Film broadcast rights slide 10% in 2024 as industry struggles

The viewership in north Indian families is now dominated by dubbed southern films over Hindi films

- Lata Jha

With video streaming platforms now the go-to medium for movies after their run in cinemas, the value of TV broadcast rights fell 10% in 2024, while Hindi movie viewership comprised just 18% of the total movie genre audience, according to the latest Ficci-EY report.

Broadcast rights for films declined to ₹1,300 crore in 2024 from ₹1,500 crore in 2023, Ficci-EY said in the report released late March.

Experts attributed the decline to films premiering on digital much before linear television, along with piracy, which dents the revenue for any project to varying degrees. Further, Hindi films no longer suit the tastes of family audiences in north India, where viewership, if any, is dominated by dubbed southern films.