2025 - The Year Of...: AI-driven features making OTT platforms more inclusive, says ZEE5's Manish Kalra
"AI has a multifaceted role in content creation and enhancing overall user experience. It helps us gain insights into the viewing patterns and habits of the audience and hence facilitating personalized content recommendations," says Manish Kalra, CBO, ZEE5.
ADVERTISEMENT
2024 has been quite a year for the OTT industry, with key trends reshaping content consumption, technology, and audience reach. "Family-friendly content is now a defining factor, as more viewers seek stories that bring families together," says Manish Kalra, CBO – ZEE5.
While addressing how AI is driving business efficiency Kalra points out that AI algorithms are a great support for live content as they deliver key emotional moments in record time. AI is expanding audience engagement through meaningful creatives, memes, and short-form content, amongst others, making AI quite the game-changer for the OTT industry today.
Edited excerpts:
What defining trends stood out for you in 2024?
2024 has been a transformative year for the OTT industry, with key trends reshaping content consumption, technology, and audience reach. Family-friendly content is now a defining factor, as more viewers seek stories that bring families together. The rise of Connected TVs has fuelled this shift, with 65% of our paid subscribers watching ZEE5 on CTVs, highlighting a move toward immersive, large-screen experiences.
Hyper-personalization has also been critical, as AI allows us to offer curated content tailored to individual tastes, boosting user engagement. Additionally, we’ve seen phenomenal growth in regional content viewership from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where audiences increasingly seek stories in languages like Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Marathi. With AI-powered tools enhancing storytelling, this year marks a new paradigm in Indian entertainment driven by technology and a deeper connection with our diverse audience.
How did the rise of AI and generative AI impact your industry this year? Can you sum it up in 3-5 points?
AI has a multifaceted role in content creation and enhancing overall user experience. It helps us gain insights into the viewing patterns and habits of the audience and hence facilitating personalized content recommendations. AI enables scalability to deliver interesting edits of shoulder content for all our television shows. Further driving business efficiency, AI algorithms are a great support for live content as they deliver key emotional moments in record time. AI is expanding audience engagement through meaningful creatives, memes, and short-form content, amongst others, making AI quite the game-changer for the OTT industry today.
By closely analysing user preferences, viewing history, and real-time audience behaviour, AI and machine learning (ML) can help streaming platforms to enhance their ability to tailor recommendations and optimize content discovery. To increase the reach and accessibility to our titles, we also invest in ML-based searches and AI-powered dubbing and subtitling. ZEE5 recognizes the evolving dynamics of viewer preferences, and we leverage data-driven insights to refine our content curation and recommendation algorithms. Through continuous innovation and a commitment to understanding our audience, we strive to create a viewing experience that is intuitive, enjoyable, and reflective of each viewer's unique preferences.
What disruptive trends will take the spotlight in 2025?
AI-driven content creation and personalization will streamline production and deliver tailored recommendations, keeping viewers engaged. AI-driven features like real-time translations, dubbing, and captioning will make OTT platforms more inclusive, breaking language and accessibility barriers for global audiences.
ZEE5 will focus on expanding regional content, bringing diverse, hyperlocal storytelling to global audiences. Another emphasis on our platform will also be given to family-friendly content, offering wholesome entertainment that appeals to a broad demographic. Additionally, bundling OTT services with telecom and digital offerings will provide consumers with more cost-effective, unified entertainment options. AI-driven accessibility features, such as real-time translations and dubbing, will break language barriers and make content more inclusive. These trends will drive the OTT industry forward in 2025.
What is your New Year’s resolution/s on a professional and personal front?
To stay sharp, happy, and healthy.
