Reality shows, agree or not, are one of the strongest pillars in Indian entertainment. Especially if we talk about the ‘dinner table slot’ watch hours, reality shows and soap operas have always brought the most engagement during the Linear Cable era. But then came OTT.
OTT impressed far more people in a very short time and introduced the audience to a new way of watching content. What it did was divide and rule. The major problem with Linear Cable was that you had no control over what you watched. OTT ended that.
If your preference was a horror show, OTT had it for you. If you wanted a bloody murder mystery, OTT had that too. But amid this vast sea of content, reality shows were dying, getting lost in the mix.
However, when OTT started attracting older users (no offense), the fever for reality shows was revamped. For the younger generation, MTV-produced shows like Roadies and Splitsvilla quickly shifted to OTT, and they needed to.
OTT not only adopted reality shows, it enhanced them. What makes reality shows such a great watch is that they tell the stories of real people, and viewers feel connected. But there was a limitation: engagement was mostly limited to voting via SMS.
OTT changed that by making the experience more engaging with instant voting and other interactive features. Although it’s not the ultimate reality, people feel like they are in control. This is one of the major reasons why reality shows are being rejuvenated.
Shows like Bigg Boss, which were already popular, got a new lease on life on OTT. By appealing to a similar audience and inviting social media stars, they’ve cracked the code to getting huge viewership.
Yes, some comedy shows are struggling, but the valid reason is that the OTT audience likes edgier content, and family-friendly formats aren’t something they prefer to watch.
Plus, through OTT platforms, we’ve seen the rise of some of the most prominent experimental series. Just to throw it out there, a show like Too Hot To Handle on Netflix wouldn’t work on linear cable; it never could. Although this phase of reality shows has produced some of the most lackluster content, like Social Currency or IRL: In Real Love, that’s the price viewers need to pay to make this format work.
So, it’s definitely a double-edged sword. On one hand, some reality shows are getting a massive boost. On the other, shows like The Kapil Sharma Show, which once registered around 50M viewers, aren’t even reaching 10% of that now.
Will OTT save reality TV?
Yes, but not by saving the format that was common on Linear Cable. OTT will add its own spice to the mix. And that sort of change is inevitable—that’s the only constant.
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