Indian OTT may be losing its shine faster than we thought. Streaming platforms were happy to bet on fresh ideas and new voices, taking all the financial risk so storytellers could focus on creativity, in fact that is why they were formed and what set them apart from Indian TV. Today, that safety net is gone.
Creators are being told to hunt for sponsors before they even get a green light. Instead of asking “What’s the story?” the first question now is “Who’s paying for it?”
This change is squeezing out independent writers and directors who don’t have big-name brands knocking on their door. With subscriptions plateauing and ads not growing as fast, platforms have slashed budgets hard. Overall spending on OTT content fell from around ₹5,500 crore in 2021 to ₹2,500 crore in 2024. Per-episode costs that once hovered at ₹1–2 crore are now down to ₹30 lakh–₹1 crore. When you have to bring your own money, you can’t afford to experiment or back an unknown talent. You’ll stick to safe bets. Well-known IPs, star-driven shows and scripts that won’t scare sponsors away.
That might keep the cash registers ringing for a while, but it kills the freedom that made OTT exciting in the first place. Bold ideas and fresh storytelling are casualties of this “money-first, creativity-later” model. If writers and directors spend more time chasing brands than shaping scenes, viewers will lose out on the surprise and spark that made streaming special. And in the race to protect profits, we may have forgotten why we fell in love with these shows to begin with.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
