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Theaters Won't Screen Movies Released Simultaneously as Premium VODs
Tue Mar 08, 2011 at 01:45 PM ETTags: AMC, Premium VOD, Industry Trends (all tags)
At least two theater chains will be boycotting any film being released as a premium VOD.
"If a film has a four-to-six week window to a home, we're not going to give it screen time," says Amy Miles of Regal Entertainment. That's a sentiment echoed across the movie theater industry, which fears that a premium on-demand offering would dramatically hurt their business.
Premium VOD like the ones on the way from DirecTV would make the movie available just 60 days after its theatrical release and at a price of around $30 each. It's a high price, but it's cheaper than a night out at the movies for a family.
"We do not intend to screen movies released under such circumstances," says AMC Entertainment exec Gerry Lopez. "We understand the problem that studios are facing when DVD sales are nosediving, but we don’t see premium VOD as any kind of solution."
Source: LA Times
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