From actors to owners: Stars back new audio, video OTTs

Movie stars and celebrities are among those investing in emerging streaming — services—both audio and video—even though an abundance of such platforms makes it a risky proposition.

- Lata Jha

Actor Rana Daggubati has invested in a regional OTT called Chai Shots, while Pankaj Tripathi had joined audio service Velvet as co-founder.

Experts said while investments are risky given the amount of time and patience they require for monetization to kick in, it gives actors control and ownership over stories and formats, especially in the niche spaces of audio and short-form video. Their presence brings credibility and visibility to the platform in a deeply crowded market.

“In an increasingly cluttered OTT landscape, several prominent stars have ventured into launching their own platforms driven by a strategic advantage of brand-led distribution,” said Chandrashekar Mantha, partner and media and entertainment sector leader at Deloitte India.