How are the films and series streaming platforms adapting in India?
It has been close to two years now after the pandemic hit the world and modified everyone’s habits. It is true for individuals as well as for companies. The video streaming platforms have seen an increase, during that period, and it helped some lesser-known companies to get more visibility. In India, most people use more than one platform per month. But now, it seems like things may change, for the best.
The need for Entertainment is still High in India
As the situation of the sanitary crisis resolves itself, and the population tries to go back to their normal lives, there is no doubt that the film industry will be changed forever. Cinemas are opening up again, but not everyone desires to go back to them, some preferring to stay home and watch the latest series on their computer or even on their mobile phone. Others have taken up new entertainment habits, such as playing games on an online casino or betting on sports through the internet, which you can try here if you still haven’t: https://bonuscodeindia.com/1xbet-app/. A large part of society, in India and internationally, have gotten used to play video games online, as well. In fact, the number of players is now close to 30 % of the world’s population. But films and series are still going strong.
Will Bundling become the New Normal?
If you only look at the major international platforms for movies and series streaming, you are already at four, without counting others still quite important, such as Hulu or HBO Max, which are limited in their audience. Netflix mostly competes today with Disney+, Amazon Prime and Apple; this last one to a much lesser degree. But for India, you need to add many other platforms that show Indian movies only. Therefore, it is not rare that a person pays for three or four different platforms, raising the bills a bit too high, at the end of the month (especially since Netflix has been rising its rate, around the world, one region at a time).
That certainly explains why Amazon Prime has come up with an answer to that problem, by creating a bundle that you can acquire directly from them. It includes many streaming services, in the hope that Indians who are suffering from fatigue, created by this situation, will decide to buy it and be done with the various subscriptions. When you consider that 56% of Indian digital consumers have multiple subscriptions, it is easy to think that Amazon Prime may have found a real “good idea,” which could solve a real problem. Especially when you take in account that there are over 30 serious companies in this industry in India.
What are the Other Trends?
One solution that still raises more questions than answers, is pay-per-view. That’s because, in reality, that model has been there, ever since the beginning of the streaming wave. Creating a subscription fee came in to effect so people wouldn’t have to pay every time they wanted to watch a film or a series, making it simpler and a lot less costly as well. Yet, there is no doubt that this system is still there and going strong. For example, on Amazon Prime, you can buy a movie separately, if it is not included in your subscription. You can also do so at Apple. But will it become the norm again?
The other trend that is gaining ground rapidly, with the expansion of the industry into rural areas in India, is the need for more regional content. We have already seen it happen on Netflix, and it should only be stronger into this country, where cultural differences can be quite strong, from one region to another.