In 2023, Amazon Prime Video India has achieved a historic milestone, commissioning 22 series and three feature films, marking its most substantial content offering since its launch in 2016. This accomplishment has been accompanied by a notable surge in consumer engagement, solidifying the platform’s position.
According to insights shared with Variety, India consistently leads in Prime member engagement with Prime Video, surpassing all other territories. The data underscores that India boasts the highest percentage of Prime members regularly tuning in to Prime Video each month. Additionally, Indian content consistently claims a position in the global top 10 on Prime Video, securing an impressive 15% of the total slots over the past 52 weeks.
Sushant Sreeram, the country director of Prime Video India, earlier this year emphasized the platform’s commitment to substantial investments in the region. This commitment is evident not only in the diversity of commissioned content across genres and languages but also in significant infrastructure enhancements.
Sreeram highlights the critical aspect of accessibility and affordability beyond content. Over the last 18-24 months, efforts have been concentrated on ensuring widespread access to the service. Prime Video is now accessible across a myriad of devices, including smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, and various gaming devices. This extensive device coverage has resulted in remarkably high penetration across India’s connected device landscape.
In terms of payment options, Prime Video has broadened choices to include debit, credit, UPI (Unified Payments Interface), internet banking, and Amazon Pay wallet. Strategic collaborations with telecom providers Airtel and Vodafone offer Prime Video through pre-paid and post-paid subscription plans, catering to a market where mobile devices constitute over 60% of content consumption. The success of Prime Video’s mobile edition further underscores the efficacy of this strategy.
Channels, introduced in 2021 as an a la carte service with eight networks, has experienced substantial growth, now featuring 23 channels, including recent additions such as BBC Player, BBC Kids, and Anime Times. Sreeram underscores the necessity of pioneering new product development and partnerships to enrich the entertainment landscape.
Another success story for Prime Video India is its TVOD (Transactional Video On Demand) service, allowing rental access to films from India and around the world. The catalog, comprising 6,000 titles, records rental transactions from 95% of India’s postal codes, with 75% of these rentals occurring at least once every month.
In the broader context of India’s streaming market, which generates annual revenues of $1.7 billion, Disney+ Hotstar maintains its lead with a 23% market share. Prime Video and JioCinema closely follow with a 21% share each, while Netflix holds an 18% share, and SonyLIV follows with 6%. Industry consolidation is underway, with a Sony-Zee merger in progress and potential mergers involving Disney+ Hotstar and Jio.
Sreeram, contemplating the future of the streaming landscape, underscores the paramount importance of the customer. He predicts that platforms centered around customer satisfaction will thrive, citing the dynamic industry changes over the past five years.
Prime Video’s strategy of deep penetration into India’s diverse regions, extending beyond metros and towns, remains pivotal. Sreeram emphasizes the vast opportunities and business models explored by services committed to reaching every corner of the country, recognizing the incredible diversity within India.
As Indian storytelling gains prominence, Sreeram expresses the platform’s unwavering commitment to delve deeper. Echoing Amazon’s ethos, he states that “it’s always day one,” signifying an enduring dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction. Regardless of external developments, the focus remains on providing customers with an abundance of choices, ensuring they are continually spoiled for choice.
