No web series or digital premieres; Flipkart Video reaps rewards from bet on reality shows

Over-the-top (OTT) media services have been real game-changers in the entertainment industry. They have experimented with all kinds of content from web series to original films to even direct to digital releases.

However, not many video streaming platforms have worked around non-fiction content.

But there is one platform that is betting big on interactive content and so far, has seen good growth for reality shows that it has launched.

After Backbenchers which was a celebrity game show hosted by Farah Khan, Flipkart Video launched two more interactive shows during the lockdown including talent hunt Entertainer No 1 hosted by Varun Dhawan and quiz show Kya Bolti Public.

And for the platform, the two new shows have resulted in good viewership. In fact, overall traction on the platform during the coronavirus lockdown has increased 2.5x.

"This increased traction is holding even now," Prakash Sikaria, Vice-President of Growth and Monetisation, Flipkart, told Moneycontrol.

Specifically talking about traction for interactive shows, he said, “On our platform, 80 percent of our content consumption is driven by interactive shows.”

This is why Flipkart Video is doubling down on the interactive format. In fact, it has also launched the second season of Kya Bolti Public.

When asked about web series and films, Sikaria said that the focus is only on interactive content.

“Next week we are launching two more shows. Every fortnight to a month we are planning to launch a new show under this format.”

The new addition to the list of reality shows that Flipkart Video has is Fake or Not, which will be hosted by actress and comedian Mallika Dua.

The show is about busting fake news.

“In a quiz format, Mallika will pose a question or a piece of news and ask people to spot what is fake. If you get the right answer you get rewarded. It is a game show where five fake news will be busted in every episode. The idea is to bust around 100-150 fake news overall,” he said.

Along with Fake or Not, Flipkart Video is launching another show called Super Fan where viewers will be asked questions about celebrities and if they get it right they will get a chance to interact with their favourite celebrity.

According to Sikaria, gamification allows viewers to lean in and becomes interactive; otherwise, it becomes passive consumption, he said.

This is why Flipkart Video this year will only focus on non-fiction or interactive shows.

But is it a step in the right direction?

According to Karan Taurani, Vice President, Elara Capital, a research analyst who tracks all segments of media, "Flipkart Video's bet on interactive content is the correct direction as OTT consumption is driven by the youth audience and this segment of the population prefers only above type of shows (non-fiction/game shows)."

The winner of Entertainer No 1, a dance reality show which was produced remotely during lockdown was an 18-year old youngster, Yuvraj Singh, who is famously known as Baba Jackson. In fact, it was Amitabh Bachchan who had shared Singh's dance video on Twitter which had gone viral.

However, he added that “non-fiction shows have a strong foothold on TV channels and also on their OTTs which are used for catch-up TV. Hence, I believe that web series which is more binge-watching in nature is more suited for OTT than non-fiction as a genre.”

Whether cost of production is less for non-fiction shows as compared to web series, Taurani said that “it depends on the kind of content, scale and artist. There may be instances that non-fiction shows on web maybe a little more cost-effective, but largely web series and non-fiction shows are almost at par in terms of budget.”

Has Flipkart Video so far made a mark in the OTT space?

Flipkart Video's launch last year was considered as a move to take on Amazon Prime Video. Since its inception, the platform has added 10,000 hours of content on the platform.

Plus, Flipkart Video which will be a year old in August attracts 15 percent of Flipkart's monthly active users today, said Sikaria.

But Taurani thinks that the platform needs a large budget launch.

“The current lineup of shows and movies are primarily ones which are licensed from other content partners like Eros and Voot. Flipkart has made originals too but has not been able to create a big mark on any of them yet,” he added.

Original Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/entertainment/no-web-series-or-digital-premieres-flipkart-video-reaps-rewards-from-bet-on-reality-shows-5512681.html