Mumbai: SonyLIV, India’s first premium video on demand (VOD) service intensifies its global footprint with its foray into Middle East. Launched in 2013 as the first mover in the Indian OTT industry, SonyLIV recently crossed the 100MN app downloads milestone on Play store in India and currently caters to over 70 million MAUs (Monthly Active Users). Bringing quality content tailormade for the local audience and South Asian diaspora in the region, over 70 popular shows from Sony Pictures Networks India’s (SPN) rich content library and over 1500 movies are now available on SonyLIV in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
From Kapil Sharma’s rib ticking comedy to some hypnotic dance moves in Super Dancer to the inspiring stories of women empowerment in Ladies Special and Patiala Babes, Sony Pictures Networks India’s most popular shows are now up for viewing on SonyLIV at any time and at the viewers convenience. Adding onto this binge fest are popular Bollywood movies from SonyLIV’s vast content library. To ensure that the audience doesn’t miss out on their favourite shows from the Sony Pictures Networks stable, all new episodes will be available with English subtitles.
With over 450 million unique mobile subscribers, the Middle East has one of the highest consumption of YouTube videos in the world. Digital infiltration and high-speed internet have opened the floodgates of premium content from the world over spanning genres and interests. Smartphones have been instrumental in offering cultural understanding and exposure to the legion of local users, 50% of which is under the age of 25 years and 35% under the age of 18 years.
SonyLIV intends to cater to this audience with the most sought after stories and an enhanced viewing experience. Over the last six years, the platform has pioneered the Indian digital ecosystem by offering content that is diverse, relatable and most importantly entertaining. With a 7X increase in consumption and 3X rise in subscribers last year, SonyLIV now aims to tap newer audience segments globally.
Uday Sodhi Business Head – Digital Sony Pictures Networks India said “With a bustling young population who are essentially digital first consumers, the Middle East serves as a highly lucrative market for content creators like us to spiral a growth. With increased adoption of smartphones and advanced services, there is a huge potential for Indian content which is extremely popular and appeals to viewers globally. Building on this opportunity, SonyLIV aims to offer an inclusive viewing experience to the users here with stories that suit their interests, preferences and viewing patterns. We will scale up our content offerings in the months to come and emerge as the most preferred entertainment destination for the local audience.”
Viewers in the Middle East will be treated to an array of fresh content on the platform in the days to come. Operating in SVOD mode in the market at $5.99 for a month, $29.99 for 6 months and $49.99 for a year, viewers can purchase their subscriptions to SonyLIV via credit card, debit card or in-app purchases.
