Local-language web originals are still playing catch-up with Hindi
NEW DELHI : Despite rising interest and investments in non-Hindi web originals in the country, local-language shows still have a long way to go in terms of viewership, shows a recent report. B&B: Bujji and Bhairava (Telugu) and Inspector Rishi (Tamil)—the most-watched regional-language shows—clocked in a viewership of 4.9 million each, against the 28.2 million of the most-watched hindi show, Panchayat-Season 3, in the first six months of 2024, according to research conducted by media consulting firm Ormax Media. Entertainment industry experts say audiences in vernacular markets are still more lured by cinema and television, and unlike Hindi, there are no established franchises with returning seasons.
“Regional-language originals are in a stage of market development. India’s first Hindi web series was released 10 years ago on YouTube, giving Hindi a head start in the OTT space. This has helped Hindi content consumed digitally build a substantially engaged audience over the years," said Namit Sharma, chief executive of digital media company Arré Studio.
“By sheer audience size and market opportunity, Hindi is spoken by over 40% of the Indian population, compared to, say, Telugu, which is spoken by only 6.7%. Regional-language originals have the unique advantage of picking up and learning from Hindi counterparts," he added. Partho Dasgupta, managing partner at Thoth Advisors and ex-CEO of BARC India, agreed that the audience base for Telugu and Tamil originals is smaller than that of Hindi, and Hindi shows like Panchayat have the advantage of being an established franchise.
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