English content audience on Indian paid OTT platforms has grown by 124% since 2020: Report

65% of urban Indian SVOD audiences (15 years and above) are watching English content, in English or in a dubbed language of their choice.

Media insights firm Ormax Media has released a whitepaper titled ‘English Content in India: No Longer Niche’, which reveals how English content has managed to grow its audience base, and move from niche to mainstream in recent years, especially with the rise of OTT consumption in India.

The whitepaper, commissioned by Sony Pictures Television (SPT), is based on extensive audience research conducted by Ormax Media in 2022. The findings reveal that that the size of the English (and other international languages) audience in the OTT category stands at a healthy 85.2 million adults (15 years and above). Of these, 42.7 million are SVOD (pay) audiences, up from only 19.1 million before the pandemic - a staggering growth of 124% in less than two years.

Ormax Media conducted a nationwide audience research comprising of focus groups & in-depth interviews (40) and online surveys (1,400), covering a mix of metros, mini-metros and small towns across India.

The whitepaper highlights salient features of English content that differentiate it from Indian content, such as imaginative concepts, better graphics & VFX, attention to details, unpredictable plot points, realistic storytelling and consistent quality across seasons. The findings of the report also challenge the myth that English content only targets a niche audience in India and is not a subscription driver for pay platforms. The whitepaper explains how the rise of dubbing, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and other Indian languages, has been instrumental in unlocking a huge market for English content in India, outside the six metros, where such content has traditionally been watched.

Some important highlights of the whitepaper:

• There’s been a staggering 124% growth in the English content SVOD audience in India since the start of the pandemic.
  

• 65% of urban Indian SVOD audiences (15 years and above) are watching English content, in English or in a dubbed language of their choice. The availability of English content in Indian languages has helped fuel its consumption over the last two years.

• English content features high on the list of subscription drivers, highlighting its ability to drive SVOD subscriptions & retention.

• A segment of young audience (median age 25 years), “Lockdown Millennials”, have started watching English content on OTT in the last 2-3 years, and are sampling a wide variety of formats and genres, beyond just tentpole properties.

• Nine English SVOD originals crossed the 10 Mn viewer mark in India in 2022, compared to 5 in 2021 – underscoring the consumption growth in the category

Speaking about the findings of the report, Shailesh Kapoor, founder-CEO, Ormax Media, said: “Over the last two decades, there has been a popular perception in the Indian M&E industry that English content is niche and targets only a segment of the Indian audience within the upper echelons of the socio-economic spectrum. However, the growth in the consumption of locally dubbed English content has made the ‘language factor’ virtually non-existent over recent years. This report offers a reality check to all stakeholders who still consider the English content audience a small market”.

Sonika Bhasin, vice president, distribution, Sony Pictures Television, said: “There has been a significant evolution of the English content category in India, from the days of solely being available on linear television, to the current rise of streaming platforms. We wanted to understand this evolution, so that we can engage in more informed conversations with our business partners. We believe there is tremendous opportunity to further grow this market given the appeal English content has in the OTT space.”

The whitepaper ‘English Content in India: No Longer Niche’, can be downloaded here.