Netflix may be the undisputed leader in streaming entertainment across the world. But in India, it is a different story altogether. This country of wildly contrasting tastes and preferences is a tough nut to crack for any streaming service looking to get a foothold in. A recent survey by a leading analytics agency had revealed that Amazon Prime is neck to neck with Netflix as the highest subscribed OTT platform in India. But will it stay that way for long? Not if the head honchos of Amazon Prime Video have their way.
According to recent developments at Amazon Prime Video, and the streaming platform’s interactions with the media, it is obvious that Amazon Prime Video is taking aggressive steps to race ahead of Netflix in the streaming wars in India. And if it plays the cards it holds well, there’s every indication that Prime will become the undisputed leader of the Indian OTT entertainment space.
Here’s everything that the content giant is doing right –
1. Amazon Prime Video has a massive slate of Indian original shows in the works. According to its recent statements to the media, Amazon has upwards of 30 shows in various stages of development — all conceived and created in India. In fact, Amazon Prime Video India owns one of its largest slates of originals outside of the USA. It has already released the widely watched Mirzapur 2. Viewers are breathlessly waiting for the new season of its other tent pole series – The Family Man 2. Besides this, it has Akshay Kumar’s streaming debut ‘The End’, Priyanka Chopra and Raj & DK’s ‘Citadel’, among many others, to look forward to.
2. Amazon Prime Video has a considerable presence globally in the domain of live-streaming popular sporting events, especially in the US and Europe. The company is keen to replicate the same model in India. Live-streaming sports is a surefire way to grab both – eyeballs and subscribers. One only has to look at Hotstar’s IPL/cricket success to know the worth of this strategy.
With that aim in mind, Amazon Prime Video has signed a multi-year deal with the New Zealand Cricket board (NZC), under which, all international cricket matches played within New Zealand will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. The deal will apply to both men’s and women’s cricket, and include all forms of the sport – One Days (ODI), Tests and Twenty-Twenty (T20) cricket.
It is just the first step, but a crucial one, in Amazon Prime Video’s foray into live-streaming sports.
3. Amazon Prime Video is the leading streaming platform in India when it comes to acquiring popular films for direct to digital release on its platform. It kicked off the trend when it bought much-awaited titles like Gulabo Sitabo and Ponmagal Vandhal, and premiered these movies on Prime. It furthered the advantage by picking up another batch of hotly anticipated movies in popular Indian languages – Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, for direct OTT releases. In doing so, it hit bullseye – garnering the biggest direct OTT success in the country – Suriya’s Soorarai Pottru.
As streaming wars intensify, in India, as in the world, Amazon Prime Video has a lot going for it, at least in the Indian market. Let’s see what the future holds for it.
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