Film studios uploading older titles on YouTube to maximise reach, revenue

Film studios are releasing their older titles on YouTube to maximise their reach and earnings, Mint has reported. While studios are also releasing their movies on subscription-driven on-demand platforms, some studios are capitalising on their large repositories of movies by providing older titles for free on YouTube that do not find any buyers.

For example, T-Series, Reliance Entertainment, and Shemaroo Entertainment are uploading their older movies on YouTube despite the platform yielding 30 per cent lower revenues compared to subscription-based platforms, the report said.

The strategy of uploading movies on YouTube is especially beneficial for titles that may not find buyers but offer viewers a chance to revisit classics. For instance, films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Ready are free on the T-Series YouTube channel, just as Jhonny Gaddaar can be watched on Reliance Entertainment's channel.

Speaking on the subject, Director at Ultra Media and Entertainment told Mint, "Once a movie has completed its theatrical, overseas, OTT, satellite and other digital platform run, studios tend to release the title on their YouTube channels. This is primarily done to extend the shelf-life of the film and brand equity of the production house besides monetising it in the last leg."

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Apart from extending the shelf life of a movie, this strategy also brings regular visitors to the film studio's YouTube channel, ensuring good recall for the brand and the film, as industry experts were quoted in the report.

Generally, non-premium films not streaming on OTT platforms are available on YouTube. Another industry expert, Shreyans Hirawat told Mint that old songs and classic content libraries work best on YouTube, adding nostalgia along with mass appeal.

"While subscription-based platforms have their own audience, it will be very difficult for them to capture the watch time of YouTube as the platform is free. This is especially true in India where people are used to watching content with advertisements but won't pay a monthly fee to watch content", Hirawat added.

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