MX Player

Corporate brand

MX Player is an India-focused, ad-supported video platform that began as an Android media player and later expanded into streaming and original programming.

Last updated August 25, 2026

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Overview

MX Player is a digital video brand originating in India. It was introduced by J2 Interactive on 18 July 2011 as an Android video-player application rather than as a streaming service. Its early appeal came from broad local playback support, subtitle functionality and the ability to watch stored video offline, positioning it as a practical utility for mobile users who wanted to play locally saved media on Android devices. The brand changed direction substantially in February 2019, when it was relaunched as an over-the-top, or OTT, entertainment platform. The streaming service combined an advertising-supported business model with a mixture of licensed programming and MX Player originals. Its catalogue strategy drew on Indian and international content suppliers, with referenced partners including FilmRise, Sonar Entertainment, Screen Media Films, Goldmines Telefilms, Hungama, Shemaroo, Paramount Pictures, Sony Entertainment and Sun TV Network. This broadened MX Player from a playback tool into a destination for films, television programming and digitally commissioned series. MX Player’s service was initially concentrated in India. In March 2020, the company announced an international OTT rollout covering selected markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Outside the territories where the streaming product was made available, the MX Player name continued to be associated primarily with its original video-player function. The international expansion reflected an effort to use Indian-language and regional entertainment, together with acquired programming, to reach audiences beyond the domestic market. The brand also experimented with adjacent forms of digital entertainment. In July 2020, it launched MX TakaTak, a short-form video application designed for creator-led mobile video. The product became a significant consumer service in its own right and was reported to have exceeded 100 million active users by March 2021. In 2022, MX TakaTak was acquired by ShareChat, the Indian social-media company that also operates Moj, removing the short-video product from the MX Player portfolio. By 2023, MX Player had attracted acquisition interest from Amazon, which already operated Prime Video and Freevee and was seeking to strengthen its position in India’s entertainment market. Amazon acquired MX Player in June 2024 in a transaction reported at approximately $100 million. Following the acquisition, the service became associated with Amazon India and has been described as Amazon MX Player. The platform currently operates on an ad-supported basis, giving Amazon an additional India-oriented streaming brand alongside its subscription and advertising-supported video businesses. MX Player therefore represents a progression from mobile media utility to advertising-funded OTT platform, with its current identity shaped by Indian entertainment, free streaming access and Amazon ownership.

History

MX Player began on 18 July 2011 as an Android media-player application created by J2 Interactive. Its initial purpose was local playback: users could view stored video files on mobile devices, use subtitle support and watch content offline. At this stage, the brand belonged to the utility-software category and competed on playback convenience rather than on ownership or distribution of entertainment rights. The service was repositioned in February 2019. MX Player relaunched as an OTT platform with original programming and a catalogue assembled from licensed material. This change moved the brand into digital media distribution and made it dependent on a combination of advertising, audience scale, content commissioning and licensing relationships. The reported content partners included Indian companies such as Goldmines Telefilms, Hungama, Shemaroo and Sun TV Network, as well as international or internationally active suppliers including FilmRise, Sonar Entertainment, Screen Media Films, Paramount Pictures and Sony Entertainment. The resulting proposition combined local-language entertainment with acquired international programming. India remained the centre of the streaming operation, but MX Player announced a selected-market international expansion in March 2020. The OTT service was made available in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. The international rollout extended the brand’s reach while preserving a distinction between territories where MX Player functioned as a streaming service and places where it remained primarily a video player. In July 2020, MX Player expanded into short-form social video by launching MX TakaTak. The application targeted the rapidly growing mobile creator economy and became a major adjacent product. It reportedly passed 100 million active users by 24 March 2021. In 2022, ShareChat acquired MX TakaTak; ShareChat also owned Moj, creating a significant overlap between the acquired service and the buyer’s existing short-video business. Amazon’s interest in MX Player became public in 2023. The potential acquisition fit Amazon’s broader effort to develop its Indian entertainment operations alongside Prime Video and Freevee. Amazon completed the acquisition in June 2024 in a deal reported at approximately $100 million. The brand is now linked to Amazon India and is commonly identified as Amazon MX Player. Its current service model is advertising-supported rather than dependent solely on paid subscriptions. The history of MX Player is consequently defined by three transitions: from local Android playback to online video distribution, from a principally Indian product to a service with selected international availability, and from an independent digital-entertainment operation to an Amazon-owned platform. Its continuing differentiation is its combination of free, ad-supported access, Indian-market relevance, original programming and a legacy of broad mobile video usability.

2024
Amazon completes acquisition
[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
Amazon acquires MX Player and links the service to Amazon India; the deal is reported at approximately $100 million.
2022
MX TakaTak is acquired by ShareChat
[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
ShareChat acquires the short-video service, which is later part of a portfolio that includes the Moj platform.
2020
International OTT rollout announced
[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
The streaming service announces availability in selected markets outside India.
2020
MX TakaTak launches
[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
MX Player enters short-form social video with a dedicated mobile application.
2019
Relaunch as an OTT platform
[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
MX Player expands from media-player software into an OTT service offering original and licensed programming.
2011
MX Player launches as an Android video player
[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
J2 Interactive launches MX Player with subtitle support and offline playback for locally stored video.

Products and positioning

A free, advertising-supported digital entertainment platform with roots in Android media playback and a strong India-focused streaming proposition. The brand combines original and licensed programming and uses broad mobile distribution to serve audiences that may prefer no-subscription video access.

Android video player · 2011
MX Player
The original MX Player product was an Android application for playing locally stored video files. Its early feature set included subtitle support and offline viewing, making it a mobile playback utility rather than an online content subscription service. Although the brand later became associated with streaming, the video-player function remains an important part of its historical identity and continues to distinguish the name in markets where the OTT service is not available.
Ad-supported streaming service · 2019
MX Player OTT
The OTT version of MX Player launched in 2019 and offers a mixture of original programming and licensed films and television content. Its catalogue has included material from Indian and international studios and distributors. The service initially focused on India before expanding to selected overseas markets in 2020. Under Amazon ownership, it operates as an advertising-supported video platform and is associated with the Amazon MX Player name.
Short-form video application · 2020
MX TakaTak
MX TakaTak was a short-form video and creator application launched by MX Player in 2020. It targeted mobile-first entertainment and user-generated content, and it reportedly exceeded 100 million active users by March 2021. ShareChat acquired the service in 2022, so it is no longer an independently controlled MX Player product.

Brand decisions

2024
Acquisition by AmazonM&A
Background
Amazon was seeking to expand its entertainment footprint in India alongside Prime Video and Freevee.
Action taken
Amazon acquired MX Player in June 2024 through its Indian operations.
Aftermath
The service became associated with Amazon India and the Amazon MX Player name while continuing as an advertising-supported platform.
Reported acquisition value. $100 million (June 2024)
Source
2020
International expansion of the OTT serviceStrategy
Background
After establishing its streaming proposition in India, MX Player sought additional audiences in selected international markets.
Action taken
The company announced OTT availability in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Aftermath
The brand gained a distinction between international markets with streaming access and other markets where it continued primarily as a video player.
Source
2020
Launch of MX TakaTakProduct launch
Background
Short-form, creator-led mobile video was becoming an important adjacent category in Indian digital entertainment.
Action taken
MX Player launched MX TakaTak as a dedicated short-video application.
Aftermath
The application reportedly reached more than 100 million active users by March 2021 before being acquired by ShareChat in 2022.
Source
2019
Shift from media playback to OTT streamingStrategy
Background
MX Player had originated as an Android utility for locally stored video, but the company sought to participate in the expanding online-video and digital-entertainment market.
Action taken
The brand was relaunched as an OTT platform with original programming and licensed content.
Aftermath
MX Player developed into a streaming brand with an advertising-supported model and a broader content catalogue.
Source

Recent events

2024
Amazon acquires MX Player[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
M&A · Leadership change
Amazon acquired MX Player in June 2024. The transaction was reported at approximately $100 million, and the service became associated with Amazon India under the Amazon MX Player name.
2023
Amazon reportedly explores acquisition of MX Player[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
M&A
Reports said Amazon was in discussions to acquire MX Player as part of a wider effort to expand its entertainment presence in India.
2022
ShareChat acquires MX TakaTak[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
M&A
MX TakaTak was acquired by ShareChat, which also operates the competing Moj short-video platform.
2021
MX TakaTak surpasses 100 million active users[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
Other
MX TakaTak was reported to have more than 100 million active users by 24 March 2021.
2020
MX Player announces international OTT expansion[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
Other
The company announced that its streaming service would expand beyond India into selected markets including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
2020
MX Player launches MX TakaTak[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
Product launch
MX Player introduced MX TakaTak, a short-form video application aimed at mobile creators and viewers.
2019
MX Player relaunches as an OTT platform[1]MX Playeren.wikipedia.org
Product launch
MX Player was relaunched as an OTT service with original programming and licensed content from Indian and international studios.

Sources5 sources

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