2024 was a mixed bag for the Telugu OTT as far as star heroes films were concerned. While Guntur Kaaram could garner some sort of popularity on the OTT after its Netflix debut, other biggies were dead rubbers.
Kalki and Devara which released on OTT weeks after theatrical release turned out to be duds. They couldn’t generate any traction whatsoever.
Also Read – BO: Sankranthi Ki Vasthunnam Sets ATR
Now, cut to 2024, things are starting to look concerning for the OTT giants as far as Tollywood stars go.
Firstly, we have Game Changer, which had a decent combination value when it was announced but eventually lost its sheen due to the delay. Now, everything will depend on the theatrical reception for the film if it is to later succeed on OTT.
Also Read – Chay-Sobhita: Astrologer Venu Swamy Apologizes
Then we have Raja Saab, which marks the combination of Prabhas and Maruthi. The film is being fundamentally doubted by fans themselves who are not sure about how Maruthi will showcase a superstar like Prabhas. Considering there is no combination value here, the OTT expectations will again entirely revolve around the theatrical reception.
Same goes with NTR’s War 2 as well which will be the last superstar film of 2025 as it heads for release in August this year. This film has no generic buzz in the Telugu markets so far.
Also Read – Game Changer Disaster: Pawan Kalyan Responsible?
What’s evident here is that we don’t have an attention grabbing combo factor like a Sandeep Vanga-Prabhas, or a Prashanth Neel-NTR film up for release on OTT this year.
This essentially means that no OTT giant might be willing to shell out outrightly high prices for any of the mentioned films. They will all have to rely entirely on the theatrical reception if they’re to succeed on OTT later.
