As OTT platforms expand and woo talent, new job roles open up
Headcount across the top 12 OTT players has increased by six percent in the last year. In the bigger players, job openings went up eight percent
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Amid the dull job market in the media and entertainment industry, the entry of over-the-top (OTT) platforms has not just broadened the scope for artists and performers but has also improved white-collar job openings.
According to talent platform foundit, OTT platforms have witnessed robust hiring growth at 28 percent across various roles over the past two years, driven by internet penetration, digital content consumption, and the expansion of the streaming platforms.
Xpheno, a specialist staffing company, told Storyboard18 that the 12 popular OTT platforms (Netflix, MX Player, Hulu, ESPN, Aha, Amazon Prime, ZEE 5, Disney + Hotstar, Bigflix, Kaltura, Yupp TV, and Apple TV +) employ more than 5,200 employees. Top bellwethers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee5, and Disney+ Hotstar account for 77 percent (approx 4,000) of the employees.
The Bengaluru-based firm told Storyboard18 that the headcount across all 12 OTT players increased by six percent in the past one year. The job openings in the big players also increased by eight percent in the same period.
Additionally, the attrition rate in major OTT companies is relatively higher, indicating major opportunities available in this sector. Xpheno said that the talent of the 12 major OTT players in the country has witnessed a 20 percent churn rate over the past one year. One out of five employees have had at least one job switch in the OTT industry, it added. However, the current openings in these 12 firms are below 100, denoting a relatively slowed-down trend in recent months.
'Skillset and salaries'
Most OTT players scout for talent within the competition, and a few are absorbed from the software sector, broadcast media, and entertainment and movie production sectors. The key skills that OTT players look for are Content and Entertainment production, Software Engineering, Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, and Market Research.
According to foundit, functions related to IT accounted for the maximum hiring in the OTT space at 44 percent between 2022 and 2024. The hiring activity by the OTT players in the Marketing and Communication department was 23 percent, followed by Creative at 11 percent, Sales at 8 percent, and Finance and Accounting at 4 percent in the past three years, respectively.
Jobs at the junior level have experienced the highest growth, followed by mid-level and senior-level positions between 2022 and 2024. Job openings for the junior level with 2-5 years of experience reported at 35 percent of hiring, mid-level at 23 percent, and the senior level at 17 percent in three years, foundit said.
"Over the past two years, the OTT sector has seen remarkable growth in hiring across all levels, from junior roles fostering fresh innovation to expanding mid-level positions focusing on strategic content and technical advancements, alongside the increasing demand for experienced leaders in senior roles. Additionally, the emergence of gig jobs and specialised roles in areas like data analytics and the customer experience in this space highlights the sector's dynamic evolution, driven by technological advancements and the growing consumer appetite for high-quality digital experiences," Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit said.
According to Prasadh MS, Head of Workforce Research at Xpheno, specialist talent commands healthy compensation packages in the OTT space. The compensation packages for specialists in some of the enterprises match what the tech sector offers its specialists, he added.
Prasadh said, "An employee with 5 to 10 years of experience, working with the OTT bellwethers in their digital content production, delivery, and marketing functionsand receiving packages in the Rs 28 lakh-Rs 35 lakh range". A difference of 5 -12 percent in compensation exists among the major players based on the internal compensation structures, he added. Besides, the pay packages vary in a 10 -15 percent range between the top 5 locations (Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Chennai).
"The packages for specialists in OTT can swing either way based on the specific project, timing, or geography a talent is being onboarded for. So this sector does not have a permanent good or bad paymaster, as package spikes or drops are transient and elastic to the enterprise or project context. As ideas and content are treated as perishables, the urgency to beat the competition and onboard the right talent is served by wooing talent with competitive packages," Prasadh added.
