Apr 01
You’ll pay $12 to see a movie in theaters and $5 to rent a new movie at your local Blockbuster (well, fewer and fewer on the latter front, I suppose). How much would you pay to rent a movie fresh out of theaters, not quite ready for the DVD release? A number of major Hollywood studios are betting that the number is pretty high. Time Warner, Sony, Comcast and News Corp-owned studios are experimenting with new rental pricing–$30 a pop.
The studios have christened the new pricing plan “premium VOD.” The main justification for the pricey entrance fee is the absurd amount of money is costs to actually watch a film in theaters. Now, granted, the aforementioned $12 is New York prices–the national average is apparently closer to $8. But let’s say you invite some friends over and make popcorn in your microwave. You may actually be getting off cheap at $30.
At the very least, this is a sign that Hollywood is open and reasonably flexible when it comes to monetizing films in the future–and heck, it sure beats the MPAA’s standard policy of suing Internet users.
The films will be available 60 days after their theatrical run ends. The studios don’t expect premium VOD to eat into box office, as the lion’s share of money comes from the first few weeks of a film’s release.
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