Prasar Bharati launches its OTT platform Waves at IFFI in Goa

Prasar Bharati's family-friendly over-the-top (OTT) platform WAVES has officially launched at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The app ‘Waves- Family Entertainment Ki Nayi Lehar’ will be available on Android, iOS, and as a website.

Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during a media roundtable on 13th November, had addressed Storyboard18's query on Prasar Bharati's OTT plans. Jaju informed that only a small part of Prasar Bharati OTT will be subscription-based and the rest can be accessed for free.

Jaju had told Storyboard18 that the OTT is going to be a game-changer "because this is not just streaming material, but it also will carry a lot of live channels. It will also host archival material... so we are combining all this together."

When asked about which private or live channels have agreed to join the pubcaster's OTT, Jaju had said, "Obviously there are many who have agreed because we already run DD Freedish where there are close to 60 entertainment channels which are part of DD Freedish. They would be more than willing to come and join the deal...so it will be a very good service. We will have access to a lot of entertainment material, that is currently possibly not being enjoyed by them for various reasons. It's on the cards."

Waves also features a diverse range of content, including movies like Aarakshan, One Day, The Impossible, and Alice Darling, as well as TV shows, games, and a live events section.

Prasar Bharati’s streaming platform will offer content in SD, HD, and 4K, initially supporting 10 million concurrent users with scalability to 100 million. The OTT app will also introduce features like integrated gaming for kids and online shopping via the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

The launch, which was first announced in 2023, was earlier scheduled for September 15. It was then pushed to October 3 amidst the growing concerns from select broadcasters and streaming platforms.

Prasar Bharati's move into the OTT space not only is poised to stir up competition for the other OTT players but is also distressing linear TV channels in the market. For top broadcasters, it is the conflict of interests as they already run their own subscription-based or ad-based OTT platforms. Additionally, some seek holistic regulatory review because of the pubcaster’s ability to integrate its OTT with traditional TV offerings, potentially leading to market distortions.

In its letter to the MIB, dated September 2, All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) has in fact urged the Ministry to withdraw Prasar Bharati's notice inviting TV broadcasters for its soon-to-be-launched OTT platform, as it believes the same disrupts uplinking and downlinking guidelines, and also disrupts the traditional TV distribution.

DTH operators too, reportedly are planning to write a similar letter to the information and broadcasting ministry on the placement of linear TV channels on Prasar Bharati's OTT platform.