At the start of 2020, consumers in the United States subscribed to an average of three paid streaming services, but after months of government-mandated lockdowns, the number has increased to five.
In a recent survey of over 5,000 active online subscribers in the United States and Canada, 81% of respondents wished that paid streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video offered a free, ad-supported option.
In 2020, Netflix gained 37 million subscribers worldwide, breaking its 2018 record of 28 million new additions. Currently, Netflix has 204 million active subscribers.
Many uncertainties surround the format and nature of film markets in 2021, including the crown jewel – Cannes. All significant markets scheduled in the first quarter will be virtual.
As a result of diminishing content availability precipitated by production delays and cancellations, there will be large programming gaps for traditional television networks and OTT platforms to fill over the next two years.
Forced stay-at-home orders propelled Netflix’s fastest subscriber additions in its twenty-three history. The streaming leader added 26 million subscribers in the first half of 2020, making it one of the biggest lockdown economy winners.
The two largest theater chains in the US, AMC and Regal, face impending bankruptcy amid continued lockdowns, and as Hollywood’s pipeline of films slows to a trickle.
Production and distribution disruptions caused by governmental lockdowns have accelerated many transformations that were well underway in production, distribution, and viewership trends.
British exhibitor Cineworld, the parent company of Regal Cinemas in the US, said on Monday that it would shutter all 663 of its theaters in the US and the UK starting October 8th.
Day-and-date and other alternative film releasing models have been around for over a decade. Still, most major studios have avoided a strategy that skips the theater altogether, that is, until now.
SVOD is still a minor segment of the overall streaming market in Germany. Proportionally, Germany spends less than half of US households ($24 billion) on SVOD services when adjusted for currency and population.
A Federal Judge ended the Paramount decrees that ceased Hollywood’s monopoly on producing, distributing, and exhibiting films citing the move would “serve the public interest in free and unfettered competition.”
AT&T is desperate to sell some or all of DirecTV to pay down its $180 billion mountain of debt. According to inside sources, the satellite service is being offered at a $20 billion valuation, marking a $29 billion loss since 2015.
The growth of SVOD services in Scandinavia shows no signs of slowing down. Despite heavy competition from local services Netflix has gained four million subscribers.