Skip to main content

How the Pandemic Changed the Movie Business

Studios embrace streaming, windowless releases reshape Hollywood.


Healthcare Business Law & Economics Entertainment & Travel Entrepreneurship Ethics Retail, Marketing and Advertising Product Development Product Distribution Chapter 1 Taking Risks & Making Profits Chapter 2 Economics Chapter 4 Ethics & Social Responsibility Chapter 6 Entrepreneurship Chapter 13 Marketing Chapter 14 Product & Price Chapter 15 Distribution Chapter 16 Place & Promotion Bonus Chapter A Bonus Chapter B Blog Video Understanding Business Higher Education

For decades, Hollywood studios and movie exhibitors abided by the law of the “theatrical window,” the period of time where a film could only be seen in theaters. This window steadily shrank over the years as home video and streaming gained dominance until it was almost obliterated in 2020 as theaters shut down for the pandemic. The fascinating video below looks at the ways that coronavirus changed domestic movie distribution and how theaters could still have a profitable future ahead of them. 

Questions:

  1. How did the pandemic change movie distribution in the United States?
  2. What special appeal do theatrically released films hold with the public, and how does this benefit streaming services?
Author: NickelsMcHughMcHugh