Indian government’s Prasar Bharati recently invited private satellite TV channels to apply for streaming their programs on its proposed OTT platform for one year.
Industry experts suggest that major entertainment channels may not be interested since they already have their own OTT platforms like Jio Cinema, Zee5, and Sony Liv.
However, news channels might benefit from this opportunity as news is consumed on the go, and there has been a positive response to news content on platforms like YouTube.
Experts also believe that categories like music and movies could gain from this OTT initiative.
Industry experts see this as a positive move for providing easy access and reach to citizens, though they highlight that the platform should be affordable for India’s cost-sensitive market, similar to DD Free Dish.
Some smaller TV channels might join this platform to gain a wider audience that they otherwise struggle to reach on their own.
Despite these opportunities, the news industry has been cautious about Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform. The selected channels will operate on a revenue-sharing model, where 65% of the ad revenue will go to the channel, and 35% will go to Prasar Bharati.
However, concerns have been raised about the specific guidelines and potential risks, such as channels being removed if their content doesn’t perform well for 180 days.
Some also worry that the new policy could undermine existing regulatory systems for satellite television, raising questions about fairness and consistency in the media industry.
On the advertising side, the platform plans to insert ads at relevant points during streaming.
For smaller networks, this could offer a chance to expand their reach and monetize their content. However, larger networks with in-house capabilities might not find the platform as appealing.
