Prasar Bharati's OTT 'WAVES' crosses one million downloads

Within a month of its launch, Prasar Bharati's OTT platform 'WAVES' has crossed over a million downloads.

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw took it to X (Twitter) to share the announcement.

“WAVES OTT App by Prasar Bharti crosses a significant milestone of 1 million downloads,” he said.

Prasar Bharati's family-friendly OTT platform was launched at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), on November 20.

The app ‘Waves- Family Entertainment Ki Nayi Lehar’ is available on Android, iOS, and as a website.

Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during a media roundtable on 13th November, had addressed Storyboard18's query on Prasar Bharati's OTT plans. Jaju informed that only a small part of Prasar Bharati OTT will be subscription-based and the rest can be accessed for free.

Read more: EXCLUSIVE: Small part of Prasar Bharati OTT will be subscription-based; rest all free, says MIB's Sanjay Jaju

Jaju had told Storyboard18 that the OTT is going to be a game-changer "because this is not just streaming material, but it also will carry a lot of live channels. It will also host archival material... so we are combining all this together."

WAVES features a diverse range of content, including movies like Aarakshan, One Day, The Impossible, and Alice Darling, as well as TV shows, games, and a live events section.

Read more: Broadcasters prep legal arsenals to challenge Prasar Bharati's OTT plans

Prasar Bharati’s streaming platform offers content in SD, HD, and 4K, initially supporting 10 million concurrent users with scalability to 100 million. The OTT app will also introduce features like integrated gaming for kids and online shopping via the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

The launch, which was first announced in 2023, was earlier scheduled for September 15. It was then pushed to October 3 amidst the growing concerns from select broadcasters and streaming platforms.