Why Aamir Khan is skipping streaming services to release his film on YouTube

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Why Aamir Khan is skipping streaming services to release his film on YouTube


New Delhi: Actor Aamir Khan will premiere his latest film Sitaare Zameen Par, which released in theatres in June, on YouTube starting 1 August.

Skipping the traditional post-theatrical streaming route, the film will be available on Khan’s YouTube channel as a one-time paid rental—viewers can pay 100 in India to watch the film once. It will also be available in 38 international markets, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Spain, with pricing localized for each market.

This marks YouTube India’s first major exclusive film premiere via a transactional video-on-demand (TVoD) model. Khan said the film will not stream on any subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) or other TVoD platforms. A satellite television premiere is expected in six to eight months to reach audiences who may not be able to pay even for YouTube rentals.

“Our biggest hits have theatrical footfalls of 3-3.5 crore which is 2-3% of our population. The biggest reason for that is we don’t have that many movie screens especially in comparison to countries like the US and China. The effort has been to take the film to as many people it potentially can reach on a platform that offers a large footprint,” Khan told Mint in an interview.

While acknowledging that pay-per-view has so far seen low traction in India, Khan said improved internet access, smartphone penetration, and the ease of digital payments through UPI could help the model gain momentum. He added that pay-per-view should be the next step in a film’s monetization cycle after its theatrical run, instead of premiering on a subscription-driven service.

Khan also said the film is unlikely to appear on an SVoD platform, citing streamer insistence on a six- to eight-week window between theatrical and OTT release, which he does not support. However, he noted that the film would eventually air on satellite TV to reach audiences unable to pay even for YouTube rentals.

Older films produced by Khan, excluding Laal Singh Chaddha and Laapataa Ladies, which are already available on streaming, will also be released on YouTube in the next few months.

Gunjan Soni, country managing director, India, at YouTube, said the digital launch of Sitaare Zameen Par exclusively on the platform marks a significant step in democratising Indian film distribution at a global scale. Since April 2025, videos related to the film have garnered over 370 million views on YouTube India, she said, pointing to sustained engagement. (this data is not to be attributed to her but to the company)

Streaming has been a major revenue source for filmmakers over the past decade, and the pandemic further accelerated home viewing. During the lockdown, several films skipped theatres and debuted directly on digital platforms.

In the post-pandemic period, multiplex and cinema owners have pushed for longer theatrical windows to give films time to perform in cinemas. In recent months, the timing of OTT premieres has become increasingly flexible, depending on a film’s box-office performance. Underperformers may hit streaming platforms in as little as four weeks, compared to the usual six-to-eight-week gap.

Still, despite offerings from companies such as BookMyShow, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, the pay-per-view model remains niche in India. Media experts point to the limited content available on TVoD platforms and note that most viewers have returned to theatres or continue to rely on annual OTT subscriptions. For these reasons, transaction-based models have yet to rival subscription or free services in terms of reach or popularity.

Sitaare Zameen Par grossed 164 crore in India and is considered a hit.


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