OTT producers look to own IPs, seek new funding streams

Content producers working with video-streaming platforms, most of whom have to part with IP (intellectual property) ownership of their projects in exchange for financing by these companies, are now increasingly seeking external sources of capital.

- Latajha

This would allow them to put projects together first, and then sell to platforms in order to hold on to IP. While some are collaborating with brands, others are in early stages of looking at mature private equity and financing vehicles. However, the risk of projects remaining unsold looms large in a market where all streaming players are controlling costs.

“IP ownership is increasingly something producers are becoming possessive about, especially if the intention is to build an asset base within their companies to be able to raise institutional funds. Ironically, we are in a chicken-and-egg situation where capital markets are flirting cautiously with this aspect of the sector, with low financial inertia to back IP creation. This impasse fuels a dependence by producers on studios and platforms to fund, which is usually in exchange for up to 100% equity in the created IP," Monisha Advani, producer at Emmay Entertainment, most recently known for titles such as Rocket Boys (on SonyLIV), said.