ZEE5 Global achieves a 35% Year-on-Year growth among the US viewership
ZEE5 Global, a streaming platform specialising in South Asian content, has witnessed a 35% surge in viewership within its target U.S. audience, as per the latest stats.
Interestingly, the South Asian community in the U.S. showed an inclination towards drama, constituting 60% of the platform’s viewership in the initial half of 2023.
Notably, films like “Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan” featuring Salman Khan, “Uunchai” led by Amitabh Bachchan, and “Salaam Venky” with Aamir Khan, along with ZEE5 originals such as “Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai” with Manoj Bajpayee, and others like “Tarla,” “Ayali,” “Taj: Divided by Blood,” and “Vyavastha” emerged as top choices.
On the other hand, comedy content experienced a 92% growth annually while capturing 22% of the overall viewership on the platform during the first half of 2023. Hits in this genre included titles like “Kanjoos Makhichoos,” “United Kachche,” and “Mrs. Undercover,” among others.
Thrillers also saw an uptick, registering a 58% growth. ZEE5 Global originals such as “Lost,” “Blurr,” and “Oru Kodai Murder Mystery” were standout performers in this category.
Subsequently, romance and reality shows also found their place in the viewership mix.
Archana Anand, the Chief Business Officer at ZEE5 Global, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “ZEE5 Global is committed to serving the South Asian community with a rich array of content across various genres and languages. Witnessing the deep connection our titles have forged with viewers globally is heartening. With our viewership on an upward trajectory, our mission is to satiate our diaspora audience’s content appetite consistently.”
ZEE5’s Strategic Move to Strengthen its Content Repository
Marking its fifth-anniversary milestone, in May, ZEE5 introduced a diverse array of 111 titles for 2023. This collection boasted 30 original series across languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bangla.
Interestingly, Hindi dominated half of these series, some of which were follow-up seasons. The rest of the lineup was a mix of films, some making their digital debut directly on ZEE5 while others became available after their theatrical release.
Recognising the varied tastes across different demographics and languages, ZEE5 Global offers a vast library featuring 200,000 hours of content, encompassing over 4000 movies, 2300 TV shows, and 800 originals in 18 diverse languages.
The Sony-Zee Merger Deal
Last October, Sony and Zee announced their merger plans.
This merger will bring together an ensemble of over 70 TV channels, two prominent streaming services (Zee5 and SonyLiv), and film powerhouses Zee Studios and Sony Pictures Films India.
ZEE5 had been amplifying its regional offerings, introducing original content in languages like Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali, which constituted half of their total viewership.
The capital commitment from Sony, totalling $1.575 billion or Rs 11,000 crore, was set to bolster their investments in top-tier content, especially in sports.
During this period, SonyLiv had an MAU of 45 million, Zee5 boasted 72.6 million, and the Indian OTT landscape had 353.2 million users, of which 96 million were paid members.
But due to varied reasons, the merger is yet to be closed.
Ragul Thangavel
With over nine years of diverse professional experience, Ragul has made significant contributions across various domains, including Media Operations, OTT Technologies, Video Production, Ecommerce, and Social Media.
Holding an Engineering degree, Ragul's career took an unconventional turn when he discovered his passion for writing, leading him to begin his journey as a content writer.
His career has been exclusively dedicated to the growth and development of startups, where he has played a pivotal role. His unique blend of technical knowledge and creative prowess has enabled him to drive innovation and success in every venture he has been a part of.