South filmmakers shorten streaming release window

livemint.com:

NEW DELHI : Rajinikanth’s Tamil film Jailer, which continues to draw audiences to cinemas, has already premiered on Amazon Prime Video within a month of theatrical release. Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi’s Telugu film Bhola Shankar, released in mid-August, too, will stream on Netflix this week. Trade experts say the negotiating power of multiplexes hasn’t worked with southern filmmakers who sign lucrative deals with OTT platforms to de-risk their films before release and then stick to them, even if the film finds takers at the box office.

For Hindi films, there is a six and eight-week exclusive window for pay-per-view and online premiers, respectively. “In the north, multiplexes contribute a much higher percentage of overall box office and can afford to take a stand on these things. But in the south, single screens lead all the way.

Producers, on the other hand, want to de-risk their expensive projects by sealing satellite and digital deals before the theatrical release and ensure monetization as best as they can," said a senior executive at a leading entertainment company, which also operates its own OTT platform. The practice, however, is not good for the business and will not serve producers well in the long term, the person added, since viewers will not be enthused to go to theatres to watch films if they know these will be available on home screens that soon. “It’s like creating a habit and mindset.