'Netflix will challenge programme creators to come up with better content'

Social media went into a tizzy yesterday as news trickled in about top video streaming service Netflix finally reaching India which has seen an exponential growth of digital medium over the last couple of years Groups such as All India Bakchod AIB The Viral Fever TVF and East India Comedy EIC to name a few have garnered appreciation for their online content and have found a loyal following for their web shows And with Netflix in the competition now online content producers believe that it will only help them expand their reachA still from DaredevilAIBs Rohan Joshi says There are many talents in India and they can collaborate with the new property to showcase their potential and reach out to a wider audience Sorabh Pant of EIC asserts that the consumption of online content will possibly grow manifold be it through Netflix or Hotstar or any other existing platformA still from Orange Is The New BlackAshish Patil business and creative Head of Yash Raj Films claims that joining hands with Netflix has led to better prospects We have been working with Netflix as partners since years In fact not just YRF but specifically YFilms content has been hosted on their platform for several years now Smaller films like Mere Dad Ki Maruti Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge etc gets a wider international platform reach thanks to them So we see it as an opportunity to reach out to more people Hopefully with Netflix monetisation will also become simpler he addsA still from Hot Girls WantedCompetition YesWith more and more online platforms attracting people to watch content online television producer JD Majethia accepts that these platforms are direct competition for small screen shows Indias youth is finding fresh concepts and content on the internet So many are following digital shows more than television shows TV shows will have to create better content and cannot avoid the fact that the introduction of popular properties like Netflix can affect viewership he explainsA still from Making A MurdererFor online content producers the competition is progressive It will challenge online programme creators to come up with better content This will only help the digital platform grow and audience will also have better options adds JoshiSorabh believes that the online show producers will grow with competition He says I think Netflix Hotstar and Eros Now will only thrive to grow I am sure their programming will be different and they will offer a wide range of entertainment to the audienceTV show The Good Wife is available on NetflixCompetition NahNot everyone is willing to view Netflix as a threat TV producer Sumeet Hukamchand Mittal says while he is aware that several youngsters in India follow online content it does not take away the fact that TV shows caters to a different audience segment People who are hooked to TV shows do not really access internet for entertainment So that avoids direct competition Having said that I would like to add that Netflix is a popular brand and will attract a big audience on the internet than it did earlier he addsAlso part of the movie library are comedy TV series Grace and FrankieA senior official of Hotstar requesting anonymity points out another reason why Netflix is not a competition for them at least at the moment Right now the content that Netflix has is for a niche audience and it has become even more niche because it is a subscription model Therefore it is not direct competition for local properties In the long run when they start developing content for the Indian audience it will gain more importance he saysThe Butterfly Effect 2004Not a bigbang entryNetflix has an impressive English content library both leased and original but in the Indian context the licensed content is limited while there is no original content yet and Crucial sports and regional content pieces are missing from its current portfolio argues Gaurav Gandhi COO Viacom18 Digital Ventures Plus the Indian cable TV market has one of the lowest ARPUs average revenue per user worldwide Netflixs basic subscription plan is at par with the premium cable DTH packs Combined with high data costs in India this global advantage looks difficult to adapt to the Indian market Then there is the delivery mechanism play Globally Netflix content is viewed primarily through larger screens over broadband connections The OTT explosion in India is happening primarily on the smaller mobile screensMobile network penetration is higher and increasingly so than broadband penetration So the advantages that helped Netflix explode in the global market seem to be somewhat toned down in the Indian context he saysWannabes rejoiceBollywoods strugglers will have another window of opportunity opening for them Netflix is a huge brand and new talents will be willing to associate with it to create content But then any talent cannot take the platform lightly It only supports good content and not any runofthemill concept Therefore one has to be talented enough to explore and utilise the medium says film writer Kapil ChopraFilmmaker Onir too is willing to team up with digital content producers It is difficult to sell a fresh and unique concept in Bollywood I am looking forward to the avenue and would like to join hands with them he statesInterestingly TV show writer and producer Atish Kapadia candidly admits that most TV programmes are unrelatable and digital is the way forward I do not relate to many of the TV fictions Now that I see many properties coming up online it is like a new hope for me to be able to showcase my work he says