Nick Paskhover

The studios decided they are tech companies. They chased after Netflix or more importantly, Netflix's stock valuation. They purposely blew up the theatrical window to promote their streaming apps. They knew they were sacrificing theatrical profit for streaming position and they had to do it very fast. Since covid, they have trained the audience to believe the thing they are selling, portions of time, should be a close to free experience. They tried to hook the audience on their streaming apps by pushing their biggest movies at unreasonably low subscription cost, which was just a drug dealer trying to hook a customer. It was at the expense of the artists who make these movies, who depend on distribution revenue. The product is only as valuable as the rarity of it. The studios are traditionally in the "distribution" business, controlling the windows of rarity and setting the value of access. What has happened is distribution is not the primary business now, subscription is. The studios are in the app business. They are no longer selling movies, they are selling apps. The movies are there to advertise the apps. The audience loves movies. They do value theatrical experience. It's a fundamental part of humans to share stories in a communal space. You're not killing concerts, or churches, sporting events, political rallies, bars, clubs, or movie theaters. But you can train an audience to devalue any of these things if you make them believe sitting alone at home is the best way to experience anything. That is what studios are telling everybody by cutting the theatrical window short as possible to get the app in your phone. If the studios reanalyze what they are, realizing the distribution is as important as the app, they would widen the windows. I think it's already happening by the way. They need a Hail Mary.