Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Bollywood films in India used to have an 8-week window of theatrical release before they were made available for streaming on Over the Top (OTT) platforms. During pandemic-induced lockdowns, however, films started being released directly on OTT platforms, as theatres were shut. When theatres were up and running again in November 2021, the window had reduced to 4 weeks. In other words, new releases would be made available on OTT platforms within a month of being released in theatres.
Now that almost all the covid related restrictions have been removed, and we seem to be returning to pre-pandemic conditions, producers and exhibitors of films have decided to increase the theatrical release window again to the original 8 weeks. This is because the revenue of theatres and the films have taken a hit since the window was reduced, as more people started waiting for a movie to become available on an OTT platform instead of going to the theatre to watch it.
Major releases have not been able to make big money through ticket sales, as people would rather wait for a month to watch them on OTT platforms. For example, the hugely successful Bhool Bhuliyaa 2 barely took a month to appear on OTT platforms, cutting down the number of people who went to watch it in theatres.
The upside to increasing the theatrical release window:
With an increase in the window, people will be more likely to head to the theatres to watch major releases. This will be a move in the right direction for films, as ticket sales contribute about 60 to 70 percent to a film’s revenue. As for the theatres, this move will keep their business from going down.
How does it impact the OTT platforms?
According to Pradeep Dwivedi, Group CEO – Eros Media World, this move will work for everyone. OTT platforms can now focus on web series and original content, as they were originally meant to do. Web series also help in customer retention. In addition, small budget films will either directly be released on OTT platforms or will be made available on them in a short span.
Saurabh Varma, CCO – Content Engineers, says that it is a myth that theatres and OTT platforms are competing with each other. Theatres are places where films are released, and OTT platforms mainly consist of web series. Moreover, with a longer window, OTT platforms can observe how a film performs in theatres and then decide whether or not to buy the digital rights to the film and make it available on their platforms.
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Amazing article keep it up madhu sri