Launched in 1959, Doordarshan (DD) symbolised independent India’s entertainment aspirations. Since then, India’s television scene has transformed from over-the-air to over-the-top (OTT).
DD began as an experimental television service by All India Radio in 1956. Three years later, on September 15, 1959, Doordarshan was launched with a small transmitter and makeshift studio.
Image: wikipedia.org/Doordarshan
Shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat offered entertainment for the masses. Meanwhile, programs like Krishi Darshan, provided agricultural knowledge to a largely agrarian audience.
Image: X/@Krishi_Darshan
The 1982 Asian Games held in New Delhi was the first coloured broadcast on Doordarshan.
In 1991, India welcomed satellite television, breaking the monopoly that DD had held previously.
With satellite TV, private channels like Zee TV, Star TV and other foreign channels entered the scene.
Image: X/@ZeeTV
DishTV launched the first direct-to-home (DTH) service in India in 2003. Since then, Tata Play, Airtel, Sun Direct, and others have entered the market.
As of June 2024, India had 62.17 million DTH users as compared to 23.5 million in June 2010.
Data: thecurrent.com
In 2008, India’s first OTT platform, BigFlix was launched followed by nexGTv in 2010. Unlike satellite TV, OTT slid into the entertainment scene without a bang.
Hotstar was launched in 2015, followed by the launch of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5 and others in India soon after.
OTT platforms started gaining traction in India due to high-speed internet penetration, smartphone revolution, upward economic mobility and their appeal to niche interests.
India’s OTT audience grew by 20% between 2021 and 2022, and further increased by 13.5% from 2022 to 2023. As of 2024, India’s total OTT subscriber base stood at 547.3 million users.
Data: thecurrent.com
‘WAVES’, the OTT platform of Prasar Bharati, the parent company of DD, was launched on November 20, 2024.
From Doordarshan to OTT, the circle of entertainment has ended up where it began, on a small screen.
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