Premium video-on-demand, which has been much-maligned by theater owners and other movie industry members, might be more popular with consumers than previously thought. In a new survey conducted by BTIG research and spearheaded by analyst Richard Greenfield, a large majority of respondents said that their movie entertainment spending would stay the same or increase if they were given the opportunity to watch films at home (for a higher price) the same day they were released in theaters.
The survey asked 1,300 respondents the following question: “If new movies released in the theater were offered simultaneously in the home via cable/satellite/VOD or electronic sellthrough for $20-$25 per movie, would it increase/decrease/have no impact on your household’s movie expenditures and movie industry piracy?”
93% of respondents said their spending would stay the same or increase, while only 7% claimed that their spending would decrease.
Greenfield, long a foe of Redbox and a proponent of premium VOD, said the following about the survey results:
“We believe the data in aggregate does not show a major industry risk to collapsing the theatrical-to-home entertainment window . . . There would be some uplift in consumer spending on movies with a greater share of that spending captured by movie studios vs. movie exhibitors, offset in part (at worst) by a rise in piracy.”
Greenfield clearly has an axe to grind here, Insiders. Does his involvement with the survey color your perception of its reflectiveness of consumer sentiment at large?
(via Home Media Magazine)
You can put me down as one person who will never pay 20 – 25 bucks to watch a movie in my home. Almost every movie I rent from Redbox my immediate comment when it is over is “I am so glad I waited until that one was only a dollar”. I think the lack of attendance at the theatres are proof movie’s are not worth the big buck’s. It isn’t the attmitance fee that keeps people away it is the quality. In the rare instance Hollywood produce’s a really good movie the theatre still fill’s up but mostly the parking lot’s are bare even on opening day’s. If I won’t pay 20.00 there to see a film for my son and I I sure wouldn’t pay it to watch it on my small tv screen.
Another comical survey… Movie companies are complaining that people aren’t buying their movies to OWN on Discs for the $20-$25 dollar price range, but think we are going to pay that for a VOD?
I love the vague-ness of surveys, no hard facts or real results are made.
“93% of respondents said their spending would stay the same or increase”… Well yea, if you didn’t go to the theatre to begin with, and wouldn’t agree to purchase a vod, then your spending wouldn’t change.
Too true, too true
Yes, I noticed that too – it’s survey spin. Ask the question in such a way that produces a desirable outcome for you, but also in such a way that people will give you the repsonse you want. Classic.
If it where a very good movie I would go as high as $25 providing of course my wife and child where at home so that I would be getting my moneys worth. I hate going to the theater to watch movies because people are no longer polite enough to be quite in a movie, my wife has a bad back and has trouble sitting through the length of a movie and most importantly I do not want to watch on their terms. I want to eat Kettle corn and drink a Mountain Dew not overpriced stale popcorn and crap-a-cola.
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I agree with the above comments.
Whoever did this survey must have been paid by the studios for these results. I would NEVER pay 20-25$ for a one time pay per view of a movie. I can go with my wife and daughter and see a movie for 15$ .The only way possible to make that work is if you invited a bunch of friends over and charged them to make up the 25$. And again I would NEVER charge guests to watch a movie at my house. Of course if the studios found out others were doing that, they would probably want to sue them for “piracy” and making a profit from thier product.
Ahh Hollywood….simple solution.
Knock off the greed, release your product to the public at an affordable cost, and everyone would be happy.
People say sure it’s a great idea, but there aren’t that many “event” films that people will pony up $25 for.
Yes, I could see the Hobbit or the Avengers being an event like that, but otherwise, no way.
Never. I want premium movies at DVD release time, streamable at home for the current RB price (was a buck). If RB can provide a movie at that prices on physical media, then someone (joint venture) can stream the same movie at the same time at that price.
Why pay VOD prices when you can buy the DVD for less? Makes no sense, so my vote is a resounding HELL NO!!!!