The Future of Cinema: Navigating the Impact of Streaming and the Pandemic

Are OTT platforms finishing off the movie theatres or can they co-exist together?

The global pandemic may have been a major contributor to the growing spread of OTT platforms in recent times; however, it has been growing more due to the changing perceptions of seeking environment amongst us, the audience. Therefore, we are not at all surprised by the impact that OTT platforms are creating across the global diaspora. This is also getting significant momentum simply because these platforms provide you with options to choose from a varied range of content, including movies, web series, documentary features; you just have to name it to get it. The question that is being widely debated in recent time is whether OTT platforms are indeed having that much capability than they can completely take over the movie-going audience.

Moris Media, India’s leading celebrity management agency, believes that before we go deep into dissecting into how OTT functions so that we can understand whether it has the capability of becoming a hybrid version of the movie industry. As most of you are already aware, OTT does not have the need of incorporating the services of satellites or conventional cable operators; the video content is directly streamed using the internet. Programs are provided as per demand and the audience has the freedom of deciding when they want to watch any particular content, while also getting to choose the device through which they can view it. All that is needed to enable this wonderful feature is a stable internet connection.

The domination of OTT Platforms:

It comes as no surprise therefore that the conventionally operating movie theatres are struggling to remain competitive since the advent of over-the-top (OTT) platforms. But one thing that you need to keep in mind that OTT platforms cannot completely replicate the experience that visiting a movie theatre provides; simply put, it is just an alternative way of watching audio-visual content. It is an option preferred by those who want to enjoy viewing their preferred movies and programs but want to do so from the comforts of their own homes. They know for certain that they will not get the same experience a movie theatre provides but have still decided to make that preferential viewing choice. Those individuals who would rather escape the trouble of lengthy lines, expensive tickets, and packed theatres will likely find this option to be especially intriguing.

In addition, OTT platforms provide users with access to a vast selection of material, which appeals to a broad range of demographics. They provide original programming, which is often absent from the standard cable and satellite TV channels that people are used to watching. The material is also more easily available to viewers, as many platforms now include alternatives for subtitling and dubbing in order to appeal to an international audience.

A further acceleration of the growth of OTT platforms has been caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. Movie theatres and cinema halls globally were forced to close doors, as crowd gathering in venues were severely restricted. Though it might be said that OTT was able to capitalise on this unfortunate phenomena; it cannot be denied that they were major entertainment providers for people going through those challenging times. An illustration of OTT dominance during that time came from an announcement made by Netflix that highlighted its securing 10 million new subscribers just in the second quarter of 2020, when the first round of the pandemic was at its peak.

A New Ray of Hope for Movie Theatres:

However, it is necessary to emphasize that the film business is not extinct at this time. Irrespective of the fact that the number of regular movie theatre visitors has now significantly reduced; the business is coming out with new strategies that are more accommodating to the changing environmental needs. Viewing experiences have been further enhanced through the introduction of immersive technologies including 3D and IMAX, to bring in the crowds again. In addition to this, they have begun providing a wider variety of material, such as live events, sports broadcasts, and even video game tournaments.

In conclusion, over-the-top (OTT) platforms are undeniably altering the way we consume entertainment, which has resulted in negative effects for the movie business. Nevertheless, the experience of going to the theatre can never be replicated in its entirety, and many viewers continue to choose the excitement of viewing a film on a large screen.

Taking all these perspectives into consideration, we can conclude that over-the-top (OTT) platforms have not been able to completely replace the traditional movie theatre; they have just becoming another source of providing audio-visual entertainment. There is indeed a strong possibility that both these entertainment forums can continue to co-exist and thrive, provided they keep updating their business strategies in accordance with the shifting dynamics of the entertainment industry.