Media and entertainment network Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) plans to ramp up presence in the over-the-top (OTT) service in global arena in FY20. Present in multiple countries (except the USA), the platform had a soft launch back in October 2018, opening the platform to global audiences. The initial focus for the company is to strengthen the presence of ZEE5 in Pakistan and Bangladesh, before taking it to other markets.
Launched in February 2018, ZEE5 had 56.3 million monthly active users, according to Zee’s quarterly update, with an average watch time of 31 minutes a day. Zee hopes to generate similar interest in the international markets, starting with territories that have strong presence with the South Asian diaspora.
“We found it better to test the content and the platform in markets where Indian content is already popular and then take to regions that have a strong audience and affinity for Zee’s content. Hence, Pakistan and Bangladesh were the first countries where we should have focussed marketing and communication efforts,” says Amit Goenka, chief executive officer, Zee international and Zee5 global.
Currently, Zee is available through its television presence across 117 countries. While Zee’s presence in the overseas markets is strong, Goenka believes that the next spurt of eyeballs will come from digital as linear TV growth is saturated.