When was the last time you enjoyed a movie at the theater? Was it weeks, months, or even years ago? Nowadays, it would not be too surprising if it had been years. With the increase in streaming services, it feels like the number of people attending movies in a theater is dwindling.
When one signs up for a streaming service, they get access to a catalog of movies and TV shows without having to pay more money. Most of the money then goes to the streaming service, not the movie franchise. There are some streaming services, such as Amazon Prime Video, that even offer a pay-per-view service, which allows consumers to pay more money to access a special release movie or television series.
Tons of movie franchises have started to advance from feature-length films to TV shows that go along with their movies. Take Star Wars for example, they have a whole catalog of TV shows and movies on Disney Plus. Some people enjoy having so many options, but that also comes with a consequence. “I like having a lot of different options, but I just feel like most streaming services have a lot of options, but not always the best quality,” says Eastern senior Jeff Day.
There are other people who think that the franchises have gone too far when it comes to side TV shows. “It can get a little too much with Disney Plus and whatnot. They’ve been cranking out a lot of Marvel and Star Wars stuff that I used to follow very closely. I still follow the main stuff for sure,” says Eastern freshman Rosti Vana.
There are ways that streaming hurts the franchises and production companies. When people used to go to the theater more, a large percentage of the ticket sales would go to the production companies. With streaming services on the rise and box office sales down, production companies are facing new challenges because people have different viewing habits than they used to.
Movies are a fun pastime that allows people to relax, think deeper, and have fun. With the number of movies coming out and franchises switching to shorter forms of entertainment, the theater business may slowly be dying away. This also hurts the production companies because they make the bulk of their money from theaters. It can make you wonder: how do production companies combat the entertainment landscape we now find ourselves in?