Most Indians ready to pay for premium content

New Delhi: Majority of respondents in India are willing to pay more for a premium subscription for enhanced video and audio quality, said a new consumer study by Wakefield Research conducted in four countries for Dolby Laboratories.

The study was conducted between October 1 and 16, 2020, among respondents in China (2,000), France (1,000), India (1,000), and the US (1,000). The India leg of the study conducted across six cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, was aimed at understanding the changing content consumption habits during the pandemic, Dolby Laboratories said.

"Indian consumers are now prioritising and seeking better experiences possibly driven by long hours spent at home. Indian consumers are spending more on quality in order to better connect with content and to connect with each other," the survey said. As per the survey, 96 per cent Indians say they plan to upgrade their entertainment equipment in the next six months.

"Despite all of the challenges of this past year, this study has illustrated the power of entertainment in bringing us together with those that are most important to us," said Pankaj Kedia, Managing Director, Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories. The survey pointed out that Covid-19 has driven many Indians to use entertainment as a way of unwinding and 66 per cent of Indian respondents said they use it as an opportunity to relax. 95 per cent Indian respondents got into new types of content they didn't watch before, the survey added.

The survey pointed out 97 per cent of Indian respondents have increased their monthly spends on content by 48 per cent on an average compared to the start of the year. Over 85 per cent of Indians respondents who participated in the survey have in the past six months already invested in upgrading their streaming services.