Now Reading: Sports and films lead OTT viewing as originals face spending reset
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Sports and films lead OTT viewing as originals face spending reset
Sports, theatrical films and television shows are drawing more viewers on Indian streaming platforms than many exclusive web originals. Ormax data for the first half of 2026 recorded 228.4 million views for…
The Story in Brief
Sports, theatrical films and television shows are drawing more viewers on Indian streaming platforms than many exclusive web originals. Ormax data for the first half of 2026 recorded 228.4 million views for the Indian Premier League and 224.6 million for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. India's Got Latent drew 38.5 million, while Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge recorded 35.2 million and 27.8 million respectively.
Platforms are slowing commissioning, scrutinising budgets and making second seasons dependent on audience retention. Industry executives expect a shift towards proven franchises, strong concepts, regional stories and non-fiction, rather than a broad retreat from originals. A possible barbell model could combine a few large productions with a wider base of lower-cost Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Marathi and other regional content.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy reading is that Indian viewers have rejected OTT originals, while the opposite exaggeration is that every expensive web series deserves another season. The figures point to a sharper market, where cricket, films and familiar television formats compete directly with originals for attention. Regional programming may offer better economics, but platforms still need exclusive shows to retain subscribers. The real test is whether cheaper regional series deliver repeat viewing and renewals, not just a lower production bill.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
