[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] While the film industry debates the legalization of “holdback”—the time lag between theatrical releases and online video service (OTT) releases—the market is moving in the exact opposite direction. With major Korean commercial films released this year heading to Netflix within about two months of their theatrical debuts, there are growing calls questioning whether a one-size-fits-all holdback regulation is out of step with market realities.

◇Netflix Just Two Months After Theatrical Release… The Shift to OTT Is Accelerating
In fact, the time between theatrical release and OTT availability for major films in the first half of this year has noticeably shortened compared to previous years. According to the film industry on the 5th, “HUMINT,” “Wild Thing,” and “Oseisa” were all released on Netflix within about two months of their theatrical debuts. Compared to the past trend of continuing theatrical runs for several months or more before moving to OTT, the release cycle has been significantly accelerated.
The fastest example is *HUMINT*. After drawing 1.98 million viewers domestically, it was released on Netflix just 49 days after its theatrical debut. According to Netflix’s official site, Tudum, the film continued its success by ranking No. 1 in the global non-English film category and topping the charts in 14 countries during its first week of release.
“Wild Thing” followed a similar trajectory. After drawing 1.34 million viewers in South Korea, it moved to Netflix just 58 days after its theatrical release. Although it failed to break even at the box office, it attracted the attention of international viewers by ranking ninth on the global non-English film chart in its first week of release.
“Oseisa” is a slightly different case. After surpassing the break-even point in theaters, it was released on Netflix 66 days after its theatrical debut. It ranked second globally in its first week and third in its second week. It is regarded as a case where the film maintained its buzz and profitability through OTT even after its theatrical run ended.
◇Concerns About Being Out of Step with the Market… What Will Be the Outcome of the Holdback Period?
Industry observers believe this trend is not solely due to increased OTT consumption. With production costs rising, the number of films for which it is difficult to recoup investment through theatrical box office alone is increasing; consequently, a distribution strategy linking theaters and OTT is becoming the new standard.
In particular, for films whose theatrical performance falls short of expectations, OTT sales are becoming a practical option for minimizing losses. Of course, if a film underperforms at the box office, it becomes difficult to command high prices for global distribution rights, making it challenging to break even through OTT sales alone. Nevertheless, from the perspective of production and distribution companies, it remains a significant revenue stream for recouping their investments.

For this reason, there is considerable sentiment within the film industry that caution is needed regarding the blanket legalization of holdback periods. The argument is that forcing a uniform release window—despite each film having different box office trends and overseas sales strategies—could restrict the recovery strategies of production and distribution companies. While the industry agrees on the need to protect theaters, it believes there must be room to flexibly determine release dates based on the nature and box office performance of each individual film.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) is also placing greater emphasis on voluntary industry agreements rather than unilateral regulation. At a meeting of the public-private consultative body on holdback, Minister Choi Hwi-young of the MCST stated, “The government aims for voluntary agreements within the film industry rather than unilateral regulation,” adding, “While the government will facilitate the discussion, the participants in the consultative body must take the lead in creating sustainable rules.” He further remarked regarding the holdback issue, “We will present a solution by August through the public-private consultative body.”
While the public-private consultative body on holdback is scheduled to conclude its discussions this month, the market is already moving toward rapidly shortening the release window for OTT platforms. Attention is focused on whether the final agreement will adequately reflect market changes and industry realities.
A film industry official remarked, “While the holdback period is a system designed to protect theaters, each production now has different investment structures, box office trends, and overseas sales strategies,” adding, “Given the rapidly changing market environment, we need flexibility that can accommodate the unique characteristics of each production rather than establishing a one-size-fits-all standard by law.”