Amazon Prime Video to stream new docu-series ‘Cinema Marte Dum Tak’

American streaming platform Amazon Prime Video will premiere a reality docu-series called Cinema Marte Dum Tak on 20 January.

With the success of Bigg Boss and Shark Tank on Voot and SonyLIV, respectively, a growing number of streaming services are tapping the non-fiction genre to widen their audience base. They are drawing viewers through original non-fiction shows as well as by onboarding reality shows appearing on TV channels on to digital platforms.

Sony’s Shark Tank India and Viacom18’s Bigg Boss notched impressive viewership online, aided by exhaustive marketing campaigns.

ALTBalaji and MX Player had come up with Kangana Ranaut’s Lock Upp that had garnered significant viewership. Viacom18 also had a comedy game show The Khatra Khatra Show that premiered on its OTT platform Voot ahead of television. Netflix, which created a special Kapil Sharma show, is betting on reality to launch a dating show IRL: In Real Love.

Media industry experts said non-fiction could see newer formats on streaming platforms and marquee properties could draw audiences sitting on the fence to subscribe to these services.

“With the rise of streaming services, audiences today have the opportunity to enjoy undeniably authentic and diverse stories across formats from around the world. Our non-fiction content offers an opportunity for viewers to experience and examine new cultures and ideas,“ a Netflix spokesperson had said in an earlier interview, and added that in India, the service is innovating with formats across comedy, reality and documentaries.

About 76% of the platform’s Indian subscribers watched a documentary title between the September quarter of 2020 and the June quarter of 2021 and they also watched over 50% more Netflix original documentary content on average over the same period in 2018. Reality show Indian Matchmaking has featured on the top 10 list of countries such as the US, India and the UAE.