Every age has its most anticipated battles, and in this age of entertainment, it’s the binary battle of OTT vs. Theatre. Though the era suggests that OTT gives you choice and Theatre validates the craft, things are changing.
Netflix is quite a big deal, and there are players making attempts to rule from second place. Currently, the battle between Box-office and Views is as intense as ever, and a recent statement by Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is making waves.
To provide context, last year, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” became two of the biggest hits in the industry. They were not only Box-office phenomena but also achieved unprecedented numbers on streaming platforms.
Despite the value of the Theatrical Experience, Ted Sarandos downplays the importance of theaters. Discussing the potential for OTT releases, Sarandos said, “Both of those movies would be great for Netflix. They definitely would have enjoyed just as big an audience on Netflix.”
He further added, “And so I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that certain kinds of movies do or don’t work. There’s no reason to believe that the movie itself is better on any size screen for all people. My son’s an editor. He is 28 years old, and he watched ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ on his phone.”
While OTT is undeniably significant, discarding the importance of Linear Television or Movie Theatres is ultimately absurd. Theaters remain the primary attraction for the experience, and box-office numbers are still valuable and can’t be ignored.