Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Hoichoi
Indian video streaming service From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Hoichoi is an Indian Bengali language subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Shree Venkatesh Films.[1] The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by Shree Venkatesh Films or Hoichoi itself, with the service also hosting content from other providers, content add-ons, video rental and purchasing services.[2] Hoichoi is the most-subscribed video on demand streaming media in West Bengal as well as on of the most-subscribed video on demand streaming media service in India.[3][4]
Launched on 20 September 2017, Hoichoi is the first Bengali OTT platform which aims at covering the large Bengali viewer base worldwide among the widespread Bengali diaspora across different countries.[5] SVF appointed Rediffusion Y&R as the creative agency behind Hoichoi, which had been responsible for naming it as well as create its brand visual identity and advertisement campaigns. Chaired by Vishnu Mohta, Hoichoi was co-founded by Mohta along Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni. With its office located in Kolkata, Hoichoi is available in over 100 countries worldwide.[6]
Remove ads
History
Summarize
Perspective
Vishnu Mohta, Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni of Shree Venkatesh Films launched Hoichoi on 20 September 2017. It was marketed as "a one-stop digital content platform, which is home to the largest collection of the best in Bengali entertainment."[7]
At the time of its launch, the platform housed more than 500 films, all of which were in Bengali language. Among them, 110 films were produced by Shree Venkatesh Films, the parent company of Hoichoi, while the remaining, around 400 movies belonged from other production houses. It had a online storehouse of more than 1000 Bengali language songs for streaming.
In April 2023, SVF announced its partnership with Jio Studios for co-producing some of their future projects. Mahendra Soni said in an interview "With a shared commitment to excellence, this partnership is set to elevate Bengali language content to unprecedented heights, taking the region's film and entertainment industry to the next level. This distinct partnership will broaden the horizon of creativity and contribute to the overall development of the industry."[8]
In May 2023, Hoichoi announced its own movie production wing titled "Hoichoi Studios", marking its debut in the theatrical entertainment industry. Through it, Hoichoi expanded its format of storytelling; in order to cover stories that are non-episodic through films. They announced Shri Swapankumarer Badami Hyenar Kobole as their first production from Hoichoi Studios. Despite slated for a release in 2023, it was delayed and released in 2024, marking Hoichoi Studio's first theatrical release.[9]
In March 2025, Hoichoi launched a new format titled "Hoichoi TV+" to bridge the gap between TV and OTT.[10] Hoichoi TV+ will follow a multi-episode format, where episodes will be released at regular intervals, similar to the traditional soap operas streamed on television but they will be available on demand. This was a part of Hoichoi's strategy to reach a larger audience base, attracting them with new content combined with a new format of storytelling.[11]
Remove ads
Content
Summarize
Perspective
Hoichoi is a Bengali language OTT platform and de-facto focusses on the production and distribution of content created in Bengali language.[12] It dubs a large portion of its shows in Hindi to reach out a larger section of the Indian audience, besides its core Bengali diaspora worldwide. English subtitles are available in all of its original productions, including Hoichoi Original Series, Hoichoi Short Films, Hoichoi Original Documentaries and Hoichoi Original Movies.[13]
As of 2025, Hoichoi provides its users with a library of more than 600 Bengali movies and more than 150 Hoichoi Originals, where the latter includes web series, movies, short films and documentaries. Hoichoi is home to the largest online collection of Bengali movies. Among the 600 movies in its catalogue, more than 125 movies has been produced by Shree Venkatesh Films, which is Hoichoi's parent company; while the remaining films belong from other production houses. The 475 movies from other productions includes movies from the black and white era till today's time period, expanding across a variety of genres. Besides, more than 1100 Bengali songs are available on Hoichoi for streaming worldwide.
It covers a wide range of genres ranging from detective thrillers, social drama, family drama, romance, comedy, crime thriller, mythological horror and adventure. In April 2023, SVF announced its partnership with Jio Studios for co-producing some of its future projects."[14] In May 2023, Hoichoi announced its own movie production wing titled "Hoichoi Studios", marking its debut in the theatrical entertainment industry.[15] Following Shri Swapankumarer Badami Hyenar Kobole (2024), which was their first production, all of Hoichoi Studio's subsequent ventures are available for streaming on the platform, for its subscribers.[16]
In March 2025, Hoichoi launched a new format titled "Hoichoi TV+" to bridge the gap between TV and OTT.[17] Hoichoi TV+ will follows a multi-episode format, where episodes are released at regular intervals, similar to the traditional soap operas streamed on television but they are available on demand, similar to the web series viewing format streamed on the video streaming platforms. This was a part of Hoichoi's strategy to reach a larger audience base, attracting them with new content combined with a new format of storytelling.[18]
Remove ads
Subscription
Summarize
Perspective
Subscription plans
At the time of its launch in 2017, Hoichoi offered the audience with three plans: ₹149 for three months, ₹249 for six months and ₹399 for a year. The plans were priced low, owing to the newly developed market for OTT entertainment in India and hence, West Bengal. It was made available for streaming on Android and iOS and it supported viewing across all the major devices - smartphones, computers, laptops and tablets.[19]
As of 2025, Hoichoi offers two subscription plans to the new users. Owing to the increasing popularity of the OTT platform and increasing number of viewers across the world, it has increased its prices substantially. While a three month subscription costs ₹499, the annual subscription costs ₹999. This comes as stark contrast with the Western countries (US and Europe), where the subscription prices are much higher. In US, the monthly subscription costs US$10 or ₹899 while the annual plan is charged at US$50 or ₹4,589. Hoichoi is planning an ad supported strategy in this Western countries as a part of its hybrid business model for additional revenues.[20]
Streaming facilities
Hoichoi provides the benfit of the download and watch offline facility in both of their plans, the three month as well as the annual ones. While the three months plan supports three devices in total and one device for simultaneous streaming, the annual plan on the other hand, provides streaming facility in five devices while simultaneous streaming is available on two devices.
Hoichoi provides its users with multi device compatibility and has increased its available devices for streaming over the years. Presently as of 2025, Hoichoi can be streamed on smartphones, laptops, computers, tablets and Smart TVs. It supported on both Android and iOS. Hoichoi is Chromecast enabled and hence supports viewing on Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, LG TV, Samsung TV, MI TV and web. It provides HD quality for all its originals and Dolby Atmos as the sound quality. The platform supports multiple payment options including UPI, Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, E-Wallets among others.
In India, within few years of its launch, Hoichoi has partnered with popular aggregation services like Amazon Prime Video and local telecom providers for providing bundle OTT services, in order to reach beyond their core linguistic audience.[21] As of 2025, current partnerships include JioFibre, Airtel XStream, Alliance Broadband, Wishnet and Meghbela Broadband. After an agreement between Hoichoi and JioFiber in 2020, JioFiber customers on Silver and above plans gets access to Hoichoi content through the Hoichoi platform on their Jio Set-Top box. Some of the Hoichoi's content are also available for streaming through the JioTV+ app.[22] Hoichoi content can also be streamed on Amazon Prime Video against a monthly or yearly subscription on that platform. Besides, Hoichoi can be streamed for free on the MX Player website. On MX Player, although the download feature is available, it is limited only to the app version and is not supported on computer or laptop.[23]
Remove ads
Partnerships
Technological partnership
In October 2016, Hoichoi collaborated with US technological firm "Viewlift" to create the official website and app for Hoichoi.[24] "Viewlift" is the technological and distribution partner of Hoichoi worldwide. They overview and regulate the development of full service video infrastructure and support the distribution, consumption and monetization of the company. Making a partnership with Viewlift, Hoichoi utilises their enhanced service architecture, extensive data and analytical insights to provide high quality video consumption experiences to their subscribers worldwide.[25]
Developmental partnership
"Rediffusion Y&R" was appointed as the developmental firm behind Hoichoi. "Rediffusion Y&R" were the ones, who coined and suggested the name of the platform. The term "Hoichoi" suggests non stop entertainment in Bengali. As a part of the creative mandate, Rediffusion Y&R created the brand's visual identity and takes care of its visual campaigns, thus working as the creative team behind Hoichoi.[26]
Remove ads
Marketing
To increase its userbase and reach out to more people, Hoichoi advertised the 2022 Durga Puja, to garner more attraction from the puja and pandal hopping crowd. Hoichoi frequently advertises on various bill boards all across Kolkata as a part of the promotions for any upcoming Hoichoi original series. As per reports of the Financial Express, the company has boosted its advertising budget by 30% in 2022 as opposed to its previous year's expenditure.
Remove ads
International ventures
Summarize
Perspective
Bangladesh
Shree Venkatesh Films launched Hoichoi in Bangladesh in 2019 titled as "Hoichoi Bangladesh". Dhaka Metro marked the first production of Hoichoi in Bangladesh and it also served as its maiden Hoichoi Bangladesh Originals. Over the years, it has produced more than 20 Hoichoi Bangladesh Originals, starring mostly Bangladeshi actors in the lead roles. All of them are available on Hoichoi in India besides its original meant-to-be Hoichoi Bangladesh platform.
In 2019, Hoichoi collected 1000 subscribers only from digital subscriptions via international credit cards at an annual plan of ৳499. To start local registration methods and provide easier ways to avail subscription to the to-be-users, Hoichoi made different payment options available as well as partnered with "Meena Bazaar" to sell offline subscription cards for Hoichoi Bangladesh. Three months and twelve months plan's subscription cards were made available at all the 17 outlets of Meena Bazaar in Bangladesh. Through similar partnerships with other companies like "Gadget & Gears", Hoichoi got a surge of 21,000 Bangladeshi subscribers in 2019. After opening local modes of subscription, Hoichoi gathered 22,000 viewers at the end of 2019.[27]
Hoichoi signed an agreement with the Bangladeshi technology and gadget firm "Gadget & Gears" for the distribution of scratch cards in all possible corners of Bangladesh, so that people like college students or university students who don't use a credit card or debit card, can also avail a Hoichoi subscription. Under this agreement, for buying a smartphone from Gadget & Gears, the customers will receive free Hoichoi subscription cards offering 3 months to 1 year's subscription.[28]
As of 2025, Hoichoi provides three subscriptions plans to the people: a one month plan, a three month plan and a one year annual plan. The one month plan cost ৳199 while the three month plan costs ৳579. The annual plan is placed for ৳999.
After the COVID-19 pandemic was over, Hoichoi partnered with multiple telecom companies and broadband providers in Bangladesh such as GrameenPhone, Link3, Robi and Banglalink. It was done to ensure that their content becomes easily available and accessible to the common masses and do not remain limited to the handful of the city audience. Hoichoi also became the first OTT platform in Bangladesh, who sold offline subscription scratch cards for availing an online video streaming service on an OTT platform. Besides buying subscriptions through payments via debit card, credit card and digital wallets, scratch cards became very popular upon their introduction and till date, they remain as the prevalent mode of payment among the rural masses for buying a Hoichoi subscription.[29]
Middle East
In an attempt to expand its viewer base and reach the Bengali diaspora residing in various countries of the Middle East like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, Hoichoi has been meeting various Middle Eastern telecom companies for setting up a tie-up for their future investments and expansion in this region, similar to Hoichoi's business model in Bangladesh.
In an interview with Business Today, Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta said that in the Middle East, they are taking a career billing approach for the Bengali users to avail a Hoichoi subscription. They are trying to chalk out this method of payment since a large number of the Bengali speaking audience in the Middle East are migrant workers from Bangladesh and don't have access to digital payments. So, they are planning to offer them sachet pricing of weekly plans, which they will be able to pay using their mobile phone top-ups.[30]
South East Asia
In 2022, Hoichoi revealed its future plans to expand its viewer base in South East Asia, particularly in multi-diaspora countries like Malaysia and Singapore. They are primarily planning to target the Bengali diaspora, who primarily belong to the working community in those countries and have mostly migrated from Bangladesh. Hoichoi has already partnered with local telecom and broadband service providers like "Sohoj" in Malaysia, to reach a widespread viewer base. Hoichoi is also undergoing discussion with different telecom service providers, for a similar partnership in Singapore.[31]
Remove ads
Revenue and user base
Summarize
Perspective
In September 2020, Hoichoi had more than 13 million paid subscribers worldwide, across the 100 countries in which it is available.[32] Overseas users contribute over 40% to Hoichoi's direct subscription revenues, indicating that almost half of the platform's subscription based revenue comes from the small number of the economically vibrant Bengali diaspora spread all across the world, particularly in the US and the UK. In 2022, the average engagement time per active user on the platform was 59 minutes.[33]
In 2020, Hoichoi subscriptions increased by 30%. In 2022, Hoichoi saw a 31% rise in watch-time, a 30% rise in monthly active users and a surge of 50% in its annual subscriptions, besides a significant increase in the international subscriber base. Monthly active users (MAUs) increased over two times in 2023 compared to its previous year. Besides, 2023 also marked a 40% rise in international subscriber revenue. Compared to 2022, Hoichoi witnessed 40% growth in direct subscriptions in 2023. Besides the 40% surge in direct subscriptions, the individual watch time per subscriber also spiked by a staggering margin of 60% as compared to 2022.[34] Although Hoichoi primarily caters to the 30+ demographic audience, the 50+ segment has shown the most significant growth. In terms of gender, Hoichoi's audience has a 60:40 male-to-female ratio.[35]
Remove ads
Business model
Summarize
Perspective
Till 2021, Hoichoi used to license its content with various web video service providers and telecom providers. 2021 onwards, Hoichoi bundled it's content with aggregators such as Amazon Prime Video, Airtel and others in order to focus on direct acquisitions, since average revenue per user (ARPU) is much higher from direct acquisitions. Since 2022, they provide no licensing of their original shows and work with partners for distribution of their content, who will bundle Hoichoi as a service. Bundled partnerships has lead to overall increase in the subscription base as well as the revenue. While Bangladesh has been the biggest contributor in terms of subscriber volume, in terms of revenue, the US, Australia, the UK and Canada are bigger as their average revenue per user (ARPU) is much higher compared to most of the middle eastern and oriental countries.[36]
Hoichoi does not put up traditional ads on its platform. Instead, they work with brands to create tailored content whose script is based around the product or service of the brand which has collaborated with Hoichoi. As per reports, this method of approach increased their revenues by 200% in 2024 compared to 2023. Hoichoi has substantially increased and diversified its revenues from the Hindi dubbed versions, specially in the Original Hoichoi productions like Taqdeer and Indu have been remade into other languages including Hindi and Telugu and they are available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.[37]
In India, within few years of its launch, Hoichoi has partnered with local telecom providers for providing bundle OTT services. As of 2025, current partnerships include JioFibre, Airtel XStream, Alliance Broadband, Wishnet and Meghbela Broadband. JioFiber customers on Silver and above plans can access Hoichoi content through the Hoichoi platform on their Jio Set-Top box. To expand it's reach among the non-Bengali speaking audience (particularly Hindi, Telugu and Tamil speakers), Hoichoi is pursuing content syndication deals with different platforms for regional distribution of Hoichoi's content, dubbed in their respective languages. Hoichoi has done a tie up with Reliance Industries owned Viacom 18's Jio Cinema, for dubbed Hindi versions of its original shows and movies. Notably, Hoichoi retains the IP for all such content as per their agreement.[38]
Remove ads
Hoichoi Originals India
Films
Web series
Three seasons originals
Two seasons originals
One season originals
Remove ads
Hoichoi Originals Bangladesh
Remove ads
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads