What Mediastar Ltd. does

MediaStar Ltd. is a privately held Bangladesh-based diversified media company founded in 1998, operating seven business units anchored by Prothom Alo (the largest circulated daily newspaper in Bangladesh) and Chorki (a digital OTT streaming platform for Bengali original content). The company produces and distributes news, television, film, documentary, and digital media content for Bengali-speaking audiences in Bangladesh and the global diaspora, employing 957 people across its operations headquartered at Pragati Insurance Bhaban, Karwan Bazar, Dhaka.

The company's revenue model spans five streams: print subscriptions and advertising via Prothom Alo, online digital subscriptions, digital advertising across web and mobile, native/branded content production, and recurring subscriptions to the Chorki OTT service. Distribution is multi-channel, including physical newsstands, a digital news portal with subscription-based access, an ePaper platform, and direct-to-consumer streaming via Chorki. Go-to-market is predominantly direct-to-consumer, with no publicly disclosed enterprise anchor customers or pricing tiers. Underlying technology consists of a digital media platform, streaming infrastructure for Chorki, an ePaper platform, and online news delivery systems, alongside proprietary initiatives such as 'Kankhito Khobor Apnar Kachhe' for rural news delivery.

Corporate social responsibility is channeled through the Prothom Alo Trust, which runs eight programs including acid burn survivor rehabilitation, anti-drug-abuse movements, scholarships, disaster relief, Rana Plaza victim support, and aid for persecuted journalists. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors or funding rounds, and has no parent company. Leadership is anchored by Matiur Rahman (Editor, Prothom Alo) and includes a dedicated digital executive bench (A B M Jabed Sultan as Chief Digital Business Officer, Redoan Rony as CEO of Chorki). International recognition includes WAN IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards (2019, 2022), INMA Global Media Awards 2022, and the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge 2022.

Name

Mediastar Ltd.

Legal name

MediaStar Ltd.

Website

https://mediastarbd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MediaStar Ltd. is a Bangladesh-based diversified media company operating seven business units, anchored by Prothom Alo (Bangladesh's largest-circulated daily newspaper) and the Chorki OTT streaming platform, producing news, TV, film, and digital content for Bengali-speaking audiences globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

News Media & Publishing

NAICS

Publishing Industries (513), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

News Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAF)

Keywords

• Bengali news media
• Newspaper publishing
• OTT streaming services
• Digital journalism
• Investigative reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Print Publications: Revenue from Prothom Alo newspaper, the largest circulated daily newspaper in Bangladesh
2. Digital Subscriptions: Online subscription services for digital content access
3. Digital Advertising: Online advertising across digital platforms including website and mobile
4. Streaming Services (Chorki): OTT streaming platform providing video content to subscribers
5. Native Advertising/Branded Content: Custom branded content solutions for advertisers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mediastar Ltd. produces and distributes news, television, film, documentary, and digital media content primarily through its flagship Bengali daily newspaper Prothom Alo and the Chorki OTT streaming platform. The company operates seven business units that deliver multi-platform media content—spanning print, digital, and streaming—to Bengali-speaking audiences in Bangladesh and worldwide.

Product overview

Mediastar Limited operates a multi-platform media portfolio anchored by Prothom Alo, Bangladesh's largest circulated daily newspaper, complemented by the digital streaming platform Chorki. The company also produces films, television shows, documentaries, and digital content across its seven business units. The portfolio spans traditional print media and digital-first entertainment properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prothom Alo: Bengali daily newspaper, largest circulated newspaper in Bangladesh
• Chorki

Products and services

• Prothom Alo

Quantifiable outcome

• INMA Global Media Award 2022 - Best Idea to Grow Advertising Sales (2nd Position)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Prothom Alo TrustcoreOthersProthom Alo Trust is a charitable initiative established to provide a voice to people who want to help others in distress. Activities include fund to rehabilitate women with acid burns, movement against drug abuse, Oditiya Scholarship, relief during calamities, support for indomitable students, Rana Plaza victims support, Sadaat Smriti Palli social welfare project, and fund for aiding persecuted journalists.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Daily Star (Bangladesh): One of Bangladesh's leading English-language daily newspapers and digital news outlets; competes with Prothom Alo in the Bangladesh news market and shares the digital subscription transition.
• Bangladesh Pratidin: High-circulation Bengali-language daily newspaper in Bangladesh; directly competes with Prothom Alo in print circulation and Bengali-language digital news.

Direct peers

• Hoichoi: Bengali-language OTT streaming platform offering original films, series, and digital content; Chorki's most direct competitor in the premium Bengali streaming segment serving Bangladesh and the diaspora.

Broad incumbents

• Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (Times of India / Times Group): India's largest media conglomerate operating Times of India and multiple regional/TV/digital properties; benchmarks MediaStar on digital subscription scale, advertising yield, and multi-platform content operations.
• HT Media (Hindustan Times, Mint): Large Indian media group with flagship English newspaper Hindustan Times plus digital properties; comparable in scale and digital subscription transition, although focused on English-language Indian audiences.
• Zee Entertainment Enterprises: Major Indian media conglomerate operating ZEE5 OTT plus regional TV channels including Bengali offerings; competes with Chorki for premium OTT subscribers and Bengali-language content audiences.
• DB Corp (Dainik Bhaskar): India's largest print media group by circulation, including Hindi and Gujarati dailies plus digital; highly comparable business model around multi-edition newspaper publishing and digital transformation.
• ABP Group (Anandabazar Patrika / ABP Ananda): Large Indian media conglomerate with flagship Bengali newspaper Anandabazar Patrika and Bengali TV channel ABP Ananda; comparable multi-platform Bengali news and entertainment portfolio across print, digital, and TV.
• SonyLIV / Culver Max Entertainment: Indian OTT and TV broadcaster; competes with Chorki for premium regional-language OTT subscribers in South Asia and the Bengali-speaking diaspora.

Others

• Shemaroo Entertainment: Indian content production and distribution company with film/TV catalogue monetisation across digital and broadcast; comparable as a content supply-chain and regional-language content peer to MediaStar's films/TV business units.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mediastar Ltd.