Evolution Of OTT: How Streamers Took Over Traditional Media In India

OPINION: To crack the OTT space, streaming platforms will have to tune into what their users watch and also what they don’t to churn out bespoke recommendations for each user.

By Avinash Mudaliar

In a world where we straddle multiple screens, it’s difficult to imagine a time when India’s national broadcaster first went on air. This tremendous feat was pulled off in 1959 with just 21 TV sets and a low-power transmitter cobbled together by engineers at the All India Radio in Delhi. By 1965, India got its first daily news bulletin which relayed the significant developments of the nation. But it took another eight years to roll out this offering to Mumbai and by 1975, viewers in Kolkata, Chennai, Srinagar, Amritsar and Lucknow got to tune in too.

The programming on Doordarshan evolved over the decades from Krishi Darshan and Chitrahaar to Ramayana, Malgudi Days, and Hum Log. But being the only channel meant that viewers memorised programme schedules and invariably knew exactly what would air when. Flipping through channels wasn’t an option as there was only one. This was until 1975 when Doordarshan launched DD Bangla, its first regional channel and subsequently went on to introduce 11 regional channels by 1993.  

Another remarkable landmark in India’s broadcast history was the introduction of colour television. In 1982, 23 years after its first broadcast, Doordarshan aired its first colour programme: the live broadcast of the Independence Day parade. At the time, the German brand ITT Schaub-Lorenz and Korean companies Goldstar and Samsung were the only colour TV brands allowed to be imported into the country. 

The biggest ripple in Indian broadcasting, however, was with the advent of satellite TV. From just a handful, Indians suddenly began flipping across dozens of channels catering to a range of shows, movies, sports, music and more. With private satellite channels such as Zee and Star launching in 1992, viewers were exposed to a deluge of content like never before.

The situation seems akin to the current state where a staggering amount of content is available on tap across OTT (over-the-top) platforms. While traditional TV follows the linear model, OTTs allow one to choose what they want to stream, unrestricted by pre-programmed schedules or devices. This seems like a natural progression triggered by affordable high-speed internet and the adoption of smartphones and tablets as preferred screens. The desire and appetite to explore content that isn’t filtered by language or other conventional metrics has significantly fuelled this renaissance.

The OTT Revolution

Every medium has its day (or decade?). Much like how satellite TV upended the broadcast game in the 1990s, the last ten years have been dominated by the OTT space which has now surpassed established mediums such as cable and DTH. As per a 2023 study, India has an OTT audience of 481.1 million, and this number is expected to double by 2026.

Given the potential of the medium, it’s hardly surprising that Indian streamers have been striving to bag a chunkier slice of the pie by ramping up their offerings and building a definitive catalogue of original content. In fact, in 2022 alone, Indian OTT platforms invested an astonishing $600-700 million to produce original TV series and movies. Projections estimate a CAGR (2024-2029) of 7.43 per cent, reinforcing the industry's commitment to quality content which is now recognised to be a key strategic differentiator.

The implications of this unprecedented growth aren’t restricted to the digital arena and have impacted the viewership patterns of traditional TV as well. As a matter of fact, television happens to be the only segment in the media and entertainment sector that witnessed a slump in growth in 2023 compared to 2022. In comparison, the staggering growth trajectory of OTT platforms is poised for a projected volume of $5.81 billion by 2029. 

One For All

That India has over 65 OTT platforms today can be called the ‘trickle to deluge’ effect. But as the medium matures, streaming platforms are now grappling with growth and retention issues while struggling to deliver innovative measures to acquire new users. But from an audience’s perspective, keeping up with multiple subscriptions while navigating content on each platform is becoming increasingly tedious and expensive. This has led to the growth of OTT aggregators such as OTTplay, Tata Play Binge, Watcho, and others. They consolidate content from multiple platforms and customise content discovery based on the user’s unique tastes and preferences. This serves as an efficient and affordable option and ensures recommendations are tailored to each user, thus driving watch time.

The Future Of OTT

Customisation will be the name of the game in the next few years. Suggesting movies or shows to someone is only possible if you know that person well. Only those who can tap into their users’ watch history, and capture the news and reviews they consume to get a pulse on their preferences will be able to make informed recommendations.

To crack the OTT space, streaming platforms will have to tune into what their users watch and also what they don’t to churn out bespoke recommendations for each user. Content discovery will play a big part in building engagement and customised curations and nudges to consider relevant content would go a long way in user retention.

Some of the biggest hits in recent years include films such as RRR, Pushpa: The Rise-Part 1, KGF and Kantara. This confirms the growing popularity of regional cinema which is being discovered and enjoyed across the country. Going forward, streaming platforms should look to not only build for India but also build for Bharat.  

(The author is the Co-founder and CEO at OTTplay)

Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP Network Pvt. Ltd.