The streaming wars in India gained momentum during the pandemic. With more than 40 platforms in the race, the three biggies in serious contention for the crown remained Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar. With the Big 3’s vast resources, the others had to cultivate their niche or be lost in the noise. However, the latest actions of Voot Select beg the question of whether the corporate is vying to be a serious contender to the biggies.
The platform has lately been on an acquisition spree. Its latest acquisition was the Hrithik starrer ‘Vikram Vedha’ while its recent buys include Laal Singh Chadda, Shabaash Mithu, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, and 777 Charlie among others. Reportedly it may also directly premiere a Shahid Kapoor starrer on the platform.
Voot Select had in the past maintained its distance from the frequent big acquisition deals of new content. It instead used its TV content, reality shows, and original web series to cultivate its audience. Content like ‘Asur’, ‘Apharan 2 – Sabka Katega Dobara’, ‘London Files’, and ‘Candy’ gave the platform its own unique identity in the already crowded space. But the latest trend of Voot Select acquiring exclusive digital rights of big movies was unexpected. Whether it is a simple strategy to improve its content library or if it has anything to do with the launch of Paramount+ in India in 2023 is yet to be seen.
Voot Select is the paid subscription service of Voot, a joint venture between the Reliance-backed Viacom18 and Paramount Global. Media baron James Murdoch’s and former Disney India chief Uday Shankar’s recent investment in Viacom18 via Bodhi Tree Systems only strengthens the alliance.
There are speculations of Paramount+ replacing Voot in India. If true, Paramount’s huge IP library and Voot’s content library combined with the acquisition of IPL rights and recent developments with Bodhi Tree Systems will propel it to the big league and into direct competition with the Big 3.
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