Netflix which is the indisputable leader in the OTT space across the globe has been facing stiff competition in India from Amazon Prime Video. Amazon is more focused on Indian content tailored for Indian audiences. Its pricing is Value for Money and the Prime Benefits that come with the subscription is a big advantage.
It looks like Netflix is making major changes to counter Amazon from a content point of view. Amazon Prime Video is the go-to OTT platform for Telugu films to offload the post-theatrical digital rights. A major chunk of the films in Tollywood in the last couple of years has gone to Amazon Prime Video.
The OTT major’s competitor, Netflix, somehow never concentrated on this segment. Netflix is mostly confined to its slate of international content where it is unmatchable. The Originals from Indian markets are also very few when compared to Amazon. It is a bit into Hindi content and not so much into the Regional markets.
But then, it looks like there has been a change in the strategy of Netflix. In the last few days, we have seen Netflix bagging the post-theatrical OTT rights of prominent Telugu films like Virata Parvam, Most Eligible Bachelor, Shyam Singha Roy, and Maha Samudram. We have also seen the platform signing Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati for a web series titled Rana Naidu.
This is the most aggressive bid by Netflix India to capture the regional markets (importantly the Telugu market).
