Introduction

Anonymous Content is a production and talent management company that has established itself as a powerhouse in the drama and thriller genres with acclaimed television series—such as “Mr. Robot” and “True Detective”—and work with game-changing talent, including television writer and producer Sam Esmail. In recent years, Anonymous Content has launched a number of high-profile global partnerships, including production efforts in the Nordic regions, the U.K., and Brazil. The Indian television market represents significant opportunities for U.S. production companies like Anonymous Content to further expand their global reach. With a middle class of close to 250 million people, India’s available market significantly exceeds the U.S. middle class market which approaches 150 million people.

India is also experiencing rapid technological advancement as 5G networks are implemented and made available nationwide. This increased availability of 5G networks improves cellular service and enables increased mobile streaming capabilities for consumers. A study by Ericsson estimates that by 2025, Indian smartphone users will increase their consumption from the current average of 13.6 GB per month to around 24 GB per month. Beyond these aforementioned socioeconomic aspects, Indian audiences—especially viewers in the key 18 to 34-year-old middle-class demographic—are seeking new, varied programming as streaming becomes more commonplace.

To explore market opportunities for Anonymous Content resulting from these factors, this team employed traditional research methods, including reviewing extant data, conducting industry interviews, and reviewing other primary sources such as current news articles. To further measure current and future television consumption trends, the team surveyed Indian 18 to 34-year-olds enrolled in higher education and inquired about viewing patterns, content preferences, and how television fits into the larger picture of respondents’ lives.

Survey Results

The goal of the survey was to identify Anonymous Content’s potential consumers in the 18 to 34-year-old age range by analyzing sample audiences’ content preferences, viewing patterns, and consumption habits. The reason for choosing this target group was based on the fact that these individuals are 1.) the majority of internet users and 2.) frequently use digital platforms to consume content. Moreover, India is a youth-dominated society, with more than 65% of its populace below the age of 35. Therefore, it is crucial to understand this specific demographic. The survey was sent to over 25 universities across India, from megacities like Mumbai and Delhi to secondary cities like Pune and Manipal, and achieved 135 unique responses with a 50/50 gender split. Overall, survey results aim to support pre-existing information while providing a more comprehensive picture of the attitudes and behaviors of Anonymous Content’s preferred young, middle-class demographic.

Whereas terrestrial TV had to cater to a broad, multigenerational viewership, nowadays, with internet access, younger people increasingly watch TV away from their parents and grandparents in order to fit their own interests. Many Indian cable television shows and daily soaps like “Saas-bahu” drama (a genre of drama fiction about the relationship between controlling evil mothers of husbands), do not appeal to the Indian youngsters. Sameer Nair, current chief executive officer of Applause Entertainment opines that this audience is fatiguing from the sameness of TV content over the past 18 years and seeks a change. Indeed, traditional dramas’ lack of relevance and variation in plots do not appeal to a younger demographic. Additionally, inflexible time schedules make younger Indians even more determined to cut the cord. Therefore, seeking to fulfill their entertainment and information needs, this demographic is increasingly consuming content online. This trend is reflected in survey responses about where consumers are spending most of their screen time: Amazon Prime scored the highest (82.7%), followed by Netflix (81.2%), YouTube (63.2%), and Hotstar (51.9%).

According to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data, reruns of “Friends” were the most-watched English show over the years in India. With the launch of Netflix in 2016, several new shows—including “Breaking Bad,” “Orange is the New Black,” “House of Cards,” “Narcos,” and many others—have gained popularity in India. According to a New York-based actor and producer, with American-style content entering India and the accessibility of streaming services and democratization of TV, it is only natural that Indian youngsters will watch more. One filmmaker admits that Indian TV is in a bad state and that American TV series are fulfilling that lacuna for Indian millennials.

Survey data is consistent with the above statement. While 25% are satisfied with Indian TV programming, 33% express dissatisfaction. In the realm of international TV shows, more than 80% express their fulfillment (Figure 1).

With over 30 over-the-top (OTT) platforms, India’s millennials and Gen Z face an overwhelming number of subscription options. Survey results showed that two-thirds of the respondents are willing to pay more than ₹ 201-500 (roughly $6.99 per month) and within that, 10% pay up to ₹1001- 2000 (roughly $28.00 per month). Their willingness to pay for multiple platforms shows their strong interest in online content. The recent survey from market researcher YouGov also shows that the share of millennials watching online entertainment (48%) exceeds the share of those watching cable TV (43%).

Mobile devices and laptops rank as the first (38%) and second (36%) most used forms of watching television, beating out traditional television which accounts for 24%. According to research by Pew Research Center, younger people are more likely than older adults to own a smartphone in India (25% more). This increase in smartphone usage is projected to fuel a massive uptick in watching online video content on the personal media device in the future.

When it comes to genre preference, comedy emerged in the highest position as almost 90% selected it as their primary content to watch (Figure 4). Given how India offers a cornucopia of comedy films every year, this doesn’t come as a surprise. In 2018, the YouGov survey conducted among over 1,000 respondents in India showed that comedies work across all demographics (79%).

Comedy is followed by the drama/thriller genre (75.4%), and documentary, romance, and adventure follow with more or less 40% of respondents preferring each. According to the “top 10 shows” list released by Netflix India, the most-watched dramas and thrillers are “Narcos: Mexico,” “TAJ MAHAL 1989,” “Money Heist,” “Jamatra: Sabka Number Ayega,” “You,” “The Witcher,” and “Altered Carbon.”

While the context and content of these top streaming series are genre-based, they tend to address the country’s contemporary reality in a more relatable way. Netflix’s sensational crime thrillers “Sacred Games” and “Delhi Crime” feature historical references to crime, politics, corruption, religion, gangsters, and police that create a satisfyingly raw realism for audiences. Amazon has also created realism-infused stories for Prime Video, such as “Made in Heaven,” which gives an insight into Delhi’s upper-class weddings while revealing underlying social dynamics.

With so many options to choose from, when respondents were asked what would make them want to watch a new television show, one of the top attributes was friends’ comments. Almost 70% of those surveyed agreed that friends’ opinions guide their viewing choices, followed by positive reviews (66.4%). There are various reasons for this finding, but one of the most compelling reasons is that young Indian digital natives are strongly influenced by online word-of-mouth recommendations with the prevalence of smartphones. Their early exposure to the internet has naturally transformed them to be a “hypercognitive” generation very comfortable with collecting and cross-referencing many sources of information online.

The BCG report also points out that for Indian consumers, the opinions of friends and family are by far the most important information source when they are planning to make a purchase. Even though making a purchase will not necessarily translate to choosing a TV show, it is still a strong indicator of the underlying connection between social interactions and making choices.

Global smartphone brand Vivo, in association with Cybermedia Research (CMR), recently announced the results of a study that an average Indian spends one-third of their waking hours on their phone, which translates to 1,800 hours a year. The global average for binge-watching on streaming is six hours and 48 minutes weekly. However, Indians binge an hour and 45 minutes more (eight hours and 33 minutes), says Limelight Networks. To be more specific, according to Defy Media, 96% of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 24 use YouTube on a regular basis for an average of 11 hours a week to view videos of their choosing, whether it is gaming, music, or movies. Back to our survey result, more than half (52%) of the respondents claimed to either binge-watch the whole series or watch new episodes released weekly.

Based on the aforementioned information, we found that the majority of individuals in the 18-34 age demographic who prefer to view content on mobile devices are looking for shows based on real-life events and rooted in drama/thriller or comedy. 

Trends

One of the biggest market opportunities that this survey presents to Anonymous Content is the current lack of satisfaction with local Indian content offerings in comparison to international shows. This shows that there is a market demand amongst the survey respondents for high-quality Indian content, similar to the content output from Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Prime. If leveraged properly, Anonymous Content could team up with these streamers to provide its high-quality content to serve this market opportunity.

Another surprising trend is that survey respondents preferred comedy over drama/thriller. While drama/thriller still has a high demand over other genres, comedy outshines drama/thriller by about 13%, according to the survey. As stated in interviews with several streaming and production companies, many companies are focusing more on drama/thriller development, indicating that they were not planning to go into comedy, often citing that comedy is high risk due to fear of having the humor lost in translation. This goes hand-in-hand with interviews conducted with an Indian advisory and investment company where executives explained that there was a missing link in streaming in terms of comedy.

Knowing that the widely popular Bollywood content is heavily rooted in comedy, there is a high market demand for comedy that international streamers are not tapping into. This shows that there is an ideological difference between what international streamers assume and what local Indians demand in terms of genre within the market. Because of this, Anonymous could differentiate itself within the market by producing comedic-leaning shows that not only stay true to their brand but also cater to the local marketplace.

Through the introduction of streaming and the increasing convenience of mobile internet and content access, audiences in India are being introduced to U.S. television at an unprecedented rate, creating intense demand for varied programming. As a leading U.S. entertainment producer, if Anonymous Content were to partner with companies in India, it would be an industry leader in this emerging market. The ideal scenario for Anonymous Content would be a three-way partnership with an American streamer—perhaps one like Amazon, which boasts a strong global presence and has already platformed Anonymous Content productions—and a local Indian production company.

About the Authors

This analysis was part of a capstone project by Carnegie Mellon Master of Entertainment Industry Management students Amanda Courtney, Kris DiNardi, Gauri Joshi, and Bokyung Kim.

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