Why Indian OTT platforms are buying foreign shows for India
OTT giants like Netflix are snapping up hit free shows from MX Player and YouTube, then moving them behind paywalls.
The idea is to turn regular, non-paying viewers into subscribers, especially as India's OTT growth slows down—India's OTT audience grew just 9.9% last year, compared to over 13% before.
Platforms are also experimenting with ad-supported models and bundles
Platforms aren't just betting on subscriptions anymore. They're mixing things up with ad-supported models (such as ad-supported services) and bundles, hoping to keep content fresh and appeal to a wider crowd.
For producers, it's good news: they get upfront payments
For producers, it's good news: they get upfront payments that cover costs and open doors to bigger budgets and global reach.
For viewers though, it's a mixed bag—some favorite shows now need a subscription, so there are fewer freebies around, but the overall quality of available content is getting better.