ALTBalaji & ZEE5 announce content alliance to grow the subscription video on demand business

With an aim to leverage each other's strengths in the OTT domain, ZEE5 and ALTBalaji have collaborated to co-create original content which will only be available on both platforms.

The content-sharing arrangement includes co-creation of 60+ Original content series (in Hindi) which will be available exclusively to SVOD subscribers of both platforms. This association is a collaborative process of co-understanding consumer insights and co-marketing to serve the viewer better and resulting in improved monetisation for both.

ZEE5 and ALTBalaji have established their content strength globally, and the synergy will result in two of the largest homegrown video streaming platforms coming together to expand their subscription base and grow the binge-watching culture globally.

Mr Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL said, “I truly cherish the bond between Balaji and ZEE, which has been nurtured and built over the last two decades. Together, we have created some path-breaking content masterpieces which have truly entertained our esteemed audiences. I am most certain that this association will enable both the brands to re-create the magic, this time in the digital space.”

As per the association, ALTBalaji will maintain an exclusive partnership with ZEE5, in order to enhance its offering to the market, with a focused and strategic approach.

Commenting on this development Mrs Shobha Kapoor, Managing Director, Balaji Telefilms said, “This collaboration strengthens the 25-year-old fruitful relationship between Zee Group and Balaji Telefilms, from Television content to Movie Monetisation and now to Digital Video Streaming. It plays to each partner's individual strength and the consumer is the ultimate winner. This partnership will result in Balaji Telefilms being profitable as an entity, thereby giving us an opportunity to scale up our business ambitions, creating value for all our stakeholders.”

In two years of commercial launch, ALTBalaji has one of the largest libraries of Hindi original and exclusive shows. It remains one of India's favourite online destinations for truly engaging content. Shows such as The Test Case, Apharan, Home, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain, and Bose: Dead or Alive have won many accolades and has an ever-growing audience base that watches Indian shows across the globe.

Ms Ekta Kapoor, Joint MD, Balaji Telefilms added, “As part of this partnership ZEE5 subscribers will get seamless access to ALTBalaji's clutter-breaking originals in addition to ZEE5 existing content. This partnership enables ALTBalaji to continue to scale up rapidly its content creation ambitions and focus on building the largest library of original exclusive shows in India. We hope that ALTBalaji and ZEE5 will set benchmarks in unique storytelling.”

Mr Tarun Katial, CEO, ZEE5 India added, “In the first year of going live, we, at ZEE5, have focussed on building a strong repository of content and this is evident in the 100,000+ hours of content that we have on the platform. Over time, we have seen a steady increase in viewership of regional original content and this partnership will be a great opportunity for our viewers to enjoy the best of both worlds – the one created by ALTBalaji and us. We believe this will be a game-changer for both – the industry as well as the audiences. We are glad to initiate this trend where content creators can partner to bring the best immersive experience for the viewers. This collaboration promises immense growth potential for both partners.”

In 2019 itself, ZEE5 has rolled out around 25 original shows across genres, and the platform is committed to launching 72+ shows by March 2020. It has crossed 50 million gross downloads since launch on the Play Store and had 76.4 million monthly active users globally in June 2019.