Sign in with Google Over-the-top (OTT) platforms in India have flourished, offering audiences plenty of choice. For platform providers, however, this poses a fresh challenge.
Viewers, on average, have access to nearly seven streaming platforms, but they’re paying for fewer than four of them.1
To be the platform that India’s audiences pay for, you’ll need to know exactly where and how to effectively engage them with video advertising.
For that, tap into viewer behaviour insights from Google’s latest research with Kantar. Our findings show how you can stand out for consumers across their journeys from discovery to trial and engagement, and increase your customer base.
Where viewers discover OTT content offerings: YouTube
There’s no shortage of things to watch for OTT users in India. Indeed, 65% of users agree it’s easy to find something new these days.2
But to discover what to watch next, viewers use just 2.6 sources on average.3 And chances are, they rely on YouTube.
According to a survey conducted by Kantar, surveyed respondents in India said that YouTube was one of the top five sources of content discovery for OTT platforms.4 That’s no surprise, since surveyed users say YouTube is part of their daily life.
YouTube is also where audiences watch many content genres, as well as trailers, reviews, and creator content about OTT shows.
In fact, according to a survey by Kantar, respondents who watch YouTube watch on average 7.1 different types of content genres on the platform. This is significantly higher than the number of content types watched by respondents on other online video platforms.5
That makes YouTube an important channel for you to reach and influence viewers who’re exploring new content, and direct them to shows on your OTT platform.
How OTT platforms can win and retain subscribers: Address their needs
Our research points to two key things that increase consumers’ engagement for your platform, and help them move easily from trial to purchase: value and accessibility.
1. Indian consumers are highly value-conscious.
Value for money is the No. 1 reason why users choose a streaming service.6
Free trials come in second, but they’re not enough to convince users to pay to subscribe. In fact, 61% of users say they often sign up for a free trial period on a streaming platform, and cancel before they get charged.7
And the top reason why users don’t switch from a free to a paid service is an “expensive price.” That said, users are willing to pay for great value, which they find in these kinds of quality content:
- A constant supply of fresh, engaging content. Sixty-two percent of users say they usually watch new TV shows or films as soon as they are released on streaming services.8 That means your platform can provide value by constantly offering new content to satisfy customers and reduce user churn.
- Content that’s available in regional languages. Viewers, on average, watch content in 2.6 different languages. And 71% of them say they usually turn on subtitles or closed captions for whatever they’re watching.9 So to enhance the value of your service, offer content dubbed and subtitled in local languages.
2. Audiences value ease of access to streaming services.
Many users access streaming services through their mobile or broadband plans, rather than as standalone subscriptions.
So to retain existing customers and win new ones, make it easy and affordable for users to access your service through network providers’ bundled plans.
Next steps: How OTT platforms can grow subscription and engagement
The insights into how India’s audiences discover OTT content and what draws them to a platform can help you address users’ common struggle: choice paralysis.
That’s an issue faced by 61% of viewers, who say they feel overwhelmed by the volume of subscription services available.10
Help viewers choose your OTT platform by using video advertising on YouTube to showcase your platform’s unique value.
In particular, focus your YouTube marketing on how your OTT content quality and breadth satisfy all types of viewer interests, from blockbusters to original programming.
That YouTube strategy helped supercharge the way audiences discover two of India’s streaming services, Zee5 and SonyLIV. The platforms used AI-powered campaigns and multiformat ads, respectively, to move consumers from trial to increased engagement and grow results.
Zee5 tapped into AI-powered Performance Max campaigns to showcase its extensive library of quality content at scale across Google properties. That allowed it to efficiently convert users into transacting subscribers, driving 50% incremental subscription volume at half the cost per acquisition (CPA).
SonyLIV wanted to maximise reach and conversions by engaging audiences across multiple touchpoints on YouTube. So it used a multiformat ads strategy: vertical ads on Shorts, in-stream ads for YouTube on connected TV, and standard video ads for mobile devices. This increased its conversion rates by 2X while reducing effective CPA by 10%.
Another way OTT platforms can help users resolve choice paralysis is by offering aggregated services.
Our research shows that 74% of users wish they could access all their subscriptions in a single, unified app, and they’re willing to pay a premium for a service that delivers this seamless experience.11
Indeed, besides helping audiences overcome their choice paralysis, the offer of aggregated services also lets OTT platforms win high-value customers. In some western markets, pay TV providers are already tapping into that opportunity through bundled content, services, and partnerships.
As the case studies and our research show, your OTT platform can successfully grow the subscriber base using AI-powered ads on YouTube. And by offering users great value and easy access, you can maximise profitable growth.
