35% of OTT Viewers Find Anti-Tobacco Warnings Intrusive: CUTS

‘Smoking kills’ could be killing user experience on OTT

New Delhi: India’s OTT landscape is gradually dominating entertainment consumption. Led by platforms like JioHotstar, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, India’s streaming space is a hotbed for shows portraying substance use, especially tobacco. In May 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) mandated that any OTT content depicting tobacco products must include - 30-second anti-tobacco health spot, 20-second audiovisual disclaimer at…

35% of OTT Viewers Find Anti-Tobacco Warnings Intrusive: CUTS

Over 35% of the viewers consuming content on smartphones find static warnings and unskippable messages on streaming services intrusive, according to a study by the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS- International). The study comes in the context of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MoHFW) draft anti-tobacco rules— Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribut…