Last year, we at Binged had informed our readers that the Kerala State Government is planning to launch its own OTT platform. We’re pleased to inform you that the plan has now turned to reality. The new, exclusive Malayalam OTT platform is named ‘CSpace’. The Kerala Government’s OTT platform CSpace will begin streaming movies from Kerala Day, which falls on November 1.
CSpace has been created as an initiative by the Ministry of Culture in the Kerala State Government, along with the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC). The new Malayalam OTT platform CSpace will not only stream movies but also short films and documentaries.
It is a known fact that small Malayalam films don’t find much favour with big streamers who have the deep pockets to pay good money for OTT releases of films on their platforms. Until Drishyam 2 and The Great Indian Kitchen’s success, OTT giants did not even consider Malayalam content for release on their platforms. It is only now that they’ve started showing interest in acquiring Malayalam films. Even then, they only pick up a handful of Malayalam films, starring big actors such as Fahadh Faasil, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Nivin Pauly, Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and the likes.
Smaller films with smaller actors only get a release on platforms such as Neestream, Roots TV or on YouTube. They neither receive good publicity nor good sums to stream on these smaller platforms. A dedicated OTT platform run by the government will be a shot in the arm for Malayalam films, big and small both. Malayalam filmmakers will have a readymade avenue in CSpace, to stream their creations.
It is heartening to note that CSpace will stream films only after their theatrical releases, and that too on a revenue-sharing basis with the filmmakers. That way, filmmakers will get the option of earning revenue from both theatrical and digital. CSpace will exclusively stream Malayalam films. The focus will be especially on smaller films that find no takers among the streaming giants.
Even though CSpace will begin streaming movies only from November 1, filmmakers can register their films from June 1st onwards at KSFDC and Chithranjali Studios, Thiruvananthapuram.