Disney+ Hotstar is one of the leading on-demand Over-the-top streaming platforms. Novi Digital Entertainment division of Star India and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution own Disney+ Hotstar. It provides a wide range of content, including web series, movies, documentaries, and TV shows in about eight languages in India. Although Disney+ Hotstar gained 300 million active users by May 2020, it lost about 43.7 million users by October 2021 to its competitors, pushing it to the third position preceded by Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The constant and consistent competition in the market makes it imperative for Disney+ Hotstar to adopt strategies that can help them win more subscribers and a customer base. I have proposed the following that can enhance Disney+ Hotstar’s offerings.
Watch videos together/Watch it with buddy feature — This Covid pandemic has isolated people from friends and family. As the onboarding process already involves the use of social media or phone numbers, connecting with friends can be enabled in Disney+ Hotstar. This option can facilitate the connected friends or members to watch a movie or series together while commenting about their views. In addition to the “Watch” option for a video, it can provide the option to “Watch it with a buddy.” When the user selects the buddy with who they want to watch the video content, Disney+ Hotstar can initiate the connection. After the contact accepts the invite, they can stream the movie to watch it together simultaneously. A chat can be enabled to allow the users to comment and share their views with each other while watching. Sharing their comments through text and emojis will make the experience personalized. I have created a wireframe to express the workflow of this feature.
Transaction Video on Demand — Transaction video on demand allows the user to just buy one piece of video-on-demand content. In other words, the users’ pay-per-view of the video. Through this, the users get access to premium videos at a nominal price without having to subscribe just for watching specific videos. For example, the user has watched Avenger’s series except for The End Game, which is unavailable on any platform and is offered only by Disney+ Hotstar. The user can simply buy/rent the video without subscribing to the entire content.
Hybrid Subscription — The cost difference between the VIP and Premium plans is huge. While VIP offers a yearly subscription for Rs. 399, Premium plan for a year is Rs. 1499. A hybrid plan of Rs. 799 with an increase in the number of screens/devices and limited English or international content can entice more customers. Besides, with the introduction of TVOD, subscribers with a VIP plan can also avail certain videos of their interest with a minimal transaction cost. This can generate revenue for Disney+ Hotstar as they make the videos available on rent or sale for a limited duration. Disney+ Hotstar can make a video on rent for 12 hours while the customer can buy the video for a period of 48 hours.
Trial Offers for Onboarding — In the mobile version of Disney+ Hotstar, a user is unable to view the content in the library without a subscription. This can discourage the users from exploring Disney+ Hotstar as there are many alternative competitive OTT providers offering video content for free. Providing a trial period of one month can pique the interest of the customers as they are allowed access to certain free content while browsing the videos in the library. Availability of good content in the library and restricting the viewership can encourage the users to subscribe in order to view their favorite content.
To combat competition, Disney+ Hotstar must engage in growth strategies. Disney+ Hotstar has a great portfolio in sports, Disney content, and superhero content; however, they will have to employ methods to improve their revenue and customer base. Focusing on customer service and needs will eventually bring enormous success to this business. Harnessing the interests of customers by proposing unique and innovative ways will consistently maintain and improve the customer base, thereby generating great revenues.
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