Stream It or Screen It? Netflix Boss Ignites Debate on the Future of Cinema
Lights, camera, controversy! Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos stoked the streaming-vs-theaters fire on Monday with his recent interview. Sarandos made a bold claim, stating in part that 2023 blockbusters will be hit movies on Netflix “on it”, prompting further debate about the future of cinema.
Sarandos also hit at the long-held assumption that some movies are best appreciated on the big screen. This is not to say that every tiny screen takeover attempt is a success, of course: “Screen size doesn’t guarantee success,” Mr. Weinstein said while introducing his son, an editor, who recounted how he devoured the epic “Lawrence of Arabia” on his phone. Anecdotes like this underscore his focus on compelling content — not screen real estate — as king.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ would have been just as big on Netflix:
“There’s no reason to believe that the movie itself is better in any size of screen for all people. My son’s an editor, he watched ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ on his phone” PIC.TWITTER.COM/BLQKGX7KYR
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) MAY 27, 2024
This statement is actually not far from the way in which the entertainment industry has adapted into a very diversified culture. With streaming services like Netflix being an undeniable convenience for viewers with taste all the way across the spectrum, everyone has found something in their library catering to a wide array of interests and schedules. Sarandos points out this change, stating that content always one whether it’s a small screen or big. This reflects the increased reliance on streaming platforms when it comes to home entertainment options of many moviegoers.
Another example is Sarandos’s claim which was answered back to it. So, how do industry experts and film fans judge it on precision of availability as well as the controlover content that allows all viewers to align their content with time and mood convenience? However, detractors are the one who fight for the ineffable power of cinema theaters. They claim that the darkened auditorium, the booming sound system, the larger-than-life visuals all make a part of an immersive escapade from which home viewing can never recreate. They argue that some of those movies are designed to be experiences fit for a big screen, where you can immerse yourself with all your senses in the work.
These were large ones, but it all exemplifies the particular problem of getting people to keep customer when they have many other choices. Netflix, known for its robust recommendation engine, has been able to put the muscle behind a show that may have flubbed were it on another network. Baby Reindeer has benefitted from that, showing how big of a deal it can be if the algorithm gets wind of something new and lends its support to shine a spotlight.
The streaming versus theaters war is not about to end soon. There are different audience preferences and both platforms have their own respective unique value propositions. The closest thing to theaters: Nothing beats the disorienting transport of being wholly lost in a movie onstage, while streaming is that way-too-comfortable at-home vet/pajamas/nachos experience. As the landscape of film by far continues its change, it is likely not mattering on what platform some films become a success. And now one of the most valuable insights available to anyone as we watch this vital transition unfold, is what Netflix’s Ted Sarandos has to say — if there really is a bright new future for cinema at all it will be established by these moving winds of technology and soon-to-change audience behaviors. Isthe crowd roar of a packed theater going up against the easy buzzof a home projector? In the end, only time, and ever-changing viewer tastes will decide.
