LeEco likely to bring video-on-demand to India on May 3

             

  Chinese entertainment conglomerate LeEco -- formerly LeTV -- is set to host a launch event in India's entertainment capital Mumbai on May 3. There has been lots of speculation around this event with multiple reports suggesting that the company would bring its recently launched Le 2, Le 2 pro and Le Max 2 phones to India on May 3. The chances of that happening are however very slim.

Sources have told India Today Online that LeEco may go ahead and do something entirely different. This is not to say that the Le 2, Le 2 pro and Le Max 2 phones won't be coming to India. They will, just not right now.

So, what exactly is LeEco up to? We know that back home in China, the company is known for its content ecosystem, for which it is also called the Netflix of China. While launching its debut Le 1S and Le Max phones in India in January, the company had also announced its tie-up with Eros Now for Video-on-demand (VOD) and YuppTV for TV content streaming.

"We're very excited to be the first company to introduce the concept of content ecosystem on mobile devices in India. We have always been proud of our innovative content-integrated ecosystem, and these new collaborations only reiterate our commitment to build the Le Ecosystem in the country. We are confident that this will not only add an entirely new dimension to the user's experience but will change the dynamics of the industry," Atul Jain, COO, Smart Electronics Business, Le Eco India had said.

While partnership with Yupp TV will give users access to YuppTV's catalogue of live TV channels, the tie-up with Eros Now will allow them to watch Bollywood content and regional movies on LeEco phones, on the go. During the launch of the Le 1S and the Le Max it was stressed that the content vis-a-vis these platforms would be pushed out to its phones via a software update, sometime in Q2 2016. Moreover, content would be free to use for at least six months initially after launch, the company had said.

There's a high possibility then that LeEco will announce this new integration on May 3, as also announce the software update roll-out for its phones. The block your date invite sent out to the media also highlights the 'entertainment' aspect of the event, clearly stating that "entertainment will play in a whole new way" on the said date.

There could be a phone launch somewhere down the pipeline as well, although it isn't clear yet whether LeEco will launch either of its new phones or an entirely different one on that day. We will be there in Mumbai when LeEco makes its new announcement(s). Stay tuned for more.