Mumbai: The OTT business in India is buzzing with new streamers, niche, and language offerings. However, early players are struggling as heavy content spending isn't matching revenues, and India-specific low pricing hasn't spurred subscriptions. Growth has plateaued as consumers return to post-COVID normalcy, preferring to binge occasionally.

Adding to the churn is the shift towards AVOD by giants like JioCinema, offering premium events like cricket for free, with Disney+Hotstar following suit. This has strained streaming bottom lines. The rise of FAST channels is also causing industry jitters. Vidnet explores the future of the streaming ecosystem. This event was held on 19 July 2024, at Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai

This panel discussed the imminent growth and development of the live sports industry. It highlighted significant opportunities such as increased viewership, ad revenue, sponsorships, tech advancements, and global expansion. Sports could dominate entertainment further, benefiting stakeholders like sports bodies, broadcasters, advertisers, and tech firms. Factors driving this growth include these opportunities, and businesses can leverage them to boost revenue, engagement, and brand presence.

The session was chaired by Indiantelevision.com group founder, chairman & editor-in-chief in chief Anil NM Wanvari. It included the following panellists: GroupM India managing director of content, entertainment & sports Vinit Karnik, Star Sports head of ad sales Kingshuk Mitra

Industry leaders shared their perspectives on the imminent growth and development of the live sports industry and highlighted significant opportunities such as increased viewership, ad revenue, sponsorships, tech advancements, and global expansion.

GroupM India managing director of content, entertainment & sports Vinit Karnik said,

“With content fragmentation, aggregating consumers is a major challenge. Live sports, one of the few content types that guarantees a specific audience at a specific time, addresses this by providing appointment viewing. This consistency simplifies advertising planning and ensures a stable viewer base, solving a significant problem in our fragmented ecosystem.”

Kingshuk Mitra Star Sports Disney Star emphasised, “Sports, especially cricket, is experiencing significant growth, with notable increases in participation from new cohorts and regions, such as South India and tier-2 towns. The rise in engagement from fintech companies and consumer brands underscores the sport's role in building trust and connecting with audiences. Advertisers are leveraging cricket for its impressive ROI, exemplified by campaigns that highlight grassroots contributions and foster deeper consumer relationships. As technology continues to evolve, it will further drive growth and innovation in the sports sector.”