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Tag: Netflix India

  • Netflix’s dependence on India for growth may see more innovative experiments

    Netflix’s dependence on India for growth may see more innovative experiments

    MUMBAI: In the course of its three-year journey in India, Netflix has recognised that the rule to win Indian consumers is different. After foraying into the Indian market in 2016, the California-based streaming giant gradually reshaped its business model deviating highly from the one it follows in the US. From announcing a mobile-only subscription package to making the first episode of the newly-launched series Bard of Blood available for free for non-members viewing on Android devices, the streaming giant is not leaving any stone unturned to woo Indian consumers.

    Back in 2018, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, in his India tour, said that the streamer’s next 100 million subscribers will be "coming from India" given the fast growth of internet connectivity and usage. Although the progress for that statistic has not been revealed, the platform has created an impressive local content slate over the year. But with the amount of cash it’s burning every year, the company needs a higher number of subscribers from India, especially at a time when its domestic subscriber growth is reaching a saturation point.

    In a market dominated by AVOD and freemium models, this free-like model of offering an episode of Bard of Blood for free is definitely an interesting move. It will not only help more viewers to taste the platform but also to attract them towards paid subscription. However, it is not clear yet if they will consider doing the same experiment for other films and series in future.

    While the Indian over-the-top market is growing quickly, Netflix has strong local competition here. Among Indian viewers, Hotstar seems the most popular platform according to several reports. Sports content available on the platform has largely driven its popularity but it also has a special package of Hotstar VIP for newly-launched original content which is priced at a lower rate. Two other popular services, ALTBalaji and ZEE5, have struck various content deals. Moreover, most of the domestic players work on the freemium model with a massive catch-up content library. Netflix’s international rival Amazon is also investing highly in local content with its existing prime benefits. Hence, the way to the next 100 million subscribers is not an easy game.

    Netflix has done another unusual experiment in terms of pricing recently. The platform unveiled its cheapest plan – Rs 199 a month only for smartphones and tablets – to penetrate deeper into the market. Studies have found that India prefers smartphones to laptops more than any other country in the world. It seems the platform has started focusing on bigger audiences going beyond the tier I premium segment. In its Q1 earnings call also, Netflix added that a lower price tier will be important to adding members in India.

    "We've been seeing nice steady increases in engagement with our Indian viewers that we think we can keep building on. Growth in that country is a marathon. So we're in it for the long haul," Netflix chief content officer Theodore Sarandos said in an analyst call after publishing the Q2 results.

    In addition to that, Netflix is also expanding its team with Indian executives who already have knowledge of the market. Netflix recently hired Monika Shergill as head of its Indian original programming, who was associated with Viacom18’s Voot and Star India. The platform also tapped another Voot executive Tanya Bami very recently. Last year, Netflix appointed two experts with vast knowledge of the Indian market, Shrishti Behl and Swati Mohan.  

    In the second quarter, Netflix saw its first major loss in US subscribers last and a mere 2.7 million paid customers added globally. While the platform added almost all new subscribers from international markets this quarter, it believes there’s still plenty of room to grow there. Netflix executives also emphasised on the importance of India, where the company expects significant growth. Moreover, when its domestic market is seeing the entry of streaming services from the house of Disney and Apple, more innovative measures can be expected in India.

  • Netflix India ropes in Tanya Bami as director international originals

    Netflix India ropes in Tanya Bami as director international originals

    MUMBAI: Tanya Bami is the latest senior executive to join Netflix as the global streaming giant continues to beef up its India arm. Tanya, Indiantelevision.com has learnt, will join the streamer next week as director international originals. She will be part of the team which Monika Shergill leads.

    In July this year, Indiantelevision.com had reported that Tanya had stepped down from her role at Viacom Digital Ventures as head Voot Originals and vice president content.

    The veteran media executive joined Voot in November 2015 from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd where she served as head – weekend content.

    Before joining ZEEL, Tanya spent over five years at Star India where she held the position of AVP content for the network’s flagship GEC Star Plus.

    Apart from stints at broadcasters like MTV, Channel V, and BBC, she has also worked at major production houses like Big Synergy and Optimystix Entertainment India.

  • Regiment Diaries from EPIC Channel now available on Netflix India

    Regiment Diaries from EPIC Channel now available on Netflix India

    MUMBAI: EPIC Channel, India’s leading infotainment channel announced an exclusive licensing of its marquee show Regiment Diaries to leading OTT platform, Netflix. The show takes viewers behind the heavily guarded gates of army regimental centers, to showcase the legacy, history, and traditions of the various regiments of the Indian Army and the rigorous training that transforms a civilian into a soldier. An EPIC Original, the show will continue to air on EPIC TV, is available on EPIC’s OTT platform EPIC On, and will simultaneously be available on Netflix, enabling it to reach a larger audience.

    The show points the spotlight at the real stories of soldiers, both serving and retired, who share their anecdotes of army life and their experience as soldiers of India in times of peace and war. The show covers thirteen regiments of the Indian army including Madras Engineers Group, Rajputana Rifles, Sikh Regiment, Jat Regiment, Maratha Light Infantry amongst others.

    Adita Jain, Head – Syndication & Acquisition, EPIC Channel said, “We have always had very encouraging response for our shows on Netflix, and we are very excited to present the stories of the pride of our nation. We look forward to this association and hope our viewers enjoy the tales of our nation’s brave hearts.”

    Regiment Diaries joins the list of EPIC Original content which has been previously licensed by Netflix including Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik, Stories by Rabindranath Tagore, Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan and Dharmakshetra.

  • Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on global opportunity, subscriber addition and competition

    Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on global opportunity, subscriber addition and competition

    MUMBAI: With Disney all set to enter the direct-to-consumer business with its streaming app, Netflix missing its subscriber addition forecast globally along with losing subscribers in the domestic market is likely to be trouble. Although stocks of the FANG company stumbled as an aftermath of the Q2 result, Netflix is confident of getting back on track in the next quarter. Talking to investors in an earnings call after the Q2 result, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings also showed confidence in global subscriber additions, upcoming competition and the positive impact of streaming war.

    Here are the edited excerpts:

    Global opportunity:

    Well, we do wonder, in the fullness of time, can we be as big as YouTube? YouTube is 7x larger than us roughly in viewing hours, and a phenomenal service. Of course, it's free. So the real question is can we produce enough content that people are willing to pay for? If you look at benchmarks, it's about 700 million households that pay for television outside of China, so that would be kind of the equivalent of the US, 100 million, so that's one established market.

    Now, do we have enough content in each of those countries? Most of that is local content that gets consumed. But the internet is capable of some very large customer bases, as you, I'm sure, know well. So we'll just take it year-by-year and try to have our net adds continue to grow. We still think our net adds this year will be larger than last year. We'll keep pushing on that. And what we want to do is just grow the net adds every year and then the future takes care of itself.

    Streaming War:

    It's never been a better world for talent. They get to bid themselves off between us, Disney, Amazon, etc. So there's a real battle for who will pay for content around the world, but it's not a zero-sum competition. I think everybody gets that people will subscribe to multiple shows. Add wage — most Netflix employees are HBO subscribers. We love the content they do and that spurs us to want to be even better. So it's a great competition that helps grow the industry. And the advantage of having something catchy like streaming wars is it draws more attention. And because of that, people, consumers shift more quickly from linear TV to the streaming TV.

    Product partnerships for Stranger Things:

    Well, we're monetising it today in more membership growth. The focus is to get more people excited about Stranger Things. So they join Netflix. They tell their friends about it. So this year, we'll add about $5 billion of incremental subscription revenue, which is almost all of the gross margin, and that's faster than any entertainment company has grown in the history of the world. So what we want to do is keep that engine going, keep that subscriber engine going and not get distracted with alternative revenue sources which just don't add up when you're growing $5 billion a year. So the core focus is to create all these merchandising opportunities, tie-ins, touch points so that you feel the Stranger Things energy so that more people join. So together, as we do monetise all that, it's just we're monetising it through our giant engine rather than through little sidecar vehicles.

  • Netflix confirms Q3 roll-out of lower-priced mobile-screen plan for India

    Netflix confirms Q3 roll-out of lower-priced mobile-screen plan for India

    MUMBAI: Finally taking note of the price-sensitive Indian market, streaming giant Netflix has decided to roll out a lower-priced mobile screen plan in India. The streaming giant sees the new plan, which will launch in Q3, as an effective measure to expand its subscriber base in India. Earlier, the streamer had highlighted the need to lower prices for greater accessibility and more subscribers after its Q1 results.

    “After several months of testing, we’ve decided to roll out a lower-priced mobile-screen plan in India to complement our existing plans. We believe this plan, which will launch in Q3, will be an effective way to introduce a larger number of people in India to Netflix and to further expand our business in a market where Pay TV ARPU is low (below $5). We will continue to learn more after launch of this plan,” the company said in its letter to shareholders.

    It was reported a few months ago that the streaming giant was experimenting with a mobile only monthly plan priced at Rs 250 and weekly plan priced at Rs 65. It was reported that the mobile-only plans would allow users to access the platform on mobile phone and tablet but only on one screen at a time. However, the company has not revealed any price point yet.

    The move comes at a time when the Indian over-the-top (OTT) scene is witnessing a fierce battle among both international and home grown players to gain a stronger foothold in the market. All the OTT platforms are taking several steps including special subscription packages, telco bundling and sachets to attract more subscribers. Despite significant investment in high-quality content like Scared Games, Netflix has not yet been able to be break into the top-three OTT platforms list in India.

    While Hotstar is still leading the race, international rival Amazon Prime Video is also way ahead of Netflix. Moreover, Indian consumers are heavily inclined to consume content on small screens given the affordability of smart phones and cheaper mobile broadband data.

    “We're quite certain that we should do something to find a price tier that's lower than the existing lowest price tier to broaden that accessibility. We think that they'll be important to adding members in India. We'll see what the right mix of features is, because there is a bit of a magic to try and get the right set of features at the right price point in a way that the consumer can relate to, right, it has to be sort of natural and intuitive to the consumer that this is what they're getting. So we've got more work to go do there, but it's something we're highly focused on,” Netflix chief product officer Greg Peters said in an earnings call after the Q1 result. Peters also said mobile-only plans can be a great example to get subscriber economy right.

    Explaining the relevance of the move, Peters said in an earnings call after Q2 results that there is an opportunity to broaden the access to the service, especially at a time when the company is expanding content offering. He also added that they are seeing a growth in engagement. 

    "So that's the primary motivator for that move, so we can broaden the audience that can love that content, enjoy that content that Ted's team is making. And that's great because like when we launched Sacred Games season 2, when you have a bigger audience for it, that means we can create more social buzz and more excitement about that show. So we're doing that. We're also working on the partnerships we have in the market because we think there are specific opportunities to improve accessibility via those partnerships as well," he added.

    While the streaming giant has very recently announced five new originals for India, it is particularly excited about Baahubali. At a time when Netflix is increasing its focus on original films, this will be the first move into a really large scale Indian original film. 

    "It's based on a film that was hugely popularly a year ago and this is a series prequel, sequel model that way things going to be incredibly popular in India and we've been seeing steady, nice steady increases and engagement with our Indian viewers that we think we can keep billing on. Growth in that country is a marathon. So we're, in it for the long haul and we're seeing nice steady progress," Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos commented. 

  • Netflix’s first domestic subscriber loss in 8 years; misses international addition estimate

    Netflix’s first domestic subscriber loss in 8 years; misses international addition estimate

    MUMBAI: The streaming giant Netflix witnessed domestic subscriber loss for the first time in the last eight years since it separated its DVD mail-order system and streaming platform. In the second quarter (Q2) of 2019, Netflix also added nearly 2 million fewer international customers than expected.

    In contrast to the projected 5 million addition in international subscribers, Netflix only gained 2.7 million subscribers. On the other hand, the company also lost more than 100,000 subscribers in the US. The company in its letter to shareholders said that Q2’s content slate drove less growth in paid net adds than it anticipated. Netflix added that the missed forecast was more noticed in the regions where prices were hiked. However, the company also denied any impact of the increased competition on the Q2 results.

    “Additionally, Q1, there may have been more pull-forward effect than we realised. In prior quarters with over-forecasts, we’ve found that the underlying long-term growth was not affected and staying focused on the fundamentals of our business served us well,” the company said in a letter to its shareholders.

    The streaming platform has started the third quarter with a returning season of its hit show Stranger Things while the final season of another iconic show Orange is the New Black will be released in the quarter. The company expects the subscriber growth to return to more typical growth in Q3, and said it is seeing that in these early weeks of Q3. It also forecast Q3 global paid net adds of 7 million with 0.8 million in the US and 6.2 million internationally.

    However, Netflix posted revenue of $4.92 billion, in-line with Wall Street’s $4.93 billion estimate, and earnings of 60 cents per share beating analyst consensus estimates of EPS 56 cents. “Much of our domestic, and eventually global, Disney catalog, as well as Friends, The Office, and some other licensed content will wind down over the coming years, freeing up budget for more original content,” the company added.

    The company also highlighted building out its licensing and brand partnerships effort, which is optimising for fan and viewer engagement over revenue maximisation. It also noted during the launch of Stranger Things season 3, the platform partnered with best-in-class brands like Coke, Nike, Burger King, and Baskin Robbins to build deep connections with the fans.

    More importantly, it announced a very important move in its important international market India in front of the product initiative. “After several months of testing, we’ve decided to roll out a lower-priced mobile-screen plan in India to complement our existing plans. We believe this plan, which will launch in Q3, will be an effective way to introduce a larger number of people in India to Netflix and to further expand our business in a market where Pay TV ARPU is low (below $5). We will continue to learn more after launch of this plan,” the company said.

  • Netflix India ropes in Aashish Singh as director, original film

    Netflix India ropes in Aashish Singh as director, original film

    MUMBAI: Streaming giant Netflix continues to keep its foot on the pedal when it comes to arming its India team with some serious talent. The latest high-profile addition to the streamer’s stable is Aashish Singh, who has been roped in as director, original film. "We can confirm that Aashish Singh has joined Netflix as Director, Original Film," the company told Indiantelevision.com.

    The arrival of Aashish seems to be in line with Netflix’s ambitious Original film play in India. The media veteran was CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures in his last gig, where he had joined in September 2018. Prior to that, he spent over 15 years with Yash Raj Films, occupying the position of vice president, production.

    Netflix has announced 22 original films in India, with nine out of those already streaming on the service. Serious Men, Bulbul, Upstarts, Cobalt Blue, Ghost Stories, Class of '83, Mrs. Serial Killer, Guilty, Yeh Ballet, House Arrest, Kaali Khuhi, Maska and Freedom are the next big Indian Original films that are slated to be launched soon.

    Aashish and Srishti Behl Arya (director, original film), both of whom report to Los Angeles, will play key role in helping the company accomplish its vision as it continues to be the only streaming service investing in original films in India.

    As a percentage of overall time spent on Netflix, film viewing in India is the highest in any country. 70 per cent Netflix members in India watch at least one film a week. The number of films watched per month/per member has grown 50 per cent since last year.  

    In a bid to add further value to its content proposition, Netflix is creating mainstream original series and movies in India apart from adding top quality, big budget licensed content. In an effort to add Indian subscribers, the Reed Hastings-led company is delivering an increasingly high volume of films to position Netflix the destination for finest films.

    Having identified India as a key growth market, the company is investing significantly in Indian films and talent. Going forward, this focus is only bound to get more intense.

  • Netflix starts testing Rs 65 mobile-only weekly plan for Indian users

    Netflix starts testing Rs 65 mobile-only weekly plan for Indian users

    MUMBAI: Taking note of mobile’s popularity for digital content consumption, streaming giant Netflix has started testing mobile-only subscription plans in India. According to media reports, the company has started testing a mobile-only weekly plan priced at Rs 65 in the country. However, it has also been confirmed by the OTT platform that it is only a test, not a price cut.

    Although users will get access to the entire catalogue of films and TV shows under this plan, it does not offer HD or Ultra HD content. The mobile-only plan will allow users to access the platform on mobile phone and tablet but only on one screen at a time.

    Last month, it was reported that Netflix is testing a mobile-only monthly plan priced at Rs 250 for users in India. According to reports, the plan will be rolled out to everyone in phases.

    "We are always looking for ways to make Netflix more enjoyable and accessible. We will be testing different options in select countries where members can, for example, watch Netflix on their mobile devices for a lower price and subscribe in shorter increments of time. Not everyone will see these options and we may never roll out these specific plans beyond the tests," the company also said.

    Netflix has significantly upped its game in India since last year. Along with launching hits like Sacred Games, it has also come up with original movies. But in India, it is competing with a number of homegrown players such as ZEE5, Voot, ALTBalaji along with its international rival Amazon Prime Video.

  • Indian brands show witty side on April fool’s day

    Indian brands show witty side on April fool’s day

    MUMBAI: April fool’s day gives everyone a chance to enjoy some hearty laughs and pranks at the expense of friends, colleagues or families. This is the day when you trust no one and nothing. But sometimes, the trickery is so fine that it takes forever for one to realise that they have been fooled. This 1 April, a number of brands played their best cards. Here are some of the best specimens we saw on our social media handles.

    Kingfisher

    Kingfisher announced the launch of a new product – Kingfisher’s Instant Beer mix, a revolutionary product which would change the beer industry. People were asked to register for free samples, which they did in abundant numbers. As per the brand, people also made WhatsApp groups discussing the product, hence making it a trending topic on the messaging app too.

    Netflix India

    Netflix India’s April fool’s prank started 14 days in advance as it started sharing cryptic messages that seemed to be pointing towards the much awaited season 2 of the popular original series Sacred Games.

    But on 1 April it turned out to be a very creative announcement of the launch of popular American sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S on its platform.

    Ola

    Ride-hailing platform Ola came up with an interesting solution to the one big problem that the generation, which is ‘always on the go’ faces, the lack of public toilets. It announced Ola Restroom facilities on its social media handles attracting a lot of eyeballs. However, after telling people that it was indeed an April Fool’s prank, they also shared that from now onwards, people can opt to donate Re 1 to Gramalya and help it build toilet across India.

    One Plus

    India’s premium smartphone brand One Plus released a small teaser of its Warp Car, an electric supercar printed using SLS 3D and ABS 3D printing that can also can be customised. The car doesn’t have a steering wheel and relies on smartphone control. It also asked people to participate on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #WarpCar to win one.

    Pepsi

    Pepsi used its influencer network to position its ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’ motto via a unique prank where a group of friends tricked a guy into a fake meet and greet with Bollywood actress Disha Patani. The video of the prank got viral as it was also shared on Disha Patani’s official Instagram handle.

    7 UP

    7 UP took its April Fool’s prank to the streets of Chennai as it teamed up with popular Tamil actor Sathish Muthukrishnan who posed as a local taxi driver in the city and drove around town, pranking unassuming passengers.

  • Netflix’s Swati Shetty steps down

    Netflix’s Swati Shetty steps down

    MUMBAI: Netflix international originals and acquisitions director for India Swati Shetty has put down her papers after a successful stint of more than two years with the company. Netflix confirmed the development to Indiantelevision.com via email.

    Shetty, the lady responsible for Indian content licensing, was based in the US. According to a source, given the increasing importance of India in Netflix’s international business, the company now wants the India content and film acquisition role to be based out of Mumbai. Shetty, however, did not want to relocate. This is her last week in the company, the source further added.

    Netflix had opened its India office in Mumbai last year and is now beefing up its team across various verticals like content licensing, production talent and marketing among others.

    Over the next few years, the streaming giant intends to benefit from India’s growing video-streaming appetite, targeting the acquisition of 100 million subscribers.

    Apart from sprucing up its offering with more locally produced original content, the company is also set to experiment with pricing models.

    Last year, the Reed Hastings-led company hired Simran Sethi to serve as creative executive for India and be part of its International Originals Production Group.

    Earlier this year, Shrishti Behl Arya was appointed by Netflix as director for international orginals, India.

    Shetty, who was among the first executives for India, helped Netflix to increase its Indian content library and acquire original films with hits like Love Per Square Feet, Lust Stories and Rajma Chawal. 

    Her experience spans two decades. She also worked with Star India, Walt Disney and Balaji Telefilms.