DStv Channel 403 Monday, 17 February 2025

Apple, Amazon 'committed' to big screen, says theatres boss

People watching a movie as they sit apart to ensure social distancing on the first day of the reopening of cinemas in China.

LAS VEGAS - Movie theatre owners are confident that previously streaming-focused tech giants Apple and Amazon are now "committed" to putting their films on the big screen -- even if Netflix still declines to -- their trade body's new president told AFP.

This week's CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, where owners of multiplex chains and arthouse screens gather annually, took place in an optimistic mood, after three nervous years blighted by the pandemic and the rapid rise of streaming.

Back in those dark days, some 2,000 US theatres were forced to close forever, while even traditional Hollywood studios like Warner and Disney were skipping theatres and putting major films on HBO Max and Disney+ streaming first.

But since big screens reopened, even Apple and Amazon have pivoted to giving movies like "Air," "Napoleon" and "Killers of the Flower Moon" extended runs in theatres.

The two tech giants reportedly each plan to spend $1-billion per year on movies headed first for the big screen.

"I think their commitment to the theatrical experience is amazing," said Michael O'Leary, who takes over the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) this week.

"We're excited to see where it goes. We're confident that they're committed to this enterprise."

According to O'Leary, there has been a recognition that movies that are released in theatres first will eventually be more successful on streaming.

"People are aware of what's playing in the theatres, and they're more likely to watch something on a streaming service that played in the theatre," he said.

It is an argument theatre owners have been pushing for years, but the pandemic offered a "crash course in whether or not a purely streaming model would work," he said.

The industry's drive to boost subscriber numbers at any cost -- a hallmark of the so-called "streaming wars" -- has recently dissipated, with investors and markets demanding more focus now on making money.

"There's been a recognition not just in the marketplace, but also on Wall Street, that you have to have elements that allow you to make profit," said O'Leary.

"And theatrical space is one of those places you can do that."

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