On the occasion of Ram Navami this month, video streaming platform JioHotstar roped in mega star Amitabh Bachchan to narrate the Ram Katha. The platform livestreamed the festivities from 8 am to 1 pm, recording an impressive 8.2 crore views, according to JioHotstar. In February, it had a 15-hour livestream for Mahashivratri, recording 3.9 crore views with strong traction from states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, among others.
Why would a platform like JioHotstar, which is home to the most-watched cricketing league and an unmatched content library, flex its muscles in the spiritual realm? In an earlier interview, Kiran Mani, CEO – digital, for JioStar, had said that there is untapped potential in bringing hyperlocal cultural events to national audiences. The possibilities, especially at the time of festivals like Diwali and Navratri are immense. Spiritual content connects on a much deeper and emotional level, especially in tier 2 and 3 markets where faith is central to daily life, says Nishant Gopalia, senior VP, media and MarTech for Tonic Worldwide.
He believes that this could be a smart move by OTT platforms because it expands the viewer base to include older demographics and family audiences. “We’ve all witnessed significant viewership of religious content on TV, and if we follow the shift in CTV (connected TV) growth, there is no doubt that religious content on digital, mobile and CTV put together, have the potential to grow significantly,” explains Gopalia.
Experts agree that spiritual content allows OTT platforms avenues to diversify and is especially impactful in rural markets that offer highly engaged audiences, which are often overlooked by many national OTT platforms.
Where there are eyeballs, there are advertisers and religious programming is no exception. “Brands see religious programming as a safe bet as families come together to watch them. People don’t tune out during these streams, so ads stick. It’s especially appealing for companies chasing middle India, away from the big cities,” remarks Russhabh R Thakkar, founder & CEO, Frodoh. Advertisers like JK Super Cement, Country Delight, Nirma Advanced Detergent and Denver came on board for the Mahashivratri livestream, while Pour Home, KEI Wires & Cables, Livfast, Navratna Cool Talc, and Fena were some of the advertisers during the Ram Navami programming,
Says Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and co-founder, TheSmallBigIdea, “We have noticed a growing interest in brands that align with values like tradition, family, spirituality, or wellness. Categories like FMCG, fintech, health, and even travel are showing openness to exploring such content because it drives attention at scale while keeping brand messaging in a very positive, respectful space.”
But can spiritual content drive paid subscriptions for OTT players in a market where audiences are happy to consume ad-driven, free content?
Tackling growth hurdles
As per an Ormax report, India’s OTT audience universe is 547.3 million, as of 2024. Of this, just around 27% or 150.6 million people are paid content users. The remaining 72.5% accesses only free content, largely on social media and YouTube. The big question is whether OTT players can win over subscribers on the back of their spiritual offerings, especially considering most audiences are happy to consume free content.
YouTube already hosts several channels for users seeking religious content. T-Series Bhakti Sagar has a whopping 75.4 million YouTube subscribers. Similarly, channels like Shemaroo Bhakti have 12.7 million subscribers, while Sanskar TV has 10.9 million and Aastha TV has 3.5 million subscribers on YouTube.
Karan Taurani, senior VP, Elara Securities believes it’s a tall order for OTT platforms to dethrone YouTube, which has been streaming devotional content for years. However, he adds that there isn’t much to lose for the OTT segment since the cost of creating spiritual content is fairly low. “Ultimately, this content is niche but platforms can cross-sell it to existing users and subscribers. A lot depends on the size and scale of the platform,” says Taurani.
Gopalia adds that while audiences and advertisers are interested, it is not clear if religious content will be sticky enough to drive subscriber growth for platforms. OTT players may need to experiment with offering special festive content packages, limited-time subscription offers and collaborations with spiritual influencers or gurus. Pillai adds that this type of content sits at the intersection of faith and entertainment, and missteps can lead to backlash.