Smaller scale helps regional OTT platforms ride bumps
OTT platforms controlling budgets, smaller streaming services that focus on specific regional languages or a certain genre may be at an advantage thanks to their smaller scale. Platforms like aha video, Planet Marathi, OM TV and others say they haven’t had to cut budgets since they started cautiously and have benefited from catering to region-specific audiences. Their hyperlocal content and slow start have given them time to evaluate the market and they believe catering to a specific niche has its own advantages.
Many are looking to scale up and seek funding. “Being a homegrown player has distinct advantages. Our proximity to consumers enables us to have a better understanding of their expectations.
Although rising content acquisition costs may pose a challenge, we leverage our flexibility to make strategic bets that enable us to make smart purchases while keeping a close eye on acquisition costs," said Rakesh C.K., head - SVoD and business strategy of aha, an OTT platform that primarily offers content in Telugu and Tamil. The company is also experimenting with content formats that help it tap newer audience categories while collaborations with hyperlocal partners are instrumental in expanding reach, C.K. added.
Akshay Bardapurkar, founder of OTT platform Planet Marathi said instead of reducing output, smaller players like them are trying to be completely sure of what they put out. “Ironically, the costliest shows are not the biggest successes. It is the small ones, more rooted in local sensibilities that work," he pointed out.
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