SHILLONG, Oct 25: The Meghalayan Age Limited has informed that new and exclusive content is coming soon to Hello Meghalaya, the state’s first OTT platform.
This announcement follows criticism in the media, where content creators expressed concerns over the potential decline of the app, suggesting that new and exciting content is primarily being uploaded to the OTT platform.
According to the Chief Administrative Officer of Meghalayan Age Limited, the platform’s success is evident as over 2 lakh people have downloaded the app and begun viewing films and content shortly after its launch.
“It is agreed that more new and fresh content needs to be included to keep the momentum going and engage viewers. Government is making all the efforts to make the app more entertaining by including web series, new films, podcasts and entertainment shows,” the statement said.
It also highlighted that any technology platform requires backend technical updates to ensure stability and optimisation.
The technical team has been working diligently to enhance streaming quality, reduce mobile data usage and improve ease of navigation for a more user-friendly experience, the statement said.
In the coming weeks, the app will also allow content creators to register on the platform and review their analytics. This feature has been developed and is currently undergoing testing.
According to the statement, the total views across all content on Hello Meghalaya have reached 37 million, with an average watch time of 4 hours and 30 minutes per user, indicating that people are spending more time on the Hello Meghalaya app compared to social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
With 2,000 active users every 30 minutes, the statement said that people have embraced this home-grown entertainment channel.
Some of the most viewed films, including Ka Chithi, Pynngop, Ka-Daw, 9 Lad, Jingim, and Ahor, have garnered over a million views.
Addressing allegations regarding older content already available on YouTube, the statement clarified that one of the app’s primary objectives is to consolidate local content into a single platform.
Stating that this approach aims to preserve classic films and content that may not currently be accessible in other formats, the statement said, “This will not only give newer generation an opportunity to watch those content in the modern era and make them aware of the evolving landscape of cinema. One of the new features, which has been included in the app, is to provide live broadcasts of some of the popular sporting events like the recently concluded Durand Cup and Sohra Half Marathon. This feature has also gained popularity with more than 1,000 people concurrently viewing such never experienced opportunity. Going forward, it has been planned to do such live broadcasts of popular musical events for the benefit of citizens from rural areas who otherwise do not have access to physically watch the shows coming to urban centres.”
According to the statement, in the next phase, the platform will offer new and exclusive movies, web series, food and entertainment shows.
It said talks with filmmakers are under way to produce original films, with the government providing financial assistance for content created exclusively for Hello Meghalaya.