The year 2020 was one of the most crucial periods for everyone. Several lost their livelihoods, were distanced from their families, lost their loved ones, over and above countries closed down their borders, and we had to isolate inside our own houses. In all, the year put our mental endurance to test.

Well, not everything that happened was all bad, of course. Some found a silver lining. Many pursued their passions, took up new hobbies and found new opportunities.

One of the things that kept us going through this year was visual content (films, shows, web series, podcasts, YouTubers, videos, almost everything we could see!)

According to data provided by Google, 70 per cent of people watched content depending on their moods. Since we were constantly fed the latest information about COVID-19 and the rise in the number of daily cases, research showed that most people watched content to relax and unwind from their realities. Everyone needed some form of motivation and positivity to get through the days of lockdown.

One trend common amongst all the visual content consumed, was: digging deeper into personal interests, and learning something new. Many of us belonging to the urban, upper-class cities took this lockdown period in a positive stride and focused our energies on working on our passions and developing hobbies. Forty-six per cent of global viewers consumed visual content, not just as a form of entertainment but also as a tool of learning something new.

"Of all the services used worldwide YouTube was by far the most common," claimed the What the World Watched in a Day survey by Think with Google.

In India, the daily views of videos with #withme in the title increased by almost 600 per cent from March.

In the USA, based on the share of paid digital video subscribers, Netflix is the leading platform with 85 per cent paid subscribers. After the USA, Netflix is highly focused on the Indian market and has rapidly grown ever since. By Q2 2020, Netflix India had over 10.1 million paid subscribers, and India accounted for nine per cent of the global revenue share.

"India has the highest viewing of films on Netflix globally and over the last year, 80 per cent of our members in India chose to watch a film every week," Netflix India Vice President (Content) Monika Shergill said in a blog post.

According to a Moffet Nathanson survey, the number one reason Netflix subscribers cite for using the service is the desire, to not be interrupted by ads, followed by the ability to choose what they watch and binge-watching.

In comparison to 2019, viewing of non-fiction series on Netflix grew by 250 per cent. The most viewed non-fiction shows were 'Too Hot to Handle', 'Indian Matchmaking' and 'Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives'. With the increasing popularity of K-pop music and the constantly growing fanbase, Korean shows have also seen a surge in viewership. There was a 370 per cent increase in viewing of Korean Dramas in 2020.

Here is a list of films/ shows that topped the OTT list:

• List of the most-watched movies on OTT platforms in India (2020):

1. Dil Bechara (Disney + Hotstar)

2. Soorarai Pottru (Amazon Prime)

3. Ludo (Netflix)

4. Laxmii Bomb (Disney + Hotstar)

5. Gunjan Saxena (Netflix)

6. Khuda Hafiz (Disney + Hotstar)

7. Gulabo Sitabo (Amazon Prime)

8. Mookuthi Amman (Disney + Hotstar)

9. V The Movie (Amazon Prime)

10. Pon Magal Vandhal (Amazon Prime)

• List of most-watched shows on OTT platforms in India (2020):

1. Scam 1992 (Sony Liv)

2. Aashram (MX Player)

3. Special OPS (Disney + Hotstar)

4. Pataal Lok (Amazon Prime)

5. Aarya (Disney + Hotstar)

6. Mirzapur 2 (Amazon Prime)

7. Asur (Voot)

8. Abhay 2 (Zee 5)

9. Panchayat (Amazon Prime)

10. Bandish Bandits (Amazon Prime)

Along with the growth in the viewing of long format content on OTT platforms, there was also a rise in short content production and viewership. Youtubers and Instagrammers paid close attention to the choices of their audience and included their preferences to make relatable content. The audience was also more encouraging of upcoming talent and were more open to seeing different creators apart from the ones they were already following. They posted on the best content to their feed and kept the rest to stories and reels, to keep their engagement rates high.

Many young content creators emerged during this period, making music, dance videos and fun sketches. Yashraj Mukhate was one such talent, who gained immense popularity in 2020 in India. His unconventional style of creating music, using dialogues went viral, especially his video - 'Rasode mein kaun tha?'. The video was shared widely by everyone creating their versions of the same. His subsequent work was also appreciated, gaining him more popularity and brand endorsements.

One trend that's common across all platforms is the quality of content. It did not matter if the production was of the best quality or if there were popular celebrities, the concept and the content were high on priority.

In 2021, all the OTT platforms have many new shows and films lined up for release. This year is also going to filled with equally exciting new shows and some sequels to our favourites.