TO BINGE OR NOT TO BINGE?
Streaming is a medium synonymous binge-watching. So with why are makers and platforms opting for episodic drops?
OTT began as a medium for binge-watching and watching entire seasons of a show in one sitting quickly became the norm. But lately, streaming platforms are experimenting with episodic formats. While shows like Lootere and Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani drop episodes weekly, this isn’t a new phenomenon. Out Of Love season 2 in 2021 and Aakhri Sach (2023) adopted a weekly format, while R Madhavan’s Breathe merged the two by dropping half the season in one go and the remaining episodes weekly. Meanwhile, older shows like Baarish and Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain drop episodes daily, in a TV like format.
MAKING OTT A HABIT
While binge-watching draws audiences to a platform, episodic formats are what make them stay. With new episodes each week, the audience’s commitment to the platform becomes longer lasting, says Saugata Mukherjee, content head, Sony LIV. “In India, daily TV viewing is the norm and a lot of TV cord cutters miss that. I think episodic formats fill that gap. At the same time, the audience has the flexibility to watch their shows at leisure, unlike TV. There’s also a clear growth in engagement — we have been able to add new audience sets daily,” she explains.
Platforms and makers alike are using episodic formats to test the changing tastes of their viewers. Gaurav Banerjee, content head of Disney+ Hotstar says, “These are still the early days and this allows us to experiment, learn and adapt. This approach not only elevates the user experience but also caters to their constant desire for fresh content.”
MORE CREATIVE FREEDOM
What do showrunners think about episodic drops? Lootere director Jai Mehta asserts that while the format might be tried and tested for Indian television, it is still new to the OTT landscape. He shares, “I feel it can transform solitary bingeing into a shared journey and foster real-time engagement. If the marketing can sustain the weekly model, I see platforms doing this for flagship shows and films.”
Adrishyam maker Anshuman Kishore Singh, who has helmed one of the longest running shows on TV — Crime Patrol — says he enjoys the freedom OTT provides and giving audiences a new experience. “The format keeps the audience hooked and offers freedom to us creators. Episodics are a bridge for TV audiences coming to OTT,” he adds.
Noel Smith, director of Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani, has been a part of both TV and OTT episodics and feels that the format creates anticipation among viewers: “They wait for (new episodes) and the show gains popularity. I don’t think the format alters the viewership much as both episodics and binge-watch shows have different audiences, but they are willing to experiment.”
THE PLEASURE OF ‘APPOINTMENT VIEWING’
As an actor, Jennifer Winget is all for this format. “Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani was among the first to venture into this trend by dropping three episodes a week. It is sort of an ‘appointment viewing’.” Lootere’s Aamir Ali adds that while the format doesn’t change the shoot experience for him as an actor, he has been transformed as a viewer. “I am a binge-watcher, so I wasn’t sure about this episodic format. But since Lootere’s release, we have been among the top OTT shows across various lists. A lot of my friends have also come up to me to say they are waiting for the next episode. So, maybe, this format works,” he admits.