Commencing its seventh year, hoichoi announces its upcoming Content Slate

September 2023 has emerged as a momentous milestone, marking the culmination of six illustrious years for hoichoi.  At the forefront, we find hoichoi, having carved a niche for itself by crafting a resplendent collection of over 140 Original content in one language—an unparalleled achievement in the realm of content creation. The platform has undergone a metamorphic evolution, boasting a remarkable 40% surge in Direct Subscriptions, and a staggering 60% ascent in individual Watch-Time per subscriber, when compared to the preceding year. As hoichoi bids adieu to six glorious years as the quintessential vernacular OTT juggernaut on the global stage, it embarks on an odyssey characterized by audacious leaps and unveils an ambitious roadmap in three pivotal domains, as follows:  

CONTENT

As it enters its sixth year, hoichoi is unveiling an array of content, featuring the return of beloved franchises (seasons) and the introduction of fresh characters and narratives aimed at captivating its audience. Notably, the platform is set to make its web debut with several superstar appearances, including Mimi Chakraborty, Debasree Roy, Chiranjeet Chakraborty, and more. It's no surprise that family dramas and detective thrillers consistently win the hearts of our viewers. However, hoichoi is determined to present content that stretches beyond these boundaries, offering audiences a glimpse of the true potential of Bengali storytelling. hoichoi has earned acclaim for its diverse content genres, with the 'female-centric social drama' genre, featuring shows like Sampurna, Bodhon, Uttoron, Indu, and Noshtoneer,  these not only contribute to the growth but also play a pivotal role in raising awareness among our audience. In the current year, our primary emphasis is on producing additional social dramas in which female characters assume prominent roles in the narrative, all while continuing our mission of raising awareness.

Literary adaptations of novels have always been critically acclaimed and high performing. In this regard, hoichoi will introduce a new segment - 'Best of Bengal' and a new addition to 'World Classics,' both of which will retell stories from Bengal and the rest of the World, respectively. Furthermore, as hoichoi Commences its seventh year, it  announces its upcoming Content Slate with the glamourous debut of Cinema giants namely, Mimi Chakraborty, Chiranjeet Chakraborty, Debasree Roy among others!

 Original productions have already garnered widespread acclaim, catching the attention of other OTT platforms interested in remaking our shows. For instance, "Dayaa" (a remake of "Taqdeer" in Telugu) is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, and "Indu" (a remake of "Indu" in Telugu) will soon be available on Disney+ Hotstar.

This is just the beginning, with more exciting developments on the horizon! Alongside, known to create and curate content for web users since 2017, hoichoi has now launched its own studio to produce exclusive films for a theatrical release with 'hoichoi studios'; the first of which will star Bengal cinema icon Abir Chatterjee, veteran actor Paran Bandopadhyay, and will be helmed by critically acclaimed director Debaloy Bhattacharya.

Find the upcoming list of content and their details at the end of the release.

BUSINESS

hoichoi as a brand has consistently been motivated by the goal of delivering a comprehensive entertainment experience to its audience. This commitment spans from curating high-quality content to embracing technological innovations and maintaining a robust customer support infrastructure. Remarkably, the platform has experienced a substantial surge, with Monthly Active Users increasing by over 2 times compared to the previous year, accompanied by nearly a 40% rise in International Subscriber revenue. Our content production has also intensified, with a monthly output of 6-7 titles. This approach includes not only Hindi dubbed releases but also at least 2-3 original shows and one world premiere movie in Bengali.

The average engagement time per active user stands at an impressive 59 minutes on the platform. Additionally, hoichoi has seen a 40% growth in direct subscriptions. To further expand its reach, hoichoi has pursued a strategy of content syndication in other languages on various partner platforms for regional distribution, with plans to intensify these efforts going forward. Recently, hoichoi has established a partnership with Jio Cinema for its Hindi-dubbed content. One of the key strategic initiatives for the year ahead will involve exploring opportunities to make content available in more languages such as Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam through selected partners.

Accessibility and availability are pivotal concerns for hoichoi, with a commitment to being accessible "everywhere" for both existing and potential customers. Recognizing the importance of television as a major medium for content consumption, hoichoi has made its platform available on a variety of devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Mi LED TV, LG SMART TV, Samsung TV, and Roku. Furthermore, hoichoi has expanded its reach to include Google TV users.

 Reminiscing about the journey of hoichoi over the past 6 years, Vishnu Mohta, Co-Founder of hoichoi said, “It’s been an extremely enriching and monumental 6 years. The love we have received from our audiences has been massive and we are extremely grateful for it. hoichoi has always aimed to provide high quality entertainment to Bengalis across the globe and have an approach that makes our customers the crux of our journey. From bringing in top creators, ensuring one World Premiere movie a month, to developing strategic partnerships for accessibility. We as a platform believe in constant growth and betterment, which has led us to increase our user base by a substantial margin.”

 Adding to this, Soumya Mukherjee, COO, hoichoi added, “The past six years have been an incredible journey for us. We started as the first vernacular OTT platform in India, aiming to entertain Bengalis worldwide in their native language. Over time, we've successfully achieved this by producing over 140+ Bengali shows with top creators from not only India but Bangladesh and curating a collection of over 600 films for users around the world to enjoy. We take pride in being the only OTT platform with such an extensive content library in a single language. As we enter our seventh year, our vision remains the same but with grander ambitions. Our customers will continue to be the focal point of our plans. We are committed to collaborating with leading creators to produce high-quality content. We've already introduced round-the-clock customer support to enhance the user experience across all our platforms. In addition to entertaining Bengalis, we are also focussing on making our content available in other Indian languages. Our primary focus is on forging strategic partnerships in mobility, broadband, DTH, and other distribution channels, not only to expand our reach within India but also in regions like Bangladesh, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia and to grow our base in Countries like US, UK among others. As a brand, hoichoi is determined to grow on all fronts, ensuring that our global appeal not only endures but also flourishes and entertains all users.”

 NEW CONTENT SLATE