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Launch of OTT in India
The first dependent Indian OTT platform was BIGFlix, launched by Reliance Entertainment. It allows users to stream or download movies at any time. It generates its revenues from subscription fees and does not rely on advertisements. Movies are available in different genres like action, comedy, drama, romance etc., and cater to several Indian languages like Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Bengali. -
Birth of mobile app based OTT
In 2010 Digivive launched India's first OTT mobile app called nexGTv, which provides access to both live TV and on–demand content. nexGTV is the first app to live–stream Indian Premier League matches on smart phones and did so during 2013 and 2014. -
OTT began picking the momentum in India
OTT gained significant momentum in India when both DittoTV (Zee) and Sony Liv were launched in the Indian market around 2013. DittoTV was an aggregator platform containing shows across all media channels including Star, Sony, Viacom, Zee, etc. -
Popularity of OTT
In 2015, Hotstar (now Disney+ Hotstar) won the rights of livestreaming IPL matches on their app. This played a vital role in the growth of OTT platforms.
Although the livestream feature was available in nexGTv, it was only after Hotstar started streaming live matches did the real potential of OTT grew. -
Enter Amazon Prime Video
Shortly after the launch of Netflix in India, the OTT market saw a huge boom with the entry of Amazon Prime Video. The subscription rates were comparatively lower than Netflix and the app had more Indian titles as well. More viewers started getting interested in OTT channels and started investing in watching films and shows from the comfort of their homes. -
Netflix and Chill - the new cool code
By the time American streaming platform Netflix entered the Indian market, people started developing a liking towards OTT content. With the arrival of Netflix, a whole new array of cinema, shows and documentaries was introduced to the young masses. Despite the higher subscription rates, Netflix has been able to rope in new subscribers every year. Of course, 'Netflix and Chill' has become the new cool code of youngsters. -
OTT for vernacular languages
As OTT channels started witnessing a steady rise, vernacular languages wanted to tap into this market. Sun TV Network launched Sun NXT, which is an Indian video on demand service for Tamil and six other Indian languages. In 2020, Neestream - first OTT platform targeting the global Malayalee diaspora - was launched. -
Rise of international OTTs
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a rising interest came about for international shows like Korean and Chinese dramas. This new wave of interest made platforms like Rakuten Viki witness a real growth in the Indian market. -
Exclusive platforms for regional languages
In February 2020, Aha OTT platform was launched, broadcasting exclusively Telugu content. Meanwhile, other platforms also started using this idea. That is how platforms like CityShor.tv in Gujarati, Neestream in Malayalam, Hoichoi in Bengali and Planet Marathi in Marathi gained popularity. -
Big plans ahead
In December 2021, Sony and Zee merged, and announced plans to merge their OTT platforms. Much is expected with such a huge merger between the two Indian giants in the OTT arena.