Small OTT apps in a fix over Play Store policy

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Prime Video, whose audience bases are large, users are slightly more sophisticated and can make payments on websites. On the other hand, in case of smaller apps, users may be afraid of scams," Swathi Girimaji, partner at Bharucha & Partners, said. CCI, which is known for its swift regulatory actions, had held Google accountable several times in the past, she added.

While some platforms are clearly pushing back, many others are either lying low or considering legal options, said Girish Dwibhashyam, chief operating officer at DocuBay, a streaming platform owned by IN10 Media Network. “The Google team seems quite persistent (on implementing commission rates) whereas services have to be cognizant of the habits that customers are used to. Not everyone is comfortable with diverse payment options, besides technology integration also takes time," he added.

Rajat Agrawal, the content and syndication head at Marathi OTT platform Ultra Jhakaas, said it was important for all OTT platforms, whether local or foreign, to be a part of the Play Store. “Other app stores are fractional compared with Google Play. Also, small and medium OTT players are getting differential treatment compared with global giants that have huge negotiation power and a private understanding with Google, where in-app payment is not really mandatory.

It’s certainly not a level playing field for all OTT players." Another limitation, according to Agarwal, is that Google in-app primarily supports credit cards, but users in India prefer wallets, Unified Payments Interface or internet banking. “OTTs are grappling with many challenges. Introducing such a substantial cost would compound the challenges, leading to heightened loss for many.