aha 2.0 expands to Tamil market, powered by Firstlight Media
100% cloud-native platform expedites launch of multi-language services
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and Toronto, ON, Canada(14 Apr 2022)
On the heels of its successful transformation to aha 2.0 last year for Telugu audiences, India’s aha streaming service intends to significantly increase its potential market footprint by using the same backend to deliver localized services to the Tamil audiences .
Using Firstlight Media’s cloud-native OTT platform and multi-dynamic storefront technology, aha is delivering its entire content catalog to both Telugu and Tamil language audiences, while dramatically optimizing costs and time to market. The award-winning Firstlight Media technology runs on Google Cloud and is the backbone of aha’s first-to-market “glocal” strategy.
More than 70 million Tamil speakers worldwide now have the ability to access the same features that have been available since launch to 75 million Telugu speakers: fast, smooth, smart aha 2.0 experiences across multiple devices including mobiles, tablets, browsers, SmartTVs (miTV, AndroidTV, Samsung, LG, ROKU), and connected devices (AppleTV, FireTV, ROKU); enhanced personalization, customized recommendations, and exclusive content—all supported by flexible monetization options depending on customer preference and profile.
“Rapid and cost-effective entry into new regions is something that could only be supported by a 100% cloud-native platform,” said Ajit Thakur, CEO of aha. “Firstlight Media provides us with the ability to engage viewers in each market on their own terms, without the time and expense of creating an entirely new backend for each language or region. It also enables us to offer combo packs in Telugu and Tamil with 4K and Dolby through our Special Plan, which will be a super attractive feature for dual language speakers.”
aha’s lineup of blockbuster content for the 2.0 service includes digital premieres of highly anticipated Tamil shows and films acquired and produced specifically for the aha 2.0 platform. The lineage of Aha’s includes the uniquely packaged “Writer” blended with a strong lineup of originals like Akashvani, IRAI that sizzle the netizens with unique story plots that make the service bingeworthy and present the audience with one chartbuster after another.
“aha’s visionary approach is to maximize the value of an outstanding content lineup not only in Telugu but also in Tamil, using the flexibility, agility, and scalability of a true cloud-based platform from Firstlight Media,” said Goutham Vinjamuri, COO and Co-Founder of Firstlight Media. “We’re giving aha 2.0 a competitive edge by enabling them to ideate new features and capitalize on new business opportunities in days and weeks, not months and years.”
Firstlight Media’s OTT architecture uses a sophisticated, cloud-native technology stack to power the aha platform from end-to-end, enabling rapid time-to-market; reducing cost and effort by more than 40%; and future proofing aha to enable capitalization on new trends and markets. The aha 2.0 platform, powered by Firstlight Media’s OTT architecture, runs on Google Cloud.
About aha:
Launched in 2020, aha is an Indian video-on-demand streaming service that provides 100% local entertainment. It started out with a 100% telugu OTT and has seen great success across the world with its extensive content slate that includes original programming of web series and movies, with a new release every friday. Fulfilling its promise of 100% Local entertainment, aha has recently launched aha Tamil which has 100% Tamil Web series and movies. Aha is owned by Arha Media & Broadcasting Private Limited, a joint venture by Geetha Arts and My Home Group. Aha creates original Telugu content across various formats that include movies, web-series, and non-fiction shows.
About Firstlight Media
Firstlight Media is expediting OTT’s transformation to ultra-scalable, cloud-based platforms that use artificial intelligence to drive true engagement and monetization for Tier 1 operators. Founded by a team with deep OTT video expertise and a strong track record of building successful B2B businesses, Firstlight Media is poised to capture the next wave of growth in premium OTT entertainment services. The company is headquartered in Toronto and has additional locations in Los Angeles, San Diego and Chennai, India. For more information, visit firstlight.ai.