Satheesh P R talks to MediAvataar India about its expanding content offerings and taking Malayala Manorama Television to the next level
Here’s the full Q & A:
1.Despite its relatively small geographical spread, God’s Own Country has been seeing an unprecedented proliferation of OTT platforms. Your thoughts on this?
There are 35 million Malayali’s worldwide and fairly affluent, the size of the market is not to be estimated just on numbers. This is a market where TV has a penetration of close to 95%. Internet penetration is over 70% in the state and our MAU base is over 3 million for manoramaMAX
2.In India, entertainment is a highly competitive market, with lots of content available across many, many different services. What would you say makes Manorama Max stand out?
We are the No.1 Malayalam only OTT in the country with a good mix of News and entertainment plus the movies/originals too.
3.Regional films, especially from southern languages are attracting huge viewership around the world. Your views on this?
Unique content, stories, screenplay and acting combine to make a good film have captured the imagination of Indian’s across, language is no longer a barrier.
4.Originals is the new buzzword in town. What is Manorama Max content strategy when it comes to Originals?
We have films and originals to engage our SVOD audience continuously and consistently.
5.Acquisition prices for southern films is only going to get higher in 2022, as they perform better than others. What’s your take on that?
There are close to 200 films that are Produced in Malayalam every year, we are confident of getting our requirements fulfilled at an optimal price that is in line with our Business.
6.Due to shifting focus towards OTT, do you think theatrical releases will come down in the coming years?
We do not think so. TV did not take away people from theatres, so, OTT too will not. The experience of a theatre would always stay. People will consume more cinemas due to OTT and they would go to the theatre too for their monthly/annual dose
7.The Best Businesses Are Built Around Passion. What are your views on this?
Passion comes after a carefully thought out strategy, without passion and energy, it is hard for any strategy to succeed.
8.On a personal note, what have been the highlights of your career so far? Your key learnings?
To have been part of many successful launches! Strategy, passion and hard work always work. One needs to be nimble and quick to seize an opportunity while staying focused on the medium and long term.