On February ninth, millions will tune in to watch the Oscars. AMC and Regal Cinemas annually screen the Oscar nominations so fans have the opportunity to see the movies either before or after the awards. AMC and Regal both announced that they will not show Netflix’s nominated films. Netflix received a record high of twenty-four nominations for the Academy Awards. “The Irishman” is nominated for best picture, director and cinematography. “Joker” received eleven nominations . Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are both nominated for their lead roles in “Marriage Story”; it is also nominated for best picture.
AMC and Regal boycotted Netflix’s movies because they never had a set theatrical release date and Netflix’s movies were never licensed to be shown in their theaters. Netflix doesn’t release movies to the theaters because they would lose people who signed up primarily for that film. “The Irishman” was shown in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Netflix made it available for streaming four weeks after the release in theaters. AMC and Regal prefer ninety days when the movie is exclusively in theaters so their sales can increase. “The Irishman” had the longest time in theaters, but theaters still expect a longer time on the big screen. In spite of AMC and Regal’s boycott, Netflix has about one thousand screens showing “Marriage Story” and around two thousand screens showing “The Irishman”. Each movie met the minimum requirement for a movie to be nominated for best picture: show in theaters for a week.
This news is relevant in broadcasting because it shows the dispute between two companies in the film industry: AMC, Regal and Netflix. Netflix’s viewers have continued to increase which could lead to a decline in theater revenue. The feud between Netflix and movie theaters seems like there is little resolve coming soon.
Jacob Sanders 