iWorld
Zee5 partners with Sahaj to go deeper into rural India
KOLKATA: With the aim of strengthening its focus on Bharat, OTT platform Zee5 has struck a strategic partnership with Sahaj Rural Development Foundation to bring financial and digital inclusion to rural India.
Through this first-of-a-kind association, Zee5 becomes the first OTT player to cater to the country’s underserved rural market at scale, through the retail network established by Sahaj. Zee5 will design a special ‘Chhota’ pack for Sahaj customers offering 10 per cent discount on its premium subscription, thereby leveraging the massive untapped opportunity of over 300 million rural internet subscribers in the country.
Zee5 will now get access to more than 76,000 gram panchayats, and over 96,000 tier-3 and tier-4 rural locations in 24 states and union territories. With a robust portfolio of purposeful, compelling, diverse, and multi-lingual content in over 12 Indian languages, Zee5 continues to take eventful strides in enticing the masses to subscribe to the platform and consume entertainment anytime, anywhere, and in the language of their choice.
Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra said the move comes at crucial time, when rural India is on the cusp of driving a robust wave of digitisation in the next 12 months.
“We want to fuel this change by democratising access to diverse content across genres and languages. Our partnership with Sahaj is one such step towards strengthening our connection with the entertainment-loving audience from Bharat, providing them with an unlimited and instant access to our premium content library, thereby unlocking unparalleled scale and reach across 24 states and union territories of India,” he added.
On its part, Sahaj has been breaking boundaries to accelerate digital transformation in rural India ‘Bharat’ for more than 12 years and has access to 500 million+ rural customers through its wide network of over 100,000 retail outlets, 'Sahaj Mitr', said CEO Amit Kumar Singh.
“The limited awareness about digital transactions beyond urban centers has restricted the popularity of OTT content in rural India. The partnership between Sahaj and Zee5 will bridge this urban-rural digital divide and offer rural customers an opportunity to enjoy premium OTT content just like their urban counterparts. With this partnership, Sahaj further strengthens its focus on staying at the forefront of identifying consumer trends in the rural market,” he explained.
Since its inception, Zee5 has successfully struck a chord with many Indians within the country. As of December 2020, the platform recorded 65.9 million MAUs and 5.4 million DAUs. Zee5’s repertoire of content includes Indian and global movies, catch-up content, and live TV, shows, news, music, live events, and much more. With a rich library of over 120+ originals, Zee5 offers content in 12 Indian languages and in the last three years, it has had 85+ regional launches: 55+ web series, 5 short films, and 25+ movies in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, and Bengali, across genres. Additionally, the platform offers content in – Hindi, English, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, and Odia.
iWorld
Shemaroo buys OHO Gujarati’s entire content library for ShemarooMe
The deal lands over 30 original web series and 450-plus actors on ShemarooMe, with Pratik Gandhi’s Vitthal Teedi leading the charge
MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment has moved fast and moved big. The company has snapped up the entire content library of OHO Gujarati for its streaming platform ShemarooMe, a consolidation that has no precedent in the Gujarati OTT market.
The haul is considerable. More than 30 original Gujarati web series, featuring the work of upwards of 450 local actors, will now sit under ShemarooMe’s roof. For a platform that has spent years quietly building its Gujarati credentials, including originals, curated libraries, and culturally rooted narratives, this is the kind of bulk acquisition that changes the competitive arithmetic overnight.
Saurabh Srivastava, chief operating officer for digital business at Shemaroo Entertainment, made clear the company’s ambitions stretch well beyond the subcontinent. “As we bring the well-established catalogue of OHO Gujarati onto ShemarooMe, our focus remains on making high-quality Gujarati stories more accessible while continuing to invest in compelling content,” he said. “With our strong connection to Gujarati viewers across the world, we believe these stories from the OHO catalogue can travel far and create an exciting entertainment offering for viewers.”
The first title out of the traps will be Vitthal Teedi, which hits ShemarooMe on April 10th. The series stars Pratik Gandhi, a name that needs no introduction to Gujarati audiences, and has the distinction of being the only Gujarati web series he has appeared in to date. Set in the heartland of Saurashtra during the 1980s, it traces a small-time gambler torn between personal ideals and the brutal logic of his circumstances. Character-driven, culturally embedded, and backed by a soundtrack featuring folk artists Aditya Gadhvi, Jigardan Gadhavi, and Geeta Rabari, the show arrives with considerable pedigree.
For Shemaroo, the deal fits neatly into a digital growth playbook built on sustainable expansion and deeper regional engagement. The Gujarati diaspora is large, dispersed, and underserved by mainstream streaming giants. If the company can deliver the goods, the OHO library may prove to be the most valuable land-grab in regional OTT this year.
