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Tag: dittoTV

  • Ditto TV goes OTT first with ‘before TV’

    Ditto TV goes OTT first with ‘before TV’

    MUMBAI: Zee Digital Convergence Limited’s Over The Top (OTT) platform DittoTV now allows viewers to enjoy their favourite content from the channels under Zee Group before airing it on television through their new feature titled ‘before TV’.

    The feature is in line with the company and group’s continued focus on content and service innovations for the consumers.

    Talking about this new initiative, ZDCL CEO Debashish Ghosh said, “The fact that more and more people are finding it easy to cut away from appointment viewing and watch their chosen entertainment anytime, anywhere, has only driven consumer expectations higher and upped the ante for OTT platforms the world-over. While, original content will remain one of the key drivers and focus of DittoTV’s global operations, serious innovations will help give our consumers something new and engaging all-the-time, every time. before TV is one such step in this direction.”

    The company has recently created an original content titled as Life is Music and also plans to launch music based documentary titled as Chords of Change, which will feature musicians narrating their stories of their struggle and registering their protest in various zones across the country through their music.

    The platform is focused on markets like the US, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Asia Pacific and some parts of Africa. It will also carry non-Indian content shortly in the markets where it has been launched.

  • Netflix a damp squib; broadcasters long term gainers: Edelweiss

    Netflix a damp squib; broadcasters long term gainers: Edelweiss

    MUMBAI: While the world is going gaga over Netflix’s simultaneous launch in 130 countries across the globe including India, financial services company Edelweiss is not too impressed, at least in the medium term.

     

    So when all and sundry are trying to predict and second guess the impact Netflix’s launch will have on the over-the-top (OTT) scene as well as on the broadcast industry in India, according to Edelweiss, the impact of Netflix in India will be limited on direct to home (DTH) and cable TV players over the medium term.

     

    Citing the reasons for the same, Edelweiss lists:

     

    1) Netflix does not have local content

    2) Free content is easily available on Erosnow, Hotstar, YouTube

    3) Steep pricing at 2-3x prevailing cable TV/DTH rates

    4) Broadband speed beyond top cities will be a huge challenge

    5) Lack of India cricket matches

     

    The Indian pay TV market is on its way to embrace OTT platforms, especially for sports content, following increasing usage of internet. According to the company, this will be an additional source of revenue for broadcasters like Zee, Sun TV and TV18 over the longer term. “However, most broadcasters already have their OTT platforms and are yet to sign content deals with Netflix,” the company said in its report.

     

    A successful OTT in US:

     

    Netflix is a successful OTT in US as cable TV ARPU is $60 per month versus Netflix’s ARPU of $20-24. Secondly, the US has higher broadband penetration (~80 per cent) with good speed; and original content is dished out by Netflix. However, in India, Netflix currently lacks these advantages.

     

    “Hence, we do not expect Netflix to have any major impact on Indian DTH/cable TV players over medium term. Netflix has a long way to go before tasting success in India,” Edelweiss said.

     

    Pricing, slow broadband key challenges in India:

     

    As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, in India, Netflix’s subscription rates are Rs 500, Rs 650 and Rs 800 for basic, standard and premium packs respectively. “These are 2-3x the prevailing cable TV/DTH rates. Besides, broadband will entail additional costs,” the report added. 

     

    Internationally, Netflix has done well riding attractive pricing, which is almost half the cable TV/DTH rates, and original content. While the company currently does not enjoy these benefits in India, in a bid to attract subscribers, it is offering free services in its first month of operations. 

     

    According to Edelweiss, plans are also afoot to facilitate streaming via laptops, TV, smart phones and tablets. “However, we believe in India where subscribers pay ~Rs250-450 per month for cable TV (includes sports channels), Netflix’s rates are on the higher side. Broadband speed will also be a challenge. Netflix requires minimum speed of 512kbps and recommends 3mbps speed for SD content and 5mbps for HD videos, which further limits its expansion plans,” the report said.

     

    Sports missing, India savours diverse content:

     

    Netflix is currently beaming international TV shows in India along with English and Hindi movies. “The company is currently not offering local content. Sports content, the main driver of the OTT platform, is also not offered. With India being a country with diverse culture it consumes content in eight different languages. Currently, Netflix is beaming only English content which will attract only niche audience,” the report added.

     

    With Netflix’s subscription price being by far the steepest in India as compared to competition, some of whom even offer content for free on their platform, it remains to be seen whether other players up their price, match Netflix’s or continue to offer content at a lower price. That said, with growing competition in the space from the likes of Arré, ALT Digital, DittoTV, ErosNow, HOOQ, Hotstar, Netflix, nexGTV, Sony Liv, Spuul, Voot and YuppTV, Netflix’s content strategy in the near future will be the key differentiator, which will separate the best from the rest.

  • What Indian OTT players can learn from the US market

    What Indian OTT players can learn from the US market

    India’s consumers are just about beginning to experiment with video on demand content delivered over the internet. And a flood of OTT platforms and content creators has suddenly flowed onto the digital highway. Whether it is YouTube or Hotstar or DittoTV or Zenga TV or Hooq or Voot or Arre or nexGTv they have taken their first few steps to understand what consumers want, how they want to consume their content, and how much are they are willing to transact to view that content. 

     

    More evolved OTT markets like the US have already got a headstart and have got immense learning thanks to the availability of fat pipes of bandwidth making OTT almost ubiquitous. Can Indian OTT players learn from those experiences? Some tend to disagree, because the Indian consumer is unique and as different from the American subscriber as chalk is rom cheese. 

     

    But nonetheless for those who want to still find out how the US OTT market is performing and have not managed to get their hands on this study we are encapsulating it for you. Clearleap is a company that works with the likes of HBO, Scripps, and A+E Networks to deliver viewing experiences across screens. It has conducted a survey to learn more about which streaming services US consumers use, what their viewing habits are, and what they value most in an OTT offering. The results offer a look at how average users perceive streaming services, and how they engage with them.

     

    The Key Takeaways from the report are:

     

    Going OTT isn’t an option anymore – it’s a mandate. To stay relevant, reach audiences and grow revenue, content providers need to not only provide a streaming option to consumers, but also address the unique behaviours of today’s younger television viewers. In order to be successful in today’s television market, prospective OTT providers should follow the best practices below:

     

    (a) Ensure a good value. Consumers are willing to pay slightly more (up to $25 per month) if the service has the content they want. Balancing great content and a fair price is the key to attracting viewers and minimising churn.

     

    (b) Make it easy to browse, discover new content, and channel surf. While younger viewers may be more knowledgeable about what they want to watch after they log in, older viewers may not be as familiar with the content available on each service. Improve your user experience by including simple features that encourage discoverability and surface relevant content proactively.

     

    (c) Optimise for screens of all sizes, as tablet and smartphone viewing is significant. Mobile video will only grow in popularity. Get ahead of your viewers’ evolving habits by optimising your service for all screens at launch, and offering apps on key devices such as streaming boxes, mobile phones, and gaming consoles.

     

    (d) Offer tiered pricing solutions to match login-sharing habits. Especially since younger streaming service users are prone to sharing, new services should offer tiered subscription packages that prompt users to pay slightly more to watch content on multiple devices at the same time.

     

    (e) Consider the gaps in the market. While movies and TV series are widely available on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, live television is missing from the streaming market. Many current streaming service users wanted broadcast channels (41.26 per cent) in their ideal offering, with sports (28.15 per cent), local (20.28 per cent), and news (15.91 per cent) also highly rated by respondents. Content owners should capitalise on the white space by investing in live content that isn’t already easily accessible online.

     

    To Read the full report, click here

  • Star disrupts programming; moves Plus’ youth show ‘Badtameez Dil’ to hotstar

    Star disrupts programming; moves Plus’ youth show ‘Badtameez Dil’ to hotstar

    MUMBAI: ’Tis the age of disruption and leading from the forefront is Star India. Even as media pundits have been shouting from rooftops about how over-the-top (OTT) platforms are poised to disrupt the Pay TV business, Star Plus has gone ahead and done the unthinkable.

    In a first of sorts, the network is uprooting Star Plus’ youth fiction show Phir Bhi Na Mane Badtameez Dil from the channel and moving it exclusively to its OTT platform – hotstar. 

    The show will be available on hotstar exclusively from Monday, 28 September. New episodes of the show will be released every weekday morning.

    Produced by Tequila Shot Productions’ Saurabh Tewary, Star Plus launched the show on-air on 29 June. It was being aired six days a week from Monday to Saturday in the 8.30 pm slot.

    In an earlier interaction with Indiantelevision.com, Tewary had said that it would be a finite show with 300-350 episodes. “It is impossible to narrate a love story for ages and ages. Love stories are always finite shows and cannot be kept running for a longer period otherwise the show will lose its relevance and visibility,” he had said. 

    While internationally, seasons of shows like House of Cards amongst others have been exclusively released on the online platform Netflix, India is just waking up to the OTT game. A few baby steps have been taken by Indian OTT players like Sony Liv, ErosNow, DittoTV etc to churn out innovative and exclusive original content for the platform. However, this is the first time that a show from a linear channel is being uprooted and put on an OTT platform.

    Phir Bhi Na Maane… Badtameez Dil is a love story between a VJ and a business head. The story revolves around the two, who get separated because of their misunderstandings and the manipulations of others only to meet again after seven years to resolve unsettled issues.

    Star India has taken this step keeping in mind the fan following that Phir Bhi Na Mane Badtameez Dil has attracted on hotstar amongst digital users in the 18-24 age group. 

    The OTT space in India is rapidly picking up pace with companies churning out innovations and exclusive content. With competition heating up amongst players, disruption will be the only way forward to stay ahead in the game.

  • DittoTV enters Limca Book of Records

    DittoTV enters Limca Book of Records

    MUMBAI: Zee Group’s OTT platform DittoTV has entered Limca Book of Records for being the only OTT platform to present to its subscribers content offering for most number of registered channels across 13 languages.

     

    DittoTV is the sole OTT platform to be conferred with this recognition. DittoTV showcases TV shows, movies and videos in various languages alongside having specially designed video content which is available on Android, Windows and iOS based phones, tablets and computer systems.

     

    A key reason for dittoTV to break the record was due to the fact that it offers viewers an engaging content mix from sports, GEC, music, news to movies and also has its live broadcast from 13 popular religious shrines of India, which include Siddhivinayak Temple,Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Iskcon Temple, Vrindavan, Dargah Hazrat Sheikh Salim Chisti to name a few.

     

    Moreover, the platform also offers eight Pakistani channels along with international news channels like BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN amongst others across the globe in more than 130 countries. The platform also offers HD channels for its subscribers.

     

    DittoTV business head Manoj Padmanabhan said, “It is a proud moment for us since this record further reaffirms our aim to creating newer benchmarks in the category. We have always strived to push the boundaries and be innovators in every endeavour that we set forth. With the bouquet of content that has earned dittoTV the laurel of being honoured by the Limca Book of Records team, we envision more such laurels, keeping benchmarks at the helm as we aim to grow aggressively in this financial year.”