Amazon.com Inc's video service is all set to add more regional content in India, competing with a host of global and local players for a bigger share of a fledgling online streaming market. Tim Leslie, global Vice President at Amazon Prime Video said the company's bet on original Hindi shows and a library of films in five local languages has paid off, and that India is the fastest growing market for its Prime Video service.
Asia-Pacific content head James Farrell said Prime Video has also been broadening its film catalogue in southern Indian languages such as Tamil and Telugu, beyond Hindi shows and Bollywood movies. “We want to figure out how do we do more in the South. We haven't announced any originals yet from the South but we are looking to do as much as can be done,” he said. Both of them refrained from giving subscriber numbers, instead saying they have tens of millions of Prime customers. India has grown to become a key market for Amazon's global takeover. Along with online retail growing in the country, the media and entertainment market is also tipped to grow to over $31 billion in two years.
Other players in the field include Twenty-First Century Fox-supported Hotstar, Network18 Media, Investments Ltd and Viacom Inc's Voot, and others. When asked if Amazon could begin streaming cricket in India, the executives said they were looking at sports content opportunities globally. Leslie said, “It's day one in sports for us and we're getting involved in it.”
