Latest news with #FICCI-EY
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Business of films: Why Aamir Khan took Sitaare Zameen Par to YouTube
Actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan this month released his Sitaare Zameen Par on the Google-owned video-sharing platform YouTube, rather than an over-the-top (OTT) platform such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, after the film had completed its theatrical run. The film, in the genre of comedy-drama known as 'dramedy', earned Rs 216 crore at the box office worldwide. Since August 1, it has been available for rent on YouTube for Rs 100 (and for half that price from August 15-17). What is the business logic for Aamir Khan's decision? Theatre owners were upset: multiplex giant PVR INOX said Sircar had 'vitiated the atmosphere of mutual partnership' between theatres and filmmakers. But amid the Covid-19 lockdown, direct-to-OTT was a fait accompli of sorts. Prime announced plans for six more digital-only premieres of Malayalam, Tamil, and Kannada films. In 2021, more than 100 films had opted for direct-to-OTT releases. But this Covid-era momentum faded quickly. In 2024, only 60 films were released directly on digital platforms — a more-than-42% decline compared to 2022, according to a report by the trade association FICCI and multinational accounting firm EY published this year. Direct-to-OTT films have not done particularly well either. Between January and June this year, 30 films in multiple languages were released on OTT platforms, of which only five ranked among the 50 most-watched streaming originals, Ormax Media, a Mumbai-based research firm, reported. The number of films being released in theatres first and subsequently on OTT has steadily increased — doubling from 217 in 2022 to 440 in 2024, according to FICCI-EY reports of 2024 and 2025. Filmmakers are confronted with two broad realities: 🔴 Footfall in theatres has recovered from pandemic-driven lows, but has been declining generally — having fallen from 994 million in 2022 to 857 million in 2024, according to the 2025 FICCI-EY report. This has been attributed to the narrowing theatre-to-OTT window: the availability of films on OTT platforms soon after their theatrical release is believed to depress theatre footfall. But this allows the OTT platforms to benefit from the theatre-marketing buzz. 🔴 The FICCI-EY report noted that 'cost pressures' led to subdued digital releases in 2024. With OTT platforms now focused on profitability, 'tentpole' films — big-budget productions that are expected to perform well — and small-budget ones were in demand, but mid-sized films had few takers. In some cases, it was 'understood that theatrical performance was required to market the film for OTT platforms as well', the FICCI-EY report said. Aamir's decision to go to YouTube effectively adds another distribution channel for films. 'We need a 'pay-per-view' (PPV) window between theatrical and OTT, and that's what I am pushing to create,' he told Matthew Beloni on the podcast The Town. In the PPV model, viewers essentially pay only for what they want to watch, not for a subscription. 'Once the theatrical run is exhausted, that's when I want to come on pay-per-view, and that's a window [for the theatrical run] that can be flexible. It should certainly not be below six weeks. And then, you should give pay-per-view a good three months, and then the film can come on OTT. That's the ideal window,' Aamir said. According to Aamir, the 'bulk of India does not subscribe to OTT platforms', and YouTube potentially has greater reach, including globally. He also suggested that YouTube could offer a more favourable deal than the traditional 50-50 split between the production house and theatres, and that the PPV model could open a path for younger filmmakers and smaller-budget films that do not get distribution in theatres. In 2024, only 30% of all films were released on OTTs (including digital-first and theatre-first), according to the FICCI-EY report. As such, there are a large number of unsold films that could find audiences on AVOD (advertising-based video-on-demand) and TVOD (transactional video-on-demand) platforms such as YouTube. AVOD allows free access to videos, but with advertisements. TVOD, which is the same as PPV, allows viewers to pay a one-time rent for a specific piece of content. The FICCI-EY report points out that TVOD releases (parallel to or shortly after theatre runs) would get audiences in regions with limited theatre access. Also, a Rs 100 rent fee is less than the average ticket price of Rs 139 (in 2024). Several factors work in favour of YouTube as the platform of choice for filmmakers. 🔴 YouTube accounted for 92% of all online video consumption in 2024; 🔴 It has the highest penetration in India among social media platforms, according to a 2024 report by Comscore, a media analytics company; 🔴 It is popular across generations — 91% of Gen Z and more than 80% of millennials and Gen X were on YouTube; 🔴 While the majority of YouTube consumption is on mobile phones, it also has an expanding CTV (connected TV) base: between March 2023 and March 2024, it was the most-watched streaming service on Indian CTV. There is not much publicly available data on YouTube's TVOD offerings. In 2024, TVOD revenues were more than Rs 13 billion in India, lagging behind SVOD (subscription video on demand) revenue from services like Netflix or JioHotstar, which charge an annual or monthly subscription fee for access to a large volume of content. According to a report by accounting firm PwC, SVOD accounted for 75% of OTT revenue in India in 2023, while TVOD and AVOD accounted for 5% and 20% respectively. However, the FICCI-EY report said TVOD is expected to scale amid rising OTT subscription costs and CTV penetration. Smaller OTT platforms may opt for TVOD models, with films that were previously unsold, and more major players may start offering a mix of SVOD and TVOD, following in the footsteps of Prime and Apple TV.
Hindustan Times
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
How safe are women workers in their daily commute?
In recent years, conversations around women's economic empowerment in India have rightly centred around deeper enablers such as safety and mobility highlighting the need for greater infrastructural support and investments to allow women to participate freely in the workforce. Several of the discussions around the topic emphasises the need to build robust road and transport infrastructures – however, these infrastructures need to inbuilt the women's safety aspects, perceptions of which lead women in their workforce participation decision. Female commuters (Manish/HT) According to the PLFS 2023-24, the women's labour force participation rate has increased over the past six years from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24. Irrespective of the caveats on what drives the increase, the imperative to create safe public infrastructures for mobility and workplaces becomes even more dire. Data clearly indicates that for every additional crime per 1,000 women in a district, roughly 32 women are deterred from joining the workforce. The Deloitte Women@Work 2024 Report states that 46% of Indian women worry about their safety either at the workplace or during commutes, whether to work or for other purposes. Studies have repeatedly emphasised the need for improved safety mechanisms within urban transport and planning. The concerns get reflected in lived realities of women workers. Across India, women are opting out of economic opportunities not only due to lack of ambition or skills, but because the ecosystem does not guarantee their basic safety at workplaces, organisation of workplaces and during all their commutes. The idea of safety to become a systemic principle requires a transformational approach. For women to feel safe at all times in public sphere, the notion of prevention needs to transcend the boundaries of women protecting themselves using several self-censoring mechanisms and encompass an approach where cities and public infrastructure is planned in keeping with specific safety norms. Measures like better-lit streets, women-only transport options, and improved surveillance tactics using digital mechanisms and so on. These would be more effective if the broader planning framework prioritises and integrates women's needs for safe mobility and spaces. At the workplace, safety must extend beyond legal compliances. A 10-year review of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, conducted by the FICCI-EY, found that only one in four Indian companies are fully compliant with the laws. The IC at local levels often does not register any complaints year after year. These trends emphasise the need for organisational awareness building and integration of women's safety perceptions to foster safe spaces, rather than relying solely on formal mechanisms. Women are unsafe even in the digital spaces. A UN Women report of 2021 revealed that one in three women in India had faced online harassment, constraining them from accessing digital platforms and devices, their ability to learn, network, or work online. As the digital economy grows, safety interventions must ensure that women's needs and perceptions are well-addressed. Clearly, safety is also a perception in addition to all the physical safeguards and mechanisms – in fact perception is a positive function of mechanisms, especially their effectiveness. Thus, while it is about prevention, it is also about bridging the gaps towards a well-functioning physical infrastructure and a social ideal of trust. Women's perception of safety in public transport, at the workplace, on digital platforms, and within communities depend heavily on the effectiveness and the well-functioning systems of safety. Safety is not only a women's issue to be addressed through piecemeal interventions, but as a systemic enabler of social, political and economic prosperity. It needs political will and collaborative efforts by think tanks, policymakers, and civil society to integrate safety into the fabric of conscience, governance, and physical and social design. Systems of gender audits for urban infrastructure and transport systems as well as spot checks and random scrutiny of safety systems across public infrastructures in all geographies, within formal and informal set ups are necessary to build that trust for changing safety perceptions leading to greater freedom of women in public spaces. Transformative ideas such as these need to be embedded towards building a Viksit Bharat 2047 and thus non-negotiable. This article is authored by Sona Mitra, principal economist, IWWAGE.
Economic Times
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Aamir Khan's film goes pay-per-view on YouTube, gives OTT giants a miss
Mumbai: Aamir Khan Productions has partnered with YouTube to release Sitaare Zameen Par on a pay-per-view basis in a potentially significant move, said people familiar with the development. This marks the first time in recent memory that a marquee Hindi film featuring a major star has not been licensed to a dominant subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform such as Netflix, Prime Video or JioHotstar, opting instead for a pay-per-view strategy via the world's largest video platform. India had 551 million online video viewers in 2024, with YouTube accounting for 92% of online video consumption, according to the FICCI-EY 2025 sources say Aamir Khan is tapping into the pay-per-view window, which has been a phenomenon globally but remains underutilised in India. However, they noted that it's still unclear how long he will delay the SVOD release following the pay-per-view Khan Productions and YouTube declined to comment. The film is likely to move to YouTube early next month. While the industry typically follows an eight-week window for streaming on SVOD platforms, Khan recently said that all his films will follow a six-month theatrical run to protect box office revenues. The film was released on June 20 in theatres."It's a bold move by an A-list star, and all eyes will be on how much the film can earn from pay-per-view, as well as how long Aamir Khan plans to keep it there before releasing it on an SVOD platform," said Shariq Patel, former CEO of Zee is expected to be priced at ₹ and Prime Video continue to dominate India's post-theatrical streaming market. According to Media Partners Asia, producers' streaming revenues have grown to 1.5 times their net theatrical share, making it a critical monetisation the FICCI-EY 2025 report shows that streaming rights revenue in India fell to ₹3,100 crore in 2024, down from ₹3,500 crore in 2023 and ₹3,300 crore in 2022, as platforms cut back on content spending in pursuit of not everyone sees this as a replicable model. Abundantia Entertainment CEO Vikram Malhotra noted that such an approach may work better for mid-budget films than big-budget ones, which often depend on upfront OTT deals for financial recovery. "Therefore, it's unlikely to serve as a viable financial model across the board, especially for films with higher break-even points. That said, it's an interesting and important experiment whose impact and sustainability will become clearer over time," he said. Suniel Wadhwa, a veteran distributor, cofounder and director of Karmic Films, said: "Film distribution through YouTube may not be remunerative for all actors or producers. It is a long-gestation affair. It will work only for well-established or A-list actors who have a huge or unique following. Besides this, it will be a practical alternative only for producers who have capacity to wait and earn revenues in the long-term." Sitaare Zameen Par is said to have been made on a budget of under ₹100 crore. As an in-house production, Khan has reportedly waived his fee, potentially making the model more viable. The film has collected ₹166.2 crore in India and ₹263.7 crore worldwide, according to box office tracker added that while the pay-per-view model has been tried before, it hasn't gained traction, largely because audiences favour subscription platforms offering a wider content Phutane, a veteran of film distribution and marketing, said digital distribution is becoming increasingly important as theatre footfalls decline post-pandemic."The fall in theatrical viewership is directly tied to the rise in digital subscribers," he said. "A ₹99 pay-per-view release on YouTube is a significant step, especially given its vast reach. With many single screens shut and limited theatres in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, YouTube offers a more economical and convenient alternative as viewers can watch at their own time, place, and pace." ( Originally published on Jul 27, 2025 )
Economic Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Will YouTube be an alternative to streamers or just a co-existing platform?
In the past few weeks, a new shift has taken place in discussions related to film business in the Hindi film industry. Thanks to the speculation about superstar Aamir Khan bypassing streaming platforms and releasing his new film Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube after releasing it in theatres, two critical questions have emerged in the industry. One is: Can producers afford to bypass streaming platforms or streamers in the current ecosystem and look for other avenues for releasing films? And another is: Can releasing films on YouTube after their theatrical release emerge as a financially viable option for producers? ADVERTISEMENT Answers to these questions will determine whether there will be a new shift in the industry in terms of distribution of films. Let us explore the practical aspects contained in the answers to these questions: After the pandemic, streamers have become immensely significant to the film-making ecosystem. Digital rights have become the most potent and certain source of revenues for Hindi films producers. Post the pandemic, producers have been selling their films' digital rights to streaming platforms even before starting production of their films. In this way, producers have been raising reasonably good money required to start a film. Alternatively, after theatrical release of their films, producers have been earning or recovering a portion of their investments by selling their films' digital rights to streamers. So, the relevance of streamers in the entire business of filmmaking is not only in providing money to producers to fund films but also in helping producers in recovering a portion of their investments post theatrical after they have funded their films from other sources. According to FICCI-EY's 2025 Media & Entertainment report, in 2024, 1823 films were released in India. Interestingly, 500 of these 1823 films were released on streamers. In 2023, 1796 were released in India. In these, 416 films were released on streamers. So, between 2023 and 2024, there has been 20% growth of films releasing on streamers. Importantly, in 2024, close to 28% of films made across languages in India were released on streamers. This shows the increasing importance of streamers not only as an effective funding entity but also as a viable channel for distribution of films after their theatrical release. Number of Films Released on Streaming Platforms Year Post theatrical Release Directly on Streaming platforms 2023 359 57 2024 440 60 Source: FICCI-EY 2025 Report Tellingly, in the past three years, revenues generated from the sale of digital rights of films to streamers have become the second highest source of revenues of films after theatrical revenues. According to the FICCI-EY report, revenues from the sale of digital rights of films to streaming platforms are estimated to grow to Rs3600 crore in 2027 from Rs3100 crore in 2024. This is higher than the revenues from the sale of overseas and television rights of films in the same period. This shows how streamers have become a key source of revenues for producers. ADVERTISEMENT Revenues from Each Segment of Film Business (Rs crore) Segment 2024 2025E 2027E Domestic Theatricals 11400 11900 129 Overseas theatricals 2000 2100 2300 Digital/ Streaming rights 3100 3300 3600 Broadcast /Satellite/Television rights 1300 1400 1400 In-cinema advertising 900 900 1000 Total 18700 19600 21300 Source: FICCI-EY 2025 Report According to Anushree Rauta, head of media and entertainment practice, ANM Global, a leading law firm in media and entertainment sector in India, apart from theatrical revenues, on the average, producers recover around 50–55% of their production costs by selling digital rights of their films to streaming platforms. She shares, "Revenues from the sale of satellite rights contribute approximately 10% to total revenues of films. Revenues from the sale of music rights are about 10–20% depending on the talent engaged." ADVERTISEMENT A big advantage which distinguishes streamers from other platforms (on which films can be released) is the relatively lower time in which a producer earns or obtains revenues for his or her films. In the entertainment industry, which is capital-intensive in nature, this advantage has made streamers almost a lifeline especially for films which have A-list or well-known cast and crew. Given these facts, in today's ecosystem, it seems that producers cannot afford to bypass streamers. ADVERTISEMENT Can releasing films on YouTube after their theatrical run emerge as a financially viable option for Hindi film producers? There are favourable statistics about YouTube. According to the FICCI-EY report, YouTube dominates online video consumption in India. 92% of all online video consumption happens on YouTube. The remaining 8% of online video consumption happens on platforms which provide advertisement-supported, free and subscription videos. YouTube reaches 47.6 crore audiences in India. This is two times the audience base of the US. The FICCI-EY report foresees that YouTube is likely to reach 80 crore audience base in India by 2029 thanks to the improvement in digital infrastructure and changing consumer habits. According to a leading marketing blog and training site for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies, YouTube has 249 crore monthly active users. In 2024, YouTube shared that its premium video services YouTube Premium and premium music services YouTube Music have surpassed 10 crore subscribers, globally. ADVERTISEMENT Interestingly, in the recently concluded media and entertainment event Waves Summit in Mumbai, Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube, said that in the past three years alone, YouTube has paid more than Rs21000 crore to creators, artists, and media companies across India. He said that in the next two years YouTube will invest over Rs 850 crore to accelerate the growth of Indian creators, artists, and media statistics indicate favourable economics of releasing films on YouTube. But like most statistics, these statistics show the potential but may not represent entire ground realities. Top countries by YouTube audience (Users) India 47.6 cr US 23.8 cr Brazil 14.7 cr United Kingdom 5.6 cr Source: FICCI-EY 2025 Report It is important to understand how fast a producer makes revenues or recovers investments when he or she releases films on YouTube. In this context, knowing the pattern of performance of films released on YouTube in the western markets will be helpful. This will give an idea about how the journey of releasing films on YouTube after their theatrical run could transpire in India. Adi Tiwary, creative director and partner, Stuart Entertainment, an Australia-based film distributor shares an interesting perspective about the situation in the international market. He says, "Releasing a film on YouTube is similar to nurturing a start-up. Producers have to create a constant buzz around the film to attract users' attention. Also, a film works on YouTube when its cast is in the news." He adds, "Then, there are marketing costs attached, apart from time." He explains that in the overseas markets YouTube is an integral part of entire marketing and promotional activities of films even before theatrical release. Producers invest in influencers and constantly upload videos on YouTube to maintain buzz around their films. Largely, YouTube provides four ways of earning revenues for producers. These are: advertisements-supported service, subscription-based, shorts monetisation and transaction-based service, which includes watching films on rent (a film stays in your account for two days) or buying films (a film stays in your account as long as it is there on YouTube). According to overseas distributors, even after considering this revenue model, it has been observed that a film on the average takes at least a year to make reasonably good money on YouTube. This is because YouTube is largely an ocean of individual creators in which users consume extremely diverse range of content in diverse formats (short-form and long-form). According to the recent analysis of Ampere Media, a firm known for research on global entertainment business, film and television content is the fifth most watched content on YouTube, globally. This shows that film content is not the most preferred content for YouTube audience. Unlike YouTube, a streaming platform is only about film content (feature-length and long format). It needs to create and maintain library of films. Over the years, streamers have succeeded in positioning them as a reliable space for filmed entertainment with increasingly improving visual interface the fact that it takes at least a year (on the average) for a film to generate reasonably good revenues for producers, it seems that the YouTube model is favourable for those producers who can wait for a long period for revenues. Suniel Wadhwa, a veteran distributor, co-founder and director of Karmic Films, who agrees with this line of thought, explains, "I think the YouTube model works in favour of cash-rich producers who have high holding capacity (capacity to wait) and films which have well-established or A-list cast. Only this combined force can find it relatively easier to make money from releasing films on YouTube in India." YouTube Business Model Revenue Model Type Revenue Split Key Feature AVOD Advertisements 55%: Creator45%: YouTube Free content with advertisements SVOD Subscription A portion of subscription fees goes to creators based on how much time users spent on their content YouTube Premium and Music TVOD Transactional 70%: creators30%: YouTube Rent or Buy Movies Pay per View Direct Monetisation Tips/Membership Varies (after fees) Super Chat, Memberships, Shopping tools Shorts Monetisation Advertisements/Fund 45%: Creators Monetisation of short form videos In India also, producers who have first-hand experience of releasing films on YouTube share that monetising films on YouTube is a steady but long-term affair. They point out that the YouTube model works in favour of producers who have high holding capacity. Shiladitya Bora, producer and founder of Platoon One Films, a Mumbai-based film production company, who released his film Aye Zindagi (2022) on YouTube, shares, "YouTube is a great option to monetise a film. My experience has been quite effective. A few years ago, I sold a regional indie film to a streaming platform. In hindsight, retaining the Intellectual Property (IP) and licensing only the Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) rights for a limited window might have been a more strategic move. I have released other films of mine on YouTube. These films have garnered good traction and reasonably good revenues. But it takes time. So, I think the YouTube Model works largely for producers who have holding capacity." Global Top Content Types Watched on YouTube (%) Subject % of YouTube Monthly Active Users Music/Music Videos 56 Comedy 39 How to's 29 Documentaries 24 Films or TV shows 23 Either 38 Vlogs 21 Travel 20 Gaming 19 Reviews 17 TV/Film Trailers 17 Source: Ampere Media In the backdrop of these facts, a fundamental question emerges: How many Hindi film producers can afford to wait for a long time especially when streamers provide much faster revenue realisation pre-and-post theatrical release? This question is more relevant today when producers are facing challenges in raising money to fund films. Therefore, considering the present dynamics of the industry it seems that YouTube may not emerge as an alternative to streamers. It is more likely to be a co-existing platform providing a wide range of content in which film content will be one of its offerings. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Will YouTube be an alternative to streamers or just a co-existing platform?
In the past few weeks, a new shift has taken place in discussions related to film business in the Hindi film industry. Thanks to the speculation about superstar Aamir Khan bypassing streaming platforms and releasing his new film Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube after releasing it in theatres, two critical questions have emerged in the industry. One is: Can producers afford to bypass streaming platforms or streamers in the current ecosystem and look for other avenues for releasing films? And another is: Can releasing films on YouTube after their theatrical release emerge as a financially viable option for producers? Answers to these questions will determine whether there will be a new shift in the industry in terms of distribution of films. Let us explore the practical aspects contained in the answers to these questions: Streamers—Integral To The Ecosystem by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gelsenkirchen: Gutes Hören sucht 700 Testhörer für Hörgeräte ohne Zuzahlung Gutes Hören Undo After the pandemic, streamers have become immensely significant to the film-making ecosystem. Digital rights have become the most potent and certain source of revenues for Hindi films producers. Post the pandemic, producers have been selling their films' digital rights to streaming platforms even before starting production of their films. In this way, producers have been raising reasonably good money required to start a film. Alternatively, after theatrical release of their films, producers have been earning or recovering a portion of their investments by selling their films' digital rights to streamers. So, the relevance of streamers in the entire business of filmmaking is not only in providing money to producers to fund films but also in helping producers in recovering a portion of their investments post theatrical after they have funded their films from other sources. According to FICCI-EY's 2025 Media & Entertainment report, in 2024, 1823 films were released in India. Interestingly, 500 of these 1823 films were released on streamers. In 2023, 1796 were released in India. In these, 416 films were released on streamers. So, between 2023 and 2024, there has been 20% growth of films releasing on streamers. Importantly, in 2024, close to 28% of films made across languages in India were released on streamers. This shows the increasing importance of streamers not only as an effective funding entity but also as a viable channel for distribution of films after their theatrical release. Live Events Number of Films Released on Streaming Platforms Year Post theatrical Release Directly on Streaming platforms 2023 359 57 2024 440 60 Source: FICCI-EY 2025 Report Tellingly, in the past three years, revenues generated from the sale of digital rights of films to streamers have become the second highest source of revenues of films after theatrical revenues. According to the FICCI-EY report, revenues from the sale of digital rights of films to streaming platforms are estimated to grow to Rs3600 crore in 2027 from Rs3100 crore in 2024. This is higher than the revenues from the sale of overseas and television rights of films in the same period. This shows how streamers have become a key source of revenues for producers. Revenues from Each Segment of Film Business (Rs crore) Segment 2024 2025E 2027E Domestic Theatricals 11400 11900 129 Overseas theatricals 2000 2100 2300 Digital/ Streaming rights 3100 3300 3600 Broadcast /Satellite/Television rights 1300 1400 1400 In-cinema advertising 900 900 1000 Total 18700 19600 21300 Source: FICCI-EY 2025 Report According to Anushree Rauta, head of media and entertainment practice, ANM Global, a leading law firm in media and entertainment sector in India, apart from theatrical revenues, on the average, producers recover around 50–55% of their production costs by selling digital rights of their films to streaming platforms. She shares, "Revenues from the sale of satellite rights contribute approximately 10% to total revenues of films. Revenues from the sale of music rights are about 10–20% depending on the talent engaged." A big advantage which distinguishes streamers from other platforms (on which films can be released) is the relatively lower time in which a producer earns or obtains revenues for his or her films. In the entertainment industry, which is capital-intensive in nature, this advantage has made streamers almost a lifeline especially for films which have A-list or well-known cast and crew. Given these facts, in today's ecosystem, it seems that producers cannot afford to bypass streamers. According to Anushree Rauta, head of media and entertainment practice, ANM Global, a leading law firm in the media and entertainment sector in India, apart from theatrical revenues, on the average, producers recover around 50–55% of their production costs by selling digital rights of their films to streaming platforms. She shares, "Revenues from the sale of satellite rights contribute approximately 10% to total revenues of films. Revenues from the sale of music rights are about 10–20% depending on the talent engaged." A big advantage which distinguishes streamers from other platforms (on which films can be released) is the relatively lower time in which a producer earns or obtains revenues for his or her films. In the entertainment industry, which is capital-intensive in nature, this advantage has made streamers almost a lifeline especially for films which have A-list or well-known cast and crew. Given these facts, in today's ecosystem, it seems that producers cannot afford to bypass streamers. The Lure of the YouTube Model Can releasing films on YouTube after their theatrical run emerge as a financially viable option for Hindi film producers? There are favourable statistics about YouTube. According to the FICCI-EY report, YouTube dominates online video consumption in India. 92% of all online video consumption happens on YouTube. The remaining 8% of online video consumption happens on platforms which provide advertisement-supported, free and subscription videos. YouTube reaches 47.6 crore audiences in India. This is two times the audience base of the US. The FICCI-EY report foresees that YouTube is likely to reach 80 crore audience base in India by 2029 thanks to the improvement in digital infrastructure and changing consumer habits. According to , a leading marketing blog and training site for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies, YouTube has 249 crore monthly active users. In 2024, YouTube shared that its premium video services YouTube Premium and premium music services YouTube Music have surpassed 10 crore subscribers, globally. Interestingly, in the recently concluded media and entertainment event Waves Summit in Mumbai, Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube, said that in the past three years alone, YouTube has paid more than Rs21000 crore to creators, artists, and media companies across India. He said that in the next two years YouTube will invest over Rs 850 crore to accelerate the growth of Indian creators, artists, and media companies. These statistics indicate favourable economics of releasing films on YouTube. But like most statistics, these statistics show the potential but may not represent entire ground realities. Top countries by YouTube audience (Users) India 47.6 cr US 23.8 cr Brazil 14.7 cr United Kingdom 5.6 cr Source: FICCI-EY 2025 Report It is important to understand how fast a producer makes revenues or recovers investments when he or she releases films on YouTube. In this context, knowing the pattern of performance of films released on YouTube in the western markets will be helpful. This will give an idea about how the journey of releasing films on YouTube after their theatrical run could transpire in India. Adi Tiwary, creative director and partner, Stuart Entertainment, an Australia-based film distributor shares an interesting perspective about the situation in the international market. He says, "Releasing a film on YouTube is similar to nurturing a start-up. Producers have to create a constant buzz around the film to attract users' attention. Also, a film works on YouTube when its cast is in the news." He adds, "Then, there are marketing costs attached, apart from time." He explains that in the overseas markets YouTube is an integral part of entire marketing and promotional activities of films even before theatrical release. Producers invest in influencers and constantly upload videos on YouTube to maintain buzz around their films. Largely, YouTube provides four ways of earning revenues for producers. These are: advertisements-supported service, subscription-based, shorts monetisation and transaction-based service, which includes watching films on rent (a film stays in your account for two days) or buying films (a film stays in your account as long as it is there on YouTube). According to overseas distributors, even after considering this revenue model, it has been observed that a film on the average takes at least a year to make reasonably good money on YouTube. This is because YouTube is largely an ocean of individual creators in which users consume extremely diverse range of content in diverse formats (short-form and long-form). According to the recent analysis of Ampere Media, a firm known for research on global entertainment business, film and television content is the fifth most watched content on YouTube, globally. This shows that film content is not the most preferred content for YouTube audience. Unlike YouTube, a streaming platform is only about film content (feature-length and long format). It needs to create and maintain library of films. Over the years, streamers have succeeded in positioning them as a reliable space for filmed entertainment with increasingly improving visual interface experience. Given the fact that it takes at least a year (on the average) for a film to generate reasonably good revenues for producers, it seems that the YouTube model is favourable for those producers who can wait for a long period for revenues. Suniel Wadhwa, a veteran distributor, co-founder and director of Karmic Films, who agrees with this line of thought, explains, "I think the YouTube model works in favour of cash-rich producers who have high holding capacity (capacity to wait) and films which have well-established or A-list cast. Only this combined force can find it relatively easier to make money from releasing films on YouTube in India." YouTube Business Model Revenue Model Type Revenue Split Key Feature AVOD Advertisements 55%: Creator 45%: YouTube Free content with advertisements SVOD Subscription A portion of subscription fees goes to creators based on how much time users spent on their content YouTube Premium and Music TVOD Transactional 70%: creators 30%: YouTube Rent or Buy Movies Pay per View Direct Monetisation Tips/Membership Varies (after fees) Super Chat, Memberships, Shopping tools Shorts Monetisation Advertisements/Fund 45%: Creators Monetisation of short form videos In India also, producers who have first-hand experience of releasing films on YouTube share that monetising films on YouTube is a steady but long-term affair. They point out that the YouTube model works in favour of producers who have high holding capacity. Shiladitya Bora, producer and founder of Platoon One Films, a Mumbai-based film production company, who released his film Aye Zindagi (2022) on YouTube, shares, "YouTube is a great option to monetise a film. My experience has been quite effective. A few years ago, I sold a regional indie film to a streaming platform. In hindsight, retaining the Intellectual Property (IP) and licensing only the Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) rights for a limited window might have been a more strategic move. I have released other films of mine on YouTube. These films have garnered good traction and reasonably good revenues. But it takes time. So, I think the YouTube Model works largely for producers who have holding capacity." Global Top Content Types Watched on YouTube (%) Subject % of YouTube Monthly Active Users Music/Music Videos 56 Comedy 39 How to's 29 Documentaries 24 Films or TV shows 23 Either 38 Vlogs 21 Travel 20 Gaming 19 Reviews 17 TV/Film Trailers 17 Source: Ampere Media In the backdrop of these facts, a fundamental question emerges: How many Hindi film producers can afford to wait for a long time especially when streamers provide much faster revenue realisation pre-and-post theatrical release? This question is more relevant today when producers are facing challenges in raising money to fund films. Therefore, considering the present dynamics of the industry it seems that YouTube may not emerge as an alternative to streamers. It is more likely to be a co-existing platform providing a wide range of content in which film content will be one of its offerings.
