How Netflix is challenging traditional box office release strategies
This film studies essay discusses how Netflix has greatly disrupted box office release strategies, highlighting its evolution into a major player in content production and distribution. The essay writer examines the impact that Netflix has had on the film industry, considering its investment in high-budget films and streaming-first strategy. This essay example ultimately recognizes the degree to which Netflix's streaming-first model has irrevocably changed audience expectations and how marketers work. Our essay writer in this film studies essay example, through an examination of recent Netflix releases such as Red Notice and The Gray Man, further highlights how the streaming service is redefining success metrics in the film industry.
Octobre 7, 2024
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
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How Netflix is Challenging Traditional Box Office Release Strategies
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How Netflix is Challenging Traditional Box Office Release Strategies
The emergence of streaming services has significantly altered how the film industry
operates, and at the front line of this evolution is Netflix. What started off as a simple DVD
rental service slowly and seamlessly turned into a content-producing and distributing machine.
Apart from investing hundreds of millions of dollars into high-budget movies like The Irishman,
Netflix has fundamentally changed not only the way movies are being made but also the patterns
of distribution and consumption (DeMarco, 2019). The main reason for that is the fact that, with
its vast catalog, most of those titles are easily and conveniently accessible to its subscribers
globally. This essay will examine how Netflix is influencing traditional box office norms with
the industry gradually shifting from releases in the theatrical arena to streaming-first approaches.
Box office success has traditionally been the measure of a film's performance. A film
typically went to theaters, reaping its revenue in ticket sales, then moved to home video and,
finally, streamers. The theatrical window provides studios an opportunity to maximize box office
earnings while building demand for the movie to be seen at home. Netflix has changed that rule.
The high-concept of the platform's strategy, to release high-budget films directly to subscribers
has changed audience expectations and shifted the way movies are marketed (Green, 2023). With
an expansive library at their fingertips, viewers no longer feel obligated to make their way to
theaters with each new release, especially when big-budget movies can be enjoyed from the
comfort of their own homes.
Its commitment to big-budget films has forced the industry to rethink older release
strategies. A perfect example of this can be seen through Red Notice, which, with a reported
budget of $200 million, immediately positioned the title as one of Netflix's most prominent
releases, pulling in millions in viewership on its opening weekend. This gives further reason to
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discard the conventional belief that box office receipts are the primary indicators of a film's
quality or popularity. In other terms, success for Netflix is viewer engagement and subscriber
growth, a new paradigm by which to define the success of a film. In addition to Red Notice,
another highly publicized release was that of The Gray Man. The latter's detailed release strategy
has shown how Netflix has adapted to be more international in nature (Sperling, 2022). This
contrasts with the usual studios, which often depend on domestic box office performance.
Adopting a streaming-first model allowed Netflix to take advantage of its global reach and make
its films accessible to more heterogeneous audiences across markets.
This transition to a streaming-first model has really changed how the film industry
operates. Major studios are reviewing their strategies for releasing films, with many opting for
hybrid models that pair theatrical releases with streaming availability. Films such as Dune and
The Matrix Resurrections were an example of these dual-release strategies (Wilson, 2020). This
was, in a way, an acknowledgment of the consumption landscape was changing. Apart from its
own productions, Netflix has created ripples in other ways. The success that this platform has
been witnessing in leading through various new narratives and unique storytelling nudged
traditional studios to become more proactive in investing in original content with fresh ideas.
Changes like that show how imperative it is for studios to change along with viewer tastes and
innovate with new models of distribution as a way to be relevant within today's market.
Conclusion
Netflix's big-budget investments have quite clearly disrupted conventional norms related
to box-office and release strategies. By placing a premium on streaming-first approaches, the
streamer has been able to rework not only how movies are made and sold, but also the ways in
which they are consumed. As the industry remains in a continued state of finding its footing with
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this new reality, little doubt should exist that Netflix's strategy will continue to shape the future
of cinema by challenging conventional means of redefining audience engagement in the
film-going experience. While box office numbers continue to change in the present day with
consumers continuing to shift more and more toward streaming services for their entertainment,
the need for a traditional box office model will have to adapt to meet such shifting dynamics.
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References
DeMarco, L. (2019, November 17). Is Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' a turning point for the
way we watch movies? Retrieved from Cleveland News:
https://www.cleveland.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/11/0cb7fc741d7510/is-martin-scor
seses-the-irishman-a-turning-point-for-the-way-we-watch-movies.html
Green, J. (2023). Netflix’s complicated role as an innovative disruptor in the film industry. ESIC
Digital Economy and Innovation Journal, 2(1), 57-58.
Sperling, N. (2022, July 18). Netflix, Still Reeling, Bets Big on 'The Gray Man'. Retrieved from
The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/17/business/media/netflix-the-gray-man-subscribers.ht
ml
Wilson, J. (2020, December 4). What Warner Bros.’ New 2021 Release Strategy Means For The
Film And TV Industry. Retrieved from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshwilson/2020/12/04/what-warner-bros-new-2021-release
-strategy-means-for-the-film-and-tv-industry/#:~:text=In%20an%20announcement%20on
%20Thursday,the%20U.S.%20%2D%20and%20at%20cinemas.
Octobre 7, 2024
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Academic level:
Undergraduate 1-2
Type of paper:
Essay
Discipline:
Film studies
Citation:
APA
Pages:
2 (550 words)
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
