Spuul introduces cheaper ad-supported subscription plan, enables carrier billing with Boku

Movie streaming site Spuul has launched a cheaper ad-supported subscription plan. The new plan, called Premium Lite, costs Rs 120 a month, which is less than half of the existing premium subscription plan that costs Rs 300 a month (but is ad-free). The company has also tied up with mobile payments company Boku to make operator billing available for its new and existing subscription packs.

To activate Premium Lite or any other existing plan with carrier billing, users have to enter their mobile number on the Spuul website, post which a one-time password (OTP) is sent to them. On entering the OTP, their subscription becomes active. The amount will be charged to the customer's mobile bill for post paid customers or will be deducted from their existing balance for pre-paid customers. The operator billing option is available on Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, with Tata Docomo to be launched soon.

"Boku's direct operator billing will help us strengthen billing relationships with our users to make it convenient for them to consume content on their tablets and mobile devices," said Prakash Ramchandani, CEO, Spuul India.

Talking to Techcircle.in recently, Subin Subaiah, global CEO of Spuul, had shared that the company is planning to launch a new plan to tap in to the price-conscious segment. "We want to target those users who want to try the service but are not yet willing to shell out Rs 300 a month. This new pricing model will not be ad-free like our premium subscription but it will reach out to a different section of audience," he had said.

The company is also looking to raise an investment round worth $20 million early next year to fuel content and technology enhancement, as well as for marketing.

(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)