Universal said its traditional windows for electronic sell-through and regular VOD remain unchanged. The deal includes at least three weekends of theatrical exclusivity for all Universal Pictures and Focus Features theatrical releases, at which time the studio will have the option to make its titles available across PVOD platforms. The PVOD policy was part of a multiyear agreement in which AMC agreed to play Universal films. Sources suggest AMC may receive 10 percent of each rental. Tuesday’s announcement did not say what the cost for premium VOD titles would be, but Trolls and other recent films have been priced at $19.99 for a 48-hour rental window. (NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell has been an ardent advocate for early home offerings and revealed in a subsequent interview that Trolls made a huge $100 million in U.S. And in March, AMC CEO Adam Aron, in a sharp rebuke, said his company was going to boycott all Universal titles after the studio said it would make Trolls World Tour immediately available on PVOD and in any theaters that were left open in early April.

More than any other studio, Universal has pushed for years to shorten the theatrical window, but it has backed down in the face of boycott threats from AMC and other major exhibitors. The debt-laden company was hit particularly hard because of the pandemic, although recently found new institutional investors.

Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos: 'Driving Folks to a Theater Is Just Not Our Business'ĪMC, the country and world’s largest theater chain, is expected to share in the revenue from PVOD.

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