Research by a digital platform says that 82 per cent of Indians spend their commute time catching up on their favourite shows. By Unnati Joshi
More often than not, we find ourselves stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Stressing about delays isn’t going to change the situation or get you there on time. You need a diversionary tactic and personal downloadable entertainment is just the deal. Well, with the ease of streaming services and platforms, people have indeed stopped worrying, started watching and are welcoming traffic clogs as a boon rather than a bane, according to a latest digital entertainment survey.
With apps like Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime, TVF and AlTBalaji, the new prime time of entertainment television is 9 am to 5 pm. Such is the demand spiral that all major digital players are foraying into original content and shows rather than play catch-up TV.
Netflix recently launched a new campaign called New Rules which shows how entertainment viewership is now based on customer convenience rather than a fixed time. Their research team found that 82 per cent of Indians stream between 9 am and 5 pm. This means that they spend their commute time catching up on their favourite shows.
“Traffic is always a good thing,” says Manav Sethi, CMO, AlTBalaji. “I strongly believe there’s no such thing called prime time. Today the prime time is whatever is in the hands of the consumer. It is not something that starts at 1900 hours in the evening and ends at 2200,” he tells us.
Amit Golani, Executive Creator Director, TVF says, “Our experience shows that content of 5-10 minutes is preferred during weekdays. People watch longer shows on weekends. A 30-minute show is good for Fridays and Saturdays.”
Even the evolution of FM started with the idea of entertaining people while travelling. “But let’s agree on this thing, I know that the static content or audio content is doing well but the biggest content has to be audio and video. Audio video media are the best media. And this is why we thought of AlT as a platform. The idea was based on these two things, one that people can’t carry TV everywhere and two that the audience is now bored of long term content. Earlier, we had cricket matches for five to six days and now we have 20-20. So this is why we broke our serials into seasons. The content has to be snackable. AlT is the only app after Netflix which allows you to download the episodes or the show and watch it while you are driving to work or you are driving back from the work. We have just done a partnership with Ola as well. Ola has got screens in the cab and we have put three free episodes of our two shows right now on Ola play keeping all of this in mind,” Sethi says.
Imagine, you’re in the airport staring down the barrel of a five-hour layover.
Now imagine coming prepared. You fire up your Netflix account hoping to while away your downtime watching Jack Steward and Colton Smith adventure across the United States in Rock the Park. It’s fun actually.
For 19-year-old, Naman, Hotstar is the most convenient medium. “I am always on hotstar during the cricket matches even when travelling. Since I stay in hostel and we don’t have an AC in our common room, all my friends crowd in my room and we all watch the matches on hotstar,” he says.
Nitesh Singh, 25, feels that Voot has kept him updated. “I love watching reality shows but generally I am occupied with my work around the show times. The best way to be updated is by watching it on Voot while commuting back and forth from my office,” says he.
About the Indian response to a paying platform, Sethi shares, “This entire thesis that the Indian consumer doesn’t pay for content is a misnomer. Consumers pay for the content when the content is not available anywhere and that is the promise we launched with.” For AlT, the focus is on original series and not films as varied Indian-oriented content works well with the audience. “We have committed to make 250 hours of original shows this year itself. From a user’s point of view, there is a humonguous appetite for originals. We have launched with Ram and Sakshi’s show Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat and people have already consumed all the 14 episodes of season 1 and are asking for more. The challenge is not the demand but the supply. For me to go back and keep churning out 250 to 300 hours of original content is not an easy doable option.”
About the changing consumption in the entertainment space, Sethi shares, “There is a structural shift of entertainment in our country. There are nuclear families, they are earning more and they don’t have time. TV has its own limitations. There are 175 million CNS homes right now and there are 1 billion plus phones in our country. We have about 350 million smart phones and every smart phone has the capacity to play video. And whatever we have seen right now is the tip of of the iceberg.”
As known compartments break and prime time viewing changes to “me-time” pursuit, what does it mean for the entertainment industryIJ
“Digital consumption has made the entertainment space much more democratic and meritocratic for creators, content is still the King, wider canvas of opportunities and talent showcasing,” Golani says.