During COVID, ‘stories’ have remained a big refuge: Anindo Banerjee, Hoichoi

It’s SCREENXX time again, Adgully’s premiere property for the Video-On-Demand and Digital Entertainment space. In the run-up to SCREENXX 2020, we are lining up a series of interesting interactions and stories on the OTT space and highlighting how this sector is evolving and the consumers’ engagement with the OTT platforms, as part of our ‘Show Time’ series.

SCREENXX 2020, the premier industry event will be held in the virtual space on Thursday, October 1 2020, and will see the leading names from the industry in conversation.

Also read:  “OTT platforms will soon become the traditional mode for consuming entertainment”

Click here to register for SCREENXX 2020 today.

Anindo Banerjee, VP – Original Content, Hoichoi, may be short and crisp in his replies, but in his interaction with Adgully, Banerjee provides some great insights on content consumption trends seen during the COVID and lockdown period.

What are the key digital trends that are bringing about a change in content consumption during COVID times?

Consumption of digital videos in any form – fiction/ non-fiction/ adverts – all have gone up. So, during COVID “stories” have remained a big refuge.

How do you see OTT platforms changing consumers’ expectations around the scope and scale of content?

It’s a two-way process. The OTT platforms are trying to map consumers’ expectations; on the other hand, consumer demands are at an all time high. They have never been so vocal. That’s an interesting space to be in.

How would you map the opportunity vis-a-vis consumer interest in the OTT video streaming market in India?

Endless opportunities. This habit of digital consumption is here to stay. It is not necessary to convert consumers from TV and Films. Simple additional co-existence of the digital videos is just enough for the platforms to thrive successfully.