OTT TO THE RESCUE

As most of us are self-quarantining due to the coronavirus outbreak, digital shows and Oni platforms have turned to be our sole entertainers

- Juhi Chakraborty and Rishabh Suri

Staying in is what most of us are doing amid this pandemic situation. And naturally, the more we stay at home, the more we find ourselves glued to the screens. Now, with no film releases insight because of the shutdown of theatres and shoot of TV shows stalled across the country, what everyone is finding solace in are the OTT platforms. In fact, web shows have become the best tool for people to ward off boredom, and the platforms, too, are ensuring that the audience is spoilt for choice.

RISE IN TRAFFIC

The web, in times of no new films or TV shows, has seen a drastic spike in their traffic. Tarun Katial, CEO, ZEE5 India confirms, “We’ve seen a spike across key metros, as audiences continue to consume a wide variety of content. Interestingly, we’ve seen a significant jump in the consumption on connected devices, too, and this could be because many people are working from home.”

Neeraj Roy, Founder & CEO, Hungama Digital Media, shares that since the beginning of March, there has been an increase of over 20% in viewership on Hungama Play. While this trend started in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, they’re also beginning to notice this spike in other cities. “Further, being at home 24/7 has had a visible impact on consumption hours as well. Instead of peaking between 8-10 in the morning, consumption now remains high till 11.30 am. Likewise, consumption goes up during lunch hours. At night, instead of the usual 8 pm to midnight, consumption now starts peaking at 6 pm,” he informs.