Universal, Warner Bros. Talking to Theater Owners About Offering Films in Homes Early

[Himmel]

Universal and Warner Bros. are having discussions with theater chains about possibly limiting the amount of time between a film’s theatrical release and its debut on home entertainment platforms.

Bloomberg first reported that studios had engaged in talks with exhibitors about shortening the period of time in which films are exclusively on the big screen. The studios are looking for ways to bolster home entertainment revenue, which is suffering from an 18% decline in DVD sales. The talks are the clearest sign yet that windowing, the industry term for the amount of time a film is in theaters, is going to be hotly debated in the coming months and that a major change in release patterns could take place as early as next year.

Spokespeople for Warner Bros. and Universal confirmed that the studios are having discussions with theater owners about shortening release windows, but offered no additional comment. In a presentation this week at the Credit Suisse conference on technology, media, and telecom, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara said that he was having “constructive conversations” with the exhibition community.

The studios have yet to determine whether or not the films will be just higher-priced rentals or will be available for purchase. Bloomberg reported that the time frame being weighed is two weeks to a month and that the price being considered is between $25 and $50. Insiders say that the price is likely to be on the higher end of that range and that a month delay between a film’s theatrical opening and its home entertainment bow is the most likely scenario. Theater owners would get a cut of the revenue in exchange for agreeing to the new windows.

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/un...ws-1201931478/