Among the giant OTT sharks, here are a few regional digital platforms that have a fair share of loyal binge-watching audience
Sheetal
A new regional OTT platform, C-Space, is making headlines for being the first-ever government-owned platform. An initiative by the Government of Kerala, it will operate on the pay-per-view system, and instead of buying streaming rights, it will directly help the producers earn depending on the film’s number of streams, unlike established players.
Only time will tell whether an innovative model such as this one would prove beneficial for the regional platforms, which are facing stiff competitions from streaming giants such as Netflix and Prime Video. In the meantime, we single out regional digital platforms that have established a loyal binge-watching audience to sustain themselves among the OTT sharks.
Hoichoi
Language: Bengali
Launched in: 2017
It is owned and maintained by SVF Entertainment Pvt Ltd with headquarters in Kolkata. It offers over 500 film titles, especially films produced by SVF. Some of the popular shows according to IMDb rating are, Shri Swapankumarer Badami Hyenar Kobole (2024), Mirror Game (2016), Chemistry Mashi (2024), Mandaar (2021), Mobaroknama (2023) and Indubala Bhaater Hotel (2023).
Sun NXT
Languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi
Launched in: 2017
It is owned by Chennai-based Sun TV Network Limited. It mostly caters to South Indian audiences with content in languages such as Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam and Bengali. It has over 50,000 hours of content which includes movies, original shows, live TV channels, comedy content and music videos. Some of the popular films available on the platform are, Jailer, Raatchasan, Papanasam, Pithamagan, 96, Baasha, Thadam, Vaaranam Aayiram, Mullum Malarum, Padaiyappa and Roja.
Koode
Language: Malayalam and Tamil
Launched in: 2020
Koode is a Tamil and Malayalam OTT platform from the house of Studio Mojo. They provide original shows as well as popular web series curated from YouTube and other social media platforms. The content in Koode is free of cost and available on istream.in. But if one wants to access their catalogue of premium content, it’s also available on nominal charges. The latest content available includes Chiri, Vincent and the Popo, Aanum Pennum, Neripod and Kho Kho.
Aha
Language: Telugu, Tamil
Launched in: 2020
The platform has a wide range of movies and original web series in Telugu. It is owned by Arha Media and Broadcasting Private Limited. This platform offers English subtitles as well. Popular shows include, Unstoppable, Arjuna Phalguna, Hey Jude and The American Dream.
Stage
Language: Haryanvi and Rajasthani
Launched in: 2020
It is launched by Vinay Singhal, Shashank Vaishnav, and Parveen Singhal in 2020. This platform offers content in Haryanvi and Rajasthani languages.
City Shor
Language: Gujarati
Launched in: 2020
It is owned Ahmedabad-based lifestyle media company CityShor.com. It is available only on mobile app. The Dry State Comics Dayro Edition, The Royal Taste Of Gujarat, Tikkhi Mithhi Life and The Street Food Journey of Gujarat are some of the popular shows on the platform.
Chaupal
Language: Punjabi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri
Launched in: 2021
Punjabi movie channel Pitaara TV launched its OTT platform Chaupal. It provides content for entertainment in Punjabi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri. In addition, Chaupal offers the latest and popular original and exclusive movies, web series, podcasts, music, documentaries and entertainment-based content. Some of the best original shows of Chaupal are Panchhi, Please Kill Me, Malaal and Dustbin.
Planet Marathi
Language: Marathi
Launched in: 2021
It is the first Marathi OTT platform with contents like web-series, films, music, theatre, fiction and non-fiction reality shows. Some latest content include Badlee, Chikatgunde, Coffee Ani Barach Kahi, Dahavi Fa and Devrai.
Punjabi touch
Ajayvir Singh, Content Head of Chaupal, has a plan in place . “This year we will be focusing more on content for children. We will also be focusing on women-centric films. Having said that, we will continue our focus on acquiring bigger Punjabi movies and making our original content as well, not just in Punjabi but also in Haryanvi and Bhojour,” he says.
Addressing the concern of digital security, Ajayvir says, “Chaupal ensures compliance with global data protection laws such as GDPR and CCPA. By implementing first-party data collection and rigorous authentication measures, we safeguard user data integrity across all devices, addressing the ever-growing challenges of digital security.”
