The China Mail - US movie theaters urge 45-day 'baseline' before films hit streaming

Cinema owners say box office profits have been undercut by shorter theatrical-only "windows" brought in during the pandemic, in part as audiences now assume -- sometimes correctly -- that they can watch new movies at home within weeks.

"There must be a baseline," said Cinema United president Michael O'Leary, calling for "a clear, consistent period of exclusivity" of at least 45 days.

The action is vital to restoring the health of the entire film industry, he said in a keynote speech during the group's annual CinemaCon event in Las Vegas.

The industry has never recovered to pre-pandemic levels of moviegoers. Annual North American box office grosses regularly topped $11 billion in the 2010s, but have yet to get over $9 billion in the 2020s.

Before the rise of streaming, and the temporary shuttering of cinemas due to Covid-19, 90-day theatrical windows were standard in US theaters.

While accepting that those days will never return, O'Leary pointed out that countries that have maintained longer windows, like France, have seen better box office recoveries since the pandemic.

In North America, despite high hopes, 2025 has endured a disappointing start, plagued by box office flops like "Disney's Snow White" and "Mickey 17."

O'Leary also called for more "aggressive" marketing of films as "only in theaters," and asked studios to stop marketing "see-at-home" options while a movie is still in theaters.

"Windows that are too short, or inconsistent, only lead to confusion among consumers," warned O'Leary.

"The perception, or more importantly, the reality at times, that everything will be available on other platforms in a matter of weeks, undercuts the sustainability of the entire industry by negatively impacting the frequency of movie fans going to the theatre," he said.

Cinema United was formerly known as the National Association of Theatre Owners -- or "NATO" -- before officially rebranding last month.

"Having the same name as a multinational political military alliance... is not always seamless, particularly in today's world," said Cinema United chair Bob Bagby.

"Sometimes we've even gotten their mail, phone calls, confused visitors," he joked.

M.Chau--ThChM