OTT Platform Aha’s FY22 Net Loss Doubles To INR 92 Cr

SUMMARY

The streaming service’s operating revenue grew 2.9X to INR 76.02 Cr in FY22 from INR 26.53 Cr in FY21

The regional OTT platform, which streams content in Tamil and Telugu, saw its expenses rise 2.3X to INR 199.57 C

Aha’s employee benefit expenses surged 4.2X to INR 73.79 Cr from INR 3.74 Cr in FY21

Regional over-the-top (OTT) platform Aha’s net loss more than doubled to INR 92.43 Cr in the financial year 2021-22 (FY22) from INR 45.46 Cr in FY21 as its cash burn rose with the increase in its business.

The streaming service’s operating revenue grew 2.9X to INR 76.02 Cr in FY22 from INR 26.53 Cr in FY21, as per the filings of Arha Media & Broadcasting Pvt Ltd, which operates Aha, with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).

Aha earns most of its revenue from sale of subscriptions. In FY22, it generated revenue of INR 67.88 Cr from subscription as against INR 25.18 Cr in the previous year. The OTT platform also got revenue of INR 5.57 Cr from sale of satellite rights and INR 2.57 Cr from syndication revenue.

Meanwhile, expenses also grew along with the growth in business, albeit at a lower pace. Aha’s total expenses rose 2.3X to INR 199.57 Cr from INR 87.31 Cr in FY21.

Operational expenses, which include content cost and telecast and technical cost, rose 2.3X to INR 108.6 Cr. The platform spent INR 80.05 Cr on content and INR 28.55 Cr on telecast and technical expenses in FY22.

Other expenses, which included marketing cost, rent, legal charges, among others, doubled to INR 73.79 Cr from INR 36.77 Cr in FY21.

Aha spent INR 45.61 Cr on advertising and promotion in FY22, a jump of 1.7X from INR 27.62 Cr in FY21. Employee benefit expenses saw an increase of 4.2X to INR 15.8 Cr in FY22 from INR 3.74 Cr in FY21.

Aha, founded by film producer and distributor Allu Aravind, was launched in 2020. It streams content in Telugu and Tamil languages. The platform started with Telugu content before expanding to Tamil market in 2021. The platform is owned by Arha Media and Broadcasting Private Limited, a joint venture by Geetha Arts and My Home Group.

Although Aha does not directly have a direct competitor, the likes of ZEE5, Voot, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix stream content in Tamil and Telugu languages.

According to a report by RBSA Advisors, India’s video OTT market is expected to grow to $12.5 Bn by 2030 from about $1.5 Bn in 2021 on the back of access to better networks, digital connectivity and smartphones.

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