Airtel Xstream records 50% jump in streaming volume during coronavirus lockdown

Bharti Airtel's digital content platform Xstream has recorded a 50 per cent jump in streaming volume during the lockdown, the company said on Friday.

While re-telecast of Ramayan is said to have broken records on Doordarshan, Airtel Xstream also noticed an increase in demand for retro content during the lockdown period.

"While overall streaming volumes have increased by 50 per cent on the app since the middle of March 2020, it is shows and movies from yesteryears that have seen the biggest surge in demand from users," Airtel said in a statement.

The platform has registered an increase in the average session time and the number of daily sessions per user is also up by 40 per cent as people are spending more time inside homes.

"Cult TV shows like Malgudi Days, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Zabaan Sambhal Ke, Rajani and many more have witnessed 300 per cent surge in streaming volumes," the statement said.

Bollywood Classics from Chaudhavin Ka Chand, Mother India, Don, Padosan, Andaz Apna Apna and Raja Babu have seen streaming volumes growth of 100 per cent underlining the strong demand of content from the decades gone by, it said.

The company found that close to 80 per cent of the demand surge for retro content is driven by users from non-metros and smaller towns in states such UP, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh which highlights the growing adoption of OTT in these markets as smartphones and 4G penetration increases.

"The current situation has made video entertainment an obvious and large use case. At the same time, it has given all of us more time and space to travel back in time and rekindle some fond memories as the situation also makes us emotional," Bharti Airtel chief product officer Adarsh Nair said.