Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati has notified a pilot Pay-Per-View (PPV) Content Sourcing Policy for Waves, its national Over-the-top (OTT) platform, that pays producers on a per-validated-view basis while keeping access free for viewers during the trial period.
The pilot takes effect from the date of notification and runs till March 31, 2026, after which the broadcaster will decide on a full policy based on performance and costs.
Prasar Bharti to pay creators as per view for its OTT platform; viewers to get free access
The PPV pilot creates a data-driven, performance-linked payment model to onboard independent filmmakers, production houses and digital creators. Payments are tied to validated views recorded by Waves’ analytics, with monthly reconciliation and payouts treated as content acquisition costs under the Waves operating budget.
Prasar Bharati positions this as a content investment and audience-growth initiative during the pilot.
Rates, slabs and multipliers
Base PPV rate will be as follows
• Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam: Rs 12 per validated view.
• Other Indian languages: Rs 6 per validated view.
Progressive slabs per calendar month (payout multiplier)
• 0–10 lakh views: 100 per cent of base
• 10,00,001–50,00,000: 125 per cent
• 50,00,001–1 crore: 150 per cent
• 1–2 crore: 175 per cent
• Above 2 crore: 200 per cent
Content attribute multipliers
• Exclusive and unreleased: ×1.5
• Digital + linear rights: ×1.2
• Already available elsewhere: ×0.9
• Global territory rights: ×1.2
What counts as a view
A validated view means a unique user account watches at least 30 per cent of a title’s runtime. Repeat plays by the same account do not add to payouts. For series, each episode is treated separately. All figures come from the Waves Analytics System, which is the sole source for monthly reconciliation.
How payouts will be computed
Payouts are calculated monthly after QC and legal clearance, based on validated views and applicable multipliers. Creators will receive a performance report each month, and a dashboard view at least once a quarter as the tooling rolls out.
For example
A Hindi exclusive that also grants linear rights and clocks 30 lakh validated views in a month would apply: base Rs 12 × slab 1.25 × attributes 1.5 × 1.2 = 1.8 → Rs 27 per view. Estimated payout ≈ Rs 8.1 crore for that month.
A Bengali film already available elsewhere with 6 lakh views applies: base Rs 6 × slab 1.0 × attribute 0.9 → Rs 5.4 per view. Estimated payout ≈ Rs 32.4 lakh.
Rights and licensing
Content is licensed to Waves for a minimum of one year from go-live. Rights include digital streaming, public exhibition and promotions on Waves and affiliated Prasar Bharati platforms. Copyright stays with the content provider. Early withdrawal is not allowed without Prasar Bharati’s written consent.
Consumer access and finances
During the pilot there is no consumer paywall. Viewers watch free, while Waves pays producers per validated view. All payouts are booked as content acquisition costs against the Waves budget.
Quality control and fraud checks
All content undergoes technical QC, rights verification and legal vetting before onboarding. Providers must indemnify Prasar Bharati against third-party claims. Fraudulent activity such as artificial view inflation will trigger payment suspension and de-listing.
Governance and evaluation
A PPV Evaluation Committee constituted by the CEO will review monthly analytics, cost-per-view, content diversity and public value and recommend refinements, including potential rate adjustments. At the end of the pilot in March 2026, the Committee will submit a Comprehensive Evaluation Report to inform a final PPV policy, which will supersede the pilot. The pilot remains in force until the revised policy is formally adopted.
For the pilot period, Waves will reward creators purely on verified viewer engagement while keeping the platform free to consumers, using clear base rates, performance slabs up to 200 per cent of base and content attribute multipliers. The outcomes on audience traction, costs and sustainability through FY26 will determine whether Prasar Bharati adopts PPV as a long-term sourcing model for a public-service OTT platform.
I&B Secretary lauds creative power of India’s culture
India’s artificial intelligence (AI) mission is not merely about building technological capability but ensuring that machines “learn not just logic, but ethics,” said Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Positioning India as a nation where technology and tradition converge, Jaju said the country’s growing influence on the world is anchored in values, culture and inclusivity, making it a power centre of stability in uncertain times.
He argued that while most nations are focused on technological dominance, India’s goal is to ensure that innovation remains grounded in conscience and collective good.
“Machines must learn not just logic, but ethics,” Jaju said, calling it the defining element of India’s approach to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. He emphasised that this principle sets India apart in a rapidly changing digital world, where influence must be matched by integrity.
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Jaju opened with a wide civilisational sweep, saying India’s reach runs “from the chants of the Rig Veda to the codes of UPI.” He said that continuity combined with creativity gives India a quiet confidence in an age of noise and disruption.
“Hard power can protect borders, but it cannot build bridges. It can win wars, but it cannot win hearts,” he told the assembled policymakers, diplomats and media figures.
The Secretary laid out a three-pronged framework explaining what makes Indian soft power distinct:
First, on cultural influence, Jaju pointed to Yoga and Ayurveda as universal practices of wellness, while festivals like Diwali and Holi are now celebrated in more than 100 countries. He highlighted India’s storytelling legacy from Satyajit Ray to contemporary filmmakers and said Indian music, craft and cinema have turned culture into a global conversation.
Second, on technological influence, Jaju described India’s digital public infrastructure (Aadhaar, UPI, CoWIN and ONDC) as open-source models of inclusion now studied by other nations. “Our software is not just code, but conviction,” he said, adding that such systems have turned domestic scale into international credibility, offering a practical model for equitable digital governance.
Third, on values and diplomacy, he said India’s civilisational ethos, reflected in ideas like ahimsa, satyagraha and sarvodaya, continues to inform global moral debates. Citing the G20 presidency motto, “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” he said it captured India’s commitment to inclusivity and balance, helping secure global consensus amid polarisation.
Jaju also highlighted the creative economy as a pillar of this strategy. Referring to the first Waves (World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit) hosted in India, he said it brought together more than 100 countries and over 3,000 companies to “connect creators, connecting countries.”
The event, he added, demonstrated how culture can act as collaboration and commerce can serve as conversation.
The Indian diaspora, he said, plays a crucial role in expanding this influence. With nearly 35 million Indians living across 200 countries, Jaju described them as “ambassadors of ability” who turn cultural signals into global celebration, from Diwali at city halls to Indian films and music finding new audiences abroad.
He concluded with a call to industry and creators to package this influence as Brand India, urging that every product, partnership and piece of content reflect quality, credibility and conscience. “When Bharat speaks, the world listens, not out of fear, but out of faith,” he said.