By Variety | Created at 2024-11-21 04:11:27 | Updated at 2024-11-27 07:44:26
6 days ago
Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcasting heavyweight, rolled out its streaming platform Waves at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, marking the state broadcaster’s entry into the country’s competitive streaming space.
The platform launches with a slate spanning 12+ languages and 10+ genres, featuring everything from video-on-demand content to free gaming, radio streaming, and 65 live channels. In a bid to differentiate itself from existing streamers, Waves also integrates e-commerce capabilities through a partnership with ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce).
“It is indeed a momentous occasion for the Indian entertainment industry with the launch of Waves OTT,” said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the launch event. “I am very happy to see the diverse range of content on the platform, including a host of films and content across languages including Konkani.” In India and many Asian countries, streaming is also referred to by the acronym OTT (Over The Top).
The service’s initial content slate features fantasy action title “Monkey King the Hero is Back,” national award winner “Fouja,” and Vipul Shah’s thriller series “Bhed Bharam.” The lineup also includes “Fauji 2.0,” a modern take on the 1980s Shah Rukh Khan starrer, featuring Gauhar Khan and directed by Sandeep Singh. Family drama “Thode Door Thode Paas” starring Pankaj Kapoor, Kailash Kher’s music reality show “Bharat ka Amrit Kalash,” and Oscar winner Guneet Monga Kapoor’s social impact film “Kicking Balls” round out the marquee offerings.
For younger viewers, the platform offers animation programming including “Doggy Adventure,” “Chota Bheem,” “Tenaliram,” and “Akbar Birbal,” alongside games like “Krishna Jump,” “Fruit Chef,” “Ram the Yodha,” and the U.S. Cricket Premier League tournament.
Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi emphasized the platform’s focus on family viewing: “Waves brings a wide range of content for clean family viewing into every Indian home that can use this platform to watch, listen, read, play, shop in a curated environment.”
The platform has secured partnerships with various content providers, including Lionsgate for video content and multiple gaming companies such as Mud Games and Tag Labs. Educational content providers like PACE have joined to offer test prep tutorials.
Information & Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju positioned the launch within India’s broader digital strategy: “Waves OTT marks a significant step in the Indian government’s Digital India vision. The comprehensive, inclusive and diverse OTT will bridge the digital media and entertainment divide, on the back of its collaboration with BharatNet for last mile connectivity to rural audience.”
The service will stream live events, including the Prabhu Shriram Lalla Aarti from Ayodhya and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly “Mann ki Baat” address.
Prasar Bharati chair Navneet Kumar Sehgal noted that Waves stands out as “one of the only OTT networks which is your window to not only the world of clean family entertainment but also to shopping, games and news and current affairs for kids and youth.”
The platform’s content acquisition strategy, outlined in its 2024 policy, targets urban, metro, middle India, and non-resident Indian audiences. Various government ministries, including External Affairs, Finance, and Culture, have contributed programming to the platform. The service will also feature content from film schools like FTII and partnerships with National Creator awardees including Kamiya Jani and Gaurav Chaudhary.
