Viacom18’s online video streaming platform VOOT will be launching an original video show called “It’s Not That Simple” on the 8th of October. The show is written by Charudutt Acharya and directed by Danish Aslam.
VOOT, which was launched in March can be accessed through a desktop website and through mobile apps for Android & iOS devices. At the time of launch, Viacom18 mentioned that it would look to roll out shows in both long and short formats across genres as original content. It said that it has tied up with actors like Gulshan Grover, Baba Sehgal, Alok Nath and other scriptwriters, to develop these shows.
VOOT also tied up with Turner India for featuring kids’ video programs like The Powerpuff Girls, Ben10, Chhota Bheem, etc.
As of now, VOOT is free to use and uses an advertising business model, although the company mentions that it will evaluate freemium and subscription models in the future. It currently lists various Bollywood movies, new and old, as well as various Hindi TV shows.
Video streaming companies have been ramping up their content offerings following Amazon’s announcement for launching Prime Video. Last month, Amazon made a long term agreement with Dharma Productions where it would stream films and upcoming releases from the production house on Prime Video in India.
Other Amazon tie-ups include:
– A content deal with Mukesh Bhatt-owned Vishesh Films for movies and TV series to access their entire catalogue and other upcoming films.
– A deal with Excel Entertainment for its first show called Power Play, which would be based on cricket and showbiz.
– Huffington Post reported that directors Vishal Bhardwaj and Vidhu Vinod Chopra have been brought in to create TV shows for Prime Video.
Prior to the launch, the VOOT partnered with 4 different solution providers to get its platform live. These include: Kaltura for hosting its video streaming platform; it also tied up with A Different Engine (ADE) for building its UI/UX; and Web Dunia for website development and Robosoft to develop a mobile application.
Original content is definitely going to drive the consumption of mobile and web video up, and content providers are gonna need to find incredibly innovative ways to push their videos to consumers. Indian telcos are already banking on it: video represents 36% of telecom operator Reliance Communications’ data traffic, and 40% of traffic on Airtel’s network.
Image Credits: Flickr user Newsbie Pix under CC BY 2.0
