Movies

Top movie theater lobbyist calls for a minimum of 45 days before films hit streaming

BBG News

In light of the ongoing challenge for movie theaters to retain audiences, the leading cinema advocate in the U.S. urged Hollywood production companies to delay the release of films on home video and streaming platforms for a more extended period.

On Tuesday, during his speech at the annual CinemaCon trade show in Las Vegas, Michael O’Leary, leader of the Cinema United trade association, put forth an idea for a required waiting period of 45 days following a film’s theater premiere before it could be viewed at home.

This action would continue the trend of returning to pre-pandemic strategies in some film studios, as they previously aimed to release new movies on-demand more swiftly compared to pandemic practices. In fact, even prior to the pandemic, these studios were eager to test shorter gaps, reasoning that it would optimize their marketing budget and accommodate evolving consumer preferences.

But O’Leary said shrunken windows are warping ultimate box office success and consumer demand.

To establish a unified understanding and dedication towards cinematic exclusivity, it’s crucial to set a clear, uniform foundation. This foundation will serve as a guide for movie enthusiasts, ensuring everyone knows what to expect. In other words, we need a common ground or standard.

Prior to COVID-19, it was common for movies to be screened in cinemas for at least 80 days, occasionally even up to 90 days, before they could be viewed at home. However, as the pandemic subsided, this average duration decreased significantly to as little as 30 days. Last year, this duration stabilized around 32 days, according to data from The Numbers, a platform providing information about the movie business.

As a discerning film enthusiast, I must commend Universal Pictures for taking a bold stride in the cinematic world. Instead of adhering to traditional release schedules, they’ve opted for a more expedient approach, making many of their films available for premium digital rental just 17 days after their initial screening. This swift move not only caters to our immediate viewing desires but also ensures that the latest blockbusters don’t slip through our fingers while we wait for the perfect moment to catch them on the big screen.

In simpler terms, shorter movie release windows have made it harder for regular cinema-goers, as mentioned by O’Leary, to spontaneously visit their local theaters and watch any movie that’s playing. This has also strengthened the tendency for audiences to wait for films to become available on streaming services rather than going to the theater during a pandemic.

O’Leary conceded that the extended pre-pandemic release timelines are no longer feasible and studios seek flexibility to move a film to another platform after maximizing its box office earnings. However, he stressed that this shorter duration also poses a challenge for smaller or mid-sized films in gaining initial traction.

The depiction suggests that cinema visits are exclusively intended for major blockbusters, a notion that, if sustained, could gradually weaken the infrastructure required to produce such movies themselves.

“We cannot sacrifice long-term success for short-term gain,” he said.

O’Leary suggested that theater owners should consider scaling back their investments in luxury-sized movie screens, pointing out that although these screens attract viewers, they contribute to just 9% of the worldwide box office revenue.

If we overemphasize big-screen experiences to such an extent that audiences start thinking the main attraction of cinemas is solely large formats, we’re actually undermining our own industry, he pointed out.

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2025-04-01 21:31

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