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Long tail of film distribution gets boost by digital technology
MUMBAI: The LA India Film Council, in association with the Center for Content Protection (CCP), hosted a panel discussion on The Long Tail Of Film Distribution and The Role Of Technological Protection Measures (TPMS) in conjunction with FICCI’s 4th MEBC in Chennai, India.
Motion Picture Dist. Association (MPDA) India managing director Uday Singh said, “The long tail is really happening. It‘s facilitated and enabled by digital technology. However it‘s essential that policy makers understand the need to create a proper infrastructure, which includes protection and security, transparent market access, and weeding out content theft.”
Films make most of their financial returns during the initial weeks of their release. However, theatrical is not the only return-on-investment for films given the emergence of Pay TV and other business models on platforms such as IPTV, mobile, packaged media and internet.
India’s National Telecom Policy 2011 envisions providing high speed and high quality broadband access to all village panchayats through optical fiber by the year 2014. The government intends to provide affordable and reliable broadband on demand by the year 2015 and to achieve 175 million broadband connections by the year 2017 and 600 million by the year 2020 at minimum 2 Mbps download speed. This paves the way for emerging business models and the need for content protection measures that are critical for the feasibility of these new delivery channels.
A special Council publication commissioned by Ernst & Young titled ‘Monetizing Your Content In A Digital World’ was unveiled on this occasion. The report focuses on the changing nature of media and entertainment consumption and the impact that these trends are having on Media and Entertainment companies’ digital strategies and how these companies are tailoring their products and service strategies to meet the increasing consumer demands for content anywhere, anytime and in any form.
“As distribution gets digitised, content choice for the consumer increases manifold leading to fragmented media landscape. Successful digital monetization, in a fragmented landscape, depends on sharp customer targeting, providing enhanced value in entertainment experiences and seamless integration of targeted advertising micropayment mechanisms. Media owners who rework their business models based on these parameters will be valued in the future,” commented Ernst & Young Segment Champion Digital Media Raghav Anand.
The panel further discussed the role of TPMS in the above scenario and went on to chart the road ahead for India. “There is so much potential for Indian films worldwide. With technologies many more communities worldwide can enjoy Indian movies after their theatrical release. We explored the most current aspects of digital distribution and technologies in our panel,” said Isa Seow, Managing Director, CCP.
Technology and accompanying digital rights are central in enabling new business models that meet consumer needs. Joining the panel were industry experts such as Krishnan Rajagopalan, Head of Technology, Group Digital Life, Singtel, Ankan Biswas, Chairman, Digital Broadcast Council, Consumer Electronics Appliances Manufacturers Association, Paul Jackson, Chief Engineer, NDS, Dr. Nagendra .S, Head -Sales and Strategy, Ignis Technology Solutions.
Hindi
GUEST COLUMN: Why film libraries & IPs are the new engines of growth
Unlocking value through catalogue strength and IP synergy
MUMBAI:In a media landscape defined by fragmentation, platform proliferation, and ever-evolving audience behavior, the economics of filmmaking are undergoing a fundamental shift. No longer confined to box office performance, a film’s true value is now measured across an extended lifecycle that spans digital platforms, syndication networks, and global markets. As content consumption becomes increasingly non-linear and algorithm-driven, film libraries and intellectual properties (IPs) are emerging as strategic assets, capable of delivering sustained, long-term returns. For Mohan Gopinath, head – bollywood business at Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd., this transformation signals a decisive move from hit-driven models to portfolio-led value creation. In this piece, Gopinath explores how legacy content, when intelligently repurposed and distributed, can unlock recurring revenue streams, why the interplay between catalogue and original IP is critical, and how media companies can build resilient, future-ready entertainment businesses.
For all these years, we thought that a film is successful if it performs well in theatres. There are opening weekend numbers, box office milestones, and distribution footprints that gave a good picture of how the movie has done commercially and also tell us about its cultural impact. However, there are multiple platforms today, always-on content ecosystem, which has caused a shift. Today, the theatrical performance is not the culmination of a film’s journey but merely the beginning of a much longer and more dynamic lifecycle.
Film libraries today are emerging as high-value, constantly evolving assets that deliver sustained returns well beyond initial release cycles. This becomes a point of great advantage for legacy content owners with diverse catalogues, to shape long-term business outcomes.
According to FICCI-EY, the media and entertainment industry of India achieved a valuation of Rs 2.78 trillion in 2025 which is expected to reach Rs 3.3 trillion by 2028 through a compound annual growth rate of approximately 7 per cent and digital media will bring in more than Rs 1 trillion to become the biggest sector which generates about 36 per cent of overall market revenues.
This shift is the expansion of distribution endpoints. We know how satellite television was once the primary secondary window but today, it coexists with YouTube, OTT platforms, Connected TV, and FAST channels. Each of these platforms caters to distinct audience demographics and consumption behaviors, helping content owners to obtain more value from the same asset across multiple formats.
For instance, films that had great reruns, now find continuous engagement across digital platforms. On YouTube, classic Hindi cinema continues to attract significant viewership, reaching audiences across generations and geographies with remarkable consistency. At Shemaroo Entertainment, this is reflected in our film library shaped over decades as part of a long association with Indian entertainment. From classics such as Amar Akbar Anthony to much-loved entertainers like Jab We Met, Welcome, Dhamaal, Phir Hera Pheri, Dhol, Golmaal, and Bhagam Bhag, many of these titles continue finding new audiences while retaining their place in popular memory. Their enduring appeal reflects how culturally resonant stories can continue creating value over time. Similarly, FAST channels have created curated, always-on environments where catalogue content can continue to thrive through star-led and genre-based programming.
This multi-platform approach has very well transformed films into long-tail IP assets which are capable of generating recurring revenue across advertising, subscription, and syndication models.
The evolution of audience behavior is equally important. Nowadays, it’s more important to find what’s more relative than what’s recent as viewers are more influenced by mood, memories, and algorithmic suggestions than by release schedules. Even if a movie was released decades ago, it can trend alongside a newly released movie, if surfaced in the right context. Thoughtful packaging, whether through festival-based playlists, actor-driven collections, or genre clusters, allows catalogue content to remain dynamic and continuously discoverable. Shemaroo Entertainment has built extensive film libraries over decades and its focus has mostly been on recontextualizing content for the consumption of newer environments. This process doesn’t just include digitization and restoration, but also re-packaging of films as per platforms.
Syndication itself has evolved into a key growth driver. In perspective, when looking at the domestic market, curated content packages continue to find strong demand across broadcast and digital platforms. Meanwhile, in the international market, especially in markets like Middle East, North America and Southeast Asia, the appetite for Indian content is opening up new monetization avenues. Here, the ability to package and position catalogue content effectively becomes as important as the content itself.
Importantly, the need to re-package catalogue content does not diminish the role of new content. In fact, originals and fresh IP are essential to sustaining the long-term value of a film library because they act as discovery engines that bring audiences into the ecosystem, while catalogue content drives depth, retention, and repeat engagement.
This interplay between the “new” and the “known” is what defines a robust content strategy today. While new films generate spikes in consumption, catalogue titles offer familiarity and comfort. These are factors that are increasingly valuable in an era of content abundance and decision fatigue. This is also shaping our strategy, drawing value from both a deep catalogue assets and a growing focus on original IPs to strengthen long-term audience engagement and build more predictable revenue streams.
There is growing recognition that long-term value in entertainment will be shaped not only by how intelligently existing content continues to live, travel and find relevance, but also by how consistently new stories are created to renew that ecosystem. In that sense, film libraries and original IP are not parallel bets, but reinforcing engines of growth. For media companies, the opportunity lies in making these two forces work together, because that is increasingly where more resilient and predictable businesses are being shaped.
Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect our own.
