Despite their popularity being on the rise, OTT platforms have also been witnessing dwindling numbers here and there. While the viewership statistics of OTT platforms prove that more and more audiences are taking to on-demand-video services. However, the relevance of theatrical chains continues to be questioned.
This comes more into perspective when box-office collections and viewership numbers of titles that establish themselves as blockbuster successes like ‘Jawan’, ‘Pathaan’, ‘Stree 2’, and more, come into the picture. Not only did these films break BO records, but they also caused a high influx of audiences into theatres.
However, a recent financial report from PVR INOX records substantially high net losses incurred in Q2 ’24, as compared to the high profits incurred during the same time period, last year. While the huge success of the re-release of titles like ‘Laila Majnu’, ‘Tumbbad’, ‘Rockstar’, and more, that garnered higher collections at the box-office than their initial run, is a primary factor driving the growth of cinemas, it falls short.
The reason? Re-release tickets are priced lesser than normal releases, and audiences have begun waiting on a film’s theatrical run, only to watch it on an OTT platform, from the comfort of their homes. Which is to say, the only real force that drives viewers into theatre screens, now, is a compelling script, paired well with good cinematography. This makes viewers want to live the ‘theatre experience’.