When did you watch the last movie in theatres? Of course, the answer will be around one year ago. When did you watch any movie last time? The answer may be a week ago, yesterday, or today itself. Then, how did you watch it? Maybe on television or the laptop.
It is not common today to watch any film or any show on television with family because everyone has their own choice. Therefore, people like to watch movies/shows on mobile phones or PCs. The platform you are using, be it MX Player, Amazon Prime, or Netflix, falls under the OTT platform.
What Is An OTT Platform?
The OTT platform, also known as the Over the Top platform, refers to a platform where you can access various movies and television content using the Internet without the traditional use of cable/satellite.
The rapid growth of the OTT platform in India can be said by looking at the statistics that by 2024 India is set to become the sixth-largest OTT market in the world.
REASON FOR RAPID GROWTH OF OTT PLATFORMS:
● Adaptation of Western Culture
People started living in cities with small families and their source of entertainment gradually changed. From using the phone for entertainment with the whole family to using traditional television, the adaptation of Western culture in this way influenced the rise of OTT platforms.
● Choices vary among different people
Different people have different choices, different opinions. For example, Alex has five members in his family. He is living with his parents and grandparents. He wanted to watch his favourite cartoons, but his father wanted to watch the news while his grandparents demanded some devotional shows. If his family has a TV, it is impossible to meet everyone’s needs. So, one of the best options may be the use of the “OTT platform”, where they can view anything on their gadget.
● Convenience
The best thing about the OTT platform is that it is differentiated from a normal TV set, it is based on the following slogan: “Anytime, Anywhere, Everyone”
Anytime – The user can watch their favourite shows at any time, because the shows are already on the web, except for just a few clicks;
Anywhere– User can watch shows anywhere, the only requirement is a gadget and internet facility (in case of online streaming otherwise shows can be downloaded also);
Everyone– Any person with any gadget can access the platform. You just need to create an account on that platform and can use it.
● Quality and Fresh Content
The OTT platform gives you the option to watch anything. People are also attracted to these platforms because they are tired of traditional TV serial especially Indian serial which is endless.
● Streaming Before Television
Some TV shows, as well as films, are streamed on online platforms long before they are launched in general television. Therefore, for the first show lovers of films or any web series, this is the right platform to give new heights to their passion.
Some Leading OTT Platforms are:
Disney Plus Hotstar
Disney Plus Hotstar is an OTT platform, which is famous among people for its IPL coverage. It is a company owned by Star India, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Company India. Hotstar is one of the best platforms for anyone with any kind of option.
One of the marketing strategies that made Hotstar, was a “Hotstar Watch n Play” contest to make passive viewers active players. Hotstar’s business model includes freemium and premium where free content is available for freemium and paid content is available for premium customers.
ZEE 5
ZEE 5 is another leading OTT platform owned by Essel Group with its subordinate entity ZEE Entertainment Enterprises. Launched in February 2018 like any other OTT platform, its content is available in twelve languages and shows from the ZEE channel are also available with drama, thriller, crime. In 2019,
ZEE 5 claimed to have around 56 million active users. In addition, it recorded an almost 80% increase in membership during the lockdown.
VOOT
If you are a big fan of “Bigg Boss”, and never miss any episode, Woot can be your favourite app among all the apps on your phone. Voot is another OTT platform founded by Viacom 18 Digital Ventures. You can enjoy Colors TV’s various TV shows with blockbuster movies. According to the latest news,
VOOT will be the first AVOD (advertisement based on demand based) platform in India to be a profitable business.
AMAZON PRIME
Amazon Prime is an American company better known for its web series like “Mirzapur”. Its content is also available in foreign languages including Dutch, italics etc. If you are in India only with knowledge of the Indian language, you can get material in Hindi as well as English. But unlike other OTT platforms such as Hotstar, ZEE5 or Voot,
You cannot find regional languages here. For web series lovers, Amazon Prime is one of their favourites. You can also enjoy Hollywood movies and shows here that attract viewers who are always attracted to foreign shows. Amazon Prime’s latest marketing strategy involves launching a mobile-only plan in India.
He claimed that in the third quarter of 2020 internationally there was an increase of nearly 80% of the Prime members.
NETFLIX
Netflix is one of the most popular OTTs, ideal for someone who is interested in international shows. It is an American company with a VOD (video-on-demand) business strategy. It is available in about twenty languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese etc.
The marketing strategy adopted by Netflix is the oldest, but the company is still reaping the benefits. The company focuses on e-mail marketing with an ML and AI-based system. Without this,
They are concerned about user privacy, and therefore they adopt personalized marketing in which no two users will get the same homepage. During the lockdown, Netflix reaches 16 million users in three months.
MX PLAYER
MX Player is an OTT platform that provides content in all format of audio (including AC-3) with subtitled support. It is available in eleven languages. The best thing about MX Player is that it provides you with audio content which makes it different from the rest of the platform. You get different music and shows
No need to switch to separate platforms.
During the lockdown, the MX player registered 141 million unique visitors.
SONY LIV
Sony Liv is another OTT platform that is popular with people as it provides a platform for the “Play Along” contest and gives viewers a chance to reach the hot seat of “Kaun Banega Crorepati”. Sony Liv was launched in 2013 by Sony Picture India Private Limited. It lets you explore all of Sony Entertainment Television’s shows, It offers to a stream of cricket, football, WWE, UFC, so it is ideal for a sports lover. Apart from all these, the platform has around 700 films. In December 2020, Sony LIV reached 26.14 M visits and achieved the first-class rank in the field of arts and entertainment.
COVID-19: GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR OTT
After the arrival of COVID-19, when the cinema hall was closed due to lockdown and the shooting of every film, serials were stopped, the main concern was to provide fresh content to the user and to release or launch previous unreleased shows. Had to do it. Movies. The only way for producers to launch their content online is through certain platforms and OTT platforms were those. Films such as “Gulabo-Sitabo”, “Gunjan Saxena” and “English Medium” are among the leading films that were launched online after the outbreak of COVID-19.
What Challenges to OTTS Face?
- Safety and Privacy
Security and privacy are among the biggest concerns facing any tech giant. Similarly, OTT platforms should be aware of all these issues. The data stored in their platform should not be used for illegal purposes either while signing in to the platform or their search history. Otherwise, this will badly affect the image of OTT platforms and people will start to feel hesitant before using them.
- Maintain or Fulfillment of user demands
One reason for people to switch from traditional TV to OTT platforms is to get fresh and quality content. Especially Indian TV serials as TV serials are bogus and endless. With the increase in the number of users of OTT platforms, various demands will be raised. That’s why OTT platforms must ensure to provide and maintain content according to user demand.
What Does The Future Look Like For OTTs?
The future of OTT platforms is glorious. With new advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analysis, users can be recommended for better content with the help of a recommendation system. China, South Korea and Japan have already launched their 5G technology.
It is expected that India will be the fourth in Asia to join the queue. There is no doubt that India needs this technology. For a country with a population of about 135 crores, all things cannot go manually and consume a lot of time. Technological infrastructure needs to be developed. In the last few years, India has taken steps to develop its internet protocol, but progress is still needed. Therefore, it can be said that the OTT platform will have a great future.