OTT penetration at 27% in India, Hotstar the preferred choice for majority of viewers: Axis My India, CSI Survey

OTT penetration in India is at 27%, with Hotstar being the most preferred choice for viewers, as per the Axis My India, India Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) survey, which is a monthly analysis of consumer perception on a wide range of issues. Amazon Prime and Netflix came second and third, respectively, in the list of choices among OTT viewers.

When asked if they spend time watching content on OTT or video streaming platforms, only 27% said yes, whereas 73% replied in the negative and the majority of the viewers are in the 18-35 age group.

Over 10,552 people were surveyed across India, with the majority 64% coming from rural India, while 36% were from the urban parts of the country. The survey was carried out via computer aided telephonic interviews.

As per the survey, consumption of media remains the same for a majority of 52% families which reflects the highest percentage since the last four months and is majorly from the southern parts of India. Consumption has increased for 22% of the family, majorly from east and north, majorly amongst 18–25-year-olds, and 26–35-year-olds. Overall, the net score of this month is at -4 as compared to -2 for the previous month.

A combined 27% of the respondents said they prefer engaging with websites and mobile applications in Hindi and other regional languages while 24% preferred English. Moreover, it was identified that 31% of the population that resides in the southern part of India prefers using apps and websites in the English language, whereas 27% in the northern belt prefers engaging with Hindi based apps and networks. In addition, regional language-based apps and sites reflected the choice of southern India at 34%. In addition, it was discovered that majority of the youngsters (60%) amongst 18-25 age group prefer digital interactions in English, whereas those above 51 prefer Hindi and other regional languages.   

The survey also touched upon major points such as increase in household spending, for which 62% of the respondents said their expenses have increased. However, consumption of health-related items has increased or remained the same for 83% of the families

Meanwhile, it’s also noteworthy that 81% families are going out for short vacations and trips to mall/restaurants. In matters related to investment, 17% prefer private companies’ stock, while 12% prefer government owned stocks.

The December net CSI score, calculated by percentage increase minus percentage decrease in sentiment, was down to +8, from +9 last month, and first-time slight dip in the net score is observed since past four months, a reflection of the post-festive period sentiment.

The sentiment analysis delves into five relevant sub-indices – overall household spending, spending on essential and non-essential items, spending on healthcare, media consumption habits and mobility trends.

Pradeep Gupta, CMD, Axis My India, said, “With the year coming to an end, we witness consumer’s gradual return to normalcy, though a slight drop in net promoter score also demonstrates that the impact of festive spending is slowly tapering. While media consumptions remain standard for majority, our CSI Survey has further revealed that consumers, from the north as well as the south, favour vernacular languages when engaging with the digital mediums. This insight opens up opportunities for various local as well as national and international players in terms of where and in which form to place their brand content and advertisements. Moreover, it is interesting to note that despite of a plethora of new age tech firms coming up with IPOs, Indian consumers still prefer to park their confidence in established companies and government owned stocks and shares, providing a contrarian approach to the FOMO investing theory”

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