OTT: Regional content gains ground on Hotstar

Notwithstanding losses of over Rs 550 crore in the year to March 2019, an increase of 43% year-on-year, Hotstar seems to be ahead in the OTT (over-the-top) game. With a content portfolio spanning over 100,000 hours and eight languages, the firm claims to have registered more than 400 million downloads in 2019 — a twofold increase in app installations and three times growth in consumption over the previous year.

As proliferation of cheap smartphones and affordable data take video consumption beyond metros, regional content has gained ground leading to increased demand for OTT platforms. The number of video OTT platforms increased to 32 in 2018 from less than 15 players in 2012, showed a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report.