F1 OTT Release: Why Prime Video and Apple TV’s Rental Model Falls Flat in India?

There was a lot of excitement surrounding Brad Pitt's latest film F1 when it was released in the theaters a few months ago, and the same is being seen when this Joseph Krasinski adventure ride that explores the life of Formula One racers landed on streaming.

When it was said that F1 landed on streaming, it didn't mean that the movie was available to stream for free on digital platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV (for Indian consumers). You will have to buy or rent the film for a certain price. This is the model that many major Hollywood films use for their most anticipated releases.

This might work well for international audiences, as they prefer home streaming to going to the theater to catch up on a film. Movies will be available for rent to ensure that many moviegoers can take the opportunity to watch films they missed on the big screen.

In India, movies play a significant role in people's leisure activities, and regardless of the city or state you come from, there are plenty of films available to watch on the big screen. F1 itself made nearly Rs.100 crores in box office collection from India alone. Owing to this, it makes little sense to build excitement by announcing that a film has landed on streaming when, in reality, it's available to watch only if you pay a certain price.

The rental option for F1 currently stands at Rs.499 on both Prime Video and Apple TV. The price is definitely higher than what a moviegoer would have paid to see the same film on the big screen a few months ago. It remains to be seen if, for India, streaming platforms take a different approach or reduce the rental prices for some big-ticket Hollywood movies, especially F1, which has made more than what they expected to make from India.

A point to note here is that F1 has had multiple IMAX re-releases in the country, and every single time, people flocked to the screens. It's safe to say that in recent time, F1 has emerged as one of the most highly rewatched Hollywood films in India.

In all likelihood, F1 will be available for rent for a couple of weeks at least before the studio decides to make it available for free digitally.