In a groundbreaking achievement, Bigg Boss OTT, the popular live reality TV show hosted by Salman Khan, has shattered records on the streaming platform JioCinema. The season, which offered a free 24-hour live-stream experience, garnered a staggering 10 crore unique viewers and an impressive 3,000 crore minutes of watch time, according to data provided by the streaming service. These figures signify the highest viewership for a live-streamed event/show in India, excluding the Indian Premier League (IPL) sporting event. The season finale, streamed on August 14, drew 2.3 crore viewers, with a peak concurrency of 72 lakh viewers during the climactic moment of crowning the winner.
An unnamed JioCinema executive shared insights, stating, “The kind of numbers that it has delivered this time, the kind of viewership is just staggering. In the entertainment space, this seems to have been one of the biggest in the world, and by a mile in India.” The eight-week-long season racked up 245 crore video views and 540 crore votes from fans, emphasizing the show’s commitment to engaging audiences. The concept of Bigg Boss, originating from the Dutch reality TV show “Big Brother,” involves participants living within a secluded residence without external communication for several weeks. Through nominations, participants are eliminated until a sole victor remains, claiming a cash prize.
Viewers play an active role by voting to save their favorite contestants from eviction, with the chosen one being crowned the ‘Asli Boss.’ JioCinema enhanced the viewing experience by providing interactive in-app features like multi-camera feeds, a Hype mode, and live chats, which over 5.5 crore viewers actively participated in. These enhancements were available free of charge, similar to their IPL streams. The platform’s paid content currently consists of its Premium tier membership, offering access to HBO and Peacock content for an annual fee of Rs. 999.
Regarding future developments, the JioCinema executive commented, “We’re not even three months old after the IPL has gotten over. So, time will tell. There’s a lot of learning that’s going on on the platform. It’s just phase one for us. So, too early to tell about the future. But, we’re very happy with the outcome so far.” In May, the streaming service set a record by accumulating 1,300 crore views within the first five weeks of broadcasting its IPL cricket tournament, doubling the viewership compared to standard HD TV.
While this achievement underscores JioCinema’s success, some users have noticed an aggressive promotion of Bigg Boss OTT and other Indian content on the platform. The interface appears to prioritize Hindi content, prompting calls for improved user experience. Despite this, the impressive performance of Bigg Boss OTT undoubtedly marks a significant milestone for JioCinema, offering a new level of engagement and viewership.