The things at Prasar Bharati are going to be pretty strange. You must be aware that the OTT platform is going to be launched soon and there is tons of preparation to be done.
One preparation is definitely that of collecting titles that would ultimately be streamed. So, the process has begun.
Prasar Bharati has invited applications from companies, firms, and producers to submit feature films for its digital and TV platforms. The public broadcaster is looking to source around 50 feature films as part of its plan to launch an OTT platform, with a weekly release schedule until the end of the current financial year.
Yeah, 50.
Perhaps a good number for an OTT platform.
Jokes apart, it will be interesting to see who will show interest on an OTT platform which would take a year to fill just 50 films.
Prasar Bharati has specific conditions for the feature films it is seeking. These films must be produced in the last five years and should not have been premiered on any digital platform or TV network if applying for exclusive digital or TV rights.
We just hope that Prasar Bharati doesn’t fill itself with films that are abandoned by all other OTT platforms because the conditions indicate exactly that.
For films applying for satellite rights, they must have a U or U/A CBFC certificate. For digital rights, films without a CBFC certificate can still apply but will only be accepted after a detailed review.
All films must also comply with Prasar Bharati’s Programme Code and any other regulations set by the government or other regulatory bodies.
The rights owners submitting proposals must not have any history of being blacklisted or suspended by any government authority.
There are some other rules too. To sum up, Prasar Bharati is behaving like a very good kid who follows all the rules. But, can it survive the competition that way?
Actually, Prasar Bharati doesn’t want to be in any competition at all. The platform exists to entertain us with some handpicked taste. Some people will definitely like it, but let’s not fool ourselves that Prasar Bharati’s OTT will ever become a threat to the mainstream entertainment we see on regular OTT platforms.
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