Most US Execs See Moviegoing Ending Within 20 Years

I don't know about you, but I love going to the movies. I want theaters to be around forever. As much as I value my couch and my flat screen, the theater is magic. But according to a new report from Variety, that may be going away very soon.A recent survey reveals a sobering outlook for the traditional moviegoing experience. Over half of the U.S. exhibition executives surveyed—specifically 55%—believe that the current cinema model has less than two decades left as a sustainable business.That's pretty terrifying to me. This poll, conducted by analyst Stephen Follows and Screendollars, gathered insights from 246 film industry professionals in the U.S. They weighed in on the industry's post-COVID recovery, the shift to flexible release windows, and how streaming is impacting the future of theaters.While a significant majority of exhibition executives expressed this pessimistic and terrifying view, they were still more optimistic than execs in other sectors like TV, production, and sales/distribution. Over 60% of them predicted a sub-20-year lifespan for traditional cinema. '500 Days of Summer' Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures Is there any optimism in all of this? Look, the term "traditional cinema experience" was intentionally broad, allowing for interpretations that mean we still go to the movies, the experience is just quite different. We'll probably see something like premium large-format screenings (like IMAX or 4DX), or maybe other advancements like 3D or something else. The point is, just watching on the big screen may be in danger. Included within the survey were some other sad facts: nearly 90% of U.S. exhibition executives reported that their revenue has not returned to pre-COVID levels. A strong majority (81%) also advocate for an exclusive theatrical window of at least six weeks for new releases, with 77% believing that simultaneous streaming releases negatively impact the theatrical model. I'm all for longer theatrical windows, and I think we need to standardize them at least 6 weeks to give theaters a fighting chance. Too many things now get a couple of weeks and then hit VOD. We're not giving big titles room to stand on their own. I also think that even post-COVID, we've had to deal with a few other bumps in the road, like the strikes, so while we may not be totally back, a good summer this year might put us on the track as things return to normal. And then a lot of these conversations would be moot. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Jun 24, 2025 - 08:25

Most US Execs See Moviegoing Ending Within 20 Years

I don't know about you, but I love going to the movies. I want theaters to be around forever. As much as I value my couch and my flat screen, the theater is magic.

But according to a new report from Variety, that may be going away very soon.

A recent survey reveals a sobering outlook for the traditional moviegoing experience. Over half of the U.S. exhibition executives surveyed—specifically 55%—believe that the current cinema model has less than two decades left as a sustainable business.

That's pretty terrifying to me.

This poll, conducted by analyst Stephen Follows and Screendollars, gathered insights from 246 film industry professionals in the U.S. They weighed in on the industry's post-COVID recovery, the shift to flexible release windows, and how streaming is impacting the future of theaters.

While a significant majority of exhibition executives expressed this pessimistic and terrifying view, they were still more optimistic than execs in other sectors like TV, production, and sales/distribution.

Over 60% of them predicted a sub-20-year lifespan for traditional cinema.

Third-Person Omniscient: Deep Dive Into All-Knowing Narration '500 Days of Summer' Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Is there any optimism in all of this?

Look, the term "traditional cinema experience" was intentionally broad, allowing for interpretations that mean we still go to the movies, the experience is just quite different.

We'll probably see something like premium large-format screenings (like IMAX or 4DX), or maybe other advancements like 3D or something else.

The point is, just watching on the big screen may be in danger.

Included within the survey were some other sad facts: nearly 90% of U.S. exhibition executives reported that their revenue has not returned to pre-COVID levels. A strong majority (81%) also advocate for an exclusive theatrical window of at least six weeks for new releases, with 77% believing that simultaneous streaming releases negatively impact the theatrical model.

I'm all for longer theatrical windows, and I think we need to standardize them at least 6 weeks to give theaters a fighting chance. Too many things now get a couple of weeks and then hit VOD. We're not giving big titles room to stand on their own.

I also think that even post-COVID, we've had to deal with a few other bumps in the road, like the strikes, so while we may not be totally back, a good summer this year might put us on the track as things return to normal.

And then a lot of these conversations would be moot.

Let me know what you think in the comments.