The smartphone revolution continues to change the way that people across India go about their everyday lives. From work to downtime, these pocket-sized, internet-connected devices are unlocking the nation to everything that the online space has to offer. As is often the case in growing markets, one of the earliest areas to benefit from a surge in access is entertainment.
This adoption has been especially rapid in India than in nations previously because the widely-adopted grade of the technology is already strong enough to handle the best on offer. In the country of over 1.3 billion people, VentureBeat.com reports 24 per cent of adults having a smartphone. The majority of these will be making the most of India’s globally-low mobile internet rates, too, granting access to the best entertainment options available.
Live streaming across several forms of entertainment is booming in India, with the tech being adopted incredibly quickly by the nation’s ever-growing smartphone user base. Here’re the platforms and services surging as leaders of live-streamed entertainment.
Convenient live sports viewership
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If one smartphone app could be deemed the new home of live sports in India, it’s Hotstar. As detailed by IndiaToday.in, the affordable VIP subscription to Hotstar grants access to a tremendous amount of live sport, including the English Premier League, Formula One, and, of course, the cricket. All of it can be live-streamed to compatible smartphone devices with an internet connection.
Unsurprisingly, it’s Hotstar’s array of live cricket coverage which is the main selling point. Showing the Indian Premier League and international tournaments like the Cricket World Cup, its subscription model has made live streaming sport as convenient as it is affordable. The platform also has the streaming rights to one of the fastest-growing sports competitions in the country, the Pro Kadabbi League.
Establishing an audience for the newest sport
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Most traditional sports in India have long-standing TV rights deals, with streaming becoming the new way to watch. For the latest sport on the scene, however, live streaming is the standard for the majority of its competitions. This sport is that of eSports, the $1 billion surging industry set around highly skilled gamers. With the advent of smartphone gaming, India has suddenly become a colossal audience for eSports – both as a talent pool and viewership.
While several online platforms offer live streams, such as YouTube, Twitch, and Hotstar for some events, the app that’s making a significant push in India is Nimo TV. It has been very aggressive as it seeks to capture the vast audience, with IndianTelevision.com reporting the company’s push to hire professional streamers from across the country.
Playing games live and in real-time
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While the convenience of digital casino gaming has proven to be very popular, especially when coupled with the tremendous range of options available, Indian gamers have gravitated to the most advanced games online. Live casino games stream a physical table game with a human croupier to online users, who can then play the game being shown in real-time.
These innovative games have become so popular in India that the ratings and review site BettingGuru.in puts a great amount of weight to those with extensive live betting options. As most of their betting sites are primarily sports betting focussed, it speaks volumes that people tend to gravitate towards ones with hefty casino bonuses to then have more game time on the live casino creations, such as live roulette and blackjack.
Live streaming has rapidly become the go-to way to enjoy entertainment in India. If the embrace of live casino gaming is anything to go by, the country will be quick to jump on the next step of development.