India’s streaming gold rush shifts to creators as Samay Raina, Bhuvan Bam step into OTTs

Mumbai: A shift is underway in the way the content pipeline is being created in India’s streaming platforms industry.

Rising uncertainty over securing audiences for fresh shows, and copious content across platforms have increased the importance of content Intellectual Properties (IPs) that have built-in audiences for streamers.

Also Read: YouTube Income: India's creator economy needs to be more serious after new monetisation criteria


In this context, individual creators whose shows are being increasingly aired on streaming platforms are not just considered as ‘talent’ but Intellectual Properties (IPs) by streaming platforms, streamers, talent management agencies, industry veterans and influencer marketing companies said.

They also said that individual creators will become an important source of the next wave of content creation on streaming platforms.

Shows of individual creators such as India’s Got Latent (Samay Raina), Dhindora (Bhuvan Bam), and Chacha Vidhayak Hain Hamare (Zakir Khan), are being aired on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. In fact, JioHotstar has a dedicated creator-led content vertical called Sparks.

A key rationale behind streamers showcasing works of individual creators is their built-in audiences, they said. ‘The lines between digital creators and mainstream entertainment are becoming more fluid. Creators are bringing in fresh voices, formats and cultural perspectives to the screen,’ said a JioHotstar spokesperson. ‘It is the combination of authenticity and direct audience connection creators have built with the scale and distribution that streaming platforms like ours offer,’ the spokesperson added.

Creators also provide strong distribution for their works through their presence on YouTube, which serve as an advantage for streamers, said talent management agencies.

‘Streamers are building a library of shows and personalities that audiences are already culturally invested in,’ said Jithin Sethumadhavan, founder, BackSpace, a talent and content agency. ‘This reduces the pressure on distribution. YouTube itself continues to drive discovery through clips, memes and conversations around the show,’ he explained.

Also Read: Creator economy shifts toward structured hiring as firms bring talent in-house: Indeed

In essence, collaborations between streamers and individual creators are a win-win affair. On the one hand, streamers save the costs and risks associated with discovering and marketing new shows as they get recognisable voices with built-in audiences. On the other hand, individual creators get good content budgets and streamers’ distribution.

Diversity of content of individual creators is another advantage for streamers, said industry veterans who deal with content IPs. “Individual creators offer diverse content spread across regional culture, youth communities, comedy, gaming, lifestyle, education, and niche interests,” said Rohit Dalmia, CMD, CineNow, an investment platform focused on film IPs. “Individual creators are likely to play a meaningful role in the next wave of streaming content. They experiment with formats, testing narratives quickly, and learning from direct audience feedback,” he added.

Increasingly, on a macro scale, the digital space is becoming a source of IPs across segments in the entertainment industry. Individual creators and audiences have developed a symbiotic relationship with audience which culminates into films and shows. Horror film Backrooms shows this trend.

“Digital space has emerged as the largest real-time focus group for storytellers. Communities on Reddit, Discord and YouTube are doing what studios and other stakeholders did. They are building lore, fandom and emotional investment around various subjects. So, even before the subject reaches the greenlight stage, audience already exists for it,” said Raj Mishra, MD & CEO, Chtrbox, an influencer marketing company.