<p>The CCI has been contacted by the Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF), a trade association that speaks for certain well-known Indian streaming services, to object to Google’s app store charging scheme.</p>
<p>According to a report, the IDMIF stated that Google’s commission fee is harmful and unjustifiable, and that its policy could put an end to smaller OTT businesses and channels, particularly those “especially in the content curation business.” OTT Streaming Apps Approach CCI To Fight Against Google’s Play Store Commission.</p>
<p>This action was taken shortly after Novi Digital Entertainment, the company that owns the Disney+ Hotstar app, went to the Madras High Court to ask the court to prevent Google from withdrawing the program from its Google Play Store. Additionally, it is said to be the first streaming platform outside of India to take Google’s regulations on.<img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-85970″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/www.theindiaprint.com-ott-streaming-applications-contact-cci-to-contest-the-play-store-commissions-authority-images-2023-07-20t174957.997.jpg” alt=”” width=”1345″ height=”753″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/www.theindiaprint.com-ott-streaming-applications-contact-cci-to-contest-the-play-store-commissions-authority-images-2023-07-20t174957.997.jpg 300w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/www.theindiaprint.com-ott-streaming-applications-contact-cci-to-contest-the-play-store-commissions-authority-images-2023-07-20t174957.997-150×84.jpg 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 1345px) 100vw, 1345px” /></p>
<p>The following OTT providers in India are represented by the IDMIF: Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, Voot, SonyLIV, Manorama Max, SunNXT, and Discovery+.</p>
<p>According to Vinay Singhal, CEO of OTT startup Stage, “IDMIF approaching the CCI on this matter adds a lot of weight to our ongoing case that it is not just the smaller players who are hurt but also the larger players in the space that are going to take a hit.”</p>
<p>In response, the CCI has requested that IDMIF provide supporting documentation for their assertion.</p>
<p>The Madras High Court also granted Disney+Hotstar a temporary restraining order, mandating that the streaming service pay Google a lesser fee of 4% in exchange for utilizing its in-app payment mechanism.</p>
<p>Prior to the implementation of the “new user choice billing (UCB) system,” streaming platforms were required to pay “15-30% under the previous Google Billing and Payments System (GBPS),” but this rate has now been reduced by 4% to 11-26%.</p>
<p> </p>
