MxMIndia

Tag: Hotstar

  • The Social Street rolled out the mammoth OOH campaign in Uttar Pradesh

    Hotstar unveils India’s longest billboard

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hotstar unveiled am out-of-home initiative through a massive billboard spanning 10,000 sq ft near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, to highlight the variety and scale of content available on its platform.  The Social Street collaborated with Hotstar on this campaign from idea to execution, to source out and construct the longest billboard the country has ever seen from ground up.

     

    Said Mandeep Malhotra, Founding Partner & CEO, The Social Street: “Working Hotstar is always brilliant and fun. The brand inspires us to unlock new ideas and create campaigns that push boundaries. With the longest billboard campaign too, we wanted to create something that would send out the brand’s message in a way that wows people. We were able to leverage media in a way that managed to create brand-new boundaries. Some of our past campaign work with Hotstar, like IPL Largest Player Hunt and Game of Thrones, too are a testament of the innovation, creativity and impact that is at the heart of brand.”

     

     

  • Given that VIVO IPL 2020 is scheduled to be held between March 23 and May 12, 2020 and Hotstar is a critical part of the live coverage gambit for Star India, one can expect the Disney+Hotstar launch to happen as part of the IPL 2020 blitz

    Disney+ to launch in India on March 29. Hotstar Premium to be renamed Disney+Hotstar

    By A Correspondent

    Disney+, the OTT service from the Walt Disney Company will launch in India on March 29, Bob Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bog Iger said on Tuesday in his quarterly earnings call.

    Disney, which owns, Star India, already owns and runs Hotstar in India, is likely to rechristen Hotstar VIP and premium service as Disney+Hotstar.

    Given that VIVO IPL 2020 is scheduled to be held between March 23 and May 12, 2020 and Hotstar is a critical part of the live coverage gambit for Star India, one can expect the Disney+Hotstar launch to happen as part of the IPL 2020 blitz.

    Hotstar’s VIP/Premium service which is the subscription based video on demand service from the platform, is likely to be rebranded and called Disney+Hotstar.

    Disney+ has reported 28.6 million subscribers as on Monday.

  • Shailesh Kapoor lists the Top 5 OTT brands both from a content and a marketing perspective

    The Most Successful OTT Brands of the Decade

     

    This is the third in a series of six decade-ender lists in this column by Shailesh Kapoor. The previous lists:

    The most-defining Hindi TV shows of the decade

    The most-defining Hindi films of the decade

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    The OTT category in India saw a major boost in the latter half of the decade, especially 2017 onwards. From a handful of originals and OTT platforms that you could count in single digits, the category took off with the arrival of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in India. In 2019, more than 100 original OTT shows launched in Hindi language alone. Add regional content, sports, movies, animation etc. to it, and you know that the end of the decade belonged to OTT.

    Ranking “successful” brands in an emerging category can be tricky. This list is based on impact created in the Indian market, both from a content and a marketing perspective. Social media brands have not been considered, and special mentions are due to regional players like Hoichoi, and niche players like FilmCompanion and Ullu, for managing to find a strong need gap and catering to it.

     

    5. ALT Balaji

    Balaji’s entry into OTT category in 2017 made it one of the earlier entrants. It took ALT Balaji some time to get going, and it can be argued that the launch of the more premium services like Netflix actually helped ALT Balaji position itself as “mass” and more mainstream, especially for the non-metro markets in India. The platform has relied on quantity, launching shows every other week, and Gandii Baat, which explores the erotic genre from the small-town/ rural lens, is arguably its most successful show till date. When compared to other platforms that didn’t make it to this Top 5 list, like Zee5, Voot and Sony LIV, ALT Balaji’s run is impressive, particularly because it did not have much GEC catch-up content to provide an early cushion.

     

    4. Netflix

    It’s difficult to split Amazon Prime Video and Netflix on rank. Netflix is clearly the more niche of the two, operating as a standalone content service at a much higher price-point than Amazon. When Netflix launched, its price-point was seen as prohibitive by many. It took some time for Netflix to customise, and the launch of the Rs 199 mobile-only service in 2019 was a sign that they are willing to adapt to the unique rules that the Indian market can demand from global players. Netflix’s content strategy has been to focus on less but high-quality content, though some of their 2019 India shows, such as Sacred Games 2 and Bard Of Blood, fall short of that high standard. The platform’s imagery, however, remains strongly associated with high-quality international content, and that’s a sub-genre in which it’s a clear leader.

     

    3. Amazon Prime Video

    Amazon Prime Video’s launch in India was in line with its global strategy to create content to fuel the retail business through content engagement. Compared to its competitor Netflix, Amazon’s OTT strategy in India relies on higher number of big-ticket launches and more aggressive film acquisitions. Through Mirzapur last year and The Family Man this year, the platform has managed to create top-end Indian content, which puts it in a very credible space as we enter a new decade.

     

    2. TVF

    TVF (The Viral Fever) is the only content creator in this list of OTT platforms. Being the early innovators (remember Permanent Roommates and Pitchers), TVF had its OTT moments much before the big players came. Some argued that TVF would fizzle out as big budgets come into play, but the platform continues to be amazingly consistent with its quality, and this year’s Kota Factory is the latest testimony to that. Having addressed a definitive segment of the urban Indian youth, especially men, TVF is in a rock-solid position to be the most-sought-after content creator in the new decade.

     

    1. Hotstar

    Hotstar came before everyone else, in early 2015. And with each passing year, the Star-owned platform has managed to stay ahead of the OTT evolution curve, especially in the area of marketing. Taking IPL digital rights, even before Star had the broadcasting rights, was a clear indication that Star meant business with Hotstar, and this year has seen a lot more action to support that line of thought, with the launch of the VIP service and Hotstar Originals. In the new decade, Hotstar will have to do a bit more to more away from its image of being primarily a catch-up TV and digital sports platform. But that work has already started, it seems.

     

     

  • Madhavan  will take charge from January 1

    K Madhavan to replace Sanjay Gupta as Country Head, Disney-Star India. Uday Shankar to also steer Hotstar

    By A Correspondent

     

    Veteran mediaperson and Managing Director (South) of Disney Star India K Madhavan has been appointed Country Head of Star and Disney India. Also, Uday Shankar, President, The Walt Disney Company APAC and Chairman, Star and Disney India will directly oversee Hotstar. Madhavan  will take charge from January 1. As is known, Sanjay Gupta, Country Manager of Star and Disney India has resigned from the leading broadcaster and is joining Google as Country Manager for India.

     

    Madhavan who is part of the Star India fold since 2008 oversees the business ventures of Star in the five southern states and a portfolio of regional channels in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.

     

     

  • Some surprising facts and myth-breakers in Hotstar’s India Watch Report, writes Indrani Sen

    What’s Hot on Online Video Viewing

     

    By Indrani Sen

     

    Hotstar, India’s largest video viewing platform, launched the third edition of its India Watch Report last week. The report is an in-depth study of online video consumption behaviour and trends of Indian viewers on Hotstar and narrates their deep connection with various genres of video content.

     

    As observed by ET Brand Equity on December 11, 2019, “From becoming the favourite destination for cricket lovers on the internet to making Game of Thrones a household name, where viewers in India woke up at 6:30 in the morning to watch episodes of the cult fantasy series, Hotstar has come a long way, and in the process played a critical role in shaping the country’s binge-watching culture.” (https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/media/hotstar-decodes-the-online-video-consumer-unveils-india-watch-report-2019/72472795)

    The report has unveiled quite a few surprising facts, broken a few myths and has highlighted delightful insights through ‘Fun Facts’ under each topic explored in it. Uday Shankar, President, The Walt Disney Company APAC & Chairman of Star and Disney India says in the introduction “Until a few years ago, online entertainment was restricted to the urban affluent. However, we now see newer horizons of customer reach, with non-metro towns driving online consumption. Digital viewership among women has also grown by leaps and bounds. Moreover, Hotstar’s pan-India consumer base reveals how each person has unique and individual choices – men are watching drama and movies from the South are being consumed in the North. While the enchantment of cricket remains unabated, customers are increasingly getting attracted to kabaddi and football. The new Indian consumer is breaking old stereotypes and defying conventional wisdom.”

    In 2019, Hotstar saw 555 installs per minute and compared to 2018, the number of installs doubled. Video consumption went up three times compared to 2018. The chart tilted ‘Roti. Kapda. Makaan. Data.’ shows the degree of data consumption by states and surprises us by revealing that West Bengal and Bihar has more data consumption per viewer that Maharashtra and Karnataka. Live viewership of peak consumption of cricket events over 2017, 2018 and 2019 shows it is growing in leaps and bounds.

     

    Source: India Watch Report 2019

    95% of the video consumption on Hotstar comes from mobiles, which continues to be the primary screen for the users. An analysis of content category split by platform shows that Indians love entertainment, ranging from85% on Connected TV to 58% on Android. Sports are next in a reverse order ranging from 42% on Android to 15% on Connected TV. While most viewers happily switch their smartphone brands, viewers in West Bengal and Kerala have a loyalty to Samsung.

    There has been a shift in the demographics of online viewers of entertainment with the share of non-metros going up from 54% in 2018 to 63% in 2019 and Lucknow, Pune and Patna Surpassed Hyderabad, Bengaluru & Kolkata in video consumption. The overall share on women viewers in entertainment grew from 42% in 2018 to 45% in 2019, but overall video consumption by women grew by 3.2 times over last one year. According to the report “More women are owning their right to me-time!”

    There has been a huge surge in shopping and food enthusiasts online, particularly over the weekends with these becoming the fastest-growing affinity base on the Internet.

     

    Source: India Watch Report 2019

    As reflected by consumption across other media, 40% of total video consumption comes from regional languages with Tamil, Telegu and Bengali leading the list. While 80% of Tamil and Telegu video consumption comes from the native states, only 65% of Bengali comes from West Bengal. In cricket also language and loyalty went hand in hand with 2 times jump in Tamil consumptions during CSK matches, 1.6 times jump in Bengali consumption during KKR matches and 1.5 times jump in Kannada consumption during RCB matches.

    The report breaks myth of premium content for exclusive audience by highlighting 40% of Game of Throne viewers and 30% of Koffee with Karan viewers also watch Hindi family dramas. The fact that 40% of viewers of family dramas are men is also surprising as unlike the viewership of the family owned big screen TV, this data is based on individually owned small screen viewership on mobile. An analysis by genres again show men don’t dislike Hindi TV serials and their interest for family and mythological shows is at par with women.

    The report presents Leaderboard of TV shows and movies during 2019 highlighting women prefer scripted dramas over reality shows; Hindi movies are a hit with Mumbai showing the highest consumption, while Bengaluru leads the fandom for English movies.

    In 2019 online video consumption of news grew by 10 times compared to 2018 with consumption per user growing up 3.5 times. Millennials led the way with 65% of news consumption coming from the age group of 15-34. Delhi consumed the most news in India and surprisingly Lucknow and Patna watched more news than Mumbai.

    In sports, Cricket reigned supreme across India and became more interactive in 2019 as Hotstar combined viewing with video games, fandom and food. There is a section ‘Hall of Fames’ giving details of moments that gripped India during cricket matches, Leaderboard of cricket matches as well as most viewed ads during cricket matches. The report shows consumption of both football and kabaddi went up during 2019 but detail analysis shows that football is popular in South India and East India, while Kabaddi is most-watched in Uttar Pradesh and South India.

    The report presents a chart showing city wise log off timings. With the ever-growing options for entertainment and other content, sleep has taken a back seat. However, Mumbai, the city that never sleeps is not the last to sleep. Kochi and Gurugram surprise by staying awake more with Hotstar.

    Finally, kudos to the Hotstar team for the way they have developed India Watch 2019 as their marketing tool. Apart from enlightening the industry through facts and figures related to viewership on Hotstar, it has showcased case studies of how certain brands achieved their marketing objectives by advertising on Hotstar. In the disguise of a research report on video viewership, the report is an excellent marketing pitch to the advertisers and agencies for choosing Hotstar as their video viewing platform and converting non users of the medium to users.

     

     

  • The OTT plaform showcases the trends shaping the Indian video streaming landscape

    Hotstar unveils India Watch Report 2019

    By A Correspondent

     

    OTT platform Hotstar released the third edition of its India Watch Report 2019 on Tuesday. Based on Hotstar’s consumer base, the third edition of the report presents revelatory insights on how evolving content preferences, progressive gender shifts, and increasing accessibility continue to shape the modern Indian digital consumer.

     

    Speaking about the report, Varun Narang, EVP & Chief Product Officer, Hotstar, said: “The accelerated growth of the Indian video entertainment ecosystem has had an unprecedented impact on the consumer. Today, the Indian consumer enjoys a plethora of content to choose from, has moved beyond metro cities, and isn’t limited by gender or language. More importantly, this growing accessibility has opened doors to new thoughts and ideas that are shaping a stereotype-defying consumer. Hotstar, with its tremendous scale and reach across the country, is well-positioned to better understand this evolving consumer, and this third edition of India Watch Report does just that. With a comprehensive look at how video streaming is evolving and the fascinating behavioral and entertainment consumption insights behind it, we’re sure the India Watch Report 2019 will make for a very interesting read.”

     

    Hotstar, with 400 Mn+ downloads, is one of the most downloaded apps in India, registering 2X installs and 3X growth in consumption this year as compared to 2018. This growth catalyses from Hotstar’s endeavors in taking digital video consumption to new frontiers, where non-metros are outstripping metros in terms of video consumption and regional content has grown to account for 40% of overall content consumption.

     

    Combining data with some interesting information, India Watch Report 2019 details the trends shaping the Indian video streaming world.

     

    Some key highlights from the report:

    • Hotstar crossed 400 Mn downloads, becoming one of the most downloaded apps in India.
    • Hotstar registered 2X installs in 2019 vs 2018 with 555 installs per minute in 2019
    • 3X growth in consumption in 2019 vs 2018
    • Sports streaming has reached unparalleled heights
    • 300 Mn+ platform reach during the VIVO IPL 2019
    • 3 Mn Live Concurrent Viewers during the India vs New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 semi-final
    • 100 Mn reach crossed in a single day; Multiple times throughout ICC CWC 2019
    • Users don’t conform to stereotypes
    • 63% of the total online entertainment consumption came from non-metros. Lucknow, Pune and Patna surpassed Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata in video consumption
    • Men have as high affinity to family drama as women; More than 40% viewers of Family drama are men.
    • 45% of total entertainment consumption came from women (3.2X growth in video consumption by women compared to last year)
    • 41% of Game of Thrones viewers also watched Hindi family dramas
    • Regional languages travel the distance
      • More than 40% video consumption came from regional content
      • Tamil, Telugu and Bengali are the top regional languages. In fact, Bigg Boss Tamil is the highest watched entertainment show having beaten all the Hindi TV Shows
    • Breaking new grounds on old fields
      • 4X growth in viewers for connected TV compared to last year
      • 7X growth in consumption for connected TV compared to last year
    • Hotstar’s immersive and interactive game, Watch ‘N Play, recorded greater participation
    • During VIVO IPL 2019, 64 Mn viewers (2X that of VIVO IPL 2018) participated in Watch ‘N Play
    • 5X time spent by viewers who participated in Watch’N Play compared to those who didn’t, during VIVO IPL 2019
    • Approximately 6 billion emojis were used during VIVO IPL 2019
    • Bringing friends closer, 44 Mn comments were shared live during VIVO IPL 2019

     

  • Chandrayaan 2 Live, is a moment of national pride and Star network is enabling access to this momentous occasion for Indians across 100+ countries

    Star network to showcase India’s mission to the moon

    By A Correspondent

     

    India will be carving a place for itself among the world’s space faring nations with ISRO’s Chandrayaan 2 landing as it attempts to become the fourth country to land on the moon after the former Soviet Union, US and China. The Star India channels National Geographic, Star Plus, Star Bharat and Hotstar have come together to telecast the Chandrayaan 2 landing to viewers across 100+ countries. The telecast will start from 11.30pm today (Friday, Sep 6)

     

    “This event will be a historic and immensely proud moment for India. What ISRO and the team of scientists have achieved is nothing short of spectacular. The Star network believes in inspiring its viewers with path breaking content and we are delighted to provide our audience with the chance to witness the historic moment live,” said Sanjay Gupta, Country Manager- Star & Disney India.

     

     

  • The ads are currently streaming live during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 on Hotstar

    Rejoiice Entertainment executes latest digital campaign for MAAC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mumbai-based creative agency and production house, Rejoiice Entertainment recently created a series of digital ad campaigns for MAAC. The ads are currently streaming live during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 on Hotstar and various other digital platforms.

     

    Vaibhav Babaji

    Said Vaibhav Babaji, Founder of Rejoiice Entertainment: “In our more than 20 years of experience in the M&E sector, we have seen a drastic shift in this space which makes it a platform creating world class content. With the finest in-house talent, our creative thinkers have the ability to quickly deliver on the client requirements with a quick turnaround time. Our idea was to clearly communicate to the audiences how simple it is to make a fast growth career  in this segment and that’s exactly what we did for MAAC’s campaign.”

     

    Added Pravir Arora, Chief Marketing Officer, Aptech: “There is an exponential growth in the demand for skilled man-power in the Media & Entertainment Industry & MAAC focuses on making the students skill-ready for this flourishing & dynamic sector. For our campaign, the idea was to establish a strong communication which connects, relates & appeals to our customers. Our brief was to communicate the plethora of job opportunities available in the M&E industry. Rejoiice gauged our requirement and delivered to the best of their potential.

     

     

  • Panel includes Dave Trott, Piyush Pandey, R Balki, Rama Bijapurkar and Swati Bhattacharya

    2019 edition of Star Re.Imagine Awards announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star India has announced the second edition of the Star Re.Imagine Awards for the best advertising on its television network and Hotstar during IPL2019.

     

    The jury list is impressive: Dave Trott, who has won the D&AD President’s Award, London for Lifetime Achievement in Advertising; R Balki, film-maker, Rama Bijapurkar,  market strategy expert; Swati Bhattacharya – CCO, FCB India and Piyush Pandey, Ogilvy Worldwide creative boss.

     

    Speaking on the announcement, Gautam Thakar, CEO, Star Sports said: “Sports is a great unifier and VIVO IPL’s massive reach and engagement provide the perfect platform for every brand to reach their audience. We are excited to announce the 2nd edition of the Star Re.Imagine Awards to celebrate the creativity of the top marketers in the country.  We have an additional award category this year and have witnessed some amazing storytelling from brands so far. I am excited to welcome our world class jury and look forward to the results.”

     

     

  • The ad campaign, conceptualized and executed by the DDB Mudra Group, shows Hotstar coming to the rescue of a motley crew of Indian superheroes helping them watch IPL 2019 together

    Hotstar says #KoiYaarNahiFar for IPL 2019 ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hotstar has unveiled another TVC for its IPL 2019 campaign. Conceptualised and created by the DDB Mudra Group, the new TVC features a small-town Indian superhero, inviting his other superhero friends to watch the game with him.

     

    The TVC has been rolled out in three languages, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, and is also available across Hotstar’s social platforms.

     

    Notes a communique: “This edition of the VIVO IPL has started off with a bang, with Hotstar garnering 135 million viewers in the first three days of the tournament itself. This figure is 2.2X the reach and 2.2X the watchtime of the first three days of last year’s IPL. Collectively, Hotstar aims to reach 300 million viewers through the course of VIVO IPL 2019.”

     

     

  • Let the games begin, writes Shailesh Kapoor… of the political and sporting kind

    Elections & IPL: Both Battlefields are Ready

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    The elections are here! Sixty-two days from today, we will know the outcome, when the results are announced on May 23. And over these 62 days, we will see a political battle unfold across electronic, print and digital media. A battle bigger than anything we have seen before in Indian politics.

    General absence of class and dignity in this political face-off is expected. The standards have dropped over the last decade, and one can expect more degeneration over the next two months. When both sides are willing to lower their standards all the time, the new low can be a really low one.

    In such a scenario, it’s the media that could potentially play a pivotal role. That of being the sane voice of fact and truth, and bringing a sense of calm and balance in the political cacophony that will go on uninterrupted for more than two months. But practically speaking, there is little chance of that happening.

    The media is politically polarised more than ever before, and there’s a general feeling, especially in the electronic media, that unless you are at one end of the spectrum, you will not be a popular option for your target audience. Whether that’s true or not is a matter of some deep and layered analysis. But for now, that’s the perception with which all news channels, and most newspapers and digital platforms, begin their respective ‘campaigns’, leading towards May 23, 2019.

    I’ve always found the behind-the-scenes coverage of elections more interesting than the in-the-face variety. Speeches, rallies and one-liners are for everyone to see and interpret. It’s the strategy that goes into aspects like seat allocation, alliances, political messages, media plans etc. that is rarely covered in any depth. And this is where the fascinating stories often are.

    Good election coverage is not about reporting speeches and debating them with a politically-polarised panel. Good election coverage is not about being the fastest on the results day either. Good election coverage is about providing an insight into how political parties approach elections and the key decisions they take during this period. More of this is what I’d wish for in the next 62 days.

    On a different note, a new season of IPL starts tomorrow. Unlike the previous election years (2009 and 2014), when IPL had to be shifted outside India (to South Africa and UAE respectively) in part or whole, there has been no such talk this time. The season that kicks off tomorrow is important for its pre-World Cup timing. On the media front, we can expect digital consumption to grow further, to make IPL 2019 the most-watched digital content in India’s history by a comfortable margin.

    Digital media has already warmed up to IPL 2019. Earlier this month, Netflix launched Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians, a fascinating behind-the-scenes view of the Mumbai franchise from the 2018 season. And then, earlier this week, Hotstar launched Roar Of The Lion, a documentary series based on the journey of Chennai Super Kings in the season following the two-year ban on the franchise.

    With these two series (which are worth a review here in the coming week or two), IPL has found great content extensions beyond actual live cricket. One hopes to see more such interesting content roll out in the coming years. Because cricket, for the immense popularity it enjoys in India, has been a grossly under-leveraged sport when it comes to mainstream entertainment content.

    But that can wait a few weeks. For now, let the games begin. Of the political and the sporting kinds.

     

  • It’s going to be about big guys and big bucks. It’s going to be quite a ride over the next two years, and I, for one, am not blinking

    OTT: Ride Along, Because It’s Buzzing!

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    It’s all buzzing on the original content front in the OTT space. The five-year-old category in India began to find its feet in 2018, as covered in this column written in September 2018. Since then, over the last six months, the buzz has got stronger by the month. Hotstar is the latest entrant in the big-ticket original content play in the digital space, with the much-publicised launch of shows under the umbrella ‘Hotstar Originals’. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video continue to scale up their India offerings, while Zee5, ALT Balaji and others continue to launch shows by the week. There’s another new entrant in MXPlayer from the Times group, and of course, the guys who started it all, TVF, are very much in the mix too.

     

    The original OTT content ecosystem in India can no longer be called nascent. Over the last 12 months, its broad contours have evolved in a definitive way. The column linked above spoke about the need to prioritize ‘quality over quantity’. While quantity still dominates, quality is slowly beginning to come our way too. And as someone who has had the opportunity to get a peek into some of what’s lined for later this year, I can say with some confidence that 2019 will be the best year for the category quality-wise.

     

    No one is currently bothering themselves too much with the question on where the money (revenue) is going to come from. It’s apparent now that there’s a sound future in this category, and eventually, its economics will work themselves out as the category settles down, maybe by 2021. But you need to be an early entrant and have a substantial subscriber base by then, and that’s what the top players, most of which have deep pockets, are prioritising.

     

    The myth that OTT will kill mainstream television still prevails, and keeps coming up in coffee machine conversations across media houses. It’s the only genuinely-misguided piece in the OTT story. Over the last two weeks, in the aftermath of Pulwama and then Balakot, news ratings have more than doubled. As mentioned in this column last week, sports and news may gain big this year, at the cost of general entertainment. But television will survive alright. Cord-cutting is still a hugely niche metro phenomenon, and there isn’t much to say on it in a country as large as ours.

     

    The intriguing question, then, is: Where are people getting all this additional time in their lives to watch digital content, especially in an age when ‘fast life’ and ‘not enough time’ are commonly-expressed grouses? The answers may not please social or medical experts. It seems that this time is being created at the cost of more ‘developmental’ activities like reading, spending time with family and friends, and… sleep. But that’s another topic for another day.

     

    Last week, Akshay Kumar, currently Bollywood’s most popular male star, walked onto a stage after setting himself on fire, to announce the launch of his new Amazon Prime series (working title: The End). That visual, coming within days of the launch ad of Kumar’s 2020 cop flick Sooryavanshi, sums up where the OTT category is heading. It’s going to be about big guys and big bucks. It’s going to be quite a ride over the next two years, and I, for one, am not blinking.