85% of Indians rely on mobile network providers for subscriptions

Approximately 85% of Indians rely on mobile network providers for subscriptions, 59% use digital wallets and 50% TV or satellite providers, Bango, which facilitates global stores to deliver mobile payments, said in a report.

The findings underscore the significance of aggregators, especially in India’s cluttered over-the-top (OTT) market.

According to the report, the average number of subscriptions per person stands at 3.4. It said 24% of users spend ₹300-599 per month on prepaid subscription plans.

Several emerging aggregator platforms played a role in expanding the reach of streaming services in a competitive online video market such as India.

Telecom operators have been offering bundled services for OTT video platforms, but the emergence of aggregators such as Prime Video Channels, Tata Play and Airtel Xstream Premium is poised to enhance the reach and subscriber base of platforms that are not aggressive with their distribution and marketing efforts.

With nearly 60 OTT platforms operating in India, it is challenging for any individual player to capture viewer attention, underscoring the role of aggregators, said experts.

“Aggregators (like us) are important to deliver reach for producers…who may have discerning and high-quality content,” Harit Nagpal, managing director and chief executive of Tata Play Ltd, which operates OTT aggregator Tata Play Binge, had said in an interview.

The Bango report is based on insights from a quantitative survey comprising 6,171 participants from six countries, including 1,030 respondents from India. This online survey was conducted in August 2023 featuring an equal distribution of males and females (50:50) across an age group of 18-65, spanning socioeconomic classifications and subscribing to at least one service across OTT streaming, music, health, gaming and food delivery.

The report said 92% of the users are subscribers to subscription video on demand (SVoD) TV and film apps, 74% opt for music, 57% have for food delivery, and 47% for sports. In terms of subscription duration, 54% of users have month-long plans, 19% year-long plans, and 17% prefer bi-annual plan.

However, not all subscribers are satisfied. Around 12% were frustrated as they did not know how much they spend every month, 37% admitted to paying for subscriptions they don’t use, 55% said piracy is the best way to access content in one place, while 43% felt that they were ‘locked in’ with their current service, and 66% would prefer to opt out of automatic subscription renewals.

In fact, consumers are looking for one place to buy and manage subscriptions. Around 92% say they want subscriptions to be managed in one place, 70% would switch providers if this service became available elsewhere, 97% would be more loyal to a brand offering this service, 59% would prefer all subscriptions consolidated in one bill, 94% believe it would help better manage household expenditure and 92% would subscribe to international content such as Netflix or Disney+ Hotstar if their network operator offers easy access.

“Consumers are crying out for a way to make their lives easier—a simple way to add, administer and pay for subscriptions and products all in one place. And they are telling us that if this is done, they’d switch to the provider of this service, be more loyal to them and pay for more services. It’s a win for everyone, but mostly it’s a win for the customer,” Giles Tongue, vice-president, marketing, Bango, said as part of the report.

Further, the report says that in south east Asia and India, pre-paid customers make up the majority of the market (83%). “These subscribers have traditionally been seen as less predictable, topping up their credit when needed. In contrast, post-paid customers (17%) offer a more reliable, and consistent billing cycle,” it added. Among pre-paid customers, around 82% pay the same amount every time via a recurring payment. LiveMint