Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has taken an unconventional route for the digital release of his film Sitaare Zameen Par. Instead of opting for a traditional OTT platform, Khan has released the film on YouTube’s Pay-Per-View (PPV) model, a form of Transactional Video On Demand (TVOD). Priced at ₹100 per rental, the movie is now accessible to over 550 million Indian users on YouTube.
This move bypasses the comfort of a guaranteed upfront licensing fee, typically offered by OTT platforms, in favor of long-tail monetization and greater control. YouTube PPV offers creators a 55% to 60% share of each transaction, alongside authority over pricing, release schedule, and access to user data.
Aamir Khan’s decision is seen by some as innovative. According to Jitendra Hirawat, co-founder and CEO of TITO Films,
“Aamir Khan’s decision to put Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube is a clever move. It skips the OTT route and puts the film in front of India’s huge YouTube audience… This approach gives more control and better data, but without an upfront deal, success depends on sustaining buzz and ongoing rentals, making it bold but financially unpredictable.”
Traditionally, Khan could have secured a reported ₹125 crore from a one-time OTT deal—an estimate he also refers to in a recent advertisement alongside his sons. But the YouTube model means earnings will depend on actual rentals, promotional traction, and platform algorithms.
Chandrashekar Mantha, Partner at Deloitte India, explains:
“Traditionally, OTT platforms have provided financial predictability to content producers… But YouTube enables unprecedented content distribution and visibility.”
With over 2.5 billion global users (550 million in India alone), YouTube far outpaces OTT platforms such as Netflix, which had 270 million global subscribers as of mid-2025. However, YouTube’s massive scale comes with a trade-off: no co-marketing or guaranteed discoverability, unlike major streaming giants.
“Had Aamir opted for a traditional OTT deal, he could have made a one-time ₹125 crore upfront, but this YouTube release means earnings are tied to viewership. For example, if 5 million viewers rent the film, gross revenue would hit ₹50 crore (YouTube typically takes a 30% cut),” Hirawat added.
Still, with Sitaare Zameen Par already grossing ₹267 crore at the box office, the YouTube release is positioned as an additional revenue stream with potential longevity.
Market data indicates that OTT platforms, which once paid 80–100% markups over production costs, are now offering leaner margins—around 30–40%. Meanwhile, India’s TVOD market is expanding at an 11.2% CAGR through 2025, according to ABI Research.
For creators with established fan bases and strong theatrical performance, the PPV model presents a viable and increasingly attractive alternative.
According to Harish Bijoor, founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.,
“I do believe Aamir Khan’s decision to take Sitaare Zameen Par to YouTube pay-per-view is a rather unconventional choice, especially when compared to the more obvious and, frankly, easier OTT sale.”
He adds that Khan’s choice reflects a desire to move away from platform-controlled distribution and leverage YouTube’s device-agnostic familiarity for broader reach.
“OTT, as Aamir Khan is subtly highlighting with this move, remains a restrictive channel,” Bijoor said. “…YouTube, on the other hand, is about access purely governed by the internet.”
This experiment could be more than a revenue strategy. It may reflect a shift toward creator-centric models, where pricing autonomy, real-time user data, and platform independence outweigh the safety net of upfront deals.
“This shift represents a higher risk–higher reward model, where success can translate into substantial financial returns—making YouTube an increasingly attractive platform for content monetisation and audience growth,” noted Mantha.
Yet, this model works best for films with strong pre-release momentum and theatrical success. For smaller producers or lesser-known titles, the PPV path could prove unsustainable.