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Hi, Kevin Coupe here, and this is FaceTime with the Content Guy.
There have been numerous reports this week, in media properties ranging from the New York Times to Variety, that the big players at the Sundance Film Festival this year have been Amazon and Netflix.
In addition to being a place where film aficionados can watch some of the more interesting independent films out there, Sundance is a place where film studios are able to bid for movies that they'd like to distribute. This year, the two most aggressive companies have been Netflix and Amazon ... with Amazon plopping down $10 million to acquire a film called Manchester by the Sea, which was seen as perhaps the hottest property of the festival.
As of now, Amazon has bought four movies, and Netflix has bought three ... and in each of these seven cases, they beat out traditional movie studios.
And the people who make these movies have learned that while in the old days they would've preferred to be seen on the big screen, consumers' viewing habits have changed, and being on Amazon or Netflix can give one an enormous audience. In the end, that's really what matters.
Here's how the Washington Postput it: "For years, streaming giants like Amazon and Netflix have fought unsuccessfully for a place at the table of one of the film world's most lucrative events, aiming to compete with traditional distributors who buy and advertise the movies in hopes of pocketing box-office profits. But now, surprisingly, the streaming giants are starting to win, the latest sign that the tech giants' deep pockets and fast-growing ambitions are making them real players in the movie business."
This is yet another example of the kind of disruption that can take place when companies come in to change the status quo ... which these days rarely is status and almost never quo.
I have to say that often on weekends, even as I go through Fandango to see what's playing at the movies, I also go through Netflix and Amazon and iTunes to see what new movies and documentaries may be available ... and lately, I've found myself staying home. We make some dinner, open a bottle of wine, and settle in to watch something there, and find it to be just as much fun.
For someone like me, who sees 40-50 movies a year, that's a major behavioral change.
In this case, it is the entertainment content that is changing ... but the changes are far more widespread than that. And every marketer has to pay attention.
That's what is on my mind this Thursday morning, and as always, I want to hear what is on your mind.
- KC's View:
