Prasar Bharati set to launch its OTT platform on November 20

Indian public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is set to launch its streaming service at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on November 20, according to media reports. The platform, under development for over a year, will feature an extensive archive of content from Doordarshan and All India Radio. The launch will be inaugurated by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, as mentioned in a HT report quoting Prasar Bharati's chairperson, Navneet Kumar Sehgal.

In addition to its archives, the platform will stream live TV, including sports, and feature exclusive content commissioned and licensed by Prasar Bharati. The public broadcaster has also partnered with producers like Eros Now and Lionsgate to offer their content as paid apps within the platform.

The chairperson refrained from disclosing the name or logo of the service, stating that both will be revealed on November 20. However, HT report mentions that Prasar Bharati has secured five to six domain names, one of which will be selected for the platform. In addition to a logo, the service will feature an audio identity, similar to Netflix’s iconic "tudum" sound.

The streaming platform will launch simultaneously on Android via the Play Store, iOS via the App Store, and as a website. Developed by PSU RailTel, the platform uses AWS as its content delivery network (CDN) and cloud service provider. It will offer content in standard definition, high definition, and 4K.

The platform will primarily operate as a free service supported by advertisements (AVOD, or advertising-based video on demand). Premium subscription plans aree xpected to be introduced later.

Initially designed to handle 10 million concurrent users, the service is scalable to accommodate up to 100 million users as per the tender specifications.