Reliance Jio took the telecom industry by storm. Its cheaper 4G plans and voice-calling gave a stiff competition to existing telcos like Vodafone, Airtel, Idea, and others. Now, it seems like Reliance wants to penetrate the streaming segment and challenge existing players like Amazon Prime and Netflix.
Reliance Jio: Entering Streaming Segment?
According to a report by FactorDaily, Reliance Jio is allegedly in talks with eighteen to twenty production houses to produce exclusive video content across several formats for its platform. Presently, Jio is reportedly planning to set its foot in formats like short films, movies, reality shows, food shows, travel, and also educations. A source quoted in the report says,“There is so much of video content out there for streaming… but with original and exclusive content the viewer will always come back to one platform.”
Some of the production houses that are currently involved in the talks with Reliance Jio are Vikram Bhatt and Roy Kapur Films, Arre, AltBalaji, and Viacom. Interestingly, JioTV has already started streaming ALTBalaji’s Bose: Dead/Alive series. Besides, Jio also recently launched a web version of its JioTV live, which was later taken down and was replaced with an “Under Construction” sign.
Moreover, Vikram Malhotra, CEO, and founder of Abundantia Entertainment revealed that his company is currently in talks with Jio and is analyzing other content formats too. Going by the current trend, many of the production houses are taking comedy as a profitable format, which can reap more benefits in partnership with Jio who provides nation-wide 4G connectivity.
Reliance Jio: Eying Regional Content Too
Not just the mainstream content, Jio is also reportedly planning to produce original video content in regional languages aimed at Tier II and Tier III cities in India. The company is yet to put a confirmation tag on all the details mentioned above, but we think that Reliance’s AGM also hinted at all these services. Also, with the imminent launch of JioFiber, it makes sense for the company to indulge in the production of its own video content and launch a dedicated platform to stream it.
As for the movies, Reliance already own a movie production house named ‘Reliance Entertainment’ that produces plenty of Bollywood movies in a year. Besides, the company is well-equipped to buy rights from other production houses like Eros Now, Dharma Productions, Yashraj Films, and others.
Reliance Jio: A Big Threat to Netflix and Amazon Prime?
Well, Jio has made a significant impact in the telecom sector and disarmed its rivals. The company’s strategy mainly revolves around pricing to offer premium services at an affordable rate to attract users. Currently, players like Hotstar and Netflix charge, Rs. 199 and Rs. 500, respectively, for the monthly subscription. Amazon Prime is the most affordable as it offers Prime Delivery, Prime Video, and Prime Movie at Rs. 999 annually. Now, with Jio planning to enter the segment, we can expect it to price its subscription lower than all the other players for the optimum effect.
What’s your take on this report? Do you think Reliance Jio will be able to take this segment by storm too? Would you prefer getting subscription to Jio streaming service than other players like Netflix, Hotstar, and Amazon Prime? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
