#2: The Year That Transformed The Entertainment Industry

Episode 2

“The question on all distributors’ minds: do we release on VOD or wait for theaters to open again?”

On this episode of Decipher The Future, Jeffrey Cole and Arturo Caro discuss the quick, and unexpected, transformation of the entertainment industry due to the impact of COVID-19 around the world.  

A few takeaways:

  • 2020 will be known as the year with no summer blockbusters
  • The mode of getting entertainment has dramatically changed
  • The movie theatre business (exhibition) has been in decline for 80 years: in 1946 (US and Canada) 4.3 billion movie tickets were sold. In 2019, although the population has doubled since 1946, only 1.22 billion tickets were sold
  • What movies had a good transition from theaters to Premium VOD given the sudden closing of theatres back in March 2020?
  • How does a studio determine what movies to release on VOD or streaming platforms VS waiting for a wide theatrical release?
  • Bob Iger’s gold business decision that lead to Disney+
  • Disney had 8 out of the 10 billion dollar films in 2019
  • Can you build a franchise on a streamer?
  • The “acceptable” prices for the new era of Premium VOD

#1: Welcome to the Greatest Social Science Experiment of All Time

Episode 1

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:01 — 28.4MB)

“…Except none of us volunteered for it, none of us were ready for it.”

With this casual discussion we launch a new podcast: Decipher The Future.

Hosted by Jeffrey Cole, Director of the Center for the Digital Future and Arturo Caro, Marketing Strategist and Futurist, these conversations will cover the impact COVID-19 has had on business, media consumption, work and most importantly, our personal lives.

A few takeaways:

This episode we’ll be talking about:

  • 90% of Americans do not want to maintain a traditional work schedule
  • Almost a third of Americans would never go back to an office
  • 56% of Americans miss the structure that came with a “normal” day/week at work
  • One third of the population missed the commute to work
  • Are dogs the biggest winners of the Pandemic?
  • 18% have a problem with “too many” conference calls, while 16% complain that they don’t have any privacy at home (due to working from home)
  • Is retail one of the biggest losers?
  • E-Commerce wins big.