Hollywood Considering Fast-Tracking Movies to On Demand

Are you tired of waiting for months after a movie comes out to watch it at home? According to the Wall Street Journal, Time Warner Cable is working on a solution to just that problem. The cable giant has pitched the major studios the idea of "home theater on demand," which would make new release movies available to watch on demand after just 30 days.

If Time Warner Cable does sign a deal with the studios, expect other television providers to roll out a similar system. The catch? The price point for these movies would be between $20 and $30. But, tickets for a family of four along with snacks and drinks can easily run more than $30, so this could actually be a money saver for some families.

If it pans out, this would be a major shakeup in movie distribution and a real blow for movie theaters. However, with everything moving towards a more open model where consumers can enjoy content when and how they like, this just makes sense and seems almost inevitable.

Will movie theaters ever go away? Not likely, but it does look more likely than ever that you'll soon have the option of staying home to watch new releases.

Comments

[Amanda]

Wow - that is just crazy! What a great move by Time Warner. They'll not only garner the additional business from customers that want to see a new movie through their On Demand service, but Time Warner will also benefit from awesome publicity!