‘Hotstar ka vaada, free entertainment sabse zyada’, Hotstar bridges accessibility gaps, brings high quality entertainment for free in Hindi-speaking markets

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai, March 2, 2020: Hotstar has launched an exciting 360-degree marketing campaign, “Hotstar ka vaada, free entertainment sabse zyada”, reaching out to millions of viewers in Hindi-speaking markets who currently have little access to high quality content for free.

With more than a 60% share of entertainment consumption in 2019, Tier II and III cities have been fueling the growth of online video consumption in India. However, a large section of the audience in these cities still does not have access to high quality entertainment and is limited to watching reruns of outdated content. While some have lost access to paid channels following the TRAI tariff order, others are hampered by infrastructure issues such as frequent power cuts. This issue of access is further exacerbated by a single shared TV screen in large households.

Hotstar is bridging the accessibility gap for viewers through its campaign, which spreads the word about its vast library of high-quality free content. Hotstar’s free content includes several movies like Chhichhore, Mission Mangal; TV shows from Star Plus like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hain, Nazar, Kasauti Zindagi Kay and Star Bharat like Savdhaan India along with News.

Commenting on the launch, Varun Narang, Chief Product Officer, Hotstar said, “The next wave of growth for OTT platforms will come from smaller cities as adoption picks up. In fact, non-metros today outstrip metros in terms of video consumption. Through this campaign, our endeavor is to engage with our audiences further in Hindi-speaking markets and take digital video consumption to new frontiers.”

According to Sidharth Shakdher, EVP & Business Head, Hotstar, “We see a huge opportunity in building awareness and encouraging trial across Tier II and Tier III cities around our vast and high quality library of free entertainment, and thereby, enabling a behavior shift towards online video consumption. Hotstar’s free content will unlock a new world of entertainment for this audience which currently has to settle for outdated reruns on a limited set of channels.”

The campaign aims to make inroads into Tier II and III markets using mass media vehicles such as TV and Print, along with on-ground activations. A unique Out-of-home initiative will culminate in a billboard spanning 10,000 sq. ft, the longest ever set up in India, that will feature the variety and scale of content available on Hotstar.

Other high impact activations include Out-of-home billboards and wall paintings across 80 small towns in India along with a branded mobile marketing canter van campaign. This canter will travel across 30 cities for a month, conducting roadshows across 150 congregation points, showcasing Hotstar’s breadth of content. This will be amplified further with unique interventions such as Nukkad Natak and on-the-spot engagement activities.

Hotstar has changed the way Indians watch their shows, from their favourite TV series and movies, to sporting extravaganzas. With the widest range of content in India, Hotstar offers more than 1,00,000 hours of TV shows and movies in eight languages, regional and national news, and coverage of every major global sporting event, including the VIVO IPL.

About Hotstar: Hotstar, India’s largest premium streaming platform, has changed the way Indians watch their entertainment, from their favourite TV shows and movies, to sporting extravaganzas. With the widest range of content in India, Hotstar offers more than 100,000 hours of TV shows and movies in 8 languages, regional and national news, and coverage of every major global sporting event, including the IPL.

Launched in early 2015, Hotstar’s mobile app has notched 400 Mn+ downloads, making it one of the most in-demand apps in India. Hotstar has secured top spots on the Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store and has consistently featured among the top-ranked apps on both platforms since its launch. The app’s success reflects its highly evolved video streaming technology as well as the quality of experience across devices and platforms.