Prime Video's 'Matka King' threatens Netflix's long-held Indian viewership lead.
An analysis of the Indian OTT market in early 2026 identifies five key original series from Netflix and Prime Video that dominated viewership, citing data from Ormax Media. The article highlights the success of crime thrillers like Prime Video's 'Matka King' for challenging Netflix's viewership dominance, and recurring hits like 'Kohrra' and 'The Great Indian Kapil Show' for maintaining audience and advertiser value. The collective performance of these titles underscores the strategic importance of a balanced content portfolio for streaming platforms in the region.
Key Takeaways
- Prime Video's 'Matka King' registered as one of the biggest non-Netflix launches of the year, directly challenging Netflix's viewership dominance.
- Netflix succeeded with a balanced slate, combining crime thrillers ('Taskaree', 'Kohrra S2') with the high-volume, ad-friendly 'The Great Indian Kapil Show'.
- Crime dramas proved to be the primary genre for premium viewership and subscriber engagement, while comedy formats delivered audience volume and advertiser value.
- The successful return of 'Kohrra' for a second season established it as a valuable franchise asset for Netflix India's content catalogue.
Why It Matters
The performance of these Q1 titles confirms that high-production crime thrillers are key to capturing premium audiences in India. For Prime Video, the success of 'Matka King' validates its heavy investment in local originals, yielding a hit that rivals Netflix's top performers. This signals a shift from Netflix's near-monopoly on buzzworthy Indian series to a more direct competition with Prime Video for top-tier viewership. Netflix's defense relies on portfolio balance, using returning franchises ('Kohrra') and broad-appeal comedy ('Kapil Show') to maintain its position. The key metric to watch is whether Prime Video can follow 'Matka King' with another top-performing original to prove this is a sustained challenge.
Read full article at msn.com
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