SonyLIV’s exclusive streaming of Shark Tank India Season 4, while delivering impressive OTT growth, has sparked concerns about a potential decline in overall viewership due to limited reach compared to traditional television. The company reported a 40% surge in Connected TV (CTV) viewership and a 22% increase in user base compared to the previous season. Engagement also saw a 27% rise, indicating strong audience interest in the show’s innovative pitches and entrepreneurial journeys. Notably, Season 4 witnessed a 100% user growth in 42 Tier 2 markets, showcasing its expanding appeal beyond major cities.
However, Madhv Kasturia, Founder and CEO, Zippee, expressed concerns on LinkedIn about the impact of the OTT-exclusive strategy. He highlighted that SonyLIV, with approximately 30 million paid subscribers, reaches a significantly smaller audience than the company’s television network, which boasts over 700 million viewers.
Kasturia further criticised the user experience on the SonyLIV app, pointing to excessive advertisements even for paying subscribers. He also emphasised the impact of removing YouTube clips from previous seasons, which had played a crucial role in amplifying the reach of Shark Tank India and turning startups into household names. He cited examples of past contestants who experienced substantial growth after their appearances on the show, such as Paradyes (2-3x sales growth), FlexifyMe (80x traffic growth, 40x lead flow growth), and P-TAL (Punjabi Thathera Art Legacy), whose sales in a single hour surpassed their entire previous year’s sales.
Kasturia suggested that SonyLIV should consider returning Shark Tank India to television, improve the user experience on its OTT platform, and reinstate the use of YouTube clips to maximize the show’s reach and impact.
Shark Tank India is a reality television show where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors (“sharks”) who can choose to invest their own money in exchange for equity in the company. The show, featuring Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Peyush Bansal, Vineeta Singh, Anupam Mittal, Azhar Iqubal, Ritesh Agarwal, and Varun Dua, alongside newcomers Kunal Bahl and Viraj Bahl, has gained immense popularity in India and has been adapted in numerous countries worldwide.