The war continues between video streaming platforms and the world of cinema. While many things bring them together, these two sectors have struggled to complement and compromise with each other for several years now. A rupture was felt during the Covid-19 pandemic, which finally divided the public in two. The boss of Netflix also believes that the platform is today “saving Hollywood“ and the world of cinema more generally.
A strong opinion
Interviewed at the TIME100 Summit, Ted Sarandos dismissed out of hand the idea that Netflix had destroyed Hollywood. In fact, it's quite the opposite according to the businessman, who clearly states that without Netflix, there would be no more Hollywood. A bold statement given the critical situation facing movie theaters.
They are struggling to regain their pre-pandemic attendance, but that's not all. The media timeline and the agreements between platforms and the government are increasingly reducing the theatrical release window, allowing films to land on SVOD platforms faster and faster. But according to Ted Sarandos, the most important thing is the consumer. he declares:
A questionable economic model
The Netflix boss goes even further in his remarks. For Sarandos, going to a movie theater “is an outdated idea, for most people“. The global box office has indeed been declining for several years. In France, theater admissions have fallen by around 20% since 2019. But the debate is unfortunately not limited to a simple clash between nostalgia and modernity, new and old consumption models. The issue is also financial, and on this point, the boundaries are blurring over time.
There was a time, not so long ago, when it was much more profitable to invest in an SVOD platform, and have access to hundreds of content for just a few euros per month. But the situation has changed. Netflix is not exempt from criticism on this point. While the platform allows for greater diversity of content, it also imposes a frenetic pace of production, often to the detriment of working conditions or artistic risk-taking.
Certainly, the cost of a trip to the cinema – between 10 and 15 euros per ticket, not including the extras – makes the experience more expensive than a monthly subscription to a platform. But the price of subscriptions is skyrocketing and even Netflix has just increased its packages by several euros, creating anger among its subscribers. It remains to know how things will evolve in this environment where everything moves very quickly.
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