After Radhe, ZEE5 is looking forward to releasing more films in hybrid format

Salman Khan fans have rejoiced over the release of Bhaijaan’s Eid special, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, on May 13. This Prabhu Deva directorial, keeping in mind the current situation in India, opted for an entirely digital release on ZEE5’s pay-per-view service called ZEEPlex. With fans scrambling to stream the film as soon as it premiered to the film raking in box office earnings abroad, Radhe has emerged as one of 2021’s biggest projects yet.

ZEEPlex, a premium movie-on-demand service, by ZEE5 has marked the advent of Bollywood releases going digital and still garnering the same response as they would have in a theatrical release. This leaves audiences to wonder if pay-per-view releases will be more frequently featured on their favourite streaming platforms. Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer at ZEE5 India shed light on the success of Radhe, the future of pay-per-view formats in India and more.

What is the future of pay-per-view releases in India? Is there potential for a format like this to succeed?

The pandemic has forced many businesses to rethink the way they conduct operations, and in many cases, reinvent themselves. Being a consumer-first brand, our focus when the pandemic struck was to ensure we continue to deliver best-in-class stories to our users without any drop in quality or quantity. With this in mind, ZEE5 became one of the first few players in the industry to offer the pay-per-view model which was our way of bringing the box office home to Indian audiences. A multi-format release, like what we did with Radhe, was a natural extension to ensure a Salman Khan magnum opus reaches all its audience. We went back to the drawing board and used advanced innovative viewing solutions to pave the way for futuristic business models.

You see, pre-Covid era had the audience catching the first day first show as a trend. We are just redirecting this trend slightly with our multi-format release. We sensed the need for a pay per view solution along with theatres, which gives the consumers flexibility and convenience of viewing the film from the comfort and safety of their homes. Given the current situation, we believe that it is the right time to provide greater width to films, allowing people to choose what they want to see. With the digital consumption being at an all-time high, we wish to see how TVoD (transaction video on demand) works its way through with the viewers. The concept of subscriptions was also once new, but it has picked up. And there is no better time than now. A format like this is the need of the hour. Many films have been on hold owing to the current situation. Yes, while concept films for niche audiences may do well on pay-per-view platforms, a big-ticket, mass-market film such as Radhe, could notch up high numbers too. With more such releases lined up, the adaptability will improve too.

How can the success of Radhe be read in this context?

The immense outpouring of love we have witnessed for Radhe on our platform is a sign of evolving consumption patterns and the fact that Indian audiences are willing to test the waters for new things if the power of the content offering is strong. We are thrilled to see Radhe winning over audiences and we are glad this unique and never-seen-before distribution strategy is helping us facilitate the widest possible ‘opportunity to see’ for this high-on-entertainment, quintessential Salman Khan movie at a place and time of audiences’ choice. Right from fans cheering for the film in theatres overseas, to massive bookings on streaming platforms, the fans of the superstar watched the film as soon as it was released. The release sent the ZEE5 servers crashing while making it an Eid blockbuster. Radhe became one of the most watched films on Day 1 and peaked to 10 million views across platforms in the opening week. Since then, audiences across India have been outpouring their love and the platform witnessed unprecedented traffic from fans across the country.

Has there been a significant increase in the user base of ZEE5 since Radhe's release?

Salman Khan’s Eid blockbuster Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai has, as expected, recorded an unparalleled ‘First Day First Show’ opening on ZEE5 with millions of fans logging in to catch their favourite star in action. The magnum opus received an overwhelming response across various platforms, breaking all records and becoming one of the most watched films on OTT for the industry. On the back of our recently launched Radhe combo pack and ZEE5’s premium library more accessible to the masses, we are geared up to onboard new subscribers and clock in more viewership from across the country.

Has the pay-per-view format been able to retrieve the investments that were made by ZEE5?

Sometimes business decisions are taken keeping the future in mind. To be trendsetters, one must have a vision for the times to come where bottom lines are not the only deciding factors. Our key goal with Radhe was to ensure a Salman Khan film, with its countrywide mass appeal, reaches every viewer keen to watch the blockbuster. With this objective in mind, we opted for a multi-format model, releasing the film in theatres worldwide, on ZEE5 and ZEEPlex. Being a thorough family entertainer, the mega-starrer is one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, making it the perfect choice to launch our specially designed ‘Radhe Combo Offer’.

Will the pay-per-view model be followed for more movies in the future on ZEE5?

Radhe was the first-ever film that was released in a multiformat model in India. Despite the pay-per-view model being in its nascent stage in India, the numbers, and the overwhelming response that we have received for Radhe is a testament of the appetite audiences across the country possess. The model enables cinema lovers to view latest blockbusters from the comfort of their homes, at one price point across the country, while providing one of the widest platforms to film makers to showcase their stories. We are currently in early stages of discussion but are certainly looking forward to releasing more films in this hybrid format.