Lionsgate Play plans to expand subscriber base in India by 2025

Lionsgate Play is expecting a significant rise in the number of unique paying subscribers in India. Rohit Jain, MD, South Asia and networks, Lionsgate, divulged their plans to tap into the markets of Indian and Indonesia that promise explosive growth at the Asia Pacific focused APOS conference on Wednesday.

Lionsgate Play was launched in India in December 2020. Currently, the streamer has 15-20 million users in India, but the number is expected to increase to 50 million by 2025, as per Jain’s estimate. Indonesia has 4-5 million users of the app, which was launched on Wednesday, but Jain reckons this number will exponentially grow. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that starts hitting like 25 million subscribers by 2025,” he said.

India and Indonesia are countries that are classified as mobile-first markets, which indicates that they have an abundance of smartphone users who are more likely to turn to their device to stream content, than on TV. The Lionsgate Play app, which is aiming to establish itself as a streamer in this ecosystem, is competitively priced in both nations.

Though content in both markets is predominantly Hollywood films from Lionsgate and acquired titles, the company has also launched original shows in India. Jain revealed that India’s upcoming slate includes edgy dramas, comedies and slice of life content.

Launching the app in Indonesia, Jeffrey A. Hirsch (president and CEO, STARZ) shared his excitement for Lionsgate Play’s venture into the country.

“The large and diverse population, increased data usage in urban and rural markets, and adoption of OTT across all demographics created an exciting opportunity for us to launch Lionsgate Play. We are confident that our unique, exclusive and exceptionally curated content will generate a great response from Indonesian audiences,” he said.