The pandemic that we are currently experiencing due to the Covid-19 virus has had a substantial impact on the film industry. Around the world, cinemas have had to face a forced closure of their theaters, having to postpone new and future premieres to future dates or, in many cases, indefinitely. In response, fundamental measures have had to be taken in various territories to curb the devastating effect this has had on the film industry, with independent subscription streaming platforms the number one option to replace physical visits to the cinema.
One of the industries most affected by the mandatory quarantine that much of the world abides by as a forecast for the contagion of the coronavirus is the film industry. Since now, and throughout the world, cinemas have had to close their theaters and film releases have been postponed to future dates or have been indefinitely delayed, even many filming have had to be suspended without announcement of a medium-term restart. The film industry is going through an unprecedented situation, which forces everyone who is part of it to reinvent themselves and rethink their channels to reach the public, how to offer the entertainment of a movie theater but in a reduced way.
Among all the options, one of the most interesting responses to the contingency has been subscription streaming platforms, which in one way or another have become the new normal and are facing rapid changes with an increasingly solid offer and wide.
This is not only a reaction to the fact that it is unlikely that cinema as we know it will regain its current activity before the end of the year or early 2021, but also a quick approach to the possibilities of streaming platforms as a direct substitute from the movie theater. Of course, it is still too early to directly analyze such a transformation, but without a doubt, it is an increasingly rapid process that includes several factors, in addition to the health emergency around the world.
This possibility includes watching premiere films from the computer screen or Smart TV, in an attempt to mitigate the possible crisis in theaters that the pandemic may cause. According to IndieWire, the platform negotiations include an economic agreement with the theaters that had agreed to a screening option for the premiere, which will now be broadcast online.
Will cinema change forever after the emergency caused by the coronavirus? It is still too early to have a definitive answer on the possible permanent effects that this extraordinary situation may have on the industry, but what is quite clear is that the growth of streaming platforms, both independent and large channels, are reaching a unpredictable new dimension, which opens the doors to a new kind of journey through the cinematographic world.
