Video streaming platform MX Player crosses 1 billion downloads

Video streaming platform MX Player said on October 12 that it has crossed 1 billion downloads on Google Play Store, joining an elite club of apps that has achieved this milestone across the world.

MX Player, which started off as a local video playback app in 2011, had clocked about 500 million downloads prior to its acquisition by Times Internet for Rs 1,000 crore in June 2018. This indicates that the app has doubled its install base in just under three and half years.

It claims to currently have over 280 million monthly active users in India.

Among the non-preinstalled Google apps which have crossed this feat include Netflix, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Spotify, Subway Surfers, Candy Crush Saga, and Microsoft Office apps such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint, and Microsoft Excel.

“Our vision since the launch has been to cater to the true Bharat and in just over 2 years since the launch of our OTT offering, we’ve managed to achieve this iconic business milestone. We’re looking forward to continuing this momentum on the back of compelling content and innovative product offerings in the imminent future” said Karan Bedi, CEO, MX Media.

The app had raised about $110 million financing in a round led by Tencent in October 2019 and had expanded to about 12 international markets including UAE, US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Srilanka, Maldives, and Bhutan in March 2020.

MX Player currently offers a range of original and licensed content across various genres and languages, including international shows dubbed in local Indian languages. The service offers this content on a free ad-supported model. Users can also purchase a subscription at Rs 199 per year to receive early access to new web shows on the platform and remove ads from selected content including its originals.

The service’s slate of original and exclusive web shows include Aashram, Hello Mini, Ek Thi Begum, Bhaukaal, and Flames among others. Apart from the long-form video content, MX Player also offers short-form content through its service Takatak, music content through Gaana, and several mini games.

In June, the app said it has deployed support for H.266 video codec, which reduces the data usage for streaming videos by more than 50%, enabling users to consume high-definition video streams with significantly less data consumption.

MX Player’s rivals in India include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and Zee5 among others. Money Control