Indian streamer Aha picks up Korean content package from O4 Media

Descendants of the Sun debuted on KBS2 in 2016

Arha India, owner of streaming service Aha, has acquired a package of Korean crime, drama and comedy programming from Hong Kong-based distributor O4 Media.

Gary Pudney

The package of around 100 hours of KBS programming will launch on Aha next month in India. The six series covered by the deal include two KBS2 shows, Descendants of the Sun (16×60′) and Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (20×60′).

Aha offers Telugu and Tamil-language content and is backed by Arha Media & Broadcasting, a joint venture from Allu Aravind (Geetha Arts) and My Home Group.

O4 Media was set up last year by industry veteran Gary Pudney, who leads the company with head of sales and acquisitions Nixon Lim. It seeks to showcase culture and connect content creators and producers from the East to the West and from West to East.

Ajit Thakur, CEO at Arha Media & Broadcasting, said: “We are the among the fastest growing OTTs in India with presence in Telugu and Tamil. With our diverse and differentiated local content, we have built a strong core fan base with wide variety in our content ranging from fiction, non-fiction, gameshows, music and talent shows, original films, live news, kids content and so on.

“Keeping in mind the evolving preferences of viewers and popularity of Korean content amongst our audiences, we are now bringing some of the top Korean shows in local languages enabling our viewers to watch their favourite programmes from across the world.”

Pudney, founder and managing director at O4 Media, said: “The south is a dynamic part of India, and working with Aha, such a new and fast-growing player in the market, it illustrates that they have an acute eye for content which is highly appealing and engaging for their audience. We see this as just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship.”