If you’re a movie buff, we have some good news for you. One of India’s largest movie distributor — the Eros Group — is in talks with Apple and other streaming services to sell their entire collection! Gizmodo reports —
“The other parties in the fray include Amazon and Netflix, but talks are in very early stages. […] The deal could be worth around $1 billion.”
Essentially, the Eros Group wants to sell off their content to one (or all) of these online streaming service providers. They stand to gain access to a distribution platform that has already found its way into the bedrooms of many-a-Indians. While on the other hand, Apple or Netflix or Amazon get access to a huge library of already well-loved content.
The fight right now is more or less evenly matched. In fact, if we are being honest, Apple has got nothing over Netflix or Amazon. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Apple is getting thrashed even Hotstar, whose operational budget is a fraction of what Apple spends on coffee daily! And this treasure trove of content from the Eros Group could well be the difference between a win and a loss in this battle.
“The deal may include Eros’ digital over-the-top (OTT) platform, Eros Now. With OTT platforms, subscribers can view films and TV content via the internet, without having to sign up with a traditional cable or satellite-TV service provider.”
Both Apple and Amazon have refused to comment on the issue saying that they “don’t comment on speculation.”
It’s understandable that they might be keeping the deal a bit low-key until the whole affair is finalised and on put on paper. Meanwhile, we can rejoice at the fact that we’re seeing a growing acceptance among the distributors of Indian films in the online streaming marketplace.
The TV is all but dead, and this decision by the Eros Group is a resounding hammerfall as the internet shoves the last nails on the coffin of traditional television.