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Thursday, July 17, 2025 6:19 PM

Amazon Prime Video

‘Panchayat’ Season 4 Sets New Viewership Record, Prime Video Greenlights Season 5 for 2026 Release

The latest chapter of Panchayat, one of India’s most beloved web series, dropped on Amazon Prime Video on June 24—and it’s already making headlines. Season 4 has recorded the biggest launch in the show’s history, both in India and globally. Following this resounding success, Prime Video has officially confirmed that Panchayat will return for Season 5, slated for release in 2026. Marking a milestone for the franchise, Season 4 emerged as the most-watched season yet during its opening week. It quickly climbed to the top of streaming charts, trending in the Top 10 across more than 42 countries, including the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and the UAE. In India, the series has been holding strong at the #1 spot and was streamed in over 180 countries during its debut week. Prime Video took to Instagram to make the Season 5 announcement with a playful post: “Hi 5 👋 Phulera wapas aane ki taiyyaari shuru kar lijiye,” hinting that audiences will once again be transported to the fictional village of Phulera. Manish Menghani, Director and Head of Content Licensing at Prime Video India, expressed his excitement, saying, “The overwhelming response to Season 4 has been phenomenal. It not only reinforces the show’s cultural impact but also its global reach. Panchayat’s heartwarming storytelling and genuine characters have made it a universal favourite. The success highlights the growing appetite for grounded, Indian narratives that resonate beyond borders.” Vijay Koshy, President of The Viral Fever (TVF), echoed this sentiment. “Panchayat has always been close to our hearts—it’s a celebration of rural India, told with humor and honesty. This journey with Prime Video has been incredibly fulfilling. The support from fans around the world has been humbling, and we’re thrilled to begin work on Season 5.” Created by Deepak Kumar Mishra and Chandan Kumar, Panchayat is produced by TVF and co-directed by Akshat Vijaywargiya and Deepak Kumar Mishra. The series features a stellar cast, including Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, Chandan Roy, Sanvikaa, Durgesh Kumar, Sunita Rajwar, Ashok Pathak, and Pankaj Jha. Despite some divided opinions about Season 4’s ending, the series continues to captivate with its simple storytelling and endearing portrayal of life in rural India. And with Season 5 already in the works, fans can look forward to another trip to Phulera in 2026. Source: Hindustan Times  

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JioHotstar Dominates March 2025 Mobile OTT Viewership Charts: Nielsen Report

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JioHotstar—the unified streaming platform born from the merger of Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema—has emerged as the top performer in mobile OTT viewership for March 2025, as per Nielsen’s latest Mobile Audience Measurement report. In the movie category, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, a high-octane pan-India action film streaming on JioHotstar, claimed the top spot among mobile viewers in India. It was trailed by Dragon, a Tamil comedy-drama available on Netflix. The report, based on user engagement across six leading platforms—Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar, MX Player, Netflix, Sony LIV, and Zee5—provides an overview of mobile OTT consumption trends for the month. JioHotstar dominated the film section, with six titles making it to the top 10. These included Disney’s animated feature Mufasa: The Lion King and three Malayalam hits: Premalu, Ponman, and Aavesham. Also on the list was the Hindi romantic comedy Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, starring Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan. The platform also led the original series rankings, securing six out of the top 10 spots. MX Player’s Aashram and JioHotstar’s Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar topped the chart, underlining strong audience engagement with homegrown stories. In the non-original content category—comprising syndicated and catch-up TV content—JioHotstar continued its strong run. It placed among the top three platforms, with long-running Hindi TV dramas like Anupamaa and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, along with reality series MTV Roadies, driving viewership. Eight of the top 10 titles in this category were hosted on JioHotstar. The report also noted a surge in interest for international content, especially Korean dramas. Titles like When Life Gives You Tangerines on Netflix are gaining traction among Indian viewers, pointing to the growing demand for K-content. Western shows like Game of Thrones and Stranger Things also maintained their popularity, reaffirming India’s appetite for global entertainment. Overall, the March 2025 data highlights JioHotstar’s growing dominance in India’s mobile OTT landscape, with a strong foothold across films, original series, and non-original content categories. Source: Business Standard

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Netflix Inks Multi-Year Content Partnership with Yash Raj Films Amid Streaming Competition

Amidst the escalating competition in the streaming industry, Netflix has inked a multi-year creative partnership agreement with the renowned movie production company, Yash Raj Films (YRF). This collaboration will encompass the joint development of both movies and series. The maiden project emerging from this partnership is “The Railway Men,” a four-part thriller series starring R. Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu Sharma, and Babil Khan. Additionally, the second project in the works is a film titled “Maharaj,” as stated in an official announcement. Monika Shergill, the VP of Content at Netflix India, expressed their enthusiasm for catering to diverse audiences by delivering relatable and beloved series and films. Yash Raj Films, being eminent creators in Indian cinema, have left an indelible mark with iconic works like “Kabhi Kabhie” and “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” to more recent titles like “War” and “Pathaan.” Shergill emphasized the potential of this collaboration to captivate global audiences with top-notch content. This announcement coincides with reports suggesting that Netflix is contemplating a shift in its content strategy, leaning towards blockbuster films to allure new subscribers and retain its existing user base. Notably, Indian films such as “RRR” and “Gangubai Kathiawadi” have garnered significant attention on the platform, underscoring their popularity among viewers. Indian films also frequently secure spots on Netflix’s global top 10 weekly lists for non-English content. In the competitive Indian OTT market, where it contends with rivals like JioCinema, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+Hotstar, Netflix is striving to establish a prominent presence. Recently, Netflix formed a strategic partnership with Jio, bundling prepaid tariff plans with subscriptions to the US-based streaming service, marking a unique venture in India. Furthermore, Netflix has taken measures to curb password sharing in India as part of its efforts to boost revenue in the latter half of 2023. In a letter addressed to shareholders earlier this year, the company announced its intention to extend the password sharing ban to nearly all remaining countries. In a separate communication to Indian subscribers, Netflix clarified that a single account would be restricted to a single household.

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