Telcos align with streaming platforms to deepen consumer relationships

Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio stitch up alliances with streaming platforms in a bid to deepen brand associations and loyalty, in a time of crisis

Telecom operators and over-the-top (OTT) platforms are plugging into each other’s subscriber bases, hoping to build stickiness into their customer relationships. For Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Jio, the tie-ups are also an attempt to step away from conversations around service issues and breakdowns, as more and more people log into their networks from home, and steer the online chatter towards entertainment.

All the telecom operators have tied up with one or more OTT partner. Vodafone Idea has tied up Sony Liv, Zee5, Shemaroo Me, Discovery Network, Hoichoi, Lionsgate Play, Hungama, TV Today and others and also has premium associations (some