Bollywood battles flop show as OTT platforms, South movies throw challenge

As theatres reopen, big-budget production houses face challenges with the financial cushion offered by pre-selling to OTTs set to diminish

Bollywood’s fickle box office aims to become king again after losing its prominence during the pandemic to over-the-top (OTT) platforms as a key revenue contributor for a movie.

The platforms splurged big bucks as exhibitors were forced to close screens or function only on mandated lower capacities. As a result, digital rights accounted for 50-60 per cent of a movie’s revenue compared to 30-40 per cent when the going was normal.

But things are changing. OTT players extracted an attractive deal with production companies and exhibitors by slashing the gap between a theatre release and that on OTT platform from