Sure, the content variety and improved offerings are a plus, but post-merger price points can spring a surprise, as content sometimes moves to higher paywalls.
“Every merger comes with growing pains. Pricing is the first big challenge—while bundling services can be great, there’s always the risk of price increases or content moving behind higher paywalls. Consumers who were used to watching a show on one platform might suddenly find it moved to a premium tier elsewhere,” said Kaushik Das, founder and CEO of AAONXT, a platform specialising in Odia content.
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Then there’s content segregation—whether all the content will merge, or there will be restrictions based on plans. Lastly, there’s awareness. Users need to re-learn where their favourite content is and adapt to new interfaces. These challenges, if not handled well, can frustrate loyal subscribers rather than enhance their experience, Das pointed out.
What mergers mean for users
To be sure, entertainment industry experts emphasize that for big OTT platforms, mergers create scale, increase their subscriber base, and offer better monetization options. But for the consumer, the equation is different—it’s all about whether the additional cost justifies the value.
If mergers bring better libraries, seamless access, and affordability, they could be well received. However, if they lead to higher subscription fees without a proportional increase in quality or variety, consumers could shift to more niche, regional platforms.
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“Recent mergers and acquisitions in the Indian OTT space have several advantages, including increased content library offering diverse genres, personalized content recommendations combining data and analytics to enable more accuracy and cost savings, enabling merged entities to invest in better content and technology,” said Rajat Agrawal, chief operating officer, Ultra Media & Entertainment Group.
However, challenges can arise in the form of combining different platforms, infrastructure, and content management systems which can be a complex and time-consuming process. Transferring content from one platform to another, merging user accounts, subscriptions, and billing systems and keeping customers informed about the transition process, timeline, and potential changes, too are issues.
That said, most industry experts point out that merging companies keep in mind that the superior app and product should be the face of the new entity. Streaming industry expert Girish Dwibhashyam said that while users ignore minor temporary inconveniences, the challenge arises if both products are below par technically.
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“In this new era of consolidation, media and OTT companies should prioritize the consumer in every decision regarding experience, content offerings, subscription packages, and the overall brand promise. For users, the key benefit of consolidation is fewer subscriptions to manage. However, this also raises their expectations in terms of experience, content variety, and pricing.
Streaming companies undergoing such scenarios need to ensure they deliver on their brand promise to retain users acquired through the merger and onboard them seamlessly through consistent experience and innovation,” said Devyani Ozarde, managing director and lead – media and entertainment, Accenture in India.
