Why Indian media firms are betting on overseas audiences for growth
Media and entertainment firms are forming global partnerships to tap into the lucrative diaspora market. Despite India's growing consumption, monetization remains challenging. Collaborations focus on producing diverse content for international audiences while navigating competition.
As revenue pressures mount at home, Indian media firms are finding their next growth opportunity abroad. Media and entertainment companies have been exploring global partnerships and strengthening their presence in several international markets over the past few months in a bid to gain from the higher paying propensity among diasporic Indians abroad.
Many of these deals come at a time that the Indian market is still growing in consumption, but monetization has become harder. Subscription prices are low, advertisement rates are under pressure and competition between platforms is intense. Everyone is fighting for the same audience and content costs have gone up faster than revenues.
Last year, MovieVerse Studios, the mainstream content arm of IN10 Media Network, partnered with Beacon Media to launch a global content alliance focused on amplifying stories from the Global South, aiming to create a content ecosystem spanning Hollywood, India, West Asia, Africa and Latin America. SonyLIV, the video streaming platform from Sony Pictures Networks India too announced a partnership with YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels to offer viewers the ability to subscribe to the platform in the US, UK, France, Germany and Australia.
Earlier this month, creator company Chtrbox had announced expansion of global operations to West Asia.
Depending on the platform and audience strategy, overseas users can bring in up to 40% of overall revenues, according to industry executives.
Why look outwards?
“Global markets offer something that India simply cannot—the breathing space. They pay better and licence smarter. Diaspora-heavy markets deliver higher per-user revenue and stronger content tails," said Siddharth Devnani, co-founder and chief operating officer at digital agency SoCheers. "A South-Asian family in London or Jersey is willing to pay much more than an Indian family juggling with EMIs (equated monthly instalments) and five OTT (over-the-top) apps. Add to that, the power shifts quietly with less dependence on one platform and more negotiating muscle and IP that is built to travel."
Calling the global push a form of portfolio diversification, Devnani said India isn’t failing as a market but has simply matured faster than the business models designed to monetize it.
The media ecosystem is definitely very crowded, price-sensitive and frugally-efficient at cutting margins. Subscription growth has plateaued and the audience often juggles between five to six platforms but practically paying for maybe only one. Discounting has trained them to expect content to be cheap. Further, big budget storytelling often struggles to stay afloat in a market that produces content at a large scale and while much of it is good, not all of it breaks through domestically.
In a statement to announce the partnership with Beacon Media that is producing Arabic content at scale for digital-first audiences, IN10 Media said the alliance is strategically-positioned within the deep economic and cultural ties between India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, two of the largest investors in India’s entertainment and technology sectors. The partnership will focus on producing feature films, premium series, and micro-series designed specifically for digital-first platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
“The Global South is home to some of the most dynamic and culturally-rich stories waiting to be told. With this partnership, we are ensuring these culturally-rooted narratives reach the global stage in the most impactful way possible. We are excited to develop content that resonates across geographies and platforms, whether it is through compelling cinematic storytelling or strategic digital-first initiatives," Vivek Krishnani, chief executive of MovieVerse Studios had said in the statement.
Agreeing that Indian content already has a built-in audience in the US, UK, Australia and parts of Europe, Munish Vaid, vice-president, Primus Partners, a management consultancy firm, said platforms don’t have to start from zero. “And if a show travels beyond the diaspora into mainstream international audiences, the upside multiplies through licensing, co-productions and global distribution deals," Vaid added.
Stepping out—no cakewalk
That said, a global outreach effort comes with its share of challenges. You cannot assume what works in India will automatically work overseas. Storytelling, pacing, themes, even marketing have to be more universal. Subtitles and dubbing are just the starting point, cultural context matters. The distribution strategy also changes. Instead of building everything yourself, partnerships become key; with global platforms, aggregators and local broadcasters.
Moreover, global markets are crowded. You are competing not just with other Indian players, but with Korean content, Turkish dramas, Hollywood and local productions. Standing out requires sharper curation, better branding and patience.
“The attributes of the global market are not entirely different from the attributes of the market within the country. But yes, the sheer size and scale makes the endeavour to reach out to global markets not just profitable but socially significant—to take the storytelling traditions of Bharat, to the world where they belong," said Narayan Parasuram, director and professor at Somaiya Dhwani Chitram Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai.
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