Originals by streaming platforms Disney+Hotstar, MX Player and Amazon Prime Video found strong traction among Indian viewers in the first half of 2022.
Amid Hindi shows on over the top (OTT) platforms, Ajay Devgn-starrer Rudra on Disney+Hotstar was the most watched series, recording viewership of 35.2 million, followed by the third season of Aashram on MX Player, which registered 34.3 million viewers, according to data shared by Ormax Media, a media consulting firm.
Amazon Prime Video's Panchayat Season 2 and The Great Indian Murder came in third and fourth with viewership of 29.6 million and 23 million, respectively.
The top 10 list of most watched shows also includes Lock Upp with 21.2 million viewers, Human: 19.6 million, Bhaukaal Season 2: 16.6 million, Masoom: 16.4 million, Escaype Live: 16.1 million and Campus Diaries: 15.4 million.
Other toppersWhen it comes to Hindi films, the most watched original was A Thursday, which recorded viewership of 25.5 million. Gehraiyaan, starring Deepika Padukone, was the second most viewed original film by OTT viewers with an estimated viewership of 22.3 million.
Kaun Pravin Tambe? (20.2 million), Jalsa (13.9 million), Sharmaji Namkeen (12.7 million), Netflix's Dasvi (10.4 million), ZEE5's Forensic (8.6 million), Thar (7.8 million), Love Hostel (7.5 million) and Loop Lapeta (5.7 million) were the movies in the top 10 list.
In terms of international content, Moon Knight was the most watched show with viewership of 23.4 million, followed by Ms Marvel at 16.7 million, Stranger Things Season 4 got 15.8 million, The Boys Season 3 had 9.6 million, and All of Us are Dead attracted 7.8 million eyeballs.
Demand for original content explodingIndustry estimates suggest that streaming platforms spent Rs 3,700 crore on original content last year, and with demand for originals rising, platforms are investing more on content.
An EY-FICCI 2022 report notes that demand for original content will increase from 2,500 hours in 2021 to over 4,000 hours by 2024.
Zee Entertainment’s digital arm, ZEE5, will ramp up its originals portfolio and increase investments in content significantly in 2022, Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India had said in an interview with Moneycontrol earlier this year. He also said that the number of originals on the streaming platform would be double of last year, while investments in content will be 50-60 percent more than last year.
Even Amazon Prime Video has plans to double down on its investments in original content this year.
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