OTTs hit pause button on box office flops

Streaming platforms once considered havens for niche, non-mainstream narratives are no longer willing to splurge on movies that failed to resonate with theatergoing audiences.

- Latajha

For instance, Kapil Sharma’s Zwigato could not strike an OTT deal following its lackluster box office performance. Services are also exercising caution, refraining from courting controversy with political drama, The Kerala Story, despite its successful theatrical run.

“There is a realization among OTT players that there is no real value in paying crazy prices for films that do not bring great results and whose viewership drops almost immediately. Especially, if the film hasn’t found takers at the box office, there is no point in loosening the purse strings and striking deals unless everyone can agree on a really reasonable price," said Yusuf Shaikh, business head, feature films at production and distribution firm Percept Pictures.