Do you know that the first OTT platform in India was launched by Reliance Entertainment back in 2008? Its name was BIGFlix. Then came SonyLIV and DittoTV (now integrated into ZEE5) in 2013. Hotstar arrived a couple of years later. But the competition among Indian OTT platforms started to heat up after the entry of Netflix into the country. Nowadays, Indian viewers have access to loads of streaming platforms like MX Player, ALTBalaji, Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5, Sun NXT, TVF Play, and many more.
There was a time when viewers used to be excited about the upcoming OTT shows or movies. But the expansion of the Indian OTT market in the last 5-6 years has changed this scenario drastically. People are no more interested in local streaming platforms these days. They prefer foreign shows or films instead of torturing themselves with crappy local streaming content. Why is that? Is there a way we can overcome this mess? Let’s find out!
The Indian OTT market is currently jam-packed with loads of streaming services. Every streaming platform is looking to reserve a seat permanently in this nasty competition. They are ready to do whatever it takes to ensure their survival in this damn thing. And in doing so, they have forgotten to deliver good quality content. Shows like Call My Agent: Bollywood, Ramyug, Tandav, The Empire, The Big Day, OK Computer, LOL – Hasse Toh Phasse, and many more are the reason we decided to publish this article. Several prominent publications have hailed these projects as one of the worst shows ever in the history of Indian OTT. Quantity is indeed reigning supreme over quality here.
Every viewer has his or her favourite genre in the world of OTT. But they are not stupid. They want to spend their hard-earned money on something that provides them real entertainment. So, it does not matter how hard streaming services try to lure the viewers by lowering the charges of their subscription plans, offering them the “premium or VIP” treatment, or any other nonsense.
Also, we have to blame prominent production houses in India for this chaotic situation. It seems like they treat OTTs like dumping grounds. They throw their trashy movies on popular streaming services to reduce their losses. A safe bet, isn’t it? Salman Khan’s Radhe and Ajay Devgn’s Bhuj are some of the best examples of this case.
To make this matter worse, the Government of India launched a three-tier mechanism to strengthen its control over Indian OTT or digital platforms last month. The first couple of tiers allow the makers to self-regulate their content. However, the last one lets the government conduct an oversight mechanism. In addition to this censorship issue, streaming services also worry about the ongoing political climate of the country.
Is there any way to overcome this mess?
There are some ways to handle this situation. How about all the streaming services in India start thinking about producing and delivering good content to their viewers? They should not make this ‘OTT competition’ thing their top priority. Instead, they should shift their focus to making quality shows or movies. It is a good thing that most of the streaming platforms have reduced the prices of their respective subscription plans. This step has allowed the common masses to enjoy OTT content at affordable prices. But they must not forget that a large part of their viewership comes from the foreign content available on their platforms. Not because of the local or regional content.
Some streaming services do not provide the recommendation feature to their subscribers. This feature makes it easy for viewers to search for their favourite content. They should work on it.
Another thing the Indian OTT platforms can do is to limit the unnecessary usage of cuss words or the display of nude scenes. Makers can not fool the audience with the help of these stupid gimmicks. Additionally, they should not worry about censorship or people’s mentality. If they can create magic with something special, they should go for it. Viewers will eventually attract to their quality content.
Indian OTTs can get inspiration from the streaming services of other countries. How about the U.S.? Streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video, Starz, and many more always look to produce A-1 shows or movies there. It is not like they deliver a masterpiece every time. But the effort they make to maintain their public image is something that Indian OTT services should learn. Speaking of A-1 shows, Indian streaming platforms treasure Scam 1992, The Family Man, Kota Factory, Asur, Delhi Crime, Mirzapur, TVF Pitchers, and many amazing shows. But their number is very low on our local OTTs.
Furthermore, streaming services should approach talented creators and directors instead of hunting down prominent production houses. These people will bring the best out of their performers and put outstanding storylines on our screens. Heavy marketing and promotions are not enough to save OTTs if they lack watchable content.
Future of Indian OTTs
The current competition among the Indian OTTs will not go on for long. We may see many popular streaming services shutting down for good because of low viewership and several other reasons in future. But people’s lack of interest in these platforms will become the main reason for their wind up. Only those OTT players will stay in the market who either spent a lot of money on their marketing or promotional budget, remained well-liked among viewers, bestowed the most number of shows or movies, or released quality content on their respective platforms.
The future of Indian OTTs looks a bit dark but not completely hopeless. It all depends upon the makers and their ways of dealing with this matter.