Streaming platforms redefining the entertainment industry
There was a time when audio-visual entertainment were an integral part of our daily lives, due to their fixed airing times. Be it films, sports or TV shows, we always found the time to watch television, no matter how busy our days were, and we even waited for repeat telecasts of our favourite shows. Millennials may never understand the revolution that Sony Walkman brought in the 80s, only because of the mobility of entertainment. People would not mind carrying a brick-sized device only to achieve mobility over entertainment. With the rapid development in high-speed internet connectivity and the inception of smartphones, tabs, laptops and other gadgets, people started winning over the static nature of visual entertainment.
In the last decade, we have seen a paradigm shift in the entertainment industry because now we can watch visual materials ‘on the go’ from any of our digital devices, with a decent internet connection.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, it was anticipated that the entertainment business will evolve for the better. A streaming service like Netflix has changed the way of consuming films and TV shows. Before Netflix, we rushed to the cinemas to catch the latest films. Now, we do not feel the need to watch films in cinemas, as Netflix has intervened our habits of watching films.
Streaming platforms have added value to the entertainment industry, focusing on three aspects: original shows, mobility of the viewing experience and a wide range of products. They are becoming the largest chain of producers globally.
Mobility is one of the key values that streaming services have added to the world of visual entertainment and worldwide online content consumption has gained huge momentum over the past few years.
Even in Bangladesh, online platforms have shown commendable growth. Streaming services like Hoichoi, iflix, Bioscope and ZEE5 have gained acceptance and a huge following, alongside with the global platforms. Since these platforms are subscription-based, payment methods have been an issue due to the low penetration rate in the online transaction. Bearing that in mind, most streaming services offer easy subscription and payment methods nowadays. Hoichoi has incorporated debit and credit cards, local mobile wallets as well as offline subscription cards that are available Meena Bazar and Gadget & Gear outlets in Dhaka.
Apart from original shows, the platform has a huge collection of third-party content for a wide range of subscribers. For instance, Hoichoi has an array of classics of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen, Soumitra Chatterjee and many others.
Recently, Hoichoi kicked off its operations in Bangladesh. The organisation has started partnering up with local creative minds to produce content. National award-winning director Amitabh Reza Chowdhury’s web series, Dhaka Metro, director duo Tanim Noor and Krishnendu Chattopadhyay’s web series, Money Honey, are both huge hits on Hoichoi.
Streaming platforms have transformed the entertainment industry by offering the liberty of creativity. Unlike traditional channels, directors who work on projects for streaming services have more control over their projects and actors have the opportunities to be more dynamic with their roles. Streaming platforms have opened up a creative ocean, providing artistes with the appropriate tools to explore uncharted territories of entertainment, with the power of digital media.
Source: Forethought Pr
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