HBO Max relinquishing day & date theatrical releases in 2022
AT&T and WarnerMedia announced a return to an exclusive theatrical window in 2022 with Cineworld, albeit shortened to 45 days from the typical 90-day window in years past. This year, WarnerMedia has been testing day and date theatrical and HBO Max releases as a result of pandemic-induced theatrical closings. The strategy has been seen as a way to boost subscriber growth. As life starts to return to normal and consumers venture back out to theaters, studios are using the opportunity to capitalize on shortened theatrical windows, something they have been looking to do for some time.
The NPD Take:
- WarnerMedia joins other studios in establishing a new window strategy for theatrical releases. The move to return to an exclusive theatrical window allows the studio to generate buzz and profit from theatrical distribution while home entertainment will better benefit from the theatrical marketing campaign.
- Shortened exclusive theatrical windows finally become a reality. After years of wanting to shorten the theatrical window from the typical 90 days, the pandemic finally pushed the exclusive theatrical distribution timing to a reality as studios and exhibitors entered into new agreements.
Netflix testing a weekly release schedule
After pioneering binge viewing, Netflix is once again testing a weekly delivery cadence for two upcoming reality shows. The service will release a batch of episodes over the course of a month and then release the finale by itself. Netflix is hoping that by releasing the episodes over the course of a few weeks it will lead to increased discussion and buzz about what is happening on the shows and potentially drive additional subscriptions.
The NPD Take:
- Netflix testing weekly releases is a way to increase regular engagement for some content and spread out the release of its original content slate to save on long term production costs while creating buzz around its shows.
- This isn’t old school distribution that would typically span a season, rather release with a month - the average Netflix viewership window.