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Amidst the growing mixed reaction from the broadcasting industry, Prasar Bharati is most likely to launch its over-the-top (OTT) platform on September 15, sources close to the development revealed to Storyboard18.
The much-awaited family-friendly OTT platform was first announced in 2023. In September last year, Prasar Bharati introduced a draft tender to design, develop, commission, operate and maintain their OTT platform for “content available and for the reach of all the citizens in India, even remotest villages as well as global audience”.
It is said the platform is likely be free for the first year or so.
Prasar Bharati's plan to foray into the OTT space, despite the presence of several international private OTT platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and Netflix in the country, stemmed from the need to showcase clear and family content. One of the government officials was reported saying, "Currently, some of the content on OTT platforms are bordering on vulgar, abusive language. It becomes embarrassing to watch it with your family. We want to offer a platform which is decent and promotes India’s culture and nationalist values," last year.
It is to be noted that the BJP manifesto also promised a plan to launch an OTT platform as part of its 100-day agenda if it returns to power for the third term.
The OTT was first speculated to be launched in July this year, which got pushed to August. As per sources, September 15 is the date the government has decided on, now - unless some challenges impede the plan.
While most broadcasters and industry stakeholders have largely applauded the public broadcaster's plan to enter into the digital streaming space, top broadcasters of the country have largely remained tight-lipped, withholding apprehensions.
In its letter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, dated September 2, All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) has in fact urged the Ministry to withdraw Prasar Bharati's notice inviting TV broadcasters for its soon-to-be-launched OTT platform, as it believes the same disrupts uplinking and downlinking guidelines, and also disrupts the traditional TV distribution.
DTH operators too, reportedly are planning to write a similar letter to the information and broadcasting ministry on the placement of linear TV channels on Prasar Bharati's OTT platform.
As per the notice issued by Prasar Bharati on August 5, the pubcaster invited TV broadcasters to place their channels on the public broadcaster’s upcoming over-the-top (OTT) platform.
Some TV broadcasters, however, contend that Prasar Bharati does not come under the purview of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India regulations or the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act and Rules and hence are in a position to offer their satellite TV channels on Prasar Bharti OTT.
"I welcome the proposed launch of Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform as it could be a potential game-changer and a disruptive force in the OTT space due to its reach and humongous distribution potential. I am all for free markets and competition within the established guidelines. Having said that, all players have to play by the rules of the land and a level playing field has to be provided to everyone. Perhaps there is more clarity needed on whether TRAI’s regulations are applicable to Prasar Bharati or not," said Sanjay Trehan, Digital & New Media Advisor.
"Competition is the order of the day. Whether it upsets the traditional linear television distribution system is to be seen through the prism of customer good. If there’s customer acceptance and there’s an extension of reach, so be it," he added.
Kailashnath Adhikari, Managing Director, Governance Now, told Storyboard18 that the company has already offered its live linear stream.
"If you consider the FTA package, we have already offered our live linear stream of our channels namely Mastiii, Dabangg and Maiboli to Prasar Bharati's OTT. We have all grown up watching Doordarshan and Prasar Bharati has been the epicenter of entertainment in this country, this move could have been done earlier as well. Prasar Bharati, coming out with its own OTT is an excellent step. How it created a revolution with DD Free Dish is a great example of it’s unwavering strength. India is the only market where free-to-air homes are growing, no other country is experiencing this, and Prasar Bharati has been the catalysing factor," he added.
Last month, the public service broadcaster invited submissions for the integration of various applications, including gaming, OTT, and educational apps, into its platform and also sought onboarding linear satellite TV channels.
Read more: Exclusive: Prasar Bharati releases Content Sourcing Policy; reveals policies for upcoming OTT
The channels will be incorporated for an initial period of one year, with the possibility of future modifications based on user feedback and market dynamics, it was said.
Additionally, the channels will include national news and current affairs, general entertainment in both national and regional languages, as well as other genres.
In its 'Content Sourcing Policy', released on August 9, Prasar Bharati outlined procedures for sourcing and acquiring content for both linear channels and digital platforms. Further, it established a Sports Rights Negotiation Committee (SRNC) to bid for and negotiate the rights to major sporting events, such as cricket, hockey, and kabaddi.
The OTT platform will be operating on a revenue-sharing basis, with content providers receiving 65% of the net revenue from subscription or transaction-backed content, while Prasar Bharati will retain 35%. The same revenue-sharing model will apply to the satellite channels onboarded to the platform.
Advertisements on the OTT platform will be managed by Prasar Bharati, with any unsold ad inventory shared between Prasar Bharati and the broadcaster in a 65:35 ratio.