Apple has long been working to make movies still in theaters available for home rental, but now the head of 20th Century Fox says a deal could come within the next six to 12 months….
As detailed in a new report from Bloomberg, Stacey Snider, Fox’s studio chief, says that consumers will be able to rent movies while they’re still in theaters for “less than $50.” Sinder notes that negotiations have stalled over recent months, but that talks “have started to coalesce around a concept.”
Specific information, such as how long consumers would have to wait to rent a theatrical movie, remains unclear. The move comes, however, as movie studios look for new ways to make revenues as theater and physical sales decline.
A report last month said that Apple and Comcast were in talks with studios to offer movies for rent weeks after their theater release for $30 to $50. Those talks included studios such as Warner Bros and Universal pictures, and it’s now clear that 20th Century Fox is in the mix as well. Disney, however, remains a notable holdout. Another report suggested a $30 price for home rentals of movies still in theater.
These negotiations have hit a few roadblocks in their time. Studios have to negotiate with theater chains to formalize these deals, and some have been hesitant to participate. Furthermore, price has been a contentious point as studios lean more towards the $50 side of things and Apple towards the opposite end.
Even though we now have some sort of timetable for theatrical films becoming available for rent, there are clearly still several undetermined factors that could change-up the timeline.
Would you be willing to pay “less than $50” to rent a movie that’s still in theaters? Let us know down in the comments.
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