How Rajinikanth’s 2.0, Baahubali 2 are changing the rules in Tamil cinema

2.0 and Baahubali: The Conclusion have inspired cable TV networks to dole out the top dollar for their satellite rights like the good old days.

Television channels pay top dollar for Prabhas’s Baahubali 2 and Rajinikanth’s 2.0

A few years ago, Tamil regional channels used to ink deals with production houses for the satellite rights of their new films even before they went on the floors. The advances paid by the channels helped producers to kick-start their new projects. Now, this business practice seems to be a thing of the past. Things on the ground have drastically changed, where there are mostly no takers for the satellite rights of new Tamil films, including some big titles.

However, recently, big ticket films like 2.0 and Baahubali: The Conclusion have inspired cable TV networks to dole out the top dollar for their satellite rights like the good old days. Vijay Television on Thursday announced that it has acquired the broadcast rights to the dubbed Tamil version of Baahubali 2.

“#SuperProud and happy to share #TheConclusionTrailer of #Baahubali2 #Baahubali2WithVijay #Baahubali2WithSTAR,” posted the network on his Twitter page. The rights of Telugu version is also said to be with the STAR India Network. While the TV rights of the Telugu version is said to be reportedly sold for Rs 26 crore, the price fetched by the Tamil version is unknown.

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Read | Baahubali 2 trailer: Why Kattappa killed Baahubali and other big reveals you missed in trailer, watch video

Recently, the makers of superstar Rajinikanth’s 2.0 sold the satellite rights of the film’s all versions, including Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, to Zee Network for a price, which is pegged at Rs 110 crore. By far, this is the biggest deal in the history of satellite deals. This is also the highest revenue produced by a regional film in this category that beats Aamir Khan’s Dangal, which fetched Rs 75 crore for its TV rights. It is a welcome trend as of late channels only buy proven hits.

Read | 2.0: Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar film’s satellite rights sold for Rs 110 crore

Earlier, the satellite rights reportedly used to generate up to 40 percent of revenues for Tamil films. However, due to certain rules imposed by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and cable TV piracy in Tamil Nadu, television channels have increasingly shown less enthusiasm in buying broadcast rights of the new films.

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According to recent reports, there are no takers for satellite rights of about 300 films, including blockbusters like Kabali and Theri. The video stream services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are instead showing interest in purchasing internet rights of the regional films, providing the film producers with new opportunities to generate extra revenue.

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