Desi content helps Indian apps get downloads from foreign countries

Indian entertainment and live streaming platforms are among the most downloaded applications globally, as desi content gains in popularity the world over, according to the latest data released by Sensor Tower, a mobile app intelligence firm.
Data for January-March showed Hotstar, MXPlayer, JioTV, ZEE5 and SonyLiv were among the top 10 downloaded entertainment applications worldwide.
Of the two billion downloads of entertainment apps on Google Play and Apple’s App Store globally, 366 million were made in India. YouTube topped the charts, followed by Netflix.
“Indian content — whether TV shows or movies — gets tremendous love across the globe and especially so from the subcontinent due to relatability, given the shared context of culture and language,” said Archana Anand, chief business officer, ZEE5 Global. “This significant opportunity in international markets led us to reach out to not only South Asians, but also mainstream audiences, across the globe.”
Data showed that a fifth of MXPlayer downloads were in Pakistan, Brazil and Saudi Arabia; a tenth of ZEE5 downloads were in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia; and about 8% of SonyLiv downloads were in Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
“Premium original content in Hindi and regional languages that is meant for a private viewing experience has done exceptionally well on our platform,” said Karan Bedi, chief executive, MXPlayer. MXPlayer is owned by Times Internet, digital arm of Times Group, which publishes The Economic Times.
“Outside of India, we continue to drive innovation in the mobile video space as the world’s largest video player, and are actively evaluating launching streaming in various potential markets,” Bedi said.
Analysts are of the view that while Bollywood content has always been extremely popular in South Asian and Gulf countries with local or Indian diaspora, viewers were unable to access it freely.
“Indian entertainment’s availability was limited because TV networks didn’t have licensing rights,” said Jehil Thakkar, head (media and entertainment) and partner, Deloitte. But now, with access to cheap subscription plans, legitimate consumption is seeing an increase across genres.
Earlier, a lot of Indian content was pirated and downloaded illegally.
“Audiences globally love stories from India,” Netflix told ET in an email. “To be meaningful in the 190 countries where we are present, we need to be able to localise our stories, irrespective of language.” Netflix said two of every three viewers of its first Indian original series, Sacred Games, were from outside India.
Entertainment apps are following the overall rise in downloads across India, with more smartphone users and access to affordable mobile internet. Randy Nelson, head (mobile insights), Sensor Tower, said, “Entertainment apps, in particular, are always among the most installed in any market.”