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The decision, announced by NBCUniversal on
Monday, is a response to changing consumer behavior as the
coronavirus spreads. It upends the traditional practice of
keeping a movie exclusively in theaters for what is typically a
90-day window before releasing it on other platforms.
NBCUniversal will "continue to evaluate the environment as
conditions evolve," the company said in a statement, adding it
will revisit the strategy when the current situation changes.
On Sunday night, the mayors of New York and Los Angeles ordered
movie theaters in their respective cities to close in response
to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
NBCUniversal said that by Friday, recently released films
including "The Hunt," "The Invisible Man" and "Emma" will be
available from sister companies Sky and Comcast and on a variety
of on-demand services. The suggested price will be $19.99 in the
United States for a 48-hour rental, and the equivalent price
elsewhere.
"Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a
challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an
option for people to view these titles in the home that is both
accessible and affordable," said NBCUniversal Chief Executive
Officer Jeff Shell in a statement.
Between this past Friday and Sunday, North American movie box
office sales hit their lowest levels in over two decades,
according to Comscore, as viewers stayed home and theaters
capped their seating capacity to create more space between
moviegoers.
(Reporting by Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Matthew
Lewis)
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