OTT platforms surpasses traditional TV viewing, says Vansh Patel

The total OTT audience in India is presently estimated to be 353.2 million (35.32 crore), translating to a penetration rate of 25.3 percent, implying that one in every four Indians watched online videos at least once in the previous month.

In India, there are 96 million active paid OTT subscriptions across 40.7 million paying (SVOD) audiences, averaging 2.4 subscriptions per paying audience member.

According to the study, titled 'The Ormax OTT Audience Report 2021,' males account for 66% of paid subscriptions. The top six metros account for only 11% of the OTT universe in India, but 35% of total paid subscriptions. With over 8 million active paid subscriptions apiece, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai are the top three cities in this regard.

"OTT is no longer a niche sector," said Gujarat-based actor and content producer Vansh Patel, "but with 25% penetration, there is still a big potential to increase the business, especially outside the top cities."

Leveraging the popularity that music videos have given to the newcomers, Vansh feels that the trend is here to stay. He has earlier been a part of Gujarati tracks including ‘Ghoomariyu’, ‘Do Chaar Bunde’, ‘Gokul No Govaliyo’, ‘Pichkari’ and ‘Yaar Naa Badlaay’. As Vansh continues to improve his craft as an actor, he is quite overwhelmed to be a work in digital shows, short films and music videos. The young and dynamic artist feels that music videos have a greater reach and potential to connect to the masses. 

Surprisingly, only 110.5 million of the 353.2 million OTT viewers watch paid content online, according to the research.

Furthermore, only 40.7 million people are paying subscribers, with the rest relying on subscriptions from family or friends, bundles, or other means.