NEW DELHI, June 17 -- As streaming growth slows and platforms become more selective about content spending, a new metric is increasingly determining how much producers get paid: the number of minutes viewers actually watch.

State broadcaster Prasar Bharati is the latest to adopt the model for its WAVES OTT platform, joining a broader industry shift toward performance-linked payouts tied to audience engagement rather than upfront licensing fees.

Supporters say the approach helps platforms control costs, make smarter acquisition decisions and reward content that retains viewers. Critics argue it could disadvantage smaller studios and niche creators that lack the marketing budgets needed to compete for attention in an increasingly crowded ...