Zee5 Global plans to expand its blockbuster movie offerings as well as original shows in international markets, as it tastes success with the streaming of films such as Gadar 2, RRR and The Kashmir Files, chief business officer Archana Anand told FE.
While Anand declined to comment on the implications of the ongoing Zee-Sony merger on Zee5 Global, industry sources say that the integration of global streaming operations of Zee5 and SonyLiv may happen later. The first phase of the merger is expected to see the two companies integrate their Indian operations under the guidance of the Boston Consulting Group, industry executives said, even as the two players thrash out differences on who will head the merged entity.
Zee5 Global is the leader within the South Asian community in the US with a million active users in that market, ahead of platforms such as SonyLiv, industry sources said. Zee5 Global also counts markets such as the UK, Canada, Australia and the West Asia as critical geographies, given the presence of a large Indian diaspora within these countries.
The US market though remains the largest of its international operations, Anand said, contributing to 57% of Zee5 Global’s revenue. The streaming platform, which provides content in 12 Indian and six international languages overseas, will now aggregate content in partnership with other digital services in the US. The initiative will be taken to other international markets later, the company said.
In addition, the platform has kicked off marketing campaigns for US subscribers as well as launched a unique referral programme that encourages Indian users to recommend names of their acquaintances and family members in the US for subscription.
Anand also sought to play down concerns over password sharing that global streamers such as Netflix and Disney+ have highlighted, saying it is not the number one problem that keeps her awake all night.
Recently, Netflix had informed its members in the US and over 100 other countries, including India, that using the service with someone other than a member of their household will cost extra. Netflix and rival Amazon Prime Video are also tapping into advertisements to bulk up their revenue beyond subscriptions.
In markets such as India, the digital streaming market is rapidly going out of paywalls in segments such as sports and entertainment as players such as JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar fight for viewership.