not just to attract viewers but to keep them coming back, turning series into long-term cultural touchpoints rather than one-off hits.
On the production side, Hungama Digital Media managing director & CEO Neeraj Roy, described an industry that is both resilient and recalibrating. While the pandemic accelerated content consumption and discovery, it also reset market dynamics. Pre-sales have softened, satellite revenues have tightened, and the easy money phase of digital deals has cooled.
“The honeymoon is over,” Roy said candidly. “Now, content has to prove itself. If it works at the box office or with audiences, everything else follows.”
This shift, he argued, is pushing creators towards greater discipline. Fewer projects are being made, but with sharper focus on quality and audience appeal. At the same time, global exposure to diverse content, from Korean dramas to Malayalam cinema, has raised the bar for storytelling across the board.
Another quiet transformation is unfolding in how content is consumed. While mobile remains the primary gateway, especially for payments and discovery, connected TVs are fast becoming the preferred screen for long-form viewing. Mukherji described this not as a battle of devices but as a “force multiplier”, with platforms tailoring plans for mobile-only users, living room viewers and multi-device households alike.
The monetisation playbook is also widening. Beyond subscriptions and ads, platforms are experimenting with rentals, bundled offerings and commerce integrations, building layered revenue streams that cater to different stages of the consumer journey.
Looking ahead, both panellists pointed to global ambition as the next frontier. Mukherji emphasised taking Indian stories to the world through deeper localisation, calling content India’s soft power. Roy, meanwhile, stressed the need for investment in infrastructure, skills and, crucially, transparent data systems to guide creators with better insights.
If the first phase of India’s streaming boom was about scale, the next will be about substance. And as the industry settles into this new rhythm, one thing is clear: the real streaming wars may be over, but the race to win viewers’ time has only just begun.
