Netflix bets on cricket, documentaries to attract users in India amid rising competition

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has previously said that India is a "big prize" because it has an enormous population of entertainment-loving people

Netflix on February 29 unveiled its content slate for India in 2024 as the streaming giant looks to strengthen its offerings amid rising competition in the country's video streaming market.

Among the new titles include a docu-series that chronicles the cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan on-and off-the-field, called 'The Greatest Rivalry - India vs Pakistan'; a limited series on the 1999 Kandahar hijack called 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack'; and a documentary on the life of the hip hop artist and rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh called 'Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous'.

Read: Drama of sport: Why Netflix is spending $5 billion to buy WWE programming rights

Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, a sequel to the 2021 thriller film 'Haseen Dillruba', starring actors Taapsee Pannu and Vikrant Massey is also part of the lineup along with previously announced Sanjay Leela Bansali's streaming debut show 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar' that is expected to debut this year.

“2023 was our most successful year, and it has been hugely rewarding to see our members and critics love stories across genres and emotions from India - and around the world. In 2024, we’re taking this thrill to the next level" said Monika Shergill, Vice President - Content, Netflix India.

Netflix unveiled the next three titles from its partnership with the production studio Yash Raj Films - a crime thriller series Mandala Murders, a period film Maharaj and a quirky slice-of-life film Vijay 69.

The streaming service is also collaborating with filmmaker Neeraj Pandey for a heist thriller film Sikandar Ka Muqaddar and a new season of the cop franchise Khakee called Khakee: The Bengal Chapter.

Other marquee titles include Director Nisha Pahuja’s Oscar-nominated documentary To Kill a Tiger; Excel Entertainment's drama series Dabba Cartel; Maddock Films' suspense series Murder Mubarak; Imtiaz Ali's streaming directorial debut Amar Singh Chamkila; Kajol and Kriti Sanon-starrer Do Patti; courtroom comedy Maamla Legal Hai; director Luv Ranjan’s Wild Wild Punjab.

The Great Indian Kapil Show, a weekly variety chat show by comedian Kapil Sharma, and other cast members such as Sunil Grover, Archana Puran Singh, and Krushna Abhishek, is also part of the slate.

Netflix is also bringing back new seasons of several of its popular series, such as Kota Factory Season 3, Mismatched Season 3, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein Season 2 and Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives.

These announcements come as India emerges as an increasingly important market for Netflix's future growth besides serving as a key content hub for the platform.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has previously said that India is a "big prize" because it has an enormous population of entertainment-loving people.

That said, the streaming giant is set to face stiff competition in the country, following Reliance Industries’ joint venture with Disney, which combines the businesses of Viacom18 and Star India. The deal includes JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, two of India's top streaming services.

Disney+ Hotstar is currently the market leader in India's subscription-based video streaming market with 38.3 million subscribers. Other players in the space include Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5 and Sony LIV.

Revenue from video subscriptions is expected to reach an estimated Rs 9,120 crore by 2025, as the paid subscriber base grows to an estimated 114 million subscriptions from 52 million households, according to a recent FICCI-EY report.