Streambox operates in the Connected TV and Smart TV market, offering a unique combination of hardware and software. They aim to bridge the gap between content accessibility and affordability by integrating all OTT and TV channels into an integrated operating system (OS).
In an interview, Founder and CEO, Anuj Gandhi, shares insights from his extensive two-decade experience in media, discussing big tech, digital advertising, OTT and television.
Edited excerpts…
What inspired you to start Streambox Media and what market gap were you aiming to fill?
Streambox was founded with a core focus on simplifying content consumption for users. Traditionally, cable and DTH services offered comprehensive content packages, but the rise of the OTT ecosystem over the past eight years has led to content fragmentation. Consumers now need to subscribe to multiple platforms, track renewal dates, and manage increasing costs. Our goal at Streambox was to eliminate these complexities by building a unified platform that restores convenience to entertainment consumption. Today, we have developed an ecosystem that makes access to content seamless and hassle-free.
Tell us about Streambox’s offerings and how you plan to evolve them.
We currently offer Dor—a 43-inch QLED smart TV manufactured by Micromax with a subscription to all major OTT platforms (except Netflix) at an upfront cost of INR 14,999, followed by a monthly fee of INR 499 from the second month onwards. Within the next two to three months, we also plan to introduce 55-inch and 65-inch models.
Our focus is on fostering strong customer relationships. Our OS is designed for convenience and our data-driven approach helps us understand viewing patterns, allowing us to customise content packs and ultimately lower costs for consumers.
Our larger vision is to become a key player in the OS ecosystem. Dor OS will seamlessly aggregate content from both OTT platforms and live TV that can be integrated onto various devices.
How has consumer behavior in media evolved in recent years, and how is Streambox leveraging those insights?
The biggest shift is in how people consume content. With many spending hours on small screens, engaging with free, ad-supported or user-generated content on Meta and YouTube, premium content has become harder to sell. Although content availability has increased, the number of viewing hours in a day remains finite. Over the last five years, as data costs dropped, big tech—largely non-Indian—has captured much of the audience’s attention.
Streambox addresses this by offering a highly convenient OS that enhances premium content consumption. Users often spend valuable time just searching for what to watch. Our platform personalises the home page, ensuring users discover content quickly. With younger audiences, capturing attention within the first few minutes is crucial, or they will move on.
How do you approach content curation and partnerships to keep the platform relevant and engaging?
We see ourselves as a platform provider rather than a content curator. In the first 12 months, we aim to offer a wide selection without restricting consumer choices. Just as every media vertical has a long tail, so does the OTT space. For instance, if we have 20,000 subscribers from Punjab, a Punjabi OTT app holds as much value for us as Amazon Prime or Netflix. While commercial viability is essential, getting the content mix right is equally critical. Our strategy is to provide as much content as possible to our users.
What are your key marketing strategies for brand awareness and customer acquisition?
Since our first launch, we have been very focused—slicing and dicing into relevant cohorts. So, hardcore performance marketing—going after people who were looking for TVs or had searched for TVs in the last three months—is the first one. The second would be brand awareness which you will see us drilling down on once all OTT platforms, including Netflix, are available. The TV ecosystem works on SKUs and you need to have the whole range. The third one for us, would be social. The way the CTV market is, our focus is going to be on the 25 to 40 age group, where people are getting out to buy their first TVs. There is also an audience in their early 40s who now can afford a second TV in their homes. That is the audience that is very active on social media.
What major trends will define the future of digital content and OTT in India?
Two dominant platforms, Meta and YouTube, are here to stay. Short-form video content will continue to thrive in the coming years, while investment in premium content will persist. Additionally, we will see television adapting to become a premium content provider as it competes with OTT platforms.
If you could change one thing about India’s media landscape, what would it be?
There needs to be a rationalisation of cost per impression across media verticals. Without shared data and cross-vertical measurement, larger tech companies will continue to dominate digital advertising, capturing a lion’s share of revenue. And the worry is that smaller media companies would not be able to survive.
