Universal to make films available to stream on same day they appear in cinemas
The first film to get this treatment will be Trolls World Tour
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, Universal Pictures will make films available to stream at home the same day they appear in theatres.
The first film to get this treatment will be Trolls World Tour which will come out at home and in cinemas on April 10.
Leading UK cinema chains Cineworld, Odeon and Picturehouse have announced they will close all UK cinemas from tomorrow (March 18) while they are already closed now in Ireland. To prevent further spread of the virus, in New York and Los Angeles cinemas have been closed.
In a statement, NBCUniversal said it would “continue to evaluate the environment as conditions evolve,” before adding that it will revisit the strategy when the current situation changes."
NBCUniversal said that by Friday (March 20), 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 for a 48-hour rental (£16.30).
Traditionally a movie is exclusively in theatres for what is typically a 90-day window before releasing it on other platforms.
“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.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments