Hollywood OTT service Lionsgate Play launches in India; to partner with actors Kriti Sanon, Tiger Shroff

Lionsgate, the Hollywood studio behind The Hunger Games, Knives Out, La La Land, and The Twilight Saga, has launched its OTT service in India.

The service, Lionsgate Play, offers premium Hollywood movies, English TV shows, web series, and original content handpicked for the Indian audience. The platform houses over 2,500 hours of streaming content, which also includes 120 Oscar-nominated and 187 Emmy-nominated titles.

It will offer English content dubbed in eight to ten local languages. "Lionsgate Play is committed to innovation in its content, technology, pricing, and accessibility by making premium Hollywood content available in multiple Indian languages," the company said in a statement.

Viewers can access Lionsgate Play on Android, iOS, Apple TV+, Amazon Fire Stick, and web platforms. While most content is in full-HD, select titles will also be offered in 4K.

Lionsgate Play rolled out with a two-tier subscription model: Rs 99 (monthly) and Rs 699 (yearly). Both come with a 14-day free trial. Users can sign into five different devices with an all-in-one account.

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Interestingly, Lionsgate entered India over a year ago through telco partnerships. Its content was made available on Airtel Xtream, Vi Movies & TV, and recently, JioTV+.

The app had a soft launch in mid-November, and has crossed 10,000 downloads on Google Play Store. The company also plans to develop and produce "a diverse slate of high-budget premium Indian originals".

Rohit Jain, Managing Director, Lionsgate South Asia, said,

“We will be launching Indian originals in the coming months, featuring untold edgy urban stories from some of the best creative minds in the Indian film industry. And we will continue to add to our roster of premium content through partnerships with exciting millennial stars like Kriti Sanon, Tiger Shroff and Sanjana Sanghi increasing the breadth and scope of entertainment for our subscribers.”

The titles on offer at launch include Hollywood blockbusters like Love Life, No Man's Land, The Goes Wrong Show, Hustlers, Angel Has Fallen, John Wick, Rambo, Twilight, Primal, Atomic Blonde, Knives Out, and Den of Thieves. The TV curation has shows like Mad Men, Spartacus, Weeds, Anger Management, The Royals and more.

The Lionsgate Play app will also offer first-time movie premiers, personalised title suggestions, watchlists, HD downloads, offline viewing, and cross-device sync.  

The service enters an already crowded OTT market, which boasts of more than 40 operators across languages. Lionsgate Play will operate at the niche, premium end of the market that is poised to be worth $5 billion by 2023.