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Entertainment

Goliath vs. Goliath: Theaters Battle Against Netflix at the Oscars

This means war. No, I’m not talking about the Best Picture nominee 1917 (it’s overrated by the way), but the ongoing battle between theater chains and streaming services.

The battleground is set at this year’s Oscars. The side with a great deal of fire power is Netflix, which has taken control of 24 nominations, including Best Picture for The Irishman and Marriage Story.

Meanwhile, the theaters have strength on their side. The other six Best Picture nominations have been screened in cinemas and will stick around until the big showdown in February.

Leading up to the ceremony, AMC Theaters hosts a Best Picture showcase, which spans two days and shows all the Best Picture nominees. But this year, AMC has a sneak attack up their sleeve. In an effort to boycott Netflix’s growing dominance, AMC is not screening The Irishman and Marriage Story.

You may look at the Academy’s ratio and go, “Hey, that’s not too bad! The theaters have seven nominations compared to Netflix’s two, so they’re in the lead.” While it may seem like this on the surface, theaters like AMC are shaking in their trench boots.

Last year, Netflix only had one nomination for Best Picture: Roma. Although the Alfonso Cuarón directed film was a big success with ten nominations and three wins, cinemas still had seven of the eight nominations playing in their theaters. Plus, they screened the Best Picture winner, Green Book.

Goliath 2But now, a trend is catching on. Last year, it was one movie that made a splash, while this year it’s two. As more big time actors and directors gravitate toward Netflix, that number will grow. Along with that growth, we  could see fewer people going to the cinema.

Outside the Oscar season, we’re seeing this trend crush theaters throughout the year. We know cinemas are the best place to see big budget action flicks, but Netflix released director Michael Bay’s 6 Underground. Although I’m glad to not see Michael Bay’s trash wash up at theaters, there’s no denying how his filmography is meant for the big screen.

Today, people don’t even have to go out of their way to watch a movie like Bay’s or the Oscar nominations on a big screen because many have giant televisions with incredible picture quality and sound in their living rooms. Why overpay and put up with loud patrons when folks can watch movies in the comfort of their own home?

Even worse for theaters, the problem doesn’t stop at Netflix. While the Oscars is an important battle for theaters against Netflix, there’s a bigger fight against all the streaming services. At the end of last year, we saw major streaming services pop up like Apple TV and Disney+, along with more on the horizon like HBO Max and NBC’s Peacock.

Who knows? This battle between services may eventually spill over to the Oscars. Associate Professor of Communication Chad Dell, Ph.D., thinks it could happen.

“Netflix has been at the leading edge in attracting Oscar attention, but Amazon is not far behind, and Disney+ and the other streaming services will all be seeking awards attention,” Dell said. One year, we may see three nominations for Netflix, two from Apple TV, one from Disney+, and only one in theaters.

It seems impossible, but we’re seeing the signs today. Last year was a record year for the box office, but AMC reported a loss.

Look at their stock: it went from $34 at the start of 2017 to $7.3 at the start of this year. Theater chains are too dependent on big blockbusters, but movies like Avengers: Endgame or Star Wars only come out here and there throughout the year.

It’s not enough to keep them alive for long, especially when streaming services are stealing big budget and Oscar films from theaters.

Goliath 3This is why theaters are starting a rebrand for an experience that’s more than just sitting in a movie. Nowadays, theaters have nice reclining seats, a wider variety of concessions, and offer different viewing experiences, like in IMAX or Dolby theaters.

It’s even a problem for the areas around theaters, as pointed out by Dell. “Movie multiplexes are often located in shopping malls, which are also under threat right now, and some are transitioning to offering ‘experiences’ that go far beyond shopping, such as water parks, circuses, expanded public spaces, and elaborate VR and AR installations,” he said. “Movie makers and theaters may have to entirely rethink the exhibition experience.”

An even better idea? Studios can try to make better movies. Professor of Journalism John Morano said it’s on theaters as well to show films worth seeing.

“While the convenience of streaming certainly seems to be a factor that contributes to people staying home to watch movies, the onus is on the theaters to feature films that are good enough to bring people in,” stated Morano.

It’s quite hard to picture a world without the movies. Cinemas are a part of the world’s DNA and a place where I’ve made some of the best memories. However, as streaming services put out Oscar worthy material, we may make more memories on our couch.

With each Oscar season, let’s keep monitoring the situation on the battlefield.

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