Relations between distributors and exhibitors and Netflix
Launch of the BritBox SVOD service
Edward Fletcher has left Thunderbird Releasing; this shift is part of the change in direction taken by the company, which is turning away from theatrical releases.
The Vue and Odeon chains, partners of the BFI London Film Festival, have confirmed that they accept to show films from the festival with Netflix and Amazon banners. We recall that Cineplex had rejected this possibility for its Scotiabank theater during the latest Toronto International Film Festival. Vue and Odeon are nevertheless among the strong supporters of an exclusive 16-week window for the British territory, but this year they intend to honor their partnership with the festival.
In the distribution arena, after Curzon, a Netflix partner during the release of Roma in the United Kingdom, Altitude takes up the baton, presenting the American platform's films, especially in the context of the Oscar and Bafta campaigns.
VOD
British broadcast networks BBC and ITV have joined forces to form the SVOD service BritBox. It will be launched at the end of 2019 for £5.99 per month (equivalent to the least expensive subscription offered by Netflix in Britain) and will offer both broadcasters' programs and original works, along with programs from Channel 5 and Comedy Central, who have also joined the initiative. The BritBox service already exists in the United States and Canada and has 500,000 subscribers.
Ofcom (the UK's communications regulator) has revealed its latest figures relating to VOD support: Netflix dominates the SVOD market with 11.5 million subscribers, outdistancing Amazon, who has 6 million. 47% homes (being 13.3 million) now subscribe to a SVOD platform.
