CCI has asked IDMIF to submit evidence supporting its claim.
Google’s OTT issues continue in India as IDMIF, a body representing multiple OTT platforms, has approached the CCI detailing Google’s “undue” commission on Play Store.
The Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF), an industry body representing some of the major streaming players in India, has approached the CCI to challenge Google’s App Store billing policy.
According to an Economic Times report, CCIOTT approaches CCI to fight against Google’s Play Store commission In a letter to streaming apps – IDMIF said Google’s commission fee is both unfair and harmful, and its policy could end up killing small OTT businesses and channels and “especially content curation business”.
The move comes just after the owner of the Disney+ Hotstar app – Novi Digital Entertainment – approached the Madras High Court to stop Google from removing the app from its Google Play Store. Furthermore, it is reportedly the first non-Indian streaming platform to challenge Google’s policies.
IDMIF is representing the following OTT players in India: Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, Voot, SonyLIV, Manorama Max, SunNXT and Discovery+.
ET quoted Vinay Singhal, CEO of OTT Startup Stage, as saying, “IDMIF’s approach to the CCI on this matter adds to our ongoing case that it is not only hurting smaller players, but also the larger players in the sector.” Even the big players are going to suffer.”
In response, CCI has asked IDMIF to submit evidence supporting its claim.
The Madras High Court also granted an interim injunction to Disney+Hotstar – directing the streaming platform to pay a lesser commission of 4% to Google for using its in-app payment system.
Previously, streaming platforms had to pay “15-30% under the previous Google Billing and Payment System (GBPS)”, but under the ‘new User Choice Billing (UCB) system’, this rate has been reduced by 4% to 11 Has been given. -26%.
