Are Theaters becoming Irrelevant?

I like dine in movie theaters for the liquor.

Just got back from the IMAX, saw 47 meters below.

Movies have been really lackluster for me recently, maybe I'm just one of those problem millennials that are destroying Applebee's and the laundry sheet.

Wonder Woman was a hit so more movies like this.

Theaters are all about the experience and not the movies. Yes theaters may be dwindling in numbers, but I do not believe that they are becoming completely irrelevant. What can really replicate date night at the movies? Or being one of the first to watch a movie? Sure theaters are antiquated, but their competitive advantage is not about the movies, but rather the experience. That appeal has allowed theaters to survive for over two millennia and I do not see that changing in the near future.

Stop making shitty movies and I'll go more.

To <abbr title=investment banking&#10;><abbr title=investment banking>IB</abbr></abbr> or not to IB:

or is there an underlying reason for why domestic movie ticket sales only account for an extremely small percentage of all ticket sales?

Could it be because the US is about ~5% of the world's population?

US sales declining in absolute terms could be tied to streaming, franchise exhaustion (I don't know how anyone keeps up with all of those Marvel movies)...

But on a global basis, movie releases keep breaking box office record after box office record as more and more people have access to Hollywood movies. Just read about the launch weekends of the last two Fast and Furious movies in China, absolutely nuts.

Movie season is typically September through December, in terms of oscar potentials. Sometimes there is an interesting film here and there in the summer months (June to August). Mostly everything else is just noise, been that way forever. Not sure what the issue is. You shoud put some critical thought into anything you read, even if it's from the sacred Wall Street Journal

It's the $25 popcorn that's causing the loss of interest.

Just from personal experience, the price of a ticket just doesn't make sense to me anymore. I have to pay around $13 now to see a movie in a theater. Alternatively, I can pay $8.99 a month for a Netflix subscription and watch as many movies as Netflix has from the comfort of my couch. Granted, I can't see everything I want on Netflix, but the selection is enough to keep me satisfied. Also, there are some movies now that aren't even showing in theaters that I can watch on Netflix (I just watched Okja last night and I thought it was great -- watch it if you can). I'm not the kind of person who needs to see the new hotness on opening night so I can contribute to the trending hashtags on Twitter the following morning. The fact that I also don't have to deal with obnoxious buffoons that guffaw at every half-baked comedic line and wolf-whistle whenever a woman in a skimpy outfit shows up on screen is an added bonus.

Friend is an SVP at Cineplex, recently they've been rapidly reinventing themselves.

For example, they purchased an eSports company and now regularly host live gaming tournaments at one of their flagship locations.

I went to another location that they repurposed into a giant arcade with a virtual (hyper?) reality Ghostbusters game which was so fucking cool.

I originally thought this thread was about the decline of live performance theater, which is another discussion entirely.

Personally, movies these days fail to capture my interest. As has been mentioned above a lot of the big studio ideas are simply re-iterations of previous films, or they let strong story and acting get mired in some PC message that overshadows the entertainment value of the film. The times really are changing, and the best writing and ideas that I've seen have come from the at-home content producers: Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Hulu, etc., rather than your Camerons and your Spielbergs.

If there is a movie I really want to see, the distribution cycle is now so short I know I can rent it off Amazon not long after it hits theaters. The cost of a movie ticket and concessions I think is unpalatable to a lot of twenty-somethings.

Given the number of times that I would go see a movie, I would prefer to spend a little bit more and catch a live play at the theater. I find the experience more moving and immersive, and makes for a more intellectually stimulating date night.

This is, without a doubt, (and I've just confirmed it by seeing this article was written by WSJ) just another half-assed ploy and poorly written attempt to get people to believe that retail RE is going underwater.

As a matter of fact, retail is moreover creating creative ops than being destroyed. Some of the world's biggest malls are being built in this decade and they want us to believe that "retail is dead". IMO, it's such obvious B.S., but considering that the majority of Americans don't truly teach themselves anything but rather listen to what they read on the news, that this type of crap will work well for their narrative.

I should add: Movie Theatres in my area, OC CA, have not declined in popularity but you might find a thing or two saying they are. Theatres, in box box centers, are actually highly sought out to be tenants, because 1) they bring such genuine traffic and 2) who doesn't want to grab dinner or drinks before a movie?

Team Contemporary movies suck / $25 popcorn is garbage checking in.

For my money, it's all about the DRIVE IN THEATER. $7.50 admission for a double feature (hedges risk -- at least one of them has to not suck); smuggle your family/friends/Tinder date in your trunk through the front gates; pick up a selection of delicious Little Caesars $5 Hot-N-Readies or a bucket of Popeye's delicious chicken n biscuits on the way; and have yourself an evening for about the cost of a Chipotle burrito (assuming guac).

There is just more competition for American's entertainment dollar. As some on here have said, Netflix is a competitor, but so is HBO, youtube and then non-screen entertainment like restaurants, TopGolf, bowling, skate parks (for kids), etc...

I don't think movie theaters have become irrelevant, but their place is changing. Instead of it being one of the only forms of entertainment in most towns and having 200 seats at $5 each the theaters now have to adapt to competition. This is why I see the luxury theater as the relevant theater in the future 60 seats at $15 each with food, alcohol and added comfort.

I believe that the quality of movies generally only impacts the short-term. There's no doubt that huge blockbusters would drive revenue, but that's only for a few weeks. I see a broader shift in the business model.

I don't think theatres are becoming irrelevant, I just think the standards for quality of content have been raised across the board for media. I'm a movie-snob (ala @Going Concern" ) and will only go to theatres for a critically-acclaimed film, a niche indie that piques my interest or a piece from the directors I follow. This probably amounts to about to 7 - 10 movies I'll see in a year, depending on how good Oscar season gets.

One thing I will point out, that I've found fascinating, is the quality of film coming from Amazon Studios. I was originally really turned-off by the idea of Jeff Bezos coming in and monopolizing, in polarizing fashion, the film industry. But that was an ignorant thought to have because competition is good for us consumers and polarizing films would burn out quickly. But after Manchester by the Sea, The Salesman and recently, The Big Sick, I'm loving the end product. Keep an eye out everyone!