Skip to main content

Screen Wars Thought Leader Interviews are also available on

SpotifyApple PodcastGoogle Podcast
State of the Screens

NBCUniversal Breaks Theatrical Window, Will Make Movies Available On Demand Immediately

By March 19, 2020No Comments

Big news for Little Screens #1: NBCUniversal is moving upcoming/recent movie releases directly to on-demand.  Each rental will cost $20 for a 48-hour rental period.

The movies include:
1) 
Trolls World Tour
2) The Hunt
3) The Invisible Man
4) Emma

Standard theatrical release flow according to LightShed Partners:
1) Theatre – 0 – 2.5 months
2) DVD/VOD/rental – 3 – 6 months
3)
 Premium pay-TV (HBO, etc.) – 6 – 24 months
4)
 Network TV – 24 – 36 months

Quick math on pay-per-view potential for Trolls World Tour:
1) 
Domestic box office revenue for Trolls (2016) – $154M
2) 
Average ticket price – $8.65
3) 
Estimated # of tickets sold – 17.8M
4) 
PPV rental price for Trolls World Tour – $20
5) 
PPV rentals to reach Trolls (2016) box office – 7.7M
6) 
Viewers/HH to create value over tickets – 2.3

Quick math on the largest PPV event in U.S. history (Mayweather/Pacquiao):
1) Total revenue – $400M
2) 
PPV purchases – 4.4M
3) 
AVG purchase price – $91

Smart: The LightShed team broke down how many PPV rentals a major release (Star Wars, etc.) would need to generate comparable profit to the box office.

Why this matters: Last weekend’s box office total was the lowest since 1994, and Wall Street has responded by hammering cinema stocks.

Big news for Little Screens #2: Frozen 2 is arriving on Disney+ three months early!

More #1: Regal Cinemas Closing All U.S. Theaters Due to Coronavirus

More #2: Hollywood Could Take $20 Billion Hit From Coronavirus Impact

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.