With recession fears looming, price cuts are beginning to pop up across the movie landscape at video streamers, while being considered by theaters. In some cases, these take the form of bundling multiple streaming services or offering a cheaper advertising-supported streaming service, as Netflix and AMC+ have done recently. NBCUniversal’s mainstream video streamer Peacock … [Read more...] about Discounting Fever Engulfs Film Biz
exhibition
Docu Review: ‘Back to the Drive-In’
Full-length documentary "Back to the Drive-In” shines the spotlight on owners of drive-in cinemas, who are mostly hardscrabble mom-and-pop locals, in stark contrast to “hardtop” theaters dominated by international chains. “Back to the Drive-In,” which premiered via video-on-demand earlier this year, takes a loving look at outdoor cinemas and their idiosyncratic operators; … [Read more...] about Docu Review: ‘Back to the Drive-In’
Exploring Cinema Ticket Price Cuts
Hollywood and movie theater owners spontaneously embraced the benefits of permanent cuts in cinema-ticket prices industry-wide, despite worries about antitrust issues, at a CinemaCon panel discussion. Whether the industry later pursues shaving ticket prices, which averaged $10.53 in the U.S. last year (see accompanying data table), remains to be seen. Anecdotal information … [Read more...] about Exploring Cinema Ticket Price Cuts
Hollywood Suddenly Loves Cinema More Than Streaming
Across Hollywood, studio executives are suddenly singing the praises of full exclusive cinema runs for movies, and dialing back their infatuation with video streaming. A Variety story by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin calls it a case of “Netflix envy" fading. "Lately, Wall Street has soured on the economics of streaming, believing that the media conglomerates that run these … [Read more...] about Hollywood Suddenly Loves Cinema More Than Streaming
AMC Tiers Tix Prices by Sightlines
Movie theater chain AMC Theatres will charge premium prices for seats with best view of screens, taking from the live concerts and airlines playbooks that charge more for better-placed locations. Concert and airlines are under fire from dissatisfied consumers, so it’s a head scratcher, other than the AMC variable pricing will certainly be geared for more revenue. Online … [Read more...] about AMC Tiers Tix Prices by Sightlines
Data-Hungry Theaters Eye Branded Credit Cards
In bankruptcies of airlines and other consumer-facing companies, sometimes their most valuable asset are their sideline credit card businesses. After some false starts in past years, exhibition is coming to recognize the value of leveraging such consumer financial relationships to build durable collateral businesses. AMC Entertainment announced its own Visa credit card this … [Read more...] about Data-Hungry Theaters Eye Branded Credit Cards
Cinemas Splurge on Upgrades
Despite the lingering ravages of the pandemic, movie theater operators are making sizeable investments to upgrade and reconfigure their physical plants. It’s something of a surprise because of post-Covid economic uncertainty and most cinema companies are already weighed down with heavy debt. But the capital-expenditure (CapEx) investment cycle is happening in … [Read more...] about Cinemas Splurge on Upgrades
TikTok Adds Cinema Ticket Commerce
Trying to increase its advertising/promotion revenue from film distributors, top social network TikTok has added presentation of local movie start times. The Showtimes on TikTok initiative will facilitate direct online ticket sales as well. TikTok touts its value to Hollywood with its own research showing 52% of moviegoers research a “movie, show or actor through its … [Read more...] about TikTok Adds Cinema Ticket Commerce
Wall Street Bullish on Cinema
Wall Street is always a forward indicator — its job is to anticipate — and the cinema recovery gets a thumbs up from stock analysts. Giant brokerage Morgan Stanley issued an upbeat report on Cinemark Holdings, which is the third ranked U.S. movie-theater chain, and that optimism is broadly spreading that cinema will not only survive but thrive. The praise is significant … [Read more...] about Wall Street Bullish on Cinema
Making Cinema Screens Interactive
Startup MetaMedia has emerged as a leader for cinemas tapping into streaming technology for non-theatrical programs, interactive on-screen content and movies themselves. Non-theatrical content includes red-carpet events, special fan events, teleconferences for corporate clients and educational presentations using cyberspace's the cloud technology. Plus, Metamedia is … [Read more...] about Making Cinema Screens Interactive