Walt Disney Company-owned video streaming service Disney+ launched in India April 3. In just one week of its arrival, the video on-demand streaming service garnered approximately eight million paid subscribers in India. The uptick in numbers was announced on a day, when the country entered into the 17th day of the lockdown.
A few days later Disney reported that global subscribers for Disney+ have crossed a whopping 50 million. Surprisingly, Disney+ debuted only five months ago and was launched in Europe and Asia in March end and early April, respectively. As of Feb 3, it had 28.6 million subscribers, which almost doubled in a month. Disney gained eight million subscribers in India between the 10th and 17th day of the first phase of the nationwide lockdown.
Disney+ isn’t the only video-on-demand streaming service to have gained in the past few weeks. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee5 and a host of other video streaming services have similar interesting stories to share about their ballooning customer base.
Shops have been shuttered, businesses have come to a standstill and the economy is bleeding. The ongoing lockdown has changed the way life used to be. Amid this crisis and constant threat of the deadly coronavirus spreading its tentacles, video streaming companies seem to be one of the rare few businesses to be benefiting from the pandemic.
Penned in by stay-at-home measures to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, audiences are turning to video streaming services for comfort and distraction. And India is no different. Video streaming apps, social media and chatting platforms, video conferencing and online delivery apps have gained traction over the past few weeks as the coronavirus pandemic has kept most people locked inside their homes. With restriction on traveling and social distancing measures in place, online streaming apps are witnessing a surge in users.
Needless to say, Indians are subscribing to video-on-demand streaming services like never before. Back home, the scene is no different with most people spending time at home watching web series and films.
Bhubaneswar-based Subarna Rout, like many, has been working from home since the lockdown was announced. After a hard day’s work she is left with no option but to plug in her headphone and start watching a film or a web series. “Although I am working from home, it is very hectic. By the end of the day I get tired but there is no other source of entertainment than television or OTT platforms. I subscribed to both Netflix and Disney+ so that I don’t get bored at home,” says Subarna, adding, “OTT platforms too have realised that India is a big market. With 1.3 billion people locked down in their homes, video streaming services are having a boom time in India. I have subscribed multiple services and have already watched an array of film.”
It has been an unfortunate time for the entire world, but it’s probably been a very good time for the television industry and video-on-demand streaming services. Last week, ALT Balaji the content streaming service of Balalji Telefilms Ltd., said it is benefiting from a surge in online streaming as people are staying indoors in a bid to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus. The company said that its subscriber base is rising 70 per cent to 80 per cent daily.
Bijoyeeta Das from Cuttack says that streaming services were fast gaining popularity in India and the lockdown has further helped them grow their business with more people subscribing to them. “All these OTT platforms have vast libraries of content in different languages. Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video have an impressive library of both Hindi and regional content. Netflix offers access to the most diverse set of shows from all around the world. Additionally, Netflix also offers some of the best original shows and movies. The new releases and web series are the best source of entertainment for everyone. However, it’s not that the services have improved in the past few weeks but with no other choice more people definitely have started subscribing them,” says Bijoyeeta.
Not only Disney+, others too have been gainers owing to the lockdown. Netflix, for one, saw an estimate-crushing 15.8 million jump in paid subscribers in its first quarter, more than twice as many as the streaming company expected. The boom for both Disney+ and Netflix started only in late March, the time India had just entered the lockdown phase.
Interestingly, Netflix has also warned that it expects fewer new subscribers once the home confinement ends between July and December compared with the prior-year period.
Cuttack-based Bipin Kumar Dash from says, “The coronavirus pandemic has forced a quarter of the world’s population to remain indoors indefinitely. India reportedly is in the second phase of its lockdown and we really don’t know if it’s going to be extended further. At a time when social distancing has become the new normal, video-on-demand services have seen their active user base rise, which makes the timing of Disney+ arrival in India impeccable. Apart from the three most popular OTT platforms, I am also watching ZEE5, ALT Balaji and YouTube premium. The download facility and a variety of the content without any time bound make it easy for viewers to watch their favourite contents in this lock down.”
Another reason for video streaming services witnessing an uptick in signups is that private television channels too aren’t attracting viewers as a halt in shooting due to the lockdown has forced them to go for repeat telecast of shows.
However, Doordarshan seems to have regained its lost sheen. The state-run television channel has emerged as a surprise winner during this lockdown. Doordarshan witnessed a 40,000 per cent jump in viewership in the first week of April thanks to rerun of classics like Ramayan, Mahabharat, Shaktiman and a host of other shows from the 1980s and 1990s. Most of these were produced when DD monopolised TV broadcasting in the country.
However, channels in the news and movies genre recorded an all-time high growth in viewership during the week ended April 3, with Hindi movies surpassing GEC segment.
That said, video-on-demand streaming apps seem to leading the race. “In a bid to get more traffic, platforms are going the extra mile. Not only are they streaming quality content and latest movies, which are enough to lure viewers, they are also offering free subscriptions,” says Subhrant Bal from Jagatsinghpur.
“Although, many video streaming services including Netflix and YouTube have announced that they will reduce their streaming quality and speed in India in a bid to put less stress on Internet networks during these times, prominent Internet service providers are putting up a good show and serving their customer in the most perfect way during this lockdown. Since theatres and shopping malls are closed, these platforms have become the only source of entertainment globally. Most importantly, one can watch any movie of his choice at any time in the day.” he adds.
SOYONG, OP