MUMBAI: Amazon Prime is loading its platform with worthwhile content with each passing month and week. It is moving swiftly on having original as well as acquiring aggregated content. Now, it has plans to add more originals, and is also looking at having regional content. Amazon has content deals with Mukesh Bhatt’s Vishesh Films, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, and Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series for their existing and upcoming films.
In India, apart from reportedly being in the neck-and-neck IPL race as it aims to bring exclusive cricket content to its viewers, it has recently signed up deals with superstar Salman Khan, reputed filmmakers -- Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Amazon Prime Video announced a first-of-its-kind, worldwide exclusive content deal with Salman Khan Ventures which made Amazon the exclusive streaming home of future titles of Khan commencing with the recently released Tubelight.
Amazon Prime Videos has said that it would roll out three more original series by the end of 2017 calendar year. The move comes as its first India-produced series has found a favourable global audience. Amazon Prime director & country head Nitesh Kripalani told BusinessLine that they were looking to create content which could also be taken to the global market. Original content would be the key differentiator, he added.
The OTT arm of Amazon has also partnered with around 50 content creators and production houses to enhance its offerings including Excel Media, Phantom Films (Stardust), Big Synergy (Vishpuri) and AIB.
Original content is a plan that Amazon follows in the global market. It streams series such as You are wanted in Germany, Hitoshi Matsumoto for Japan, and The Man in the High Castle in the US.
Kripalani said that the company was evaluating regional content. India was like many countries within a country where stories were quite different region-wise. The company was looking at the regional market. he added.
Prime Video head of content - Asia Pacific James Farrell has said that India was a top priority market for Amazon and they believed that the love India has for films, the passion, the energy and the talent of India needed to be on a worldwide stage for the global audience. Kripalani is on threshold of unleashing the streaming service’s first Indian original -- Inside Edge, with, voila, all of only 10 episodes on 10 July across 240 countries.
Also Read:
Amazon India head Nitesh Kripalani’s amazing growth recipe
