Streaming platforms tap YouTube creators to stay relevant in attention economy

India's streaming sector remains chaotic.

- Shuchi Bansal

The struggle to increase paid subscribers, the grind to entice advertisers for the free content, the labour in keeping the existing audiences engaged while trying to expand the viewership base is real. Despite the two mergers (MX Player and Amazon’s miniTV and Jio Cinema and Disney+Hotstar), more than 40 services--both homegrown and foreign— ensure stiff competition.

OTT video's race isn’t just with TV or theatres but with the highly popular and pervasive social media content, especially on YouTube, generated by millions of creators or influencers. YouTube content is being watched increasingly on smart TVs transcending mobile-first viewing and hence deemed a serious threat to streaming.

To entice this young, mobile-first audience watching YouTube and Instagram Reels, platforms like Netflix, JioHotstar and Amazon MX Player are bumping up creator-led content on their services. During Netflix Inc second quarter earnings call last week, its co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the platform was open to working with the best creatives across geographies including creators who distribute only on social media platforms. Few months ago, in the US, it picked a creator-led YouTube dating show Pop the Balloon and put it on its platform.