There’s a startup that could seriously disrupt the way that we watch new movies.
Set to shake up the movie theatre business, a company backed by tech entrepreneur Sean Parker (Napster, Facebook) called “Screening Room” would allow people to watch movies from their homes on the same day they’re released in theaters, according to Variety.
And yes, it’s actually illegal at the moment.
While at first one may assume it’s a more affordable option to the over-priced movie theatre experience, it turns out it’s going to be even more (unless you want to start charging your friends a flat viewing rate per head).
The idea is that customers would purchase a $150 USD set-up box that would enable them to rent movies at a price of $50 per film. As we’re all too well aware, in 2016, $50 is about the average price for a couple to take in a film on the big screen, once popcorn and drinks are added to the equation. But to some, $50 (plus the cost of snacks) is worth it to catch a brand new feature on the couch in your pyjamas. Plus, the rentals would last for 48 hours, a bonus to the habitual re-watchers.
Of course, the reason why this hasn’t been done until now is because theatres are incredibly protective of their exclusive first-run rights to films. These typically last for about three months. The Screening Room would give theatre owners up to $20 of that $50 fee and offer customers tickets to see the films in theatres, where they will presumably buy (ridiculously over-priced) concession drinks and snacks.
Currently, talks with both theatre owners and movie studios are still in their early stages. According to Variety, the Screening Room could soon pen a deal with the AMC theatre chain, and has been met with interest from influential studios like Universal, Foxm and Sony.
It sounds like “Screening Room and chill” could soon be a thing…
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