ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF OTT PLATFORMS DURING THE PANDEMIC

Abstract

People used to watch television when there were just a few channels and options to choose from. People also couldn't watch films and television shows according to their own preference or convenience as they had to stick to the program's scheduling. You weren't provided with the opportunity to re-watch the slot if you missed it. There were occasions when we would look in the newspaper for the channel's telecasting schedule. However, with the advent of OTT services, everything got simple, and users were able to stream anything they wanted, whenever they wanted. People might alter their entertainment schedules to fit their work schedules because to OTT. When people were trapped at home due to the epidemic and the box office was shut down by Covid-19, Streaming sites came to Bollywood's rescue. During the lockdown, several on-demand movie streaming platforms noticed a surge in new users. Some platforms have kept up with the pace even after the lockdown was lifted. In this study, I'll look at how OTT platforms grew in popularity during the epidemic. This study will be carried out with the assistance of interviewers from various viewers. It's evident that since their introduction, OTT platforms have only grown in popularity and usage. People's consumption patterns have changed as a result of the pandemic, resulting in a major surge in their popularity. The aim of this study is to look into the growth of OTT services during the epidemic. To understand the future potential of OTT platforms, it is necessary to understand the level to which their popularity grew during the pandemic. True, all such OTT platforms have only grown in popularity and usage since their launch, but the pandemic has resulted in a significant boost in their popularity due to the shift in people's consumption patterns. This study conducted a survey and interviewed three people to assess their views on OTT platforms, consumption patterns, and comparisons to cinema to evaluate if OTT platforms were gradually displacing the most popular traditional entertainment medium. People used OTT more than any other platform, according to research. The majority of them had noticed a rise in the amount of hours they spent on OTT services and were anticipating movies being launched on OTT at the same time as they were in theatres. People were also content to see films on OTT rather than in the theatre. However, for some, it was determined by the film. This study revealed that OTT platforms have a lot of room to grow.