BoxOffice® Pro - October 2012

to more than 1,400 theaters nationwide.
In 2011, Fathom presented 104 events, a 41
percent increase over the previous year, and
the most since it kicked off with Korn concert
screenings in 2002. Some of Fathom’s more
popular offerings have included Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and
a partnership with HBO to simulcast a live
championship boxing match.
The aforementioned Cinedigm is also making
waves, even bringing the 2010 World Cup
in 3D to select cinemas in the United States
and Canada as it pursues a business model it
predicts will make the movie theater into a
“networked entertainment center.” Sony has
also shown interest in the concept, distributing
such diverse product as Cirque du Soleil,
the musical Rent and Wimbledon 2011. And
then Sony struck up a promotion with AMC
Theatres that allowed gamers to play Uncharted
3 in 3D on the big screen and snag a copy of
the game before its official release.
Recently, two new upstarts have appeared
on the stage that aspire to bring any fi lm
to a theater near you. Tugg, which is the
subject of an article later on in this issue, was
launched in February of this year. Put simply,
the Tugg model provides for individuals to select
a fi lm, screening time and nearby theater
and then spread the word to their immediate
and online community. Once a necessary
number of people commit to attending, Tugg
will reserve the theater, manage ticketing and
ensure delivery of the fi lm. The other newbie
is Gathr, a web-based service. With Gathr,
fans can request a fi lm to be screened in their
town, they can either reserve or purchase a
ticket to a screening in their area, or they can
request a new screening by specifying where
and when they want to see the movie. Once
a user has requested a screening, Gathr confi
rms the request and it goes live. If enough
people reserve tickets for the screening in
advance, the movie screening is guaranteed.
No one will be charged for tickets unless the
critical mass of reservations has been made.
So the possibilities seem endless, but one
thing is clear. Even though not all alternative
content is “high art,” its purpose is the same:
to fill seats in those time slots that might otherwise
go empty. As for pricing, one benefit to
theater owners if admission to the screening is
free is the chance to increase concession sales to
an audience that would otherwise not be there.
Alternatively, there’s also the chance to charge
an admission price higher than normal for a
film but a lot less than it would cost to attend
the actual concert or play being screened. (Just
FYI, four tickets to see The Book of Mormon in
New York City cost more than my first car).
Other revenue may come from a share in
advertising displayed prior to the screening,
depending on the terms of the license.
Although the devil is in the details, the
revenue is usually divided between the
content owners/providers, the distributor
and the movie theaters. The opportunity for
growth is clear, but what might the catalyst
be to fuel it?
ALTERNATIVE CONTENT’S HOLY
GRAIL? (SORRY, MONTY PYTHON)
As noted, sporting events have been a part
of the alternative content movement, especially
overseas where the 2010 World Cup drew large
audiences. The question is, can this be duplicated
here in the United States with our national obsessions
like the Super Bowl? Again, the licensing
details are the key. What would encourage the
NFL or MLB, which sell broadcast rights to the
networks for billions of dollars, to license their
content to be shown in a movie theater?
NATO is in the process of exploring this
possibility with licensing authorities, but aside
from the complexities involved in working
out the details, with every sports bar showing
the event, what would entice people to see the
event in a theater? The answer might be technology.
Sure, you could watch the game on a
small, high TV in a loud bar. But would you
rather see the event in 3D—or perhaps 4D—
on a super large screen with all your friends?
Raise your hands. I thought so.
Cineplex Uses Vista
www.vistaUSA.com
OCTOBER 2012 BOXOFFICE PRO 11