Tag: OTT

Online Shopping Has Become Mainstream: Zee5 Intelligence Monitor

Mumbai: The Indian e-commerce industry’s growth has accelerated over the past few years and emerged among the largest online shopping geos in the world, thanks to the penetration of smartphones and the Internet. And, the series of lockdowns has further fueled its growth. ‘Zee5 Intelligence Monitor- E-commerce Report Consumer Insights & Trends’ aims to comprehend this changing phenomenon of the e-commerce industry and analyse where the industry is heading.

The report, based on a consumer survey by Zee5 in over 146 cities, dives deep into consumer insights and tracks the changes in consumption patterns and consumer attitudes in India. Let’s look at the report’s findings to understand expected and asynchronous trends of the e-commerce industry.

Online Shopping Has Become A Mainstream Trend

The survey found that 95 per cent of the respondents shop online and use more than one e-commerce platform to meet their shopping needs. The respondents include many shoppers who made their first online purchase during the lockdown. Further, the report also unearthed that 60 per cent of respondents have more than three apps, and 25 per cent use more than five e-commerce apps regularly.

The figures reflect that e-commerce, which used to be one of many purchasing options in the pre-pandemic world, has now become mainstream. Note that the respondents include people from Tier I and Tier II and III cities. Lockdown served as an excellent opportunity for consumers to explore online shopping.

Now, the figures of the Zee5 survey clearly show that while this shift was initially triggered due to limitation of movement, people started liking the convenience and ease of online shopping.

Uptick In Frequency Of Online Purchases

The untimely lockdown also marked an uptick in the frequency of online shopping. According to the report, while shopping online was an irregular trend before the lockdown, people now make frequent online purchases, with a whopping 60 per cent of users shopping online at least twice a month and 20 per cent at least five times a month.

People over The Age Of 35 Started Spending More On E-commerce

What makes the data more interesting is that online shopping, which used to be a Gen Z thing, has significantly become popular even among Gen Y, including people over the age of 35. If we speak of numbers, 55 per cent of Gen Y users spent over 20 per cent more on online shopping since the first lockdown. A critical reason behind this notable growth is the dissolution of the barriers between online and offline shopping.

Male Shoppers Leading E-Commerce Race Over Females

It is a common belief that women are key drivers of e-commerce growth, but the survey revealed that it is presently the male shoppers who are currently leading the race.

As per the findings, 22 per cent of the male consumers made more than five online purchases against 14 per cent of female shoppers. The asymmetry of mobile users among men and women in Tier II and Tier III markets could be a significant reason for this demographic shift in e-commerce sales. Another factor could be increased use of social media, which exposes men to the latest fashion and lifestyle trends, resulting in e-commerce purchases. This shift opens a massive opportunity for brands dealing mainly with men’s products.

E-commerce Window Shopping: Mood Upliftment

As lockdown restricted people from going out and having fun, they found new ways to engage themselves. While some of them revisited their old hobbies, others found new pastimes. Interestingly, online window shopping emerged as a favorite activity for many people. The Zee5 report suggested that 25 per cent of their respondents consider online shopping to enhance their mood. Online platforms offer an unprecedented level of product discovery and a shift in perception of e-commerce from ‘need fulfillment’ to ‘mood upliftment’.

OTT Shows Have Emerged As A Platform For Fashion Discovery

Ever since the first lockdown was imposed, people unknowingly started spending more time online. Since everyone in the family was locked inside their homes, OTT content consumption recorded enormous growth. Interestingly, as an offshoot of increased consumption, OTT shows emerged as a platform for fashion discovery among consumers. Reportedly, 87 per cent of users look forward to discovering fashion and lifestyle products in the shows they watch online. This is not it; even 75 per cent of people are likely to buy similar products and clothes that their favorite actors use or wear. And, naturally OTT platforms have become a platform of choice for all ecommerce advertisers.

People Conduct Online Purchase After Checking Products In-Store

The report discovered that 70 per cent of male users do online shopping after checking the same products in-store. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that now consumers don’t differentiate online and offline and make purchases based on their preference. Brands must invest in hybrid and omnichannel models that will allow them to cater to their customers wherever they choose to be. As the lockdown eases with time, we can look forward to an integrated market where e-commerce will most likely complement the offline market.

February 4, 2022
T-Series forays into streaming with A-list directors

Mumbai: Indian music label and film studio T-Series has announced its foray into the world of streaming with A-list directors in India.

The company’s OTT platform will create content across genres in partnership with renowned filmmakers including Aanand L. Rai (“Atrangi Re”), Anubhav Sinha (“Article 15”), Nikkhil Advani (“Mumbai Diaries 26/11”), Hansal Mehta (“Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story”), Sanjay Gupta (“Mumbai Saga”), Bejoy Nambiar (“Solo”), Suparn S. Varma (“The Family Man”), Mikhil Musale (“Made In China”) and Soumendra Padhi (“Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega”).

“With this expansion, we aim at offering original and exclusive binge-worthy content tailored for our viewers across the globe. It will also help us in tapping new markets. We are thrilled to be diversifying and becoming a creative hub for producing music, films, and web shows,” said T-Series chairman and MD Bhushan Kumar. “With the recent budget announcement by our finance minister, there is great progress in the pipeline with the introduction of 5G. It has been projected that rural India will be connected via optic fibres by the year 2025. The easy and cost-effective availability of the internet will provide a great boost to the world of OTT [streaming] and content creators all over, expanding their audience exponentially.”

February 3, 2022
Ad fraud a huge challenge for Indian marketers in 2022, reveals Integral Ad Science study

Mumbai: Majority of Indian marketers surveyed consider ad fraud to be a great concern across mobile environments in 2022, according to the latest Industry Pulse Report released by Integral Ad Science.

According to the report, as many as 78 per cent of respondents said that ad fraud will remain a great concern across mobile environments this year and at least 26 per cent said mobile web video environments will be among the most vulnerable in terms of brand risk. The respondents believed that contextual targeting solutions (74 per cent) and third-party verification (72 per cent) will be important to ensure brand safety in mobile environments.

“As the ongoing pandemic has driven consumers to embrace hybrid lifestyles and digital experiences, digital advertisers pivoted their strategies globally to emphasise mobile, social media, CTV, and digital audio. This scenario is similar in India. However, in India, brands are becoming more conscious of the importance of quality impressions and safe brand environments. As a result, the role of verification partners is gaining prominence in creating a safe and transparent setting for brands,” said IAS commercial lead Saurabh Khattar.

The Indian edition of the report released recently found that improving mobile experiences, measuring quality for social media campaigns, and the emergence of digital video and audio are top considerations in the year ahead. The report also provides insights into the emerging trends and priorities that will drive change in digital advertising across India in 2022. The results are based on the responses of 151 Indian digital advertising professionals representing brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech vendors in November 2021.

According to the report, these key priorities will guide the year ahead:

Marketers bet on mobile and social media

India continues to be a mobile-first market, with 77 per cent of respondents making it a top priority in 2022. Mobile internet users in the country are expected to surpass 600 million this year. Mobile ad spend in India is set to grow 27 per cent to surpass $2 billion in 2022, representing nearly two-third of overall digital ad-spend in the country.

71 per cent of media experts in India said they will prioritise social platforms. With over 450 million social media users in India, the medium is rife with opportunities for marketers. YouTube ranks as the top choice for 82 per cent of respondents, closely followed by Facebook (80 per cent), and Instagram (77 per cent).

Increased focus on mobile video and ad fraud

As consumers gain faster 5G mobile connections, nearly eight-in-ten (78 per cent) media experts bet on mobile video streaming being one of the biggest opportunities. However, with this growth, the threat of ad fraud looms large; 78 per cent of respondents agree that ad fraud will be a greater concern across mobile environments this year. 26% of respondents also agreed that mobile web video environments will be among the most vulnerable in terms of brand risk. As a result, respondents believe contextual targeting solutions (74 per cent) and third-party verification (72 per cent) will be important to ensure brand safety in mobile environments.

Quality matters for social media campaigns

Over 86 per cent of marketers are concerned about the vulnerability of social channels to ad fraud. Experts also pointed to insufficient transparency and eroding consumer trust, with 65 per cent and 62 per cent of respondents, respectively, citing these key factors as cause for adjusting their spending in 2022.

Digital video and audio ready to take off

The Indian audience continues to transition from linear TV and terrestrial radio to digital streaming channels such as CTV, OTT, and podcasts. As new consumer habits developed during the pandemic, 80 per cent of respondents anticipate an accelerating transition from linear TV consumption to digital video streaming this year, while over seven in 10 agreed that audio listeners will shift towards digital alternatives. However, 68 per cent of media experts anticipate higher brand risk with audio streaming content as more inventory becomes available. Ultimately, 68 per cent of respondents agreed that third-party verification will be important to ensure the quality of audio streaming inventory.

Media quality takes a team effort: With ad budgets at stake, brands and verification tech providers play a pivotal role in mitigating ad fraud and brand risk. 45 per cent of respondents noted that verification tech providers are responsible for ad fraud mitigation, while 38 per cent say brands should lead these efforts.

January 31, 2022
Netflix ends 2021 with 222 million global subscribers

Mumbai: Netflix has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2021. The company reported revenue of $7.7 billion registering a growth of 16 per cent year-on-year.

The streaming giant added 8.3 million global paid subscribers in Q4 bringing its paid memberships up to 222 million at the end of 2021.

It reported full year revenue of $30 billion – a growth of 19 per cent year-on-year while operating income of $6.2 billion rose 35 per cent YoY. Netflix added 18 million subscribers in 2021 compared to 37 million subscribers in 2020. The company observed that more than 90 per cent of its paid net adds in 2021 came from outside the US and Canada (UCAN).

Netflix added 2.6 million paid subscribers from the APAC region with strong growth in both Japan and India. It generated $871 million in revenues from the APAC market with a subscriber base of 32.63 million, and reported 1.2 million paid adds from the UCAN region, 2.5 million from the EMEA region and 1.0 million from LATAM region.

“In December, we lowered our prices in India across all four plans. India is fairly unique because pay TV pricing is very low. We believe these new prices will make Netflix more accessible to a broader swath of the population – strengthening our value perception. Our goal is to maximize long term revenue in each of our markets,” it said in a statement.

January 21, 2022
After edtech & fintech, now is time for media-tech: Anuj Gandhi at VBS 2022

Mumbai: After the edtech and fintech, it’s time for India to now witness the rise of media-tech, said M&E consultant and industry veteran Anuj Gandhi while decoding the post-pandemic future of the industry at the 18th edition of the Video & Broadband Summit 2022 (VBS) organised by Indiantelevision.com on Wednesday.

The day-long virtual summit was co-powered by broadpeak, with Disney Star as the presenting partner, and NxtDigital as the summit partner.

In a fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com founder CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, the media distribution veteran discussed the six major trends which, according to him, will determine the course of the media and entertainment industry over the next couple of years.

Video Trends: Unlike the days of DD and bundled offerings, the modern consumer wants more freedom to choose. With the burgeoning delivery platforms, it’s no longer that case where everyone has to be on PayTV. Moreover, in the present scenario where people are spending hours on social media, even Instagram Reels are ‘content’. Clearly, going forward, the definition of video, as well as trends in the space, will depend on the demand-supply equation. The rise of Free Dish and OTTs during the pandemic is a classic example, and even as their growth accelerates, PayTV will also continue to exist in some form or the other.

Broadband Growth: Broadband has evolved into becoming a utility today; it is no longer limited to video. Considering the amount of consumption that’s happening over work-from-home, education, and other services, video is just a small fraction of it. The Trai’s figure for wired broadband that was stagnant at around 10-12 mn for many years, suddenly shot up to 25 mn, and this does not even include the huge undeclared market run by cable companies. The hybrid ecosystem fostered by the pandemic will continue to push this number further in the coming days.

The fate of linear TV: It is a cause for worry and excitement at the same time. Both in India and globally there’s no denying the trend of people consuming less pay/linear TV as a result of the availability of alternatives as well as the failure of linear TV to innovate in terms of content. The Free Dish market has largely been insulated so far, but it will also experience disruption in the near future as broadband penetration in the hinterland grows.

B2C focus and consolidation: The changes that were effected and necessitated by the growth in digital, especially in the last decade or so, have shifted the focus of the entire M&E industry from B2B to B2C. As the ecosystem opens up more and more to consumers directly, the need for consolidation will also increase, whether it is to meet the entertainment demands of viewers or to simplify content discovery for them.

Rise of FAST: The popularity of Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) services in the US and Europe, clearly shows that the west is moving towards AVOD. In the case of Asian markets including India, even though SVOD is picking up, the growth of Free Dish, YouTube, and OTT players like MX, is a strong indication of the potential for FAST.

Crumbling walls: Changes in windowing norms that existed thus far will have a far-reaching impact on pricing, quality, and consumption of content as well as the actual segmentation of consumers in a multi-screen environment.

The former group CEO of IndiaCast Media Distribution, who was also instrumental in setting up IndiaCast in March 2012 said he is hopeful about a future where all forms of video delivery – Free Dish, PayTV, VOD -will coexist. However, considering the current regulatory environment, competition, and the pace at which viewers are evolving, he recommended that the industry players must adopt an approach that gives more freedom and power to consumers rather than trying to resist the inevitable change in order to survive in the long run.

January 19, 2022
GUEST COLUMN: Change of winds – The rise of Online Services in India

Mumbai: The Online Service industry is on a continuous upward path. This industry today contributes as much as eight per cent to the GDP of a fast-growing country like India. Online Services have always been there in the market but in the past two years, it has expanded massively to further sub-categories.

The hybrid working model and growing need to get essentials on your doorsteps drive the demand for Online Services. Some of the major categories that have proven to be a part of individuals in Tier 1 & 2 cities are- Online Education, Software, OTT & Entertainment Platforms, Food Delivery, Grocery, Cleaning Services, and many others counting under it.

Over time, various initiatives have been taken to increase the awareness of usability of these services among consumers, which is rapidly pushing this industry to become profitable and efficient. In an age of regular technological disruption, the need to upgrade and learn new technologies has become a top priority. The Online Services platform has witnessed a 70 per cent growth in 2021 – Rs 46 crore GMV on Admitad platform. The major contributing categories to this growth are Software programs, Education programs, OTT programs, and many others. It has been observed that consumers are favouring these services and including them in their daily life routine.

Let’s dive deep into the top two categories of Online Services which we have observed during this year.

Software Programs

With no surprise, Software Programs are one of the key drivers of success in the digital world. Whether you’re focused on B2B or B2C, or both, there is no denying that you’re in a lucrative playing field. 2021 saw the emergence of the Software Programs as more and more end-users started using different software and applications to assist them in their day-to-day work from home. Norton, BigRock, GoDaddy, HostGator, Namecheap, Tenorshare, Mcafee, & Easeus are some of the top online software platforms to name a few. The growing need to secure cloud platforms, amid the growing incidence of cyber-attacks and hacking, drives demand for security softwares. With more visibility in this category, publishers have witnessed their traffic getting converted into revenue with an overall growth of 12x.

E-Learning Programs

The upswing in the E-learning space has created a lot of buzz around this year. To achieve career growth and add value to their knowledge, working professionals in India are focusing on skill development. Post the pandemic, 2020 saw the rise of Online Education & E-learning as a service but it boomed in 2021. We saw an immense amount of traffic getting redirected to the Education programs. More and more loyal partners, banks, telegrammers focused their traffic on driving the Online Education programs. We saw an overall growth in the Education category by 4.5x. This category offers an opportunity for the publishers to thrive as we have seen more and more educational programs getting live by the Year-end. Brands like Edureka, Unacademy, Harappa, Udemy, Skillshare, Top rankers have been the top contenders in the E-learning segment and have offered the best for their users.

Impact of Affiliate Channel on Online Services

Looking at the demand & market trend, these brands are trying to find cost-effective channels to reach out to the end-users and to create and execute strong growth strategies in order to get ahead and rise above the competition. To leverage such marketing strategies, companies have started adapting performance-driven channels. Besides targeting a higher number of audiences, they are conscious about their ad spending, and to maximise their ROI, they are heavily spending on the cost-effective channel – ‘Affiliate’. It allows brand marketers to capture the market to the fullest and utilise the different Affiliate inventories to target all sets of audiences. Online Services Programs generated GMV worth 46 crores through Admitad platform. The major contributing partners to this growth are Cashback 43 per cent, Social Affiliate 36 per cent, Coupon five per cent Content 10 per cent Email two per cent and four per cent others in the current year.

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The Online Service market has tremendous potential now and surely in near future and with the growing use of the internet, companies are creating more unique opportunities to reach every region and every potential customer. Even in the pandemic we have seen how they have created great services and reach every person to satisfy their needs and demands.

(Neha Kulwal is country manager at Admitad India. The views expressed in this column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

January 15, 2022
Dangal TV gears up for launch of new shows

Mumbai: Riding on the success of two of its prime-time shows, the 24 hours’ general entertainment channel (GEC) Dangal TV has entered 2022 on a high. The channel has now announced a slew of new launches that will be premiered in the coming weeks.

Apart from its growing fandom across the rural areas, the channel has also extended its viewership in the urban segment with two of its popular shows, ‘Rakshabandhan… Rasal Apne Bhai Ki Dhaal’ and ‘Nath Zevar Ya Zanjeer’.

Launched in July 2021, ‘Rakshabandhan… Rasal Apne Bhai Ki Dhaal’ is an opening prime time show that is running in its seventh month. Based in Rajasthan, the story of a strong bond between two siblings as they navigate through various setbacks in life, has struck a chord with the masses. The show stars Nishant Malkani and Nyra Banerjee in the lead and has taken to finding its place amongst the top shows on Indian Television.

Another show that connected with the audience is ‘Nath- Zevar Ya Zanjeer’. Launched in August 2021, the show got moved from a 10 pm slot to 8pm slot owing to its popularity. Starring Arjit Taneja, Chahat Pandey and Vaibhavi Kapoor among others, Nath revolves around the story of a progressive girl who takes on an age-old practice to dissolve caste and class boundaries in its utopian pursuit. A take that has found great rapport with its core audience.

Dangal TV MD Manish Singhal said, “We at Dangal TV are delighted by the success we have found with both these shows, though it doesn’t really surprise us. We have a great connection with the masses and know the kind of content that keeps them engaged. Our social dramas are rooted in deep societal understanding and offer a progressive modern take on issues close to heart. We are working on many more original shows that will build on our success story in 2022.”

Amongst the array of new shows, another newly launched show ‘Mann Sundar’ that captures the struggles of a dark-skinned girl Ruchita has resonated with audiences and gained mass popularity. Starting the year with a bang, and hitting the marquee soon is show ‘Rang Jaun Tere Rang Mein’ that was first aired on 3 January – a social drama, deep-rooted in the tradition of marriage.

January 11, 2022
Fyp ties up with film ‘83’ to reach out to Gen Z

Mumbai: Fyp, Neobank for teenagers has announced its association with the film ‘83’ for a cross-promotional deal. The film based on the historic 1983 World Cup win released in theatres on Friday.

The brand has launched its TVC for the association online as well as on the OTT platforms with the sole aim of introducing the Fyp to newer consumers and induce brand trials. “The association is symbolic of the breakthrough that Fyp aims to bring by raising financial literacy amongst teenagers and helping them become responsible and independent,” it said in a statement.

“Financial literacy and money management have become an important component of life. At the same time, it is a gap left unattended in our education overall, which results in a lack of confidence in managing finances among young professionals when they first start a job and makes them prone to misguided investment decisions We wish to bridge the financial literacy gap among teenagers by giving them exposure to digital payments and through built-in features in the Fyp app,” said Fyp founder and CEO Kapil Banwari.

Reliance Entertainment head of marketing Sameer Chopra said with this collaboration, they intend to reach out to all the young film fanatics and inspire them to never give up. “Back In 1983, the Lord’s Cricket Ground witnessed 14 men beat the twice over World Champions West Indies, putting India back onto the cricket world stage. With this association, we hope that the millennials & Gen Z’s always aspire to keep striving for glory,” he added.

Co-founder of Anee’s Media the agency responsible for the association Deepak Patel said, “It is a bold step taken by Fyp to associate itself with ‘83.’ It will definitely create huge excitement among the teens and the parents to know more about Fyp which will help in amplifying the brand awareness.”

The film produced by Deepika Padukone, Kabir Khan, Vishnu Vardhan Induri, Sajid Nadiadwala, Sheetal Vinod Talwar, Reliance Entertainment, and 83 Film Ltd released in theatres on 24 December in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

December 25, 2021
Winners of Indian Telly Streaming Awards 2021 announced

Mumbai: The last two years have indeed been a hallmark year for the streaming industry with a record number of OTT content being produced across all languages. Even as the established players bolstered their presence in the market, several new platforms have emerged, creating a host of opportunities for writers, actors, directors to showcase their talent.

It is this wave of talent that Indiantelevision.com attempted to recognise at the Indian Telly Streaming Awards 2021. The awards are an extension of the first-ever Television Award show – The Indian Telly Awards in India that recognise both on-screen and behind-the-scenes of television in India every year. Considering the evolving situation of the pandemic, the winners of 2021 were announced virtually during an event on Thursday.

The idea was to honour the best of the streaming industry – business, creative, and talent, and recognise the effort that goes into making premium originals in India. The awards were announced across different categories which included Best Actor, Best Actress, Best animation online first, Best Talk Show, Best Documentary, Best Editor, Best DOP, Best Title Track, Best writer as well as Best Comic.

The selection was done by an eminent jury which included OML CEO Gunjan Arya, Isspeshal StratCon CEO Ashish Patil, director of photography Dharam Gulati, Dabur head of media Rajiv Dubey, House of Cheer Networks MD Rajiv Nayak, actor Rohit Roy, filmmaker Omung Kumar Bhandula, Ellipsis Entertainment managing partner Tanuj Garg, Jigsaw Pictures founder Rajbish Lal, Contiloe producer Roopali Kadyan, We Log trustee Ravina Raj Kohli, IN10 Media Network VP – Corporate Strategy and development Mansi Darbar, and Milestone Movies director Monisha Singh Katial.

Here is the list of winners:

December 24, 2021
#Retrace2021: Decoding BBC Studios’ giant OTT leap in India with Sameer Gogate

Mumbai: Sameer Gogate has been leading BBC Studios’ production business in India as general manager since 2019. In the last two years, he has played an instrumental role in steering the internationally renowned brand to its deserved status in India.

Smartly leveraging the OTT boom in the country, he was able to earn a reputation for BBC Studios beyond just being the producer of ‘Jhalak’. Through the pandemic years the studio produced over 11 shows for OTT including ‘Criminal Justice’ (three seasons), ‘What the Love’, ‘Out of Love’ (two seasons), ‘The Office India’ (two seasons), ‘Rudra’, ‘Guilt’ and ‘Sons of the Soil’. This year, they ventured into the regional markets with scripted formats.

Gogate has spent over 16 years in the Indian media and entertainment industry across the TV and film businesses. During his stint with Viacom 18, he oversaw the commercial function for the GEC Colors and managed co-productions and acquisitions for the Studio business at Viacom18 Motion pictures. He also set up the film business at Endemol. As chief development officer at Eros International, he managed their in-house productions and the regional slate of films.

In this exclusive interview with Indiantelevision.com, Sameer Gogate talks about his two years journey with the brand, the ‘BBC Studios advantage’ which made British formats such as ‘Criminal Justice’, ‘The Office India’, ‘Out of Love’, and ‘Luther’ runaway success in the India market, and upcoming plans for 2022.

Edited Excerpts:

On looking back at 2021, and how it was for BBC Studios

BBC Studios has come a long way from being known just as a producer that made ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’. In that same time period, we have picked up ten commissions in the OTT space. I think we are largely OTT-skewed today, and that’s because of our premium dramas like ‘Criminal Justice’, ‘Out of Love’, ‘Guilt’, and ‘Rudra’. The demand for scripted content in the market is high, and by virtue of our quality formats and the British talent that’s associated with them, it’s easier for us to work with certain clients in the OTT space.

On the “BBC advantage”, and the kind of content being created

We have got great and relatable stories to tell at BBC Studios, and our biggest advantage is the ‘premium-ness’ of BBC Dramas that has two reasons for it. First is the synergy with British formats which have themes that are easily adaptable for the Indian market. This ensures a quicker turnaround (right from the development to the execution stage) due to the already established success of the show.

The second advantage is the quality of dramas that are coming out of the UK, all associated with top British writers. To have access to these dramas that have been through numerous stages of development, checks, and balances, and discussions, just make it easier and quicker for us to adapt them for the Indian audience while maintaining the ‘premium-ness’ i.e. the high quality of writing and the higher production value that BBC is associated with. By virtue of this ‘premium-ness’, we have further been able to attract quality talent, whether it’s the directors, writers, or actors.

On the genres most in-demand in 2021

In principle, crime and thrillers always do well. But at the same time, we were also able to produce a ‘Sons of the Soil’ for Amazon which is a factual content piece. Going forward, you will see more factual content from us in India. We are currently working on another docu-piece which is likely to be announced by the middle of next year and our first scripted original. Apart from that, there is demand for premium dramas (non-crime genre), and I see that going up as we move ahead. Streaming services also want more regional and local content today.

On the economics of producing content for OTTs, including films

At BBC Studios we are not saying ‘no’ to movies, but the focus has been on scripted dramas. Regarding OTT economics, I’d say it’s important to be flexible and yet not compromise on the ‘premium-ness’ of the content. The cost consideration for us is two-fold; one is the price in terms of the time required to produce these premium drams, and the second is the actual cost of making them. We want to remain adaptable on both fronts to win the trust of our clients.

On the production and other challenges that spilled over from 2020

There are two parts of our business; production and development. The production part did suffer because teams were working from home during covid, there were far too many challenges on-ground especially during the second wave. But the last one-and-a-half years have taught us a lot on how to be flexible, nimble, and yet not compromise on our quality. Even though India witnessed a very bad second wave and it did affect things on-ground we used the time effectively for developing our content slate, and are now looking forward to 2022 with a strong pipeline.

On OTT content growing as a full-fledged ‘industry’ in India

We are at that point if we haven’t crossed it already. India is a unique market that has the same audience watching ‘Anupama’ and ‘Out of Love’ on the same platform. So, clearly, TV and OTT are going to coexist, even as more and more people consume media on OTT even after the pandemic.

On looking ahead to 2022, and plans for BBC Studios India

2022 will see new genres come to the fore. There will be a lot more factual entertainment and new formats in the unscripted reality content space as well. On the scripted side, India is almost there in terms of our quality but the ‘premium-ness’ of dramas can only go a notch higher from here. This being another Covid year we could deliver only two shows, ‘Guilt’ and ‘Luther’ (Rudra), but the pipeline for next year, including regional, is almost three times this.

December 20, 2021