Bengali video streaming platform hoichoi has reported impressive growth in its subscriber base and individual watch-time, signaling a strong year for the platform. According to the company, it has witnessed a 40% increase in direct subscriptions and a remarkable 60% rise in individual watch-time per subscriber compared to the previous year.
Vishnu Mohta, co-founder of hoichoi, attributed this growth to the platform’s focus on offering a compelling value proposition rather than underpricing its services. He also highlighted that the lockdown period significantly boosted OTT viewership in general, and hoichoi has continued to capitalize on this trend.
In addition to its strong performance in its home market of West Bengal, hoichoi has expanded its presence in Bangladesh, where it serves the Bengali-speaking population. The platform is also exploring opportunities to target the diasporic Bengali-speaking audience in the Middle East through strategic partnerships with telecommunications companies and offline marketing efforts.
Mohta emphasized that hoichoi remains committed to its paid customer base and continues to invest in producing a wide range of high-quality shows to meet the demand of its growing subscriber base.
Looking ahead, hoichoi has ambitious plans for its content lineup. The platform is set to offer 24 original web shows and three theatrical films in the coming year, showcasing its dedication to delivering fresh and engaging content to its viewers.
Some of the upcoming titles on hoichoi include “Durgo Rawhoshyo” starring Anirban Bhattacharya and Sohini Sarkar, “Chemistry Mashi” featuring Debasree Roy, the third season of Ritwik Chakraborty’s “Gora,” “Parnashavarir Shaap” with Chiranjeet Chakraborty and Surangana Bandyopadhyay, “Parineeta” by Debchandrima Singha Roy, and the second season of “Nikhoj” starring Tota Roy Choudhury and Swastika Mukherjee, among others.
To further expand its reach and cater to diverse audiences, hoichoi is actively pursuing content syndication deals in other languages on various partner platforms for regional distribution. The platform recently entered into a partnership with Viacom18’s JioCinema to offer dubbed Hindi versions of its shows and movies, reaching a wider audience. In the coming year, hoichoi plans to explore opportunities to make its content available in additional languages such as Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam through selected partners. It’s worth noting that the platform retains the intellectual property rights of all syndicated content.
Moreover, hoichoi’s original productions have attracted attention from other OTT platforms for remakes. For example, the Telugu-language remake of hoichoi’s “Taqdeer,” titled “Dayaa,” is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, and “Indu,” a remake of a Bengali show with the same name, will soon be available on the same platform.
As part of its expansion strategy, the Bengali OTT platform is launching “hoichoi Studios” to build a pipeline for theatrical releases. While the parent company, SVF Entertainment, already produces and releases films in cinemas, the new films from hoichoi Studios will exclusively premiere on the hoichoi platform after their theatrical release. Mohta mentioned that hoichoi is already marginally profitable, highlighting its sustainable growth and appeal to subscribers.
