Bengali-language OTT platform hoichoi is entering a new phase of growth, driven by format expansion and changing audience behaviour, according to CEO Soumya Mukherjee.

In a LinkedIn post yesterday, Mukherjee reflected on how the platform’s journey over the past few years has gone beyond scale, focusing instead on how Bengali audiences discover stories, build viewing habits and spend time within the hoichoi ecosystem.

As the brand matures, Mukherjee noted that the next phase of growth will not come from repeating what already works, but from creating new formats, contexts and entry points. He underlined that this shift is being guided as much by audience behaviour and consumption patterns as by creative instinct, signalling a more data-informed approach to content and product decisions.

Against this backdrop, hoichoi recently launched hoichoi TV+ and hoichoi FM, which Mukherjee described as deliberate bets rather than incremental product upgrades. TV+ is positioned as a rethinking of the digital GEC (general entertainment channel) experience for Bengal, with a sharp focus on how viewers sample content, where engagement drops, what draws them back and how repeat viewing habits are formed. The emphasis, he said, is on format innovation anchored in retention, both for audiences in Bengal and the Bengali diaspora.

Hoichoi FM marks a similar exploration in the audio space. Highlighting that audio consumption is deeply linked to context, time of day and habitual use, Mukherjee said the platform sees strong potential to build intimacy and daily relevance through audio, especially in moments when screens are not the primary interface. He also pointed to the opportunity to explore storytelling genres that may not always be feasible in live-action formats.

From a market perspective, Mukherjee observed that Bengali audiences are increasingly open to experimenting with new formats, while GEC consumption is fragmenting across age groups and usage contexts. Audio, despite its deep cultural resonance in Bengal, remains relatively under-explored in a structured digital format, making it a natural area for expansion.

Looking ahead, the hoichoi CEO said TV+ and FM are only the first steps in a broader adjacent growth roadmap. Over the coming months, the platform plans to announce several new initiatives across content, distribution and product, aimed at widening the funnel, deepening engagement and offering multiple ways for audiences to enter and stay within the hoichoi ecosystem. He added that hoichoi will continue to invest heavily in original content and theatrical films, while also building newer formats in a sustainable manner, crediting the internal teams for challenging assumptions and driving this transition forward.