Bollywood's new script: Stars gamble on niche OTT platforms, seeking control and IP ownership

Experts said while the investments are risky considering the amount of time and patience they require for monetization to kick in, it gives actors control and ownership over stories and formats, especially in the niche spaces of audio and short-form video. Their presence brings credibility and visibility to the platform in a deeply crowded market. “In an increasingly cluttered OTT landscape, several prominent stars have ventured into launching their own platforms, driven by the strategic advantage of brand-led distribution," said Chandrashekar Mantha, partner and media and entertainment sector leader at Deloitte India. “These initiatives are less about scale at inception and more about directly engaging audiences by leveraging the inherent brand equity of the star, thereby keeping customer acquisition costs relatively low." Star-owned platforms benefit from built-in visibility and loyalty, while content produced or owned by celebrities helps seed and strengthen the content library, Mantha added. Beyond audience access, these ventures offer greater control over intellectual property and enable diversification across multiple revenue streams, including subscriptions, advertising, licensing, syndication, and ancillary formats. A star’s personal audience and fan base emerge as powerful intangible assets, capable of being monetized through owned digital ecosystems rather than third-party platforms, he pointed out. Dr Rashmi Jain, associate professor of marketing and international business at K J Somaiya Institute of Management, emphasized that the OTT ecosystem is no longer limited to subscription-led models. AVoD (advertising video-on-demand), FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV), freemium, OTT aggregators and telco or DTH (direct-to-home) bundles are widening access for price-sensitive viewers, besides improving discovery for smaller and newer OTT services. Format diversity “At the same time, new formats—short series, cinematic audio stories, podcasts and regional-first content—are expanding consumption occasions. What looks like clutter is actually format diversification," Jain said. For actors, the value goes beyond near-term ROI, she said. Firstly, OTT allows a shift from being talent-for-hire to IP owners and franchise builders. Secondly, platforms create direct-to-fan relationships, data access and repeat engagement, which films and television rarely offer. Finally, many of these investments are strategic option bets: today’s niche platform can evolve into a studio, IP engine, talent incubator or licensing business, Jain added. While agreeing that many other consumer brands that celebrities are known to invest in have clearer demand and faster monetization, Jitendra Hirawat, co-founder and CEO of TITO Films, an advertising company, said that content platforms need patience, capital and scale. The upside, though, can be significantly higher if the platform builds a loyal niche or becomes acquisition-worthy. Many of these platforms operate within niche or regional language spaces and do not attempt to compete with heavyweights such as Netflix and Prime Video. In an earlier interview with Mint, actor Shreyas Talpade, who launched an OTT service called Nine Rasa focusing on plays and performing arts, said he doesn’t see bigger players as competition. “They have huge pockets and we’re not competing with those. But if the content is good, people will eventually discover it," Talpade said. Actors bring much to the table including visibility, trust and creative instinct. An actor’s name immediately gives a platform attention, helps with partnerships and attracts talent. They also understand audiences: what resonates, what feels authentic, what stories are missing. However, there are also real challenges. “Running a platform is very different from being a performer," said Charu Malhotra, co-founder and managing director, Primus Partners, a management consultancy firm. “You need product thinking, distribution strategy and operational discipline. There is also the risk of the venture becoming too personality-driven, where success depends more on the celebrity’s presence than on the strength of the platform itself." In short, Malhotra said, actors can be powerful catalysts, but these ventures work only if they are built as real businesses, not just passion projects.