Internet outage cripples streaming industry
Last Thursday (July 18) night, broadband internet was cut nationwide, following a mobile data shutdown due to violence from quota protests. Amid political instability and curfews, Bangladesh faced a six-day internet outage. This disruption has significantly affected the online drama industry, which relies heavily on social media and streaming platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
Around 33 production houses in Bangladesh produce dramas specifically for their YouTube channels, with clips often being shared on Facebook. These platforms have become significant revenue sources, generating millions in daily income for these companies. Beyond television dramas, a distinct market for YouTube dramas also exists, attracting substantial overseas revenue over the past few years.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. However, the internet outage has led to enormous losses for these YouTube-based production houses, with the release of around 50 new dramas now on hold.
Production companies report that the internet outage has drastically reduced their earnings. Additionally, they fear a long-term decrease in viewership on their YouTube channels and Facebook pages, which will affect future revenue streams.
Producers are also unable to release new content that has already been created with significant investment, leading to an estimated Tk 5 crore in new investments being stalled. The high-investment dramas released during Eid are also a concern, with uncertainty over when they will recoup their production costs.
Shahed Ali, the head of the CMV YouTube channel and Facebook page, revealed that his company earns around Tk 2 lakh daily from these platforms. Over the past five days, CMV has lost approximately Tk 10 lakh in revenue. Two scheduled drama releases were also delayed. Ali expressed concerns about future income and sponsorship cancellations, which could diminish the channel's reach and impact new content releases.
"Every day, we're losing millions in taka, and content sponsors are withdrawing. The most significant loss is the reduced reach on our channels and Facebook pages, which will affect future earnings from new content. This is a severe setback for an otherwise promising industry," Ali lamented.
Ali also mentioned that two dramas, "Obujh Pakhi" and "Couple of the Campus", set for release last Friday, were postponed, with an investment of around Tk 25 lakh in these projects.
Another production house, Gollachhut, reported a loss of around Tk 8 lakh from its YouTube channel and Facebook throughout the days of the internet outage. Two content releases, "Kistir Chhar" and "Position Thik Nai", have also been postponed.
Gollachhut's managing director, Shahin Kabir Tutul, stated, "Our drama business primarily revolves around YouTube and Facebook. With these platforms shut down, our income has halted. We have significant investments here but we're losing our incomes every day. We don't know how long this crisis will last. Monthly expenses are high, and we're deeply worried."
G-Series, another major production house, typically earns around Tk 3 lakh daily from YouTube and Facebook, estimating a loss of over Tk 15 lakh. They have also canceled the release schedules of three new dramas this week, creating a significant dilemma for the company.
Nazmul Bhuiyan, the head of G-Series, expressed his concerns, "It's not just dramas; movies and songs are also affected. We have invested millions in five YouTube channels and Facebook pages. The internet outage has halted all income. We're losing money daily, and our monthly expenses are in the crores. If this situation continues, we don't know how we'll manage by the end of the month."
The sudden internet blackout has severely impacted the burgeoning content business on YouTube and Facebook, causing crores of taka in losses over the past five days. Bhuiyan added, "The steady viewership flow on YouTube and Facebook has been disrupted, and it might even take a year for content engagement to normalise."
Another production company, Cinemawala, estimated a loss of around Tk 10 lakh over the last couple of days from its YouTube channel and Facebook page, with the scheduled release of the drama "Magic Moment" also postponed.
Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Raz, head of Cinemawala, commented, "A significant potential for the content business emerged with YouTube and Facebook. However, the sudden internet outage has resulted in losses amounting to crores of taka for production houses involved in this sector over the past five days. While things might eventually resume, it will take time for the business to return to normal."
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