Understanding India’s love affair with online video
The way India is consuming its entertainment is rapidly changing. Nestled in the palms of 450 million Indians, smartphones are becoming the preferred medium of entertainment for new consumers across the breadth of the country. In 2019, Hotstar clocked 400 MN+ downloads, with a staggering 8,000 installs per minute during the ICC CWC 2019 India-Pakistan match, as per the recent India Watch Report.
By 2022, India is expected to have nearly 650 million smartphone users. Understanding the tastes and preferences of the next generation of smartphone users is key to unlocking the possibilities that come with having the world in your palms. These new consumers are powering growth at Hotstar, India’s largest premium streaming platform. The viewing habits of Indians are not what you might expect though. Hotstar’s pan-India consumer base shatters several stereotypes: In 2019, more than 40% of family drama viewers were men, breaking the long-held belief that such genres don’t appeal to men. Meanwhile, women are also consuming more entertainment digitally, making up for 45% of the total online entertainment consumption online. While cricket remains as popular as ever, Indian viewers are discovering a passion for other sports as well, such as kabaddi and football.
What is quite clear is that video transcends boundaries in India. According to the India Watch Report 2019, today, 63% of the total online entertainment consumption comes from non-metros and regional content has grown to account for 40% of overall content consumption. Areas and demographics of India that were earlier considered difficult to reach are now accessible. This implies that we now have the power to educate, influence, and inform through video and the ripple effect of this massive growth has far-reaching implications not just for consumers but also for content providers, creators, and curators.
For advertisers in particular, online video is a game changer. They have to craft concepts and stories suited to the digital platform. Since the nature of viewership has evolved, ads must be tailormade for different channels, demographics, and socio-economic classes. Consider this fact: almost as many women as men consume content online in India – this is actually a sharp deviation from global trends that show that men spend close to 50 % percent more time than women watching online videos. For a brand specifically looking to reach this target group, digital content now represents untapped potential. With women becoming a big part of the consumption pie, it is likely that we will see a spike in content specifically catering to them.
For content creators, these are important statistics providing them critical directives on what to make and how to allocate budgets for production. India Watch Report also mentions that Indian viewers have proved that they can’t be boxed into any specific content genre – 41% of Game of Thrones fans are also watching Hindi family dramas. This makes it critical to create content that has a multi-demographic appeal.
Ultimately, video has succeeded in achieving what some of the largest organizations in the world dream of – capturing the entire breadth spectrum of the Indian audience. And with that, the this, opportunities in the space have suddenly been amplified. The introduction of a new screen as a means of consumption has bred an entirely new ecosystem of stakeholders, making it an exciting time for us all – whether you’re we’re watching or creating video content.
To get the complete picture on online video consumption in India, download India Watch Report 2019.
