Video streaming on Hungama Play: 2020 in a Nutshell

A visible change in demographics, with those above 45 years of age increasingly streaming videos online.

Hungama Play, a leading video on demand platform owned by Hungama Digital Media, today released insights and data on video consumption patterns observed on its network in 2020. With a 53% increase in the number of streams, 2020 proved to be a breakthrough year in terms of adoption and consumption of online videos. The lockdown and months of work from home further prompted the users to sample and explore online streaming, eventually leading to long-time habit formation.

2020 can easily be called the year that prompted users across age groups to adopt video streaming. There was a staggering 71% increase in new users who were between 35 and 44 years old and a 65% increase in new users who were over 45 years old.

Speaking about the growth, Neeraj Roy, founder and CEO, Hungama Digital Media said, “This year has completely altered the video streaming landscape in the country. While affordable data plans and increasing smartphone usage had led the growth so far, the inherent quality of video streaming to be a safer, easier and readily available means of entertainment, led to high adoption this year. The democratization and personalization offered by the medium has added more sheen to the medium’s popularity, not just in metros, but increasingly in Tier II and III centres as well. Going forward, the industry will need to work towards improving distribution, enhancing availability and developing monetization models that go beyond subscriptions and advertising.”

Regional growth – Though Tier I cities continue to be a major contributor to overall consumption, Tier II and III cities are now taking the lead. Cities like Darbhanga, Gwalior, Kolhapur, Aligarh, Cuttack, Bilaspur etc. registered an over 70% growth, while state capitals like Lucknow, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Thiruvananthapuram etc. recorded a 55%+ growth. Consumption in metros like Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad increased in the 30 to 45% range. Overall, while Tier I cities recorded a 32% increase in the number of streams, Tier II cities witnessed a 53% increase and Tier III cities registered a 78% increase.

Local all the way – Audiences are now increasingly consuming content in their native languages. Kannada, Telugu and Tamil registered an over 70% increase in the number of streams. Bhojpuri, Bengali and Malayalam had a 60%+ increase in consumption, while consumption in Hindi increased by 51%.

Original content is here to stay – Original content has certainly emerged as the flavor of the season with over 71% increase in the number of streams. Other content formats like movies and short-format videos too remained popular through the year. Users also rediscovered classic TV shows and these registered a 36% increase in consumption.

Smartphones continue to be the preferred medium – With a 23% increase in streams, consumption on smart TVs grew rapidly this year, however, majority of the users still prefer to watch video content on their smartphones given the privacy, flexibility and mobility the medium offers. Video streaming on smartphones grew by 91% in 2020 and is expected to grow at a similar rate in 2021 as well.

Outlook for 2021 – In 2021, the platform expects audiences over 45 years old to consume with even more vigour. While the 18 to 34 year olds will continue to form a major chunk of the viewers, other age groups are going to form a significant part of the audience too. Likewise, while Tier I cities will continue to grow steadily, Tier II and III cities are expected to register over 60% growth, making them the new focal points. Indian languages, besides Hindi, are expected to move closer to commanding a 50% share of the overall consumption pie. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi and Bhojpuri will see a surge in creation and consumption of original content.

(We got this information in a press release).