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World cup & OTTs

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NOV 16, 2023
Amani Chowdhry
amani
Notions and Narratives Is the World Cup saving not only our fandom but also… Hotstar? In 2019, Covid wasn’t the only event making waves across the country. The OTT market was disrupted by Disney’s $71 billion deal with 21st Century Fox, leading to the acquisition of multiple entertainment channels, including Hotstar.
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Amani Chowdhry
This was when Hotstar already had rights to HBO’s content, thus serving as a gateway to Disney for monetizing this mammoth audience with major franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars. This strategy proved effective — until JioCinema upended the market by offering free streaming of the Indian Premier League (IPL), causing Disney+ Hotstar's subscriber base to dwindle from ~60M to ~40M as of July’23.
Amani Chowdhry
I concur that Cricket in our country feels nothing short of a religion. After G20, the World Cup’23 has reinstated the global spotlight for India this year. The viewership is expectedly higher as Disney+ Hotstar is eyeing 50M concurrent viewership during the World Cup, more than half of JioCinema’s numbers during the IPL 2023. This of course wasn’t a shot in the dark, but a thoughtful capture in the hopes to regain the lost battle.
Amani Chowdhry
Can the World Cup revive Disney+ Hotstar's subscription decline? Yes — but only in the short term. When India’s playing and winning (fingers-crossed) against the giants, it’s unlikely to not be glued to the screens. Handling the throughput from > 3cr viewers for most matches is no joke, and this signifies that Disney+ Hotstar does have the infra to make it work.
Amani Chowdhry
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But tech always has to be coupled with solid product and marketing strategies. Whether it’s useful features, better content, or exploring an untapped space — the weeks of the World Cup should be the weeks of experimentation and innovation for Disney+ Hotstar. Fun Fact; Jio is looking to close a deal to buy Hotstar’s rights from Disney. Well, if not, we might just find ourselves installing JioCinema for next year's T20 World Cup. :)
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Amani Chowdhry
Recommended Reads Moving on from one OTT platform to the other. Good news! It seems like you can now literally Netflix and Chill out. In an interview, Netflix’s VP of Consumer Products, Josh Simon said: “We’ve seen how much fans love to immerse themselves in the world of our movies and TV shows, and we’ve been thinking a lot about how we take that to the next level.”
Amani Chowdhry
He seems to be taking this commitment to immersion quite literally. Simon and his team are set to bring these experiences IRL with Netflix House, which would fundamentally be venues where fans can fully experience the worlds of their favorite Netflix shows; blurring the lines between the screen and reality.
Amani Chowdhry
Netflix had previously experimented with something similar during Bridgerton when it hosted The Queen’s Ball, a Bridgerton-themed ball with live music, specialty cocktails, and theatrical performances in NYC.
Amani Chowdhry
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/10/13/netflix-houses-coming-2025/71174354007/
Following its success, Netflix House is taking another stride toward building stronger fan communities. Netflix Houses will open up in the US but spread across the globe over the next few years. I look forward to seeing more personalized merch, themed menus, and engaging endeavors. Delve more! https://www.usatoday.com/story…
Amani Chowdhry
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Amani Chowdhry
Mindful Musings I’m not the most comfortable with the greys, the ambiguities, the in-betweens. This meant only one thing — I was obsessed with making plans. Most times career-led, and other times for personal milestones. Although to stick to a plan, it’s essential that you also have the right timing. And timing, quoting Robin Scherbatsky, is usually a b*tch.
Amani Chowdhry
In our early twenties, it's natural to wrestle with a touch of envy when we perceive others as being more 'on track' than us. What does being on track even mean!? I read a fact recently that helped me reflect on this. South Korea does not follow the same age system as the rest of the world. How, you ask? In their country, the moment a baby is born, they’re considered a 1-year-old.
Amani Chowdhry
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I know this wasn’t the kind of timeline we were referring to, but imagine a culture that views growing up with such a varied POV. This also indicates that they’d never be on the same track as the rest of us, and this is quite literally embodied in their age system.
Amani Chowdhry
To draw a parallel, when we view the world through the vantage point that makes us feel that we’re either far behind or far ahead; it’s reassuring to know that this certain view of the timeline is uniquely ours. If a notion is as subjective, this means that the pressure associated is fabricated too, and that thought brings me sanity on most days.