Gone are the days when TV or movie theatres were the only way to absorb video content. India has seen a tremendous rise in the consumption of video content on various online platforms in the last couple of years. The major reason behind this exponential growth is often attested to deeper internet penetration and ever-increasing smartphone usage. Today, there are many articles on OTT platforms which justify why such mediums are better than cable TV. OTT (over-the-top) platform subscription is pocket-friendly, and then there’s the comfort of using such platforms anytime, anywhere.
Low cost and efficient mobile recharge packages along with good internet connectivity have permitted both rural and urban populations to consume video content at an alarming rate.
OTT platforms provide online content in different genres. Netflix, Amazon Prime, and ALT Balaji are some extremely popular OTTs.
With so many streaming platforms to choose from these days, it can be difficult and tedious to choose the appropriate one. The one that not only broadcasts all of your favorite series and movies, but also all of the documentaries that are currently trending. However, with so many alternatives to pick from, it might become a little daunting.
Hundreds of streaming platforms flooded the Indian market during the pandemic. The market is becoming increasingly saturated as every corporation develops its own streaming platform. But which streaming services are most popular in India? What companies have unlocked the streaming market’s code of dominance? Now that you’re interested, we’ve compiled a list of the Top 10 Streaming Platforms in India, which are both popular and well-liked.
Reasons For Tremendous Growth In OTT Platform Usage
Growth And Future Of OTT Platforms In India
Top OTT Platforms In India
Disney+ Hotstar
Amazon Prime
Netflix
Voot
ZEE5
SonyLIV
ALTBalaji
MX Player
JioCinema
Eros Now
Airtel Xstream
Viu
TVFPlay
Conclusion
FAQs
Reasons For Tremendous Growth In OTT Platform Usage
Freshly Brewed Content
OTT platforms provide brand new and freshly brewed content in different genres and languages. These OTT platforms consider unique and risky concepts to create video content. The topics are a breeze of fresh air for Indians and deviate significantly from the video content people are used to. And such content doesn’t fail to entice the audience. Language is no longer a barrier as there is video content for almost every language, making OTTs universally accessible.
Affordable And Cheap
Providers charge nominal rates thereby making video streaming affordable for most of the economic sections in India.
Screening Movies Before Television Screening
Movies are now being released on these platforms way before their television screening. Hence, people don’t need to wait for movie ticket bookings and stand in long queues. Moreover, the concept of first-day, first-show is slowly losing its charm due to OTT platforms.
Free Subscriptions on OTT Platforms
Top OTT platforms lure the audience through the freemium subscription policy or by providing a free trial for a month. For example, Disney+ Hotstar allows users to access some shows for free whereas the premium shows are paid. On the other hand, APV and Netflix allow users to try their services for free during the initial months of subscription.
No Interruptions
The shows on such platforms are usually ad-free, making it a pleasant experience for the viewers. Users don’t have to see the same advertisement again and again and can enjoy the show without any interruption.
Video On Demand
Unlike TV, you don’t have to carry a remote and set-top box to enjoy your favorite video content. With the help of these OTT services, you can watch your favorite shows anytime and anywhere.
Limited And Quality Video Content
Unlike the Indian video content, these OTT platform services have shows restricted to a limited number of episodes rather than going on for several years. The content keeps the youth addicted to such platforms. Also, the content is not based on cliche storylines and abstains from the repetition of themes, something that’s often witnessed in TV-based video content.
Download And Watch Later
OTT services don’t maintain any particular time slot for shows and series, unlike TV. This permits people to have their own schedule for watching on such platforms. The option of downloading from OTT providers allows the audience to not sit idle in case of poor internet connectivity.
Other smaller (yet expanding) OTT platforms in India are Voot and TVF Play. YouTube is also planning to launch an original content platform.
Growth And Future Of OTT Platforms In India
According to a recent PWC report, smartphone penetration in India is expected to reach around 99% by 2022. And at the same time, OTT platforms are expected to grow at a CAGR of 22% by 2022 to around INR 6000 crores. With such a huge user base comprising a large number of smartphone consumers under the age of 35, OTT platforms will focus more on youth-friendly content. Another factor helping in the tremendous growth of OTT platforms in India is the rising level of disposable incomes, i.e., an average Indian consumer can spend more amount on his enjoyment today as compared to a few years back. Shows and movies in local languages (Tamil and Telugu are some examples) have attracted people from various fronts to these platforms; the reason being unlimited movies and shows in their mother tongue at dirt cheap rates.
It’s not that such platforms have content only for the youth; they offer something for the kids, the elderly, and every other age group.
Internet data consumption per minute has also come down. Sometime back, streaming a two and a half hour movie required 1GB of data for 360p quality. Nowadays 800MB is sufficient for the same movie in 480p quality. Thus, the streaming quality has improved with the decrease in data consumption. People can now watch two movies by consuming just 1 GB or 1.5 GB of data.
Price also plays a dominant factor; Amazon Prime saw a larger user base than Netflix in 2016 because of this factor. Amazon Prime charges INR 129 per month for unlimited access while Netflix charges INR 800 for its premium quality content. So, OTT platforms must work on a framework to provide maximum benefits at minimum cost, a tough nut to crack but a necessary one to lure the Indian audience.
Top OTT Platforms In India
Disney+ Hotstar
Users Worldwide: 103.6 Million
Users In India: 25 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 399/Year
Disney+ Hotstar launched in India in April 2020. It’s a partnership between Disney and Hotstar, Star India’s streaming service. As a result, it includes all of the Disney+ content as well as the original Hotstar content. In India, it presently has 28.5 million members, making it the most popular streaming service. The exclusive Disney material and inexpensive pricing of Rs 399/year for the lower-tier subscription plan appeal to younger people looking for a less expensive source of entertainment, especially during the pandemic.
Disney+ Hotstar is another over-the-top media service in India. It is a Star Network product that was launched in February 2015. Disney+ Hotstar has swiftly become one of the largest video-on-demand platforms in the country. Disney+ Hotstar is the only platform where the best TV shows from around the world, movie premieres, live sports, and events are consolidated. It has several user-friendly features such as an adaptive video playback experience which automatically adjusts according to the available bandwidth, the creation of playlists, and the availability of content for download. Users can consume Disney+ Hotstar content on the go with the best viewing experience.
Amazon Prime
Users Worldwide: 200 Million
Users In India: 38 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 329 for Three Months
Amazon Prime Video was first introduced in India in 2016. It now has over 38 million unique users in India, demonstrating its widespread popularity. The streaming service has a lot of great shows and movies, like The Boys, Mirzapur, The Family Man and so on. Around 200 million people use Amazon Prime Video worldwide, and the figure is growing every day. What makes it even better received is the low pricing of Rs 329 for a three-month subscription and Rs 164 for those aged 18 to 24.
A year after the launch of Netflix in India, Amazon Prime Video also made its entry in the country. According to the director of content at Amazon Prime Video (India), India accounts for the highest number of Prime members in the debut year, growing fastest among the 16 countries that the platform is present in. India is a price-sensitive country and at Amazon Prime’s low-priced subscription fee, it gives the users great value for money.
Yash Gupta
Netflix
Users Worldwide: 203.66 Million
Users In India: 3 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 199/Month
When it comes to Netflix, there isn’t much that has to be said. It’s something that everyone has heard about. With over 203.66 million customers globally, it is one of the largest streaming platforms in the world. Netflix first arrived in India in 2016 and has since released several of the ‘Netflix India Originals.’ Sacred Games, Mismatched, Masaba Masaba, and many others are among the most popular. In India, Netflix now has over 3 million members, and this figure is steadily increasing.
It is a US-based video streaming company that is now available in India at a starting subscription price of INR 199 per month (goes up to INR 800 per month) after a free month of trial. While most of the OTT service platforms follow a mix of advertising-led and subscription fee-based business models, Netflix, in keeping with its global strategy, is free of advertising in India.
Voot
Users In India: 100 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 99/Month
Voot was introduced by Viacom 18 in 2016 to showcase all of its TV series as well as the most latest episodes. It was totally free, and there was no need to subscribe or pay to view the content. In March of last year, Viacom 18 launched Voot Select, an online service that, unlike the previous platform, Voot, required a membership. Some episodes and movies are still available for free, but some exclusive series and movies are only available to subscribers. Voot Select has around 1 million paying subscribers. It charges Rs 99 for a one-month subscription and Rs 999 for an annual subscription.
Voot is a video-on-demand platform that is a part of the digital arm of Viacom18. Viacom18 is one of India’s largest growing media networks. The platform provides its audience with a vast range of content choices and preferences. It has a pool of 45,000 hours of content which includes COLORS (Hindi), Viacom18 Motion Pictures, MTV, Nickelodeon, and MTV Indies. It offers the biggest TV Shows, Blockbuster movies, Toons, and VOOT originals.
Voot’s aim is to capture the digital video landscape with its fresh and new-age content without any premium cost. One of the major attractions of the platform is its original content while it covers a plethora of categories like dramas, comedies, spoofs, and everything else.
ZEE5
Users Worldwide: 310 Million
Users In India: 100 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 42/month
ZEE5 is an online streaming service owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It went into effect in February 2018. Although it is a free service, there is now a ZEE5 Premium option that allows you to watch many exclusive movies and series for Rs 299 for three months. ZEE5 has content in 12 different languages that make it worth the money. And it claims to have 32 million paid subscribers and around 100 million active users. ZEE5 has recently partnered with TVF for streaming movies and shows.
Alan Joseph
SonyLIV
Users Worldwide: 98 Million
Users In India: 80 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 99/Month
Sony Pictures Networks India launched SonyLiv in January 2013. It is a free service but also has a premium version and the subscription starts at Rs 99 per month. It has a ton of shows and movies to choose from with no disturbance from ads. SonyLIV currently has around 5.5 million subscribers. It offers many popular shows, like Girls Hostel, Welcome Home, Maharani, and many others.
SonyLIV is bound to be present in the list of the top OTT media services. It has been developed by Multi-Screen Media. It has a mix of both free and premium content and has partnered with SPI International to showcase seven more international television channels across different genres (in addition to the existing five channels). SonyLIV’s premium content comes at a subscription cost of INR 99 per month. It offers viewers shows from the Sony stable – SONY, MAX, and SAB. Apart from enabling viewers to watch the latest shows, Sony LIV also allows subscribers to watch the re-runs of old episodes, movies, and special events.
ALTBalaji
Users In India: 76 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 100 for Three Months
ALTBalaji was launched in April 2017 and is owned by Balaji Telefilms Ltd. It is well-known for catering to an Indian audience in particular, with daily soaps and exclusive movies and series. It has around 76 million active monthly users and around 5 million paid subscribers. It is a paid service, but you can get a free trial of seven days and can watch all the content on the platform. And the subscription starts at Rs 100 for three months. That’s a great price if you are looking for a cheap service platform.
ALT Balaji is an ad-free subscription-based service which is the product of film and television production house, Balaji Telefilms Ltd. It provides 32 original shows in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, and Gujarati at a subscription price of INR 300 per year. With this platform, Balaji wants to venture into clutter-breaking content and offer something for everyone. It is offering entertaining video content to both Indian residents and those living abroad.
MX Player
Users Worldwide: 280 Million
Users In India: 148.8 Million
Price: Rs 370
The MX Player started in India as a video player. It was launched in 2011 but was re-launched in 2019 as the streaming platform. It began in India, but in 2020, it expanded its service and is now available in many countries, including New Zealand, Nepal, the United States, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Canada, Australia, and Pakistan. It has around 280 million users worldwide. And it contains shows like Aashram, Bullets, Dangerous, and many others. It is a free service, but MX Player Pro is a paid version that offers exclusive content without any ads and is priced at Rs 370.
JioCinema
Users In India: 100 Million
Price: Free
JioCinema is a streaming service from Jio Platforms, which was launched in 2016. It is free for Jio sim users and contains a great number of shows, films, web series, and documentaries. It has about 100 million users in India and the number keeps growing every day.
Eros Now
Users Worldwide: 221.5 Million
Users In India: 148 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 49
Eros Now is a streaming platform launched in 2012 and is owned by Eros Digital. It has plenty of Indian movies and web series for its viewers. And the best thing is that the streaming service begins at Rs 49 in India. Eros has about 180 million users worldwide and 30 million paid viewers.
Airtel Xstream
Users in India:
Price: Rs 49/Month
It is a streaming service provided by Bharti Airtel. It was released in September of 2020. It’s a free service for Airtel Sim users, but you need to sign up for a plan if you want to watch the content as a non-Airtel user. The price is Rs 49 per month for non-Airtel users.
PV Vyshnavi
Viu
Users Worldwide: 36 Million
Users In India: 5 Million
Price: Starts at Rs 99/Month
Viu is a streaming service provided by Hong Kong-based Viu International Ltd. It features many films, shows, and series, mostly Korean and Indian. It is offered throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It has about 36 million users worldwide and 5 million users in India. The price starts at Rs 99 a month and is quite popular among the Indian audience.
TVFPlay
Users In India: 9.8 Million
Price: Free
‘The Viral Fever’ also known as TVF is an online streaming platform that provides tons of original content for free. Its shows like ‘Permanent Roommates’ and ‘TVF Pitchers’ have pushed a lot of fans towards the platform and are a big hit among the fans. And the best part is that it’s free.
In India, there is no scarcity of streaming options these days. There is something for everyone as more and more companies develop their streaming platforms. You can make your selection based on price and the type of series and movies you wish to watch.
Conclusion
India is a huge market for OTT platforms, so offering different plans to satisfy a diverse user base with different income levels is the only solution for faster absorption and growth. Focusing more on Indian-friendly content would be another plus point for OTT providers. For now, it can be said that Indians will continue to drift towards these platforms, though television would still remain an important commodity in India. There still exists a section of the population that doesn’t have access to smartphones and internet. Moreover, the older generation prefers the television over OTT platforms for entertainment.
FAQs
What is a Streaming Platform?
A streaming platform is an online entertainment service that provides on-demand access to TV series, movies, and other streaming material.
What is the meaning of OTT?
OTT stand for over-the-top. It is a means of providing television and film content over the internet on request.
What is an OTT Service?
Over the top, or OTT, refers to any streaming service that transmits content over the internet.
Is Netflix an OTT?
Netflix is a popular OTT (over-the-top) service that provides users with content such as movies and TV series.
How many streaming platforms are there in India?
In India, there are around 40 suppliers of over–the–top media services (OTT).
What is the future of OTT in India?
Future of OTT in India: A rise of OTT platforms in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22% by 2022 to around INR 6000 crores. With such a huge user base comprising a large number of smartphone consumers under the age of 35, OTT platforms will focus more on youth-friendly content.
What are the top 10 OTT platforms in India?
Here are the Top 10 OTT platforms in India:
- Amazon Prime Video
- Netflix
- Disney+ Hotstar
- Voot
- ZEE5
- Sony LIV
- MX Player
- ALT Balaji
- Eros Now
- JioCinema
