Nikhil Siddhartha is gearing up to entertain audiences with his most ambitious film so far, Swayambhu. The movie is directed by Bharat Krishnamachari and produced by Bhuvan and Sreekar of Pixel Studios, with Tagore Madhu presenting.
According to reports, the movie is said to have struck an interesting OTT deal with Netflix. As per it, the streamer has reportedly offered to pay half the amount that the movie earns from from theatres (nett collection) as digital rights.
Tollywood’s shifting OTT model:
Earlier OTT platforms used to pay an upfront based on the film’s hype, hero’s stardom, and production house’s goodwill. However, the platforms have suffered massive losses off late with high acquisition prices failing to justify the viewership.
Hence, many OTTs are now tying the digital rights to the theatrical performance. If a film does well in theatres, it goes without saying that public lapped it up. OTTs believe that only those movies that are well-received will draw viewership and thereby profits. Hence, the reports regarding Swayambhu’s OTT deal with Netflix absolutely makes sense.
For biggies, OTTs are offering an upfront while also adding a performance clause. To make things clear, they will pay in excess of the agreed amount if the movie performs well at the ticket counters. The reports regarding Swayambhu’s deal feel unique. It remains to be seen if this performance-based model becomes a new trend in Tollywood.
Samyuktha and Nabha Natesh are playing the female leads. Ravi Basrur is the music composer. The exact release date will be announced soon.