OTT media services are changing global entertainment landscape. Bangladesh is no exception

Moktadir Quadir Islam, who works at a private firm in Dhaka, subscribed to Netflix and Amazon Prime after spotting them in an advertisement on Facebook during the coronavirus lockdown. Gradually, Over-The-Top or OTT media services became his prime source of entertainment between work hours.

“I was unable to subscribe to [international] OTT platforms as I had no credit cards. I came across a Facebook group that was offering the service for one device for a monthly fee of Tk 250. I immediately went for it and it’s still on,” he said.

Local streaming services, such as Hoichoi and Bongo, have also provided the Bangladeshi audience with popular web series like Taqdeer, Contract, Money Honey, Mohanagar, Iti, Tomari Dhaka, Unoloukik, Ladies & Gentlemen.

Launched in September 2017, Hoichoi is an Indian subscription streaming service, owned and maintained by SVF Entertainment Pvt Ltd headquartered in Kolkata, India. It began working in Bangladesh in 2019.

Variety, a US-based entertainment business company, says Hoichoi expects a 75 percent growth in Bangladesh per year and 30 percent of their earnings come from outside India.

Hoichoi’s Country Director of Bangladesh Sakib R Khan said, “Since it began operating in Bangladesh in 2019, Hoichoi has kept growing. We've so far created 12-13 content, which means people are watching them.”

The OTT platforms gained scores of subscribers that mostly include people who were homebound during the lockdown. This was accompanied by a boost in the contents of the platforms.

American news publisher Business Wire accounts that the market value of global OTT services in 2019 was $85.18 billion, and according to projections, it is likely to soar past $194 billion by 2025.

According to pi Strategy, a management consulting firm, there were around 200,000 Netflix subscribers in Bangladesh at the end of 2019.

There are no current official accounts of how the subscriptions in Bangladesh have peaked now, said Ariful Islam, who is involved in the business of distributing subscription among interested clients. The subscriber bases are growing rapidly, he said.

Like many others in his business, Ariful sells subscriptions to Netflix and other OTT platforms on his Facebook page, splitting IDs for four devices among four clients - each costing from Tk 250 to Tk 300.

Similar to sharing Netflix, people are also subscribing to Amazon Prime, Disney Plus and Hotstar in Bangladesh.

OTT service providers bypass cable broadcast or satellite television platforms and serve as direct distributors of media content to their audience through the internet.

It is meant for smaller screens, unlike theatres, which directly allow consumers to enjoy the content on their personal devices, even on-the-go and without any advertisement interruptions.

Along with the creation of a new field of investment, the platforms are bringing new production companies, directors and artists into light.

WHY OTT?

Directors, producers and others in the industry said makers of films and TV shows prefer OTT to other platforms because they get more freedom of work here.

New investments in the platform are also attracting artists.

Abu Shahed Emon, who teaches film and television at Jagannath University, believes the makers of content for the OTT platform can tell the stories independently. “The hero of OTT is the story. So, people are accepting the works where the story is told well.”

“And the content is not limited to Bangladesh. It spreads on the world market. New artists get work.”

Masud Zaman, head of content at Bangladeshi OTT platform Bongo, also thinks content makers are getting more interested in the platform as their works are open to the world. “This adds to their encouragement.”

“Another thing is budget. The problems over budget in TV is almost absent on this platform. The makers can work as they wish. This is why we are getting many new good content makers and artists.”

Emon, however, believes the time has not come yet to say that OTT has solved the problems over budget in the industry. “New platforms always draw investments first. It had happened to TV as well.”

Souvikk Dasgupta, content lead at Hoichoi, also said the medium is drawing investments because it is new. “And the future of OTT in Bangladesh is very bright. Bangladesh has a lot of stories and brilliant content makers to tell the stories.”

Director Krishnendu Chattopadhyay agreed that the freedom of storytelling has made OTT platform more interesting to them. “Another thing is you can make both series and film on this platform. It’s not that you must tell the story in one hour like TV. I can tell the story in phases.”

“And you can know the viewer response on this platform. Authentic surveys can be done on the number of viewers and who are jumping from one content to another. This will make you understand what challenges you should overcome before taking up a new project.”

Mir Mukarram Hossain, producer of Film Syndicate, said the customers’ freedom to choose content and watch at their time of convenience is making OTT services more popular.

Advertisements during TV shows and the rundown condition of the cinema halls have also played a role behind OTT’s popularity, he said.