How popular are streaming services? Well, we can almost say they’ve become a necessity, especially after the recent pandemic. With the abundance of streaming platforms to choose from, it’s now easier to find the one that meets all your requirements.
According to ExpressVPN’s report on streaming trends, Netflix has more than 46% of the streaming market share in India. However, other streaming platforms have been upping their game to cater to the most diverse streaming preferences and habits.
Since each service has its own pros and cons, it’s important to compare all the features before making a final decision. To help you decide, we created a list of India’s most popular streaming services.
Table of Contents
1. Netflix
Source: reuters.com
Netflix has become synonymous with fun, enjoyment, and spending time with loved ones. It is currently the most popular streaming platform in India. It has more than 117 million subscribers worldwide, and it’s estimated that it will have more than 180 million subscribers by 2024. Currently, only over 36 million users in India actively watch the local popular content but also enjoy the world’s popular series, movies, cartoons, documentaries, and all that Netflix has to offer its audience. To cater to its Indian audience, Netflix has recently started offering several highly popular Indian shows, and we’re curious to see how this will affect their numbers in the future.
2. Amazon Prime Video
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Amazon Prime Video has been praised for offering an amazing streaming experience to its subscribers. This streaming service, owned by Amazon, has over 100 million monthly active users and is growing faster. There are currently over 5 million active Amazon Prime users in India, but this number is expected to grow to 8 million by the end of 2024. Amazon is constantly investing in making its technology and apps more user-friendly, and its streaming platform offers some of the most compelling streaming content on the market.
3. Hotstar
Even though it’s hard to compete with the streaming giants, smaller streaming service providers are making smart moves that put them right on the top with the big names. Hotstar is an excellent example of that. This streaming service was launched in August 2017, and it offers a wide variety of TV series and movies for Indian viewers. Although it is not a world-famous brand, Hotstar still has great popularity in India and provides an excellent offer for the local audience. It was estimated that it would have 300 million monthly active users by 2024, and the popularity is expected to grow during 2024 since the company announced significant improvements that may attract even more users.
4. Dish TV, Airtel Zero, SonyLIV, and Vodafone Play
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These four local players are changing the streaming game in India. Although these services are not classified as streaming platforms, they are a fierce competition to the streaming platforms in India. They all offer their own exclusive content, which can be tailored to meet the needs of specific Indian viewers. That is why they are a popular option that can make a severe competitive face-off in the Indian market. These services are planning upgrades and improvements that will change and improve the experience, so we can expect they’ll gain even more users in the upcoming years
Although the Indian market is specific for targeting and catering, it is not a problem for experienced streaming giants Netflix and Amazon Prime. However, there are many alternative options users can choose from, and it will be interesting to see how it will shape the future of streaming services in India.
Tips for Choosing the Right Streaming Service
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With a vast array of these platforms available today, it can be challenging to determine which one is right for you. Here are some tips to help you find the perfect streaming services that will satisfy your viewing needs:
- Consider your device: Some streaming services are available only on specific devices, so make sure you choose one that works with the devices you have and plan on using for streaming.
- Look at the content selection: Since content selection varies across different streaming platforms, make sure to research what type of content each service has before choosing one.
- Check pricing and payment options: Many streaming services offer different pricing levels depending on what features you want access to and how many devices you want to stream on at once. Make sure to research all payment options before making a final decision.
- Consider special features and customer support: Many services come with unique features like parental controls or 4K/UHD resolution capability, so make sure any service you choose offers features that suit your needs. Additionally, customer support is an important factor for many users, so check reviews and ratings for any customer support provided by the company before committing to their service.
- Compare streaming packages: If multiple services offer packages in line with your viewing habits, compare their prices and offers to find the best deal.
- Analyze other user experiences: Read user reviews online and watch online video tutorials to get feedback from other users before making a decision about which service is suitable for your needs.
Conclusion
Streaming services provide a variety of content in India, and recently they started offering more local Indian content than international titles.
The cost for each service is relative and users can select their preferred plan per their usage requirements. All of these provide local language support along with user-friendly interfaces so that individuals with minimal technical knowledge can navigate across the app easily. Additionally, some services are also providing parental control options which give parents an extra level of security while allowing children to explore and enjoy content without freely.
Interest in streamed content in India is increasing each year, and it will be exciting to see how the streaming platforms will cater to the demand of Indian viewers. So far, it seems that big streaming names like Netflix recognize the growth potential, and they’re already focusing on the Indian market, but it is yet to be seen if they’ll be able to keep up with the demand or if the viewers will turn to alternative streaming options.