Direct Online Release Not As Easy As It Appears?

OTT platforms are making big strides in India thanks to the Lockdown. With film theaters shut and Television Channels running out of the content, people are preferring OTT platforms to kill the boredom. Leading OTT Platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix have registered a huge spike in their subscriptions during this period.

There is a debate about if the films should wait for the normalcy to restore or opt for a direct online release. This is applicable only for the small and medium budget films for obvious reasons. However, it is easier said than done says the insiders. Except for the big films, OTT platforms rarely pay outright amounts.

Mostly, it will be Pay Per Hour and in some special cases, a little amount plus Pay Per Hour. If we consider the PPH model, it is said that to recover Five Crore investment from the OTT platforms, a minimum of 40 Lakh views are needed. These metrics will differ depending on the viewer’s location.

The big question is if the small films with no notable cast will be able to attract so many audiences. It will be a herculean task if the talk and reviews are good. If the reviews are negative, the game is more or less finished just like how it happens in the theaters. Unlike the traditional theatrical release, it is not possible to publicize the films on OTTs which will make things even difficult.