Taking The Big Screen Experience To The Small Screen

Massive advancements in technology for the past twenty to thirty years have changed our lives in various ways. In fact, it has eased the numerous facets of daily routine. The evolution of mobile technology and the Internet has benefitted us the most.

Gone are the days when mobile was limited to calling purposes. The mushrooming growth of smartphones blended with cheap high-speed Internet has captured the popularity of the TV entertainment industry. About ten years ago, the concept of mobile entertainment was limited only to such aspects as wallpapers, ringtones and small videos, which could be shared with close cohorts. According to mobile market researchers, by the end of 2019, mobile devices will transcend TV as the medium of attracting most minutes in various parts of the world.

Over-the-top (OTT) apps/online streaming platforms, online mobile games and mobile TVs have gained massive traction among the masses. Emergence of telecommunications company Jio and 4G Internet has completely changed the traditional way of watching TV. Escalation of app downloads and games has also increased the average viewing times on phones, which ultimately signals that the mobile entertainment audience will increase, and the heavy demand for such services will expand more in the future.

The mobile entertainment market

A new research from TVGuide.com has found that people are watching more TV now than ever. Forty-two per cent viewers said they are watching more streaming content, while 89 per cent respondents have discovered new shows on-demand or online after episodes or seasons have aired.

Further, thirty per cent respondents who pay for video said that they are watching more paid videos than they did previously. And, 68 per cent respondents are watching one to five hours of videos per week via apps on their mobile devices.

National Research Group (NRG) in a recent survey has stated that video accounts for more than half of total media consumption—and time spent is growing at a faster rate than any other media. NRG has found that eighteen year olds spend eleven hours on various media across devices.

(reading, browsing online, listening to music, checking emails, etc), and video consumption accounts for six of those eleven hours. The mobile entertainment platform is speculated to expand at a CAGR of fifteen per cent during the period 2018 to 2023.

Types of mobile entertainment

The various types of mobile entertainment are discussed next.

TV

Mobile apps have completely captured the traction and profits of the TV industry. Not only do these allow people to watch their favourite TV shows and listen to music on-the-go, these also provide the option to save and download the remaining items to stream later.

Mobile is an important avenue for TV channels to promote their content on mobile apps via social media, teasers, trailers, alerts and more.

Movies

Smartphones have thrown a tough challenge to cinema halls, as the latter have been failing to attract people due to high costs and other issues. Therefore the film industry has found mobility to be a great source to promote its contents and earn profits.

With mobile, industry players can move characters based on games coupled with interviews, teasers and updates on release dates. Besides, such popular digital platforms as Netflix, Zee, Hotstar and Amazon Prime release new movies with HD within months of the theatre release, creating another challenge for multiplexes and theatres.

Brand promotion

Most brands are promoting themselves on mobile platforms, as these help them connect with millions of mobile entertainment users and interact with them. They are either promoting on social media or on OTT apps. Coca Cola and Nike started promoting on mobile a long time ago, which paved the way for others to follow.

Gaming and music

Smartphones have become affordable and come with cutting-edge features and specifications, which is ideal for mobile gamers. Therefore gaming has attracted people from various age groups. Apart from gaming, the music industry has also benefitted from mobility entertainment. These days, we do not have to wait to listen to our favourite songs on TV or music system. We can stream any song on mobile apps or YouTube. Several music apps such as Wink, Amazon Music and YouTube have gained massive traction, which has fetched hefty profits for the industry.