Streaming service versus movie theater: Will one prevail over the other?

Most movie theaters have been shut down for about a year because of the pandemic. Without these outlets, the entertainment industry needed to get creative in distributing their goods.

Enter streaming services. Audiences now have the opportunity to have the new release theater experience at home. But what will this do to the movie theater business?

Five new streaming services launched in the last year: Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock and Quibi (which shut down shortly after its debut). But among these services, Disney+ launched just prior to the pandemic and now has 94.9 million users, according to Disney.

Forbes author Nelson Granados looked into the potential effect of streaming on movie theaters. “In a recent survey of 20,398 U.S. adults by What if Media Group, 20% of the respondents said they have no intention to return to the movie theaters once a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available, while another 10% said they are somewhat unlikely to return,” said Granados.

Jonathan Howerton is a psychology and film studies teacher at Clovis High School. “As someone who watches and studies films all the time, I wouldn’t want to watch all of my brand-new movies at home for the rest of my life,” said Howerton. “I feel like once all movie theaters open up again, if they ever do of course, then I’d go back as soon as the doors open up, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way.”

For a casual viewer who was forced to switch from movie weekends at theaters to staying at home to watch, Juan Ortiz feels more relaxed in his own living room now.

“To be honest, I’m more of a stay-at-home kind of guy and prefer to save money. Movie theater prices are expensive man. I could pay the same price for Disney+ and still watch the next Marvel movie more times than going back out to repay that price.”

As traditional movie theaters reopen to the public, the transition from streaming to screening will be one for us to watch.