MUBI, a one of its kind film streaming service has set foot in India with Times Bridge as its strategic partner. The global investment arm of The Times Group will help MUBI expand its reach in India and cater to the ever-growing movie market. Times Bridge currently hosts a portfolio of global brands like Business Insider, PCMag, TechRadar, AdAge, Uber, Vice, Houzz, Airbnb, Coursera and Thrive.
MUBI, in the last 10 years has created a community of film enthusiasts which is rapidly developing into a robust social media platform for independent cinema where users watch, share and discuss films.
MUBI’s foray into India comes at a time when the country is consuming more and more OTT content and is well on its way to become one of the fastest growing internet movie markets. The streaming service will be on the lookout for potential collaboration with film festivals, producers and talents who are passionate about telling new stories to a global viewership.
Unlike other streaming services, MUBI’s specialty dwells in a carefully curated set of 30 movies which they will release in the duration of a month. These movies are hand picked by people and there’s no algorithm at work here. The movies range from cult classics to award-winning masterpieces, long forgotten titles, indie films and even those never-heard-before titles as well. This is also the reason as to why the service has garnered a huge community of movie lovers across the globe and currently boasts of over eight million users.
“I am thrilled to be partnering with Rishi Jaitly and his team at Times Bridge. We are very ambitious with our prospects in India, and they have shown a highly sophisticated understanding of our business and our goals in the region. India is a unique opportunity for us to engage with a passionate community with deep cultural ties to film. Our platform and programming, combined with Times Bridge’s local knowledge and audience, will quickly position MUBI as a meaningful OTT service catering to India’s growing base of Internet users,” says MUBI’s CEO Efe Cakarel.
Times Bridge investment into MUBI entails providing insight and understanding of the Indian movie market and its trends. They will also equip Mubi with guidance on brand positioning, engagement policies as well as facilitating local partnerships, talent outreach and relationships. Mubi will also gain access to The Times Group’s array of advertising products.
Rishi Jaitly, CEO of Times Bridge said - “At Times Bridge, our mission is to bring the world’s best ideas to India and share India’s best insights with the world. MUBI is an original idea with a decade’s worth of proven appeal amongst fans of independent cinema worldwide. Films are inextricably linked to India’s heritage and, in a country with rapidly-changing tastes, we are confident that the MUBI platform will delight a meaningful audience seeking high-quality, curated, global cinema.”
Subscription prices
MUBI begins operation in India with subscription packs starting from Rs 500 a month to Rs 4,200 for 12 months. The service is available on the web and via apps that can be downloaded from the Apple app store, Google PlayStore, Playstation, Roku, Amazon Fire TV among others.
Disclaimer: TechRadar in India is operated by Times Bridge, the global investment arm of The Times Group.
