Can Flipkart’s Free Video Service Rival Hotstar & Amazon in India?

Flipkart is the latest platform to enter the video-streaming space in India, where it rivals Amazon and Netflix.

Video streaming on Flipkart is here.

(Photo: The Quint)

Flipkart’s video-streaming service is now live on Android devices, and surprisingly it works for anybody with the latest version 6.17.

According to a Reuters report a few weeks back, Flipkart plans on offering the content through licensed deals with various production houses on the shopping app itself.

With over 160 million users on board with the e-commerce giant, people are expected to consume content on-the-go, something that has become a trend with falling data prices in the country.

Flipkart’s entry comes at a time when Netflix has announced its cheapest ever plan, catering to mobile users in the country. At Rs 199, Netflix thinks that more users are likely to find its content appealing, even though it is restricted to single device usage (mobile or tablet at a time) only.

We got a first look at the new streaming service on Flipkart and here’s what users are getting for free with it.

First thing you’ll notice about the app is the interface, and honestly, it doesn’t stand out that much and there’s nothing new to write home about.

(Photo: Flipkart screen grab)

In terms of content, it’s pretty clear that Flipkart is targeting non-metro users, who’re mostly going to rely on this app for streaming videos or movies on-the-go. For web series, the app has picked up content from creators like TVF, Voot from Network 18 and Dice Media among others.

Flipkart will be hoping that by offering video content on the same app, it can increase the traffic of its platform, as more viewers will sign up for its free service.

We even tried out a few movies on the app. The layout is again pretty basic, something that you would expect from the first version of any streaming app. However, it doesn’t have subtitles, the video quality options are limited to Auto and Good without exactly stating what resolution either of those offer.

Video quality options on the app.(Photo: The Quint)

You can also customise the kind of content you would want the Flipkart app to display on the main screen, which is a common standard in this segment these days.

We didn’t come across English content, which is likely to make its way in the coming months. But overall, Flipkart has a big fight on its hands to compete with the existing trio of Hotstar, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Reports also suggest that Paytm might be entering this space soon, while telcos continue to partner with more production houses to beef up their in-house apps’ library.

(Photo: The Quint)

Finally, it all comes down to what the consumer wants, and in case of Flipkart’s service, where they don’t have to pay anything, people might find it appealing to try it at least in the initial months.

It’s unlikely the service will be available to everyone for free, which is why they’ll have ads popping up at regular intervals. And converting those free users to paid users will be the biggest challenge for the Walmart-owned e-commerce shopping platform.