AMC Theatres, Universal Collapsing Theatrical Window to 17 Days in Unprecedented Pact
Source: Hollywood Reporter
by Pamela McClintock
The studio will have the option of making any of its titles, as well as films from Focus Features, available on premium VOD after just three weekends of play in cinemas.
In a stunning reversal, AMC Theatres has struck a historic agreement with Universal that will allow the studio's movies to be made available on premium video-on-demand after just 17 days of play in cinemas, including three weekends, the two companies announced Tuesday.
The deal — which presently only covers AMC's U.S. locations — shatters the traditional theatrical window, a longstanding policy that has required studios to play their films on the big screen for nearly three months before making films available in the home. The unprecedented move on the part of a mega-exhibitor has far-reaching implications for the film business — particularly amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and related theater closures — and is a major coup for Universal.
AMC, the country and world's largest theater chain, is expected to share in the revenue from PVOD. The debt-laden company was hit particularly hard because of the pandemic, although recently found new institutional investors.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/amc-theatres-universal-collapsing-theatrical-window-17-days-unprecedented-pact-1304759
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