Viacom18 launches first SVOD play in India with Voot Kids

Viacom18 is launching its first SVOD play in India with a kids app.

The platform, Voot Kids, is an extension of the existing AVOD brand Voot, headed up by Viacom18 group CEO Sudanshu Vats, who first detailed the kids SVOD plans to TBI last year.

TBI understands that the launch of an SVOD tier for the main service is also imminent.

The Voot Kids service – priced at INR799 ($11) per year or INR99 ($1.30) per month – is aimed at kids aged 2-8 and offers more than 20,000 videos, e-books, stories and quizzes. Free trials are to be made available in both packages, and the service is available to download via iOS and Android.

Content spans partnerships with the likes of Nickelodeon, Oxford University Press, WarnerMedia, Green Gold, Cbeebies, TV Asahi, Sony Music, Hasbro, Mattel and Lego.

Voot’s content library covers more than 60,000 hours and carries Viacom18’s network of content as well as originals. The platform has more than 80m monthly active users.

Vats said: “Viacom18 has grown over the years by focussing on white spaces that are challenging and yet have tremendous potential. As a network, we have been the undisputed leader in kids’ entertainment content since the past five years. Our digital play Voot is the second largest video-on-demand platform in the country today.

“Voot Kids is a synergy of these two growth stories from the house of Viacom18. Marking our sharper segmented foray into the world of subscription-based VOD, Voot Kids is India’s first and only multi-format kids app offering fun and learning. No other kids app offers [the ability to] watch, read, listen and learn all at one place”

Gourav Rakshit, COO of Viacom18 Digital Ventures, said: “The foray into the subscription space with Voot Kids is the first step in our journey towards building an entire digital ecosystem under brand Voot. Voot Kids has been built on the three pillars of product experience, content and safety.

“In Voot Kids, we are bringing an offering that is child-friendly, yet parent-focused and gives them an opportunity to bond with an immersive co-consumption experience. Our brand philosophy of ‘Masti Mein Acchai’ reflects our mission to make screen time meaningful.”