Roger Fingas
Apple could potentially offer iTunes rentals for movies that are still in theatres, a report said on Wednesday, which would give it a rare advantage over other rental platforms.
Apple is currently pressing studios for earlier access, according to Bloomberg sources. This coincides with 21st Century Fox, Warner Bros., and Universal confirming that they'd like to offer rentals shortly after a movie premieres — the Bloomberg sources indicated that some executives are aiming for a gap as little as two weeks, and considering a deal with Apple as an option.
Regardless, Apple has been pursuing shorter windows for a while, the sources commented. One concern studio executives are believed to have is piracy — while Apple uses DRM to prevent easy copying, a person could simply record their TV or monitor and share the video online. While this in itself is nothing new, here it would cut into ticket sales and not just the usual Blu-ray, DVD, and/or online numbers.
Early-access rentals would likely come at a high cost. With or without Apple, studios are allegedly considering prices between $25 and $50 — as much or more than a pair of theater tickets, and far more than it costs to buy many older movies outright.
Under common agreements, theaters typically have the exclusive rights to a movie for 90 days before rental and purchase windows open.
Apple hasn't done much to stand out in the online video market, in spite of iTunes being baked into multiple platforms including iOS devices and the Apple TV. If it became one of the only ways to watch movies in theaters, though, it could gain the loyalty of more customers.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Andrew Orr
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Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
31 Comments
Yeah I can't see the companies going for this...
As as for the prices, I don't go to the theatre much at all due to the insane prices. I go to the cheap theatres if I go at all. There's one I can even walk to, if I'm feeling motivated, and it's fine old classic theatre.
There's zero motivation for me to see a film in a primary release, corporate theatre. It's going to cost me & my companion $30+ for a film we might not like, and we will be PAYING to watch commercials for 20+ minutes. Screw that!
Dinner at a place we know we will like is a far better use of the disposable income we don't have (and is often cheaper, plus leftovers!).
I don’t like going to the movie theatre anymore. The big screen is still great but the people sitting around you are rude, noisy, smelly lip smacking neanderthals. Concessions are outrageously priced. My wife and I already typically spend close to $40 to watch a movie at the local theatre, $20 for tickets and $20 for a large soda and large popcorn. Double that for a family of four. So being able to watch a first run movie on the “big” screen at home for $30 or so isn’t that off-putting in my opinion.
That's the point. Folks will still want to go out to movies occasionally, so if these figures are correct, Maybe for special occasion parties, like pay per view fights, but it seems like a dubious proposition that substantial numbers of folks would pay that much more for a movie instead of waiting the 90 days or later to rent it as low as $1.00 or free even. Pay per view fights and other specials are unique events that are seldom streamed soon after, if at all, and they lose much of their appeal when you know the outcome. Seems very different than first run films.
98.2% of all new movies coming out are complete trash, so I can wait a few months before watching any new movie. What's the rush? I'm in no rush.
To be honest, there are plenty of movies that are decades old that are classics and great movies, and I'd rather watch one of those instead.