The Universal Stream Appeal

Obviously, a lot of businesses are trying to make sure that there isn't huge crowds at their places. Movie theaters are a huge example with many shutting down for the time being. The time it would be to reopen, who the hell knows? And that is why some of the studios have attempted to get into the streaming apps to deliver on content for movies that released in theaters over the fall and winter. Disney has been generous with Frozen II and the latest Star Wars movie.

But what Universal is doing is something that could be seen as an acid test. They are one of the very few studios to put movies of theirs that had gotten into theaters within the last month and a half and are putting them on streaming. The cost would be 20 dollars, roughly what a DVD cost would be. This includes The Invisible Man and The Hunt or example. One that hasn't seen release yet in theaters is Trolls World Tour and one or two other films.Maybe more, maybe less.

The ultimate question is this is. Will people bite at 20 dollars? Yes and no. What people may perceive as good value could factor in. Not every theater charges the same amount. If you pay five to seven dollars for a ticket, it may not be worth it. If you go to one that is double digit prices or if you have a family of four or five, then I can see the justification from some individuals. The Trolls film will be interesting as this acid test. Will parents go out of their way to spend 20 dollars for the streaming of the newest movie? Who will budge? That's what I wonder. I look at it as being easier to judge on an adult film than a kids film.

Regardless, it's something to help keep moviegoers at bay until the pandemic is over. Is going the streaming route the future? Maybe. When it could happen, I don't know. But these studios know they have to treat their customers with a decent amount of respect. Get comfy for a while and understand when things go back to normal, they will want you back in the theaters.

A Stream Of Competition

The go to sites for streaming is Netflix and Hulu. They have provided their share of programming that is from other companies along with material they have created themselves. There are also sites like Amazon and a few others that have jumped into this craze, but a couple more could spell disaster for them.

I'm talking about Disney and NBC. These two are set to have their own streaming services in the next year or two. Disney has a huge backlog of films and shows they can put on there.  Their own stuff, Lucasfilm and Marvel. With Fox, a lot more can be added. They are sitting on thousands of well known stuff. How can it go wrong? Depends on the price and what films Disney censors. It would mean butchered versions of specific films or ones that will never see the light of day like Song of the South.

The NBC one is interesting. My main question is what they own. Mainly what they had made before Universal and Comcast. Something like Fresh Prince I don't see being on there because of Warner Brothers involvement. Having a competitor would not bode well. The same could also apply to shows Universal had on other networks that aren't NBC or Comcast affiliated. I guess unless CBS, ABC, or Fox were involved, they would go to the service next year. There are a lot of movies and shows that can make up a good lot of of the streaming. It may not be deep like Disney, but it shouldn't bore anyone, either.

I think we are heading towards a new era where individual companies are having streaming for themselves. The question lies in how much people are willing to spend and when too many ruin it for everyone.