India – ZEE5

Contributed by Darshana Sreedhar Mini

Key Takeaways

• ZEE5’s presence in the internet televisual landscape showcases its parent company Zee TV’s hold on the linear television market and the continuities between its broadcast logics and those of ZEE5, as for instance the combination of AVOD (Advertisement Video on Demand) with SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand).

• With more local players such as SonyLIV, Voot and ErosNow vying for subscribers, ZEE5 has initiated content alliance and collaboration with platforms such as ALTBalaji (owned by Balaji Telefilms) for co-creation of original content as well as mutual sharing of content to SVOD subscribers of both platforms.

• As opposed to the global focus of Disney+/Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, ZEE5 relies on a localization strategy rooted in their strength in regional language content that accommodates audiences based on tiers of geographical location and expendable income.

• ZEE5 supports 18 languages and is available in 193 countries as ZEE5 Global and has partnered with several local telecom groups as well as smart TV providers to expand its global operations.

Market

Launched in 2018, ZEE5 is owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), one of the leading television and media entertainment companies based in India and is part of the Essel Group headed by Subhash Chandra. As opposed to the global focus of Disney+/Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, ZEE5 relies on a localization strategy rooted in their strengths in regional language content to audiences differentiated by tiers of geographic location and expendable income. Moreover, as opposed to internet television as a form distinct from linear television, ZEE5’s growth and digital expansion is integrally connected to its parent company Zee TV in the way it utilizes the affordances offered by digital media culture.

The streaming platform is available via web as well as a mobile app on Android and iOS platforms. In its expansion drive, ZEE5 is targeting audiences who may not be fully familiar with or have limited knowledge of digital media formats. The underlying logic is to make the platform emulate the logics of broadcast television and use that as a hook to make users transition from broadcast to digital television. ZEE5 caters to a clientele that moves between browsing regional language Indian television and film, Zee originals, live TV, news channels, music, kid’s content, games, and lifestyle content. Market reports indicate that ZEE5 is aiming to cultivate this demographic as a dedicated viewer base. ZEE5 has an advantage over other platforms in having content procured by the various Zee subsidiaries. The full spread of this pre-existing infrastructure includes 46 television channels that cover 11 languages, as well as movie-specific channels with a dedicated regional viewership base. Access to this content library gives ZEE5 an edge in catering to the South Asian diaspora as well as marking its international presence, as ZEE5 Global is available outside the country with 35 channels and content available in 8 non-Indian languages. Research indicates that ZEE5’s success in the Indian market owes a lot to such marketing possibilities and the strategies they use to promote regional language content. While data on their global subscription is not publicly available, in December 2020, ZEE5 announced that it had 65.9 million monthly active users and 5.4 million daily active users.

ZEE5’s upsurge in subscription is boosted by its pre-existing connection with the Zee media conglomerate and its reach in regional markets. The focus on regional content can be seen in the programming logics as well as the promotion strategies to showcase ZEE5 as a localized network providing transnational content. For example, ZEE5 and Big Synergy Media struck a deal with NENT UK to produce the Indian remake of two seasons of Black Widows. ZEE5’s commitment towards culturally rooted storytelling techniques was promoted as an extension of their interests in “stories with culture sparks”—accounting for cultural nuances and local flavors in both narratives and regional focus.[1] This localization can be seen in a music video released in 2018 conceptualized by the creative agency BBH India for ZEE5’s launch. Titled #ApniBhashaMeinFeelhai (Feel in one’s own language) the video foregrounds the diverse fabric of “many Indias” and reflects the possibility of watching/feeling in one’s own language thanks to ZEE5’s multi-language options. The music video captures the zestful energy of the young and spirited crowd who represents the prospective viewership, as they break into a dance, while speaking dialogues in their respective languages. The publicity tag for the Twitter campaign runs “Hello, namaste, Kem Chho, Vanakkam! The feel of your language is your entertainment too. Now watch what you like, in a language of your choice” (the latter three words being the variants of “hello” in Hindi, Gujarati and Tamil languages).

Regulation

There have been public demands to censor video-on-demand content in India. In September 2020, fifteen video streaming services including Netflix, Amazon, and ZEE5 signed up for a self-regulation code under the aegis of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) for platforms hosting curated content. This was in lieu of direct government censorship. The self-regulation code includes age classification, appropriate content description, access control and grievance redressal. Prohibited material includes content that disrespects the national flag and national emblem, child pornography, content supporting terrorism, and any banned media content. The Indian government has introduced regulatory mechanisms that brings online content providers under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and foreign direct investment (FDI) has been capped at 26 percent. According to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code), 2021, internet television comes under the category of intermediaries. The intermediaries have to publish the privacy policy and user agreement, alongside agreeing to a grievance redressal mechanism that has both self-regulatory mechanisms in place, as well as oversight mechanisms developed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ministry.

Even before the new regulation came into force in June 2020, ALT Balaji and ZEE5 had to censor an episode of XXX Uncensored, a web series that they co-produced, owing to cyberbullying and public backlash. The scene in question involved a woman married to a soldier making her lover wear her husband’s army uniform. They also had to suspend a Tamil web series The Godman after complaints were filed alleging that it is demeaning to Brahmins. In August 2020, ZEE5 was criticized for using a sketch of the martyred freedom fighter Khudiram Bose in a picture gallery for wanted criminals in an episode of the television show Abhay 2. In response to the protests, ZEE5 apologized and blurred the image.

ZEE5’s launch also coincides with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) NTO 2.0 (New Tariff Order) that put an end to bundling of television channels as a package that forced consumers to buy all of the broadcasters’ channels. While NTO 2.0 allows flexibility for consumers to choose and pay for the content they watch, it also remapped the existing relationships between broadcast media, consumers and distributors. Coming in the midst of such developments, ZEE5 was able to benefit from the changed market considerations as well as their prior experience with digital streaming platforms such as Ditto and OZEE that were launched in 2016. In 2016, Zee slotted some material from Zee’s own Zindagi channel (which carried Pakistani, Turkish and Korean television content) for streaming on OZEE. This reallocation was done partly because the Pakistani content had to be taken down from broadcast television during Indo-Pakistan tensions in 2016. In hindsight, it also helped Zee gauge the digital television scene before launching ZEE5. When ZEE5 was launched Ditto and OZEE was integrated to ZEE5.

ZEE5’s market in Pakistan suffered a jolt when The State Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan’s central bank issued a statement in November 2020 prohibiting customers from paying for ZEE5 and other Indian streaming video on demand platforms. The irony of the situation is that ZEE5 had original Pakistani content including Asim Abbasi’s Churail and Mehreen Jabbar’s Ek Jhooti Love Story, alongside older Pakistani serials, that are showcased as Zindagi shows. Banks were asked to stop all modes of payment that involved subscribing to Indian content and the order specifically mentions ZEE5. While the prohibition came as a result of the Cabinet decision to regulate the Indian content in Pakistan, the timing of it a week after Pakistan banned the television show Churail raised questions about what this could mean in the climate of censorship emerging in different parts of South Asia. Following the ban, ZEE5 was asked to take down the content for Pakistani viewers. This decision was later revoked, but this was only short-lived as all VOD platforms were soon banned in Pakistan (still in effect).

Viewing Habits

Affordability is a crucial parameter in the Indian digital television landscape and moderately priced smart phones are one of the major sources of digital media consumption. Uneven internet availability pushes viewers to come up with make-do arrangements like reducing video resolution quality to save on mobile data or for multiple viewers piggy-backing on a single subscription.

In an effort to attract broadcast television viewers to digital television, ZEE5 launched an annual plan called ZEE5 Club as an alternative to the Premium subscription plans. This offers Zee Zindagi shows, movies and more than nine live channels for an annual payment of ₹ 365, instead of a Premium annual subscription for ₹999. The Club package allows viewers to watch television content before it is shown on television and offers the possibility of streaming on two devices simultaneously. ZEE5 is keen to accommodate viewers who have moved to digital television from broadcast television and program their content around “taste clusters” as opposed to catering to geographic distinctions such as the rural-urban divide or different tiers of the city. This has become crucial in capturing a loyal customer base. The release of weekly television shows and films is informally publicized by enthusiastic patrons who come up with Excel sheets to compile the shows and keep abreast of the latest offerings. 

Content

To expand the subscriber base, alongside live TV, ZEE5 produces original content as well as shares content produced by ALT-Balaji as a part of the tie-up they have in offering an SVOD option on both platforms. To be clear, ZEE5 is not available as a television channel. ZEE5 makes original content that is available only for SVOD. There is freemium content available as well, but only SVOD subscribers have access to this exclusive content. Further, ZEE5 SVOD users can access Alt-Balaji content and vice versa. ZEE5’s Pakistani television content is quite popular and has played a crucial role for the audience in identifying it as an extension of the broadcast television. Many viewers consider this an opportunity to catch up on shows and episodes that they might have missed during broadcast and offers binge-watching possibilities. The fact that regional language content is available on ZEE5 allows viewers to distinguish between local and transnational content. ZEE5 caters to the global/local dimensions of content by emphasizing Pakistani and Bangladeshi originals, as well as the regional language productions featuring personnel who are identified as faces associated with the region. In terms of genre, thrillers (Poison series, Abhay 2, Dark 7 White, State of Siege: 26/11, Lalbazaar, Biccho Ka Khel), family dramas (Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya), horror (Parchhayee: Ghost stories by Ruskin Bond, Bhram, Bhaagamathie) and reality television (Dilli Darlings, Lockdown) seem to be popular and are featured as part of the most watched content. Popular ZEE5 original series include Karenjit Kaur: The Untold Story of Sunny Leone and Rangbaaz Phirze. Karenjit Kaur is based on the life of adult film actor turned Bollywood actress Sunny Leone, while Rangbaaz is based on the life of gangster Shri Prakash Shukla.

Alongside this, ZEE5 has also taken the initiative to expand into more inter-medial terrain by releasing in-app interactive activities like games that users can engage with alongside video content. ZEE5 developed an amplification tool Ampli5 to reach out to their customers by associating their brand with credible influencers. Using short video formats, Ampli5 offers digital advertising options for brands to reach their target audience. They have also launched HiPi, a short-form video platform that allows users to upload videos ranging from fifteen to ninety seconds with accompanying sound effects, music and visual filters. With a ban on Tik Tok in India, HiPi’s entry into the short-form video space emerges in a media ecology suffused with new players like Helo and Mitron. HiPi has been used for online auditions for reality shows such as Jamai 2.0 and Sunflower. Designated hashtags and number of likes determined the eligibility to be part of the HiPi’s digital auditions. Incorporated as a part of the platform, HiPi offers a chance for verified users to access the metrics and interact with the advertisers. By making itself open to user generated content, Zee5 is attempting to replicate the model used by YouTube as well as capitalizing on its “indigenous” status (as opposed to the Chinese tag associated with TikTok). Coming days after the TiKTok ban in India, it was touted as “made for Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India)—“platform truly made in India, made for India”.

In December 2021, ZEE5 also hosted the Zee Rishtey Awards, a flagship television awards show instituted by the Zee group—normally aired by its broadcast television channels. ZEE5 has also come up with a Global OTT Content Festival which encourages entries for feature films, documentaries and short films from independent filmmakers, film students and young content creators to showcase their work on ZEE5. While the content can be created in any language, it is open for TV shows, films, music videos, short films and documentaries. The selected entries are premiered on ZEE5. By launching “High5,” an award for the “Most Viewed Content” on the platform in 2019, ZEE5 gives a glimpse of the data collected on consumer viewership, engagement rate and completion rate. ZEE5 has also signed up for a partnership with Eduauraa, a digital learning platform to disseminate educational content at affordable prices.

Internet Pricing and Availability

The popularity of the platform is also conditioned by its varied, flexible subscription plans, as what is often affordable is premised on the purchasing power of the users. While ZEE5’s premium yearly plan is priced at ₹999, they also have a 30-day plan for ₹99, a 90-day plan for ₹299 and a 180-day plan for ₹599. Premium users can watch videos on five different devices at one time. ZEE5 is available as a mobile app on Android and iOS platforms and accessible via web and smart TV brands that support ZEE app out of box. It currently has a subscriber-base of 76.4 million. The monthly price of ₹ 99 for ZEE5 is less than the India-specific pricing for Netflix at ₹199, Amazon Prime at ₹ 129 and Disney+ Hotstar at ₹ 299.

ZEE5 has managed to work out a mutually beneficial relationship with other telecommunication providers. JioFiber, Reliance Jio’s high-speed internet service offers ZEE5 bundled subscription to its customers. Similarly, ZEE5 also partnered with Tata Sky, an app-based platform to offer its Premium content to Tata Sky users. Vodafone, another mobile service provider launched a postpaid plan, RedX that offers one-year complimentary Netflix, Amazon Prime and ZEE5 subscription. In a tie-up with Vodaphone Idea (VI), ZEE5 premium subscription is offered to customers of five pre-paid Vodaphone plans (₹ 355, ₹405, ₹ 595, ₹ 795 and ₹ 2595) that make them eligible for ZEE5 premium subscription at no extra cost. For Bharti Airtel customers, ZEE5 is accessible free of cost if they recharge their accounts for ₹ 289; further a 2-month premium subscription is made available if they install the Airtel Thanks app and unlimited ZEE5 access is offered for Airtel Platinum tier costumers. These bundle schemes are often launched as limited special offers, thereby offering customers the choice of continuing the service through payment once the offer expires.

Currently, ZEE5 is available in 190 countries, except in the United States. It has a broad library of content across 18 languages including Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, and Odia among others. Its entry into the United States is restricted by the non-compete clause that it has with Dish Network that prevents it from launching a direct-to-customer service. But despite the unavailability of ZEE5, customers have improvised by using VPN services to navigate geo-restrictions as one can see from Reddit pages and advice columns offering tips to patrons. On the global front, ZEE5 has decided to opt for tie-ups with telecom operators and other partnerships to expand its presence and has revenue sharing arrangements that include minimum guarantees depending on partner’s marketing efforts. This strategy is similar to the technique used in India in the distribution-exhibition network for commercial films where tie-ups between exhibitor and distributor is premised on sharing deals that can avoid risk for both parties concerned. The telecommunication companies ZEE5 is in partnership with include Robi Axiata in Bangladesh, Celcom in Malaysia, Dialog in Sri Lanka, Zeasn and Netrange in Asia and MENA. ZEE5 Global has also managed to forge some partnerships in the last few years. Zee5 has also partnered with retailers such as Lulu Group, Eurostar and Emax Electronics in the UAE to offer employees special Global subscription schemes. Canadian content provider and distributor QYOU Media has also launched its flagship network “The Q India” on ZEE5.

In the global market, ZEE5 has a freemium model in which news and some content is available for free and consumers have to pay for premium content which is behind the paywall. ZEE5 has come up with a campaign called “Share the Love” targeting patrons based in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The campaign foregrounds the cultural similarities shared by these countries with India and posits South Asian culture as something that transcends geopolitical borders (despite the problems of South Asian geopolitics seen in the India/Pakistan responses to Zee5). Another global campaign was titled “Dil Se Desi” that launched ZEE5’s presence in APAC, and MENA regions. Such campaigns posit the essence of diasporic identity as something strongly connected to the roots of the home country despite geopolitical distance.

While the multi-media platform that comprises of news, entertainment, game and educational content makes ZEE5 distinct from other internet television in India, it has also come with an additional responsibility in terms of ensuring customer privacy. While Ampli5 and other targeted and personalized advertising opportunities are leveraged by ZEE5, at the time of writing, there are reports that also point to data leak of ZEE5 users. An anonymous hacker uploaded a sample of the full leaked dataset in March 2021 with details of one million users on an AnonFiles link.

Suggested Reading

“Sharpening Consumer Focus, Creating Extraordinary Experience,” ZEE Annual Report 2019-20

“Lights, Camera Action…The Show Goes On,” Boston Consulting Group-Confederation of Indian Industry Report 2020.

Notes

[1] “Sharpening Consumer Focus, Creating Extraordinary Experience,” ZEE Annual Report 2019-20, 12