March 28, 2024

Top 5 OTT Platforms in India

ott platforms

Do you remember the days of waiting for your favourite serial on TV? We had to set reminders and reschedule our timetable for this purpose. However, the advent of OTT platforms provided convenience at our fingertips. Now, we do not have to set aside a separate time slot to watch our desired content.

OTT platforms give us the much-needed flexibility in watching content. Importantly, you can watch any movie or series when free. Furthermore, the variety of genres really give viewers an upper edge.

So, if you want to select the most suitable OTT platform, this is the right place to be.

Surely, these 5 OTT apps can fulfil your entertainment needs at the fullest!

CONTENT:

  • What is the meaning of OTT?
  • When did OTT platforms come into existence?
  • Which are the top 5 OTT platforms for Indian viewers?
  • Conclusion.

What is the meaning of OTT?

Obviously, most of us do not concern ourselves with full forms. Yet, sometimes, such knowledge proves beneficial.

So, long story short, OTT stands for ‘Over the top’.

Hence, these platforms aren’t limited to video-only services. Any online website or application which streams a specific category of content falls under OTT.

Now, you might be thinking – What is the specific category of content? So, this content includes:

  • Videos.
  • Audios.
  • Media.
  • Ads.
ott platforms

All in all, before the strong influence of OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee 5, etc. you were using this tech almost daily.

Fascinating, isn’t it? Okay, I’ll tell you what you were using – YouTube! Yes, YouTube falls under the category of OTT platforms too!

When did OTT platforms come into existence?

Basically, this section is just to provide some knowledge to readers.

Do you remember BIGFlix? It is a private company owned by Reliance Entertainment. It was India’s first OTT platform that provided movies. It was active since 2008.

So, we can trace the OTT existence back from 2008. However, the major leap and popularity of these platforms rose around 2013.

Back then, the main focus was streaming T20 matches of the Indian Premier League for smartphone users.

Which are the top 5 OTT platforms for Indian users?

Even though OTT platforms have a short history, one has to admire the tremendous leap in streaming quality of such services.

At this time, different services fulfil unique content needs of users. For instance, some OTT service providers have an edge in sporting content whereas some have an edge in web series.

Nevertheless, the wide variety of content on almost every OTT provider gives viewers an excellent alternative to traditional TV.

So, without further ado, these are the top 5 OTT platforms in India right now:

HOTSTAR (DISNEY+ HOTSTAR)

  • Origin: India.
  • Headquarters: Mumbai, India.

Launched in 2015, Hotstar quickly grabbed the attention of many Indian customers. At this time, this platform has a claimed active user base of more than 300 million.

Prominently, Disney+ Hotstar streams major sports tournaments. In addition to such tournaments, this OTT service also airs original Disney+ content, Hollywood and Bollywood films, etc.

Moreover, different subscription plans, namely premium and VIP are available in Disney+ Hotstar.

NETFLIX

Origin: America.

Headquarters: California, USA.

Without a doubt, Netflix is one of the most famous OTT platform amongst youngsters. Importantly, this company has come a long way from DVD sales and rental model.

Many Hollywood as well as Bollywood movies are released on Netflix. This makes it a great streaming service provider for original content.

For the Indian market, Netflix became active after 2016. Since its subscriptions are comparatively costly, majorly due to emphasis on original content, the number of paid users are less.

At this time, Netflix has over 200 million users. Despite the subscription prices, many Indian users prefer this platform due to:

  • Unique & captivating content.
  • Flexible plans.

Netflix provides flexibility in their registration modes like mobile-only plan, basic, standard and premium plan. This paves way for high user preferences.

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

  • Origin: America.
  • Headquarters: Washington, USA.

The Prime video is one of the most dedicated OTT platforms globally. Since 2016, the Prime video hosts a variety of movies and TV series for the audience.

Apart from hosting independent series, it is involved in producing original content too.

The approximate value (at this time) of the paid user base of the Prime video platform is around 150 million. Generally, the competitive subscription fees attract many Indian users.

So, you can enjoy a wide variety of entertainment programmes on Amazon Prime video in different languages.

SONY LIV

  • Origin: India.
  • Headquarters: Mumbai, India.

Surely, almost all Indian viewers are aware of Sony channels. The same TV network has a dedicated OTT platform named Sony Liv. On the whole, this platform is home to all the programmes on Sony entertainment channels.

With a wide quantity of movies and TV shows, this OTT platform is definitely a delight of many Indian customers.

Therefore, since 2013, Sony Liv is witnessing a constant surge in the number of active users. In fact, the live streaming of Sony channels content is a wonderful service from the Liv team.

ZEE5

Origin: India.

Headquarters: Mumbai, India.

The latest inclusion in the OTT market is ZEE5, an Essel group venture. It supports more than 12 languages.

It streams many original shows and TV series. Most recently, ZEE5 has collaborated with ALTBalaji. So, this can increase the user base of ZEE5 platform.

As an audience, the biggest pro of this platform is getting early access of ZEE shows before the live telecast. Also, a huge library of movies adds the value of ZEE5.

Conclusion

The pandemic has changed many things. In addition to the use of masks, social distancing and work-from-home lifestyle, OTT platforms have become a convenient alternative to traditional TV. Obviously, we can witness an even greater rise in the popularity of OTT platforms.

So, if you want to subscribe and watch your favourite content at ease, these 5 services can definitely prove worthy to consider. Still, if you have any other alternatives, feel free to use the comments section.