Malayalam streaming service launches premium service in US

While the premium service includes hundreds of Malayalam movies and a number of news channels, the basic service, containing original Neestream programs, is available worldwide for free, the American Bazaar reported on Wednesday.

"Per capita, Malayalees consume more news and entertainment content than most linguistic groups in the developing world," said Javad K. Hassan, Chairman of the JKH Holding Co., a Virginia-based global conglomerate of companies operating in a number of technology and service areas.

"Our objective with Neestream is to give Malayalees in India and around the world the best of Malayalam entertainment and current affairs."

While the US streaming giants have an advantage in resources, Hassan said Neestream intends to compete with them.

"As an operation focused solely on the Malayalam market, we hope we will be able to make an impact by bringing the finest and most informative content to the consumers."

The aim of coming up with a dedicated platform in Malayalam, according to Hassan, was to bridge an important and much needed gap when it comes to meaningful content for Malayalam-speaking households around the world, the American Bazaar reported.

Asif Ismail, CEO of Neestream, said the streaming platform will focus on unearthing talent and creators in Kerala and from within the global Malayalee diaspora.

For subscribers in the US, the platform also offers some English content in a category called Neestream Americas.