Amazon.com Inc., and Netflix Inc., have contrasting approaches in the way they pursue growth in India and internationally.
Netflix debuted in India 10 months ago; however it does not believe in a physical presence in the various countries globally where it operates. This is because content making decisions are taken at its office in Los Angeles. The company depends on its user data to purchase programs that have multinational appeal, and does not depend heavily on local content in the regions it is present. Netflix’s chief executive Reed Hastings acknowledges that currently in India, Netflix caters to the elite, but “in the next couple years we will want to grow beyond that.”
Amazon has a different strategy. It’s Prime Video is available in select countries including India. Amazon Studios chief Roy Price visits Mumbai often, and scouts for locally appealing content for its video services. Price says, “You can have a global service, but there are no global customers. There are only local customers.” In Indian entertainment, for instance, “the musical aspect is super important, so you want to embrace that,” he added, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Amazon paid about $10,000 to potentially bid on rights for the popular Indian Premier League Cricket games too.
