The year 2024 marked a transformative chapter for India’s OTT landscape, characterised by evolving trends that redefined content consumption and expanded audience engagement. With shifts in viewer preferences, a growing embrace of regional languages, and the rising prominence of family-friendly narratives, the industry witnessed a profound shift in storytelling priorities.
Among the platforms responding to these changes, ZEE5 stood out, experiencing a notable surge in demand for regional content and family-centric stories that resonate with audiences seeking shared viewing experiences.
In an exclusive conversation with Marketing Mind, Shresth Gupta, Vice President- Marketing-SVOD for India and Global, ZEE5, emphasised that ZEE5, as an insights-driven brand, prioritises audience preferences by delivering quality storytelling across diverse genres, formats, and languages. Building on its legacy of producing family-oriented television content, the platform brings the same dedication to its OTT offerings, ensuring storytelling and creativity remain at the forefront.
Looking ahead, they are focused on pushing boundaries, fostering collaborations, and continually enhancing the viewer experience to establish ZEE5 as the go-to destination for quality, family-friendly entertainment, he added.
Gupta detailed the strategies aimed at enhancing the user experience on ZEE5’s SVOD model, emphasising that the popularity and prominence of OTT industry can be attributed to its revolutionary impact on content creation, distribution, and consumption since its inception. ZEE5’s multilingual approach, offering content in 12 Indian languages, caters to diverse audience preferences and significantly expands its reach. This, combined with personalised recommendations, ensures a broad and inclusive user base.
“We have successfully used technology as an enabler to help people discover content in the language of their choice. At the heart of our strategy lies advanced AI and machine learning, enabling personalised recommendations based on viewing preferences, watch-history, and real-time behavior. The platform’s seamless user experience is driven by adaptive streaming technology, delivering buffer-free viewing and high-quality visuals with 4K resolution and Dolby audio,” he said.
By leveraging technology for personalisation, quality, and accessibility, ZEE5 not only redefines entertainment but positions itself as a trailblazer in delivering innovative and immersive digital experiences globally, Gupta added.
Highlighting the next phase of growth for the SVOD model in India, Gupta elaborated on ZEE5’s strategies to sustain its leadership and drive innovation in the space, stating that the advertising and marketing landscape in 2024 has evolved, blending technological advancements with creative strategies to captivate audiences.
Platforms are leveraging data-driven insights to deliver hyper-personalised campaigns, ensuring deeper engagement and viewer loyalty. ZEE5’s #GameChangers campaign exemplifies this trend by using emotionally resonant storytelling to not only attract subscribers but also drive meaningful social conversations.
“Additionally, the surge in family-friendly content and co-viewing habits, driven by the increase of connected TVs, is reshaping content strategies. This shift underscores the growing importance of crafting inclusive narratives that cater to multi-generational audiences. At the same time, the industry is also witnessing a continued emphasis on regional content. With regional languages accounting for a significant share of consumption on ZEE5, we have a strong focus on maintaining a vast and diverse multilingual content slate. This regional focus not only democratizes access to entertainment but also aligns with hyper-targeted marketing opportunities,” Gupta said.
Furthermore, he went on to say, “From a technology perspective, AI and machine learning are revolutionising content recommendations, ad targeting, and viewer insights. These advancements enable platforms to deliver tailored experiences, enhancing user engagement. As the industry embraces these innovations, the synergy between technology, creative storytelling, and inclusive content is setting new benchmarks in audience engagement and brand storytelling.”
As 2024 came to a close, Gupta reflected on the major trends in content consumption and audience engagement that defined the OTT industry throughout the year. He also shared insights into how ZEE5 effectively adapted to these evolving dynamics, stating, “The year 2024 has marked a renaissance in the evolution of OTT platforms, with ZEE5 leading the charge in reshaping how India connects with entertainment. With 65% of our paid subscribers now preferring connected TVs, our campaigns and offerings have increasingly focused on delivering immersive, large-screen experiences for co-viewing families.”
He highlighted that ZEE5 has also harnessed AI-driven hyper-personalisation, ensuring every viewer gets tailored recommendations and stories that match their preferences. The growth of regional content viewership in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, with Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Marathi leading the charge, reflects ZEE5’s commitment to democratising quality storytelling.
“These shifts offer unparalleled opportunities for innovative campaigns. By blending regional narratives with high-tech experiences, such as the 3D projection mapping for ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’ at the David Sassoon Library or leveraging influencers in vernacular markets, ZEE5 continues to push creative boundaries,” Gupta said.
“As the landscape matures, ZEE5’s efforts to bridge technology with inclusivity ensure that our platform remains at the forefront of this digital entertainment revolution. From leveraging AI for enhanced storytelling to launching dedicated regional marketing drives, our focus is unwavering: to create resonant, diverse content while innovating the way audiences experience it,” he added.
Gupta emphasised that 2024 has been an outstanding year for ZEE5, marking significant milestones across content and overall viewership.
“We continued to expand our content library with an extensive slate, including post-theatrical releases and originals across languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Bangla, and Telugu. This year, titles like Kakuda, Rautu Ka Raaz, Berlin, Kaantaye Kaantaye, Gyaarah Gyaarah, and our latest release Despatch showcase our commitment to diverse and regionally resonant storytelling, striking a strong chord with audiences across India. We took a step further by collaborating with top creators and production houses, including Sikhya Entertainment, Dharmatic Entertainment, and Applause Entertainment, bringing in a fresh creative perspective,” he said.
He also mentioned that for their title ‘Kakuda’, they collaborated with Swiggy in an innovative way integrating the Kakuda icon on the Swiggy map. These collaborations enhance the quality and appeal of ZEE5’s offerings while simultaneously providing an immersive experience. ZEE5 orignal ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’ has featured on #4 spot on IMDb’s prestigious ‘Best of 2024: Most Popular Indian Web Series’ list. This milestone adds to the show’s remarkable achievements, including 800 million watch minutes, making it the platform’s most-watched web series.
“In addition to its impressive watch time, the title has also been named the most searched ZEE5 show of 2024, further solidifying its popularity among viewers. The series has also set a record with an average watch time of 248 minutes per viewer, establishing itself as ZEE5’s most engaging show. The series has become a key driver of the platform’s growth and engagement, underscoring the power of original, high-quality content to captivate a diverse and passionate audience,” Gupta said.
“Additionally, our platform gained incredible momentum in regional markets with the South Indian market seeing a 54% increase in viewership, thanks to most recent standout titles like ‘Aindham Vedham’ in Tamil, ‘Vikkatakavi: The Chronicles of Amaragiri’ in Telugu and the Malayalam Anthology ‘Manorathangal’. Looking forward, we remain committed to pushing boundaries, fostering collaborations, and enhancing viewer experience to make ZEE5 the preferred choice for quality, family-friendly entertainment,” he stated.
When asked about the rising demand for family-friendly content, Gupta outlined how ZEE5 is committed to delivering high-quality, inclusive entertainment that resonates with audiences across diverse age groups. He explained that as an insights-driven brand, ZEE5 consistently aligns with audience preferences by delivering quality storytelling across genres, formats, and languages.
“Approximately 65% of platform consumption stems from genres such as romance, comedy, and drama, spanning both advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD) and subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD). ZEE5 is actively strengthening its family-oriented content strategy, focusing on narratives that engage and resonate with viewers of all ages,” Gupta said.
Furthermore, he mentioned that drawing from its legacy of producing family-oriented television content, ZEE5 applies a similar approach to its OTT offerings, ensuring storytelling and creativity remain uncompromised.
“Indian audiences continue to appreciate compelling plots, complex characters, and layered storytelling, while also valuing content that can be enjoyed collectively as a family. This dynamic is particularly significant in India, where single-TV households are predominant. These insights drive ZEE5’s content strategy, which is built on a deep understanding of its audience, a commitment to authentic family-centric narratives, and a focus on meeting the evolving preferences of viewers across the country,” he said.
Gupta highlighted that 2024 has been a transformative year for the OTT industry, with key trends reshaping content consumption, technology, and audience reach. Drama and romance emerged as the most popular genres on ZEE5, clocking 105 million watch-time hours. This shift highlights the growing demand for relatable and emotional storytelling that resonates across demographics.
“Our leadership in delivering high-quality, diverse storytelling has further been reinforced by our collection of national award-winning movies across regional languages. Films like The Kashmir Files (Hindi), RRR (Telugu), Karthikeya 2 (Telugu), Vaalvi (Marathi), and Aparajito (Bengali) exemplify our commitment to curating exceptional content,” he said.
“Notably, 40% of our viewership comes from tier-2 and tier-3 markets, where audiences increasingly seek stories in their native languages. Owing to this, our platform has not only embraced cutting-edge technology but also strengthened its position as a platform that celebrates India’s cultural diversity and storytelling excellence,” Gupta stated.
He mentioned that ZEE5 has always enjoyed a strong presence in regional markets, thanks to its parent brand, ZEEL. Over the years, they have leveraged their strengths and invested in building local teams across markets.
“We remain committed to investing in high-quality content in various languages that resonates with our diverse audience and promotes sustained long-term growth. We collaborate with some of the best creative talents in the ecosystem. For example, actors like Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha, and many more in Hindi,” Gupta said.
He said that a similar strategy is followed in their regional markets, including Tamil, Telugu, Bangla, and Malayalam, to name a few. Their recent Malayalam anthology, ‘Manorathangal’, features industry stalwarts such as Padma Vibhushan Dr Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, Mammootty, Priyadarshan, Pa Ranjith, Fahadh Faasil, and Santosh Sivan, among many other luminaries. In Bangla, the slate includes prominent names like Saswata Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Raima Sen, Raj Chakraborty, and Indrani Haldar. In Tamil, Vetrimaaran made his OTT debut with Nilamellam Ratham on ZEE5. In Marathi, Aditya Sarpotdar, who helmed the massive hit Zombivali, has now collaborated with ZEE5 on Kakuda.
Gupta emphasised, “40% of the viewership now comes from tier-two and tier-three markets, with non-Hindi languages like Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada contributing to 50% of total consumption. Regional dramas in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada have seen a surge, emphasising the appeal of culturally nuanced narratives.”
“We have strengthened our presence in the East with the success of our slate of Bangla originals, featuring prominent titles like ‘Abar Proloy’, ‘Shabash Feluda’, and ‘Chhotolok’, to name a few. In the South, the response has been highly engaging from the very beginning, with titles like ‘RRR’ and ‘Karthikeya 2’. The regional drama genre has gained significant popularity among ZEE5 viewers in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada-speaking regions. After successful forays into original content in Tamil, Telugu, and Bangla, 2024 marks our entry into Malayalam originals with the latest anthology, ‘Manorathangal’,” he added.
Highlighting the key trends to watch in the OTT sector for 2025, Gupta emphasised that in 2025, the media and entertainment industry will be transformed by advancements in AI and immersive technology. AI-driven content creation and personalisation will streamline production and offer tailored recommendations, enhancing viewer engagement. Real-time translations, dubbing, and captioning will break language barriers, making content more inclusive for global audiences.
“The demand for family-friendly and regional, hyperlocal content will rise, with platforms investing in diverse storytelling to appeal to various cultures. The industry will also see the continued rise of immersive experiences through VR and AR, allowing for new forms of interactive storytelling. Overall, 2025 will bring a more integrated, accessible, and personalised media landscape, driven by AI and other emerging technologies,” he added.
In conclusion, Gupta highlighted, “At ZEE5, we understand the importance of staying ahead in an evolving OTT landscape. As 2025 approaches, several key trends are expected to redefine how we connect with our audiences. By integrating AI-driven personalisation and content creation into our marketing strategies, we will ensure that viewers not only discover the content they love but experience it in ways that feel uniquely tailored to them. ZEE5 will focus on expanding regional content to global audiences, with an emphasis on family-friendly content that offers wholesome entertainment appealing to a broader demographic. These trends will reshape how viewers engage with content in the coming year.”
