For the last few years, OTT platforms have enjoyed a dominant position in the film business. Because they were willing to pay big money for digital rights, they were able to set the rules. This did not stop at pricing; they also started influencing release schedules, forcing producers to adjust their plans. At present, this power balance still favors streaming players, even though it may change in the future.
With theatrical collections becoming unpredictable, many producers began depending heavily on digital deals to recover their investments. To secure these deals, they agreed to reduce the gap between theatrical and online releases. In many cases, films arrived on OTT within four weeks of release, even if they were still doing reasonably well in theatres.
Now, streaming platforms have changed the game. Under the new model, the full digital payment will be made only if a film performs well at the box office. If the theatrical run is weak, the digital payout will be reduced.
This directly shifts financial risk back onto producers, who can no longer rely on streaming platforms as a guaranteed safety net. Because of this, producers are expected to push for longer theatrical windows. Many are likely to demand an eight-week gap for films that are doing well, so they can maximize theatre revenue before moving to OTT.
The concern is real because only a few films performed strongly at the box office in 2025. However, there is renewed optimism for 2026.
The massive success of Dhurandhar has shown that audiences will still come to theatres if the content connects. Even with a dull opening, the film later picked up like fire and turned into a box office storm.
Since the OTT release is eight weeks away from its theatrical release, the cinema business got a boost and audiences thronged to see the film in theatres. If the film had moved to streaming in four weeks, like many major Telugu films, collections would have dipped within two weeks. The film would not have enjoyed a long run of five to six weeks in theatres.
The extended run of Dhurandhar is a clear lesson for Telugu and other film industries to prolong the window between theatrical and digital releases. Theatrical business is where the real money lies, not OTT. Good content can give producers huge profits, which is not possible with any standard digital deal.
This success has boosted industry confidence and may reshape future deals with producers and platforms. The coming year could redefine the relationship between theatres and streaming services, with producers striving for a more balanced ecosystem that prioritizes theatrical value while still leveraging digital reach.
Dhurandhar is expected to stream on Netflix from 30 January, 2026, eight weeks after its theatrical release on December 5.
