ITV

Tag: Disney

  • Western Europe continues to witness growth; adds 73 mn Svod subscribers

    Western Europe continues to witness growth; adds 73 mn Svod subscribers

    Mumbai: Western Europe will have 238 million Svod subscriptions by 2027. The figure has increased from 165 million by end-2021. Six US-based platforms will account for 81 percent of all Svod subscriptions by 2027.

    Netflix will have 62 million subscribers by 2027 – three million more than 2021. Subscriptions are flat for 2022 mainly due to increased competition. Netflix’s share of the total will fall from 36 percent in 2021 to 26 percent by 2027.

    Disney+ will have 46 million subscribers by 2027 – 20 million more than 2021. Newcomer Paramount+ and SkyShowtime will add 11 million subscribers and HBO Max will bring in an extra 5 million.

    Western European Svod revenues will total $25 billion by 2027 – up from $16 billion in 2021. The UK will remain the Svod revenue leader.

    Digital TV Research principal analyst Simon Murray said, “Netflix will slowly lose Svod revenues as we assume that it will convert its cheapest tier to a lower-priced hybrid Avod-Svod tier. Any Svod revenue shortfall will be covered by its Avod revenues. Netflix will remain the Svod revenue winner, although its share of the total will fall from nearly half in 2021 to a third in 2027.

    “We do not expect many more price rises due to the intense competition. We assume that Disney+ will follow its US example by converting its present tier to a hybrid Avod-Svod one and charging more for SVOD-only tier,” Murray added.

  • D23 Expo 2022: Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios showcase upcoming offerings

    D23 Expo 2022: Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios showcase upcoming offerings

    Mumbai: At the recently concluded Disney fan event, D23 Expo 2022 in Anaheim, California Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios made presentations.

    The Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Bergman reflected on the 13-year history of D23 Expo—as well as the evolution of the Studios group. “That [first] year, none of the iconic studios you’ll hear from today were part of the company. It was just Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, and Pixar. We announced the Marvel acquisition just before our first expo in 2009. Then three years later, we added Lucasfilm, and in 2019, 20th Century Studios. I’ve been at Disney for 26 years, so it’s been incredibly exciting to welcome each of them to our studio family. And like Disney and Pixar, each of these studios has a phenomenal legacy of storytelling,” Bergman explained.

    Lucasfilm: Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy introduced the content line-up. The movie “Indiana Jones 5” will be released next year on 30 June 2023. She welcomed the film’s director, James Mangold, who shared details and first-look footage from the upcoming fifth instalment of the “Indiana Jones” franchise. Kennedy and Mangold were joined on stage by the film’s stars, Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. “Thank you for making these films such an incredible experience for all of us. I’m very proud to say that this one is fantastic, and [Waller-Bridge] is one of the reasons.”

    “”Indiana Jones” movies are about fantasy and mystery, but they’re also about heart… I’m really, really happy that we have a really human story to tell, as well as a movie that will kick your [butt],” said an emotional Ford. This is the first “Indiana Jones” movie that will not be directed by Steven Spielberg.

    Andor is a 24-episode spy thriller. The era featured in Andor—the five years before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story—is filled with danger, deception, and intrigue, where Cassian Andor will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero. Much to the delight of the assembled crowd, Luna and his co stars unveiled a final trailer for the series.

    The series presents Star Wars from a different perspective, focusing on everyday people whose lives are affected by the empire. The decisions they make have real consequences, and the stakes for them—and the galaxy—couldn’t be higher. The series debuts with three episodes on Disney+ on 21 September.

    Meanwhile, Willow is a live-action fantasy-adventure series that returns to the world of Andowyne that we first met in the 1988 feature film (directed by Ron Howard and produced by Disney Legend George Lucas). Set in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, Willow is the story of an unlikely group of heroes who set off on a dangerous quest, facing their inner demons and coming together to save their world. An epic period fantasy told with a modern sensibility and plenty of humour and heart, Willow begins streaming on Disney+ on 30 November.

    Kennedy welcomed Dave Filoni, who shared a host of Star Wars-related announcements. First, Filoni showed a new image from the upcoming 16-episode second season of the animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Months have passed since the events on Kamino, and the Bad Batch continue their journey, navigating the empire after the fall of the republic. They’ll cross paths with friends and foes, both new and familiar, as they take on a variety of thrilling mercenary missions that will take them to unexpected and dangerous new places. The series will begin streaming on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere on 4 January, 2023.

    Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comprises six brand-new animated shorts featuring parables built around Jedi from the prequel era. Journey into the lives of two very different Jedi—Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku—who will be tested as they make decisions that will shape their destinies. Filoni delighted the audience by sharing an official trailer for the shorts. All six shorts will debut on 26 October on Disney+.

    Filoni shared with Hall D23 how much the character of Ahsoka means to him—having crafted her story from her 2008 debut in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars through her live-action debut in The Mandalorian. Ahsoka is a new live-action series heading to Disney+, starring Rosario Dawson in the title role. Set after the fall of the empire, Ahsoka follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. The new series is slated for 2023 and will be exclusive to Disney+.

    Star Wars: Skeleton Crew coming soon on Disney+. Skeleton Crew tells the story of four kids who find themselves lost in the vastness of the galaxy trying to find their way home.

    Meanwhile in the third season of The Mandalorian, the Mandalorian and Grogu have been reunited and continue their journey through the lawless galaxy. Season three is set to launch exclusively on Disney+ next year.

    Marvel Studios: Marvel Studios producer, president Kevin Feige detailed several recent announcements, including the Multiverse Saga—the conclusion of Phase 4, the Phase 5 slate, and the Phase 6 titles that include “Fantastic Four” and two new “Avengers” films: “The Kang Dynasty” and “Secret Wars.”

    “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” releases in theatres on 11 November.

    Ironheart is a series that takes place after the events of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The new series is slated for Disney+ in 2023.

    Feige then officially kicked off Phase five of the MCU with “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Hitting theatres on 17 February 2023, the film connects to “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” Feige announced.

    Feige then announced Marvel Studios’ first-ever special presentation, created for this “Halloween: Werewolf by Night,” directed by music composer Michael Giacchino who Disney said is also an accomplished filmmaker. The special starts streaming on Disney+ this October 7.

    Secret Invasion is a new event series that showcases a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating earth for years.

    Loki season two picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. The new season streams on Disney+ next year.

    Feige has also officially confirmed that Matt Shakman—who directed every episode of 2021’s WandaVision and who was in the Hall D23 audience—would be directing “Fantastic Four.” The film opens in theatres on 8 November, 2024.

    Echo is a new series. In the show Maya Lopez’ ruthless behaviour in New York City (after the events in Disney+’s “Hawkeye”) catches up with her in her hometown.

    Daredevil: Born Again is an 18-episode Disney+ series. Production has not yet started on the show.

    A movie “Captain America: New World Order,” continues Sam Wilson’s journey as Captain America and comes to theatres in 2024. “Thunderbolts” opens in theatres on 26 July, 2024.

    Finally, Feige wrapped the Marvel Studios portion by revisiting key moments in the MCU before welcoming to the stage director Nia DaCosta and The Marvels cast members Iman Vellani (Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel), Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau), and Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel). Fans were given a look at scenes from the new movie, which opens in theatres on 28 July, 2023.  

    20th Century Studios:  Bergman then returned to the stage to introduce—via Zoom from New Zealand—Oscar-winning producer/director Cameron, director of the upcoming “Avatar: The Way of Water.” He’s hard at work finishing the film—the highly anticipated sequel to the biggest film of all time, “Avatar”—so he couldn’t join the D23 Expo in person. But the film’s producer, Jon Landau, helped welcome returning cast members Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldaña (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Kiri), and Stephen Lang (Colonel Miles Quaritch)—plus new-generation cast members Jamie Flatters (Neteyam), Jack Champion (Spider), Bailey Bass (Tsireya), and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Tuk)—before the audience was treated to several scenes from the new film! Fans were invited to don a pair of Dolby 3D glasses (a Hall D23 first!) to get fully immersed in the brand-new footage.

  • Disney+ Hotstar announces three Indian shows for Disney fan event-D23 Expo

    Disney+ Hotstar announces three Indian shows for Disney fan event-D23 Expo

    Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar today announced three Indian titles at the global Disney fan event D23 Expo. The new lineup includes the talk show Koffee with Karan (Season 8), along with Showtime and Mahabharata. On September 9-11, D23 Expo will be held at the Anaheim Convention Centre in Anaheim, California.

    This announcement further strengthens the platform’s collaboration with ace Bollywood producer, director, actor, and host Karan Johar (Koffee with Karan and Showtime), and mints a new association with maverick producer Madhu Mantena, Mythoversestudios, and Allu Entertainment (Mahabharata).

    Koffee with Karan (Season 8) is produced by Karan Johar, Apporva Mehta and Aneesha Baig, Dharmatic Entertainment Production and Showtime is produced by Karan Johar, Apporva Mehta and Somen Mishra, A Dharmatic Entertainment Production.

    Disney Star head – content, Disney+ Hotstar & HSM Entertainment Network Gaurav Banerjee joined a panel on international content along with The Walt Disney Company chairman-international content and operations Rebecca Campbell, LATAM SVP, media distribution & production Fernando Barbosa, APAC head of content & development Jessica Kam-Engle, and EMEA director of scripted content Lee Mason. The discussion focused on eclectic global content trends, particularly highlighting Disney+ Hotstar’s role in shaping content in India and beyond.

    Sharing his views on the upcoming Indian lineup, Banerjee said, “Over the last several years, India has emerged as a content powerhouse, pushing the envelope with stories that transcend language and cultural boundaries. For a nation at the centre of the OTT revolution, Disney+ Hotstar’s pioneering stories have been dominating viewers’ preferred content library. We couldn’t have asked for a more profound curtain raiser on our upcoming lineup at a globally coveted platform such as D23 Expo 2022, where we have an opportunity to share a glimpse of soon to be launched shows Showtime, Mahabharata, and Koffee with Karan Season 8.”

    Producer, director, and host Karan Johar added, “I am excited to associate with Disney+ Hotstar for our new collaboration, announced at the prestigious D23 Expo. In addition to yet another exciting season of my beloved show, Koffee With Karan (Season 8), I am happy to announce an all-new Dharma Production series, Showtime, which will lift the curtain on India’s entertainment industry’s biggest trade secrets.”

    Producer Madhu Mantena said, “For centuries, Indian epics have captured the imagination of billions around the world. These epics are deeply woven into the very fabric of our nation. The Mahabharata is one of the oldest epics in India and, despite being as old as time, is still relevant today for the many lessons and words of wisdom hidden within its ancient verses. It is said that every known emotional conflict experienced by mankind finds form in the Mahabharata through its complex characters and storylines. We at Mythoverse are absolutely delighted to have this opportunity provided by Disney+ Hotstar to bring out a rendition of this great Indian epic, Mahabharata, and to announce this news on a prestigious global platform at the D23 Expo.”

  • DistroTV expands distribution, now streaming free on VIZIO Smart TVs

    DistroTV expands distribution, now streaming free on VIZIO Smart TVs

    Mumbai: DistroTV, the nation’s largest, independent, free, ad-supported streaming TV (Fast) app on Friday announced that it is expanding its content offerings to Vizio. Now millions of Vizio users can stream DistroTV’s impressive and diverse content lineup — 270 channels and growing plus thousands of hours of VOD content — for free, anytime on the VIZIO Smart TV platform.

    DistroTV features over 270 multicultural channels and is growing, with everything from news, sports, movies, music & entertainment, and lifestyle content. This includes original content and new channel offerings that cater to English, Southeast Asian / Indian and Spanish-speaking audiences, as well as a recently released channel bundle that targets the African community. It is available to stream for free in over 60 markets through its apps on streaming devices and smart TVs, as well as worldwide on the web through Distro.tv, the platform truly features something for every viewer. No registration, sign-up, or fees are required.

    DistroTV’s comprehensive streaming library includes:

    -An impressive wave of new channels available to stream for free that appeal to DistroTV’s core US, UK, and Canadian audiences which includes a total of.

    -45 sports channels, with the most diverse collection of live & linear mainstream sports, combat sports, niche sports and outdoors channels, like stadium, beIN Sports Xtra, Swerve Sports, Impact Wrestling Channel, Fightnetwork, Wired2Fish, ACL Cornhole, MotoAmerica TV and FuelTV.

    -Broad array of diverse movies & entertainment channels including CineLife by Magnolia Pictures, Kweli TV, Watch It Scream, FrightFlix, Bowery Classics, Dark Matter, CinePride and many more.

    -13 documentary channels, including Goalcast, Magellan TV, Beautiful Planet & True History.
     
    -Notable new additions to the entertainment, lifestyle & food category, including AXS TV Now, Trace Urban, Bite, Planet Eat, and GustoTV.

    -A total of 21 spanish-language channels are available in North America, such as Estrella, beIN Sports XTRA Ñ, Top Cine, Canela.TV, Trace Latina, Casa Comedy and Spanglish and more spanish language entertainment, movie, documentaries, news and sports channels.

    -36 live streaming DistroTV Desi South Asian news, entertainment, and music channels featuring WION, TimesNow, Mastiii, Epic, MirrorNow, BritAsia and much more.

    -African channel bundle, DistroTV Africa, featuring 11 entertainment and music-oriented channels available to stream for free.

    -Providing audiences in the US and Canada with home screen access to must-have apps like Apple TV+, BET+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, FuboTV, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video and YouTube TV, VIZIO users now have round-the-clock access to DistroTV.

    -VIZIO and DistroTV are aligned in their missions to provide content and access for everyone; including movies and syndicated TV shows in the sports, kids and family, news, lifestyle, gaming, and music categories, and more.

    “We are thrilled to join the VIZIO family, particularly at a time when we are continuing to grow our viewership and channel content at a rapid pace,” said DistroScale co-founder & CEO Navdeep Saini. “By expanding our distribution via VIZIO Smart TVs, we can continue to provide audiences with the content they crave, and all while maintaining our FAST no-sign up, credit card or email required model.”

    DistroScale Country Head-India Vikas Khanchandani said, “US has over 87 per cent homes with at least one Connected TV and other western countries are seeing scale as well. Vizio is one of the largest CTV players in the US market and brings access to a large viewership base within Vizio for Indian content owners. It’s an opportunity to tap into the large advertising market in the US and other western countries and simultaneously combat piracy in those markets. FAST (Free Ad Supported Television) is bringing the lean-back linear experience for users on television and is solving for content discovery with sharper defined cohorts. Distro is focussed on building a very strong South Asian bouquet of content for the diaspora audiences across the world and bring in the ad monetisation through its vast global advertising footprint.”

    “VIZIO appreciates DistroTV’s dedication to building personalized experiences for today’s streaming audience,” said VIZIO’s senior director of business development Chris Tanquary. “VIZIO strives to be a place where viewers have endless entertainment options across all categories and genres so there is something for everyone,” Tanquary added.

     

  • US SVod revenues to be flat from 2024-2027: Digital TV Research

    US SVod revenues to be flat from 2024-2027: Digital TV Research

    Mumbai: Despite being the world’s most mature market, US SVod (subscription video-on-demand) revenues will grow by $14 billion from $43 billion in 2021 to a peak of $56 billion in 2024, according to new data from Digital TV Research. However, revenue growth will be almost flat from 2024 to 2027 due to price competition and new hybrid AVoD-SVoD tiers from major players such as Disney+ and Netflix.

    Digital TV Research principal analyst Simon Murray said, “Netflix will remain the SVoD revenue winner. However, the platform will lose $1.4 billion in SVoD revenues between 2022 and 2027 due to lower ARPUs from 2023. Netflix will more than recoup these SVoD revenue losses with AVoD (Advertising-based video on demand) sales.”

    Netflix will have 63 million subscribers by 2027 – down by 4 million from 2021. Hulu, Disney+, HBO and Paramount+ will each boast 40-50 million subscribers by 2027. Some consolidation – mergers and closures – is likely.

  • Netflix to lose SVOD revenues in Latin America: Digital TV Research

    Netflix to lose SVOD revenues in Latin America: Digital TV Research

    MUMBAI: Latin American SVOD revenues will reach $8.54 billion by 2027; up from $5.01 billion in 2021. Netflix will account for 41 percent of the 2027 total, down from 72 percent in 2021. Netflix’s revenues will peak at $3.73 billion in 2023.

    Digital TV Research principal analyst Simon Murray said, “Netflix will introduce AVod-SVod tiers [one for Brazil and another pan-regional one for the Spanish-speaking countries] in 2024, with SVOD revenues and Arpus falling slowly as some subscribers convert to cheaper packages.”

    Disney+ is likely to introduce similar tiers in 2024. The platform is expected to follow its US example by converting its current subscription tier to AVOD-SVOD and charging more for SVOD-only. This will push up average revenue per user (ARPU).

    Latin America will have 139 million gross SVOD subscriptions by 2027; up from 75 million end-2021. Seven US-based platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Star+, Paramount+, Apple TV+ and HBO) will account for 90 percent of the region’s paying SVOD subscriptions by end of 2027.

  • SVOD subscribers base to reach 22 million in Arab countries: Report

    SVOD subscribers base to reach 22 million in Arab countries: Report

    Mumbai: In a forecast report from Digital TV Research on Monday, it is noted that there will be 21.52 million paying SVOD subscriptions [TV episodes and movies only], up from 9.49 million in 2021, across 13 Arabic countries by 2027 in the next five years.

    The largest player in the region will continue to be Netflix, which will see its Arabic base increase from 3.55 million to 5.45 million by 2027.  Despite its fast growth, Disney+ will remain behind Shahid VIP (second place), increasing from 2.16 million to 3.77 million, while Starzplay will be in third with 3.47 million. 

    With its launch in the region earlier this year, Disney+ is set to have an explosively growing launch period to become the fourth largest player with 3.39 million, with Amazon seeing similar massive growth from 715,000 in 2021 to 2.35 million in 2027.

    After Disney+ withdrew its content and launched as a standalone platform, OSN lost some traction. However, OSN will retain exclusive rights to HBO Max and Paramount+ content. By 2027, OSN will have 1.60 million paid SVOD subscribers.

    Digital TV Research principal analyst Simon Murray commented, “Netflix will continue to lead the market, although Disney+ has provided a strong challenge since June. We assume that Netflix and Disney+ will add hybrid ad-supported tiers in a pan-Arabic platform from 2024.”

  • Non-linear TV viewing draws attention of viewers in US, Europe & Australia: Omdia’s Report

    Non-linear TV viewing draws attention of viewers in US, Europe & Australia: Omdia’s Report

    Mumbai: New research from Omdia reveals that nonlinear viewing continues to gain greater hegemony in the daily viewing habits of TV users across the US, Europe, and Australia. Online long form and social media video viewing is growing beyond the previous year’s boom in viewing time.

    Omdia’s new ‘Cross-Platform Television Viewing Time Report – 2022’ finds that across all the markets covered, the average total daily viewing time reached 362 minutes per person per day in 2021 (six hours and two minutes), down 0.5 per cent on last year. Declines in linear TV, online short form and pay TV VoD account for this minor drop in viewing, with the former seeing the sharpest falls. Growth in online long form and social media video viewing, however, counterbalanced these declines, leaving overall viewing to drop by just two minutes.

    Linear TV viewing time decreased in all markets in 2021. The end of restrictions and lockdowns that marked most of 2020 was the primary cause, with the continual shift toward on-demand viewing also driving this.

    Omdia’s TV and Online Video team senior analyst Rob Moyser commented, “In highly developed markets such as the US and the UK, 2021 will likely be the last year where linear TV predominates over non-linear TV viewing. On a platform-by-platform level, however, linear TV still remains, by some distance, the most popular way to watch TV in the markets covered.”

    Online long form was a key area of growth across all markets, driven largely by incumbent online subscription services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, and the launch of several new OTT services such as Discovery+ and Paramount+. In total, long-form viewing grew by eight minutes, reaching 68 minutes, eight minutes ahead of social media video viewing.

    Time spent viewing video content on social media platforms increased by nine minutes in 2021 to an average of 60 minutes per person per day across the nine markets analysed. TikTok was the standout performer for video growth during the year, with the platform set to overtake Facebook in total time spent for the first time in 2022.

  • Streaming accounted for over one-third of US’s TV consumption in June: Nielsen

    Streaming accounted for over one-third of US’s TV consumption in June: Nielsen

    Mumbai: In June, streaming captured 33.7 per cent of total television consumption in the US, according to The Gauge, which is Nielsen’s monthly total TV and streaming snapshot. This is streaming’s largest share of TV usage to be measured by The Gauge since its inception in May 2021. Conversely, while viewership for broadcast and cable is traditionally lower during the summer months, June represented the smallest share yet for the formats, which totaled 22.4 per cent for broadcast and 35.1 per cent for cable.

    Total time spent watching TV in June increased slightly (+two per cent) from May, bolstered by 8 per cent uptick in streaming volume over the same interval. Time spent streaming jumped by 23.5 per cent on a year-over-year basis, allowing the digital format to add six  percentage points to its share of TV in 12 months.

    This considerable increase in streaming had a similar effect on streaming platforms, four of which saw record-high viewing shares in June: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and YouTube (including YouTubeTV). Viewers spent 16 per cent more time watching Netflix than the previous month, allowing Netflix to gain a full share point from May and capture 7.7 per cent of total TV viewing—the largest month-to-month growth for a streaming platform. Compared to June 2021, all reported streaming platforms in The Gauge have seen significant growth in viewing, led by Amazon Prime Video (+31.9 per cent), Disney+ (+22 per cent), and Netflix (+18.1 per cent).

    While cable viewing in June fell two per cent from the previous month, the category lost 1.4 share points in TV usage over the same period. Cable continues to show some of the largest year-over-year shifts of any viewing category, dropping five percentage points and -11.9 per cent in viewing compared to June 2021.

    Due to the conclusion of the traditional broadcast TV season, time spent watching broadcast was down 6.7 per cent in June compared to May, and the share of viewing declined 2.1 percentage points. While these declines are fairly typical for this time of year, broadcast viewing this month was down 3.9 per cent compared to June 2021, and a full share point lower.

  • Netflix faces strong headwinds due to slowdown in revenue growth

    Netflix faces strong headwinds due to slowdown in revenue growth

    Mumbai: On Tuesday, Netflix reported a loss of almost 1 million subscribers during the spring amid soaring inflation that’s squeezing household budgets while the company faced tougher competition from rivals including HBO Max and Disney+.

    However, the drop was not nearly as high as the two million cancellations that had been forecast. Nonetheless, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings didn’t try to minimize things during a Tuesday conference call about the results. “It’s tough losing a million subscribers and calling it a success,” he said.

    Netflix was probably spared from deeper losses by the ongoing popularity of Stranger Things, its science fiction/horror series that debuted in 2016. Stranger Things 4 is the second-most-popular TV series on Netflix, drawing more than 1.3 billion hours of watch time on the platform in its first 28 days, according to the company.

    Despite the downturn, Netflix still earned $1.4 billion, or $3.20 per share during the quarter, a 6 per cent increase from the same time last year. Revenue rose 9 per cent from the same time last year to nearly $8 billion. Netflix’s stock price had previously plunged by nearly 70 percent in the last year, wiping out about $180 billion in shareholder wealth.

    Netflix is taking steps to decrease costs and bump revenue. The company has been cutting costs with employee and contract worker lay-offs in such areas as marketing and social media. In April, the company announced a crack-down on subscriber password sharing.

    To attract and retain subscribers, the company began branching out last year by adding free video games to its streaming service and is also reportedly exploring live-streaming content, such as comedy specials. In addition, Netflix has taken another step toward putting together a cheaper, ad-supported subscriber option when it announced it will team up with Microsoft to deliver the commercials.

    “We have some headwinds right now and we are navigating through them,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at the end of Tuesday’s conference call. “We’ve seen entertainment formats come and go, we’ve seen entertainment business models come and go, and we have managed to grow through all of them, though all kinds of economic conditions and through all levels of competition.”

    Last year, Netflix India made a bold move in slashing prices across its four subscription tiers, notably cutting its popular ‘Basic’ plan by a huge 60 per cent, reducing it from $6.24 (Rs 499) a month to just $2.49 ( Rs 199).

    While the company didn’t state a reason at the time for the price cut, Netflix India’s vice president of content Monika Shergill told the entertainment news portal Deadline that the strategic move was made in a bid to open up the service to a broader range of audiences across the Indian market.

    Six months down the line, Shergill says the pricing cut is “working very well for us, and it’s brought in a whole new set of audiences,” enabling Netflix India to prioritize subscriber growth at a time when the company had begun to ramp up its licensing and original programming slate beyond Hindi and English-language content. “It’s a very different pricing model,” she says of the Indian streaming market, adding that most local competitors work on annual plans with the benefit of big discounts from telco partners.

    “For us, our revision of the pricing was very well-timed with our content strategy and the new slate we were rolling out. We were very clear that when we started programming for a broader set of audiences that we would need to increase access and the pricing was a very important part of it,” said Shergill.

    After Netflix’s better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, the company’s shares continued their recent upturn as Wall Street analysts had differing opinions on the takeaway from the report. After weeks of worry, investors took a brief sigh of relief. However, sceptics point out that the loss was the biggest in any quarter in the company’s 25-year history.

    In a bold move to woo back subscribers and attract new ones, Netflix will stream the action thriller, The Gray Man this weekend after a limited release in theatres. The film cost a reported $200 million, the most expensive movie in Netflix’s history.