OTT firms opt for creative construction to expand base of paid subscribers

Original content is the next big bet to expand a modest base of paid subscribers

Last year Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings created a flutter when he said he sees the company’s next 100 million subscribers coming from India. Wishful thinking, given that Netflix has just 1.3 million subscribers currently in India, according to IHS Markit data. Perhaps, but the US-based company took the first major step to expand its limited consumer base since its 2016 launch last week when it announced a new package, an only-mobile or -tablet subscription for Rs 199 per month. Currently subscribers pay between Rs 499 and Rs 799 for various packs to watch on TV, mobile or laptop.