5 years from now Television was known to be the most common form of dispensing media. No matter whatever we wanted to see; movies, news, shows, or listening to some music, Television was the thing that took the responsibility of all kinds of entertainment. It did not only altered how people consumed media but also became the reason for visual marketing. But this was not it in the line of entertainment. Soon enough, the market saw a new player emerging in the market and it took over the entire market. With the introduction of Netflix, everything changed for OTT media. After this, so many other platforms came into existence and the use of Television became limited. More people started using services of OTT over Television and that is how these platforms became popular. Below is a list of the best OTT platforms in India.
Netflix
Netflix is the original reason why online streaming services became so popular. They have some of the best movies and shows known as Netflix Originals like Sacred Games, Stranger Things, Narcos, House of Cards, and more. Ever since their launch, they have been creating high-budget TV shows and movies. Though, unlike others, this platform has the most expensive membership and thus a smaller number of members. But the platform has one of the highest watch times because of the content. Below are the pricing details for Netflix India
The mobile-only plan is Rs. 199/month (Rs. 2388/year)
The basic plan is ₹ 499/month (₹ 5,988/year)
The standard plan is ₹ 649/month (₹ 7,788/year)
The premium plan is ₹ 799/month (₹ 9,588/year)
Amazon Prime Video
The closest competitor to Netflix, Amazon Prime has taken the market by storm and has many amazing shows. The platform is comparatively economic than Netflix and has a lot to offer as well. The original movies and series are known as Prime original are people’s favorite. The platform has a cool interface that shows the subtitles and has a screen character guide. The platform offers a 30-day free trial so one can know if he is investing in the right thing. Currently, the platform has over 10 million users in India. The pricing details of the platform are listed below-
It offers two subscription plans; Rs. 129/month that you will have to renew every month. The other one is Rs. 999/ year. Both the plans come with many benefits including Amazon Prime delivery, excess to exclusive deals, and ad-free music.
Disney+ Hotstar
Disney+ Hotstar is an Indian video streaming service provider owned by Star India. It offers movies, shows, and sports to its customers. If you want to watch the IPL or the English Premier League, Hotstar is your platform. The platform today has around 26.8 million paid subscribers that account for a 30% share in the global front. It is suitable for kids as well as they offer a lot of programs that are loved by them. The subscription details are given below-
It involves two paid subscription plans; VIP, which focuses on domestic programs and sports content, and Premium that exhibits international movies TV series. The monthly subscription is Rs. 199 and the yearly subscription is Rs. 999. If you are a sports fan, they also offer a separate sports pack of Rs. 299 and a new pack of Rs. 365.
Voot
Voot is an Indian OTT platform that emerged in the market in 2016. It is available in multiple languages including Hindi, English, Gujarati, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi. Watching your favorite shows and movies is so simple with Voot. They also have kids exclusive on the platform and the best user-friendly interface. You can also watch their original content on their media. Some of their shows include Illegal, Asur, The Raikar Case, Marzi, and more. The movie choices include Bajirao Mastani, Queen, Main Hoon Na, and more.
The subscription can be availed for as little as INR 99 per month and INR 999 per year. The platform has currently over 100 million active users.
Zee 5
Owned by the Essel Group via a subsidiary of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Zee 5 is an Indian video on demand OTT platform. Established in 2018, it currently offers content in 12 languages and is a premier streaming platform in India. You can easily access it through its app available on Android, iOS, Web, and Smart TV. It is equipped in the form of TV shows, sports, and movies. The platform provides both free and paid services to its users.
The subscription fee is just Rs. 99 for a month and INR 999 for 12 months. You can avail of the subscription in two different categories; “Club” and “All Access”. Club plan is available for Rs. 365 yearly and supports 5 devices at a time while All Access is a flexible plan and it consists of all content priced at INR 99 monthly.
ALTBalaji
ALTBalaji is a subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms. They have one of the largest media libraries in the country and have access to loads of original content including movies, shows, and kids exclusive. Started in 2017, the platform has made its place in the lives of people. There is a lot of amazing content offered by the platform that it is hard not to subscribe to the platform. There are several web series offered by the platform that is worth watching including Mentalhood, Bichoo, Broken but Beautiful, Kehne ko Hamsafar hain, and more. It is reported that the platform has currently over 34 million paid users.
They have two major subscriptions; for Rs. 100 and for Rs. 300. The one that costs Rs. 100 is valid for 3 months and the one that costs Rs. 300 is valid for an entire year. The prices are unbelievable and the shows are irresistible.
SonyLiv
SonyLiv is an Indian platform owned by Sony Pictures Networks Pvt. Ltd. Started in 2013, the platform has a lot to offer to its viewers in languages like Hindi, English, and several regional languages as well. You can watch some of the shows without even registering, for the rest you will have to purchase a subscription. The free service is ad-supported while the premium service is ad-free. The platform has an active user subscription of 70-80 million monthly and 14-20 million paid.
SonyLiv has 4 slabs for the subscription. You can choose any of them and enjoy your favorite shows; Rs. 99 valid for a month, Rs. 149 valid for 3 months, and Rs. 499 valid for a year. Other than this, they also offer Super Sports Pack valid for 6 months and is available for Rs. 199.
Hoichoi
Launched in 2017, Hoichoi is an on-demand video streaming platform that has all its content in Bengali. You can watch original shows, movies, and series on this platform. You can also listen to Bengali music non-stop. One can stream ad-free content on multiple devices which you can also download offline. It is available on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku TV. You just have to subscribe to the channel and you will get non-stop Bengali entertainment online.
The subscription is available in two plans; Rs. 799 (yearly) and Rs. 2399 (3 years). You can also purchase Hoichoi merchandise from their website as well.
Eros Now
Eros Now is an Indian OTT platform that was established in 2012. The platform is owned and controlled by Eros International with headquarters in Mumbai. It offers unlimited movies, TV shows, Eros Originals, and songs. The platform has 18.8 million paid users and 155 million active users as of now. The subscription offers are strikingly interesting and since we all are currently stuck at home, is a good choice.
The subscription plans of the platform include three offers; INR 49 for 1 month, INR 79 for 3 months, and INR 399 for 12 months. There is so much to enjoy after you have purchased the subscription.
YouTube Premium
YouTube as a streaming platform is very popular but a few know that this has its original shows as well. The shows are available for the ones who subscribe to them. Also, with the subscription, you get ad-free music and streaming that can be minimized as well. Other than this, you can also download the videos and watch them any time you want. Overall, it is an amazing experience without any interruptions.
The subscription is priced at Rs. 129 per month and Rs. 399 for 3 months which can only be used by a single user. There are family plans as well where any 5 members of your family can use the same subscription. That one costs around Rs. 189 per month.
Due to the lockdown induced by COVID-19, the consumption of online content increased unexpectedly. Before this situation, when people could go to the cinema halls, OTT in India had a niche market. Now that everything is shut, several users have inclined towards OTT platforms for entertainment. Currently since the situation is getting somewhat normal, the cinema halls will be opened again. While this shouldn’t affect the business of OTT platforms much, it will still take some audience away who love to watch movies on a bigger screen.