Of late, the growing viewership for digital streaming has become a bane for Tollywood as audience are preferring to watch films in Amazon prime, Netflix etc. rather than in theatres. The theatrical business of big ticket films in overseas, in particular, has been adversely affected due to this scourge. Buyers in overseas are reeling under losses as films are not getting long run despite encouraging reviews and word of mouth and the footfalls have considerably come down in recent times. Trade analysts opined that the streaming of films in digital platforms just few weeks after their theatrical release is one of the major reasons for the poor box office performance of Telugu films in overseas.
Now, producers have finally woke up and realised how the digital streaming has been impacting the revenues of films. In what can be a first step towards addressing this vital issue, the producers of upcoming biggies Sarileru Neekevvaru and Ala Vaikunthapurramlo have decided to make sure that these films won’t be available on digital platforms in less than two months. Both these Sankranti films were bagged by leading digital giants for a solid price. Producers have closed the deal with an agreement that they will be made available only after two months. This is a welcome and reassuring move towards giving a boost to the distributors who are worried with the recent slump in overseas market for Telugu films.
