Chris Spicer Quoted by Daily Journal on the Impact of Paramount-AMC Streaming Profits Deal

Daily Journal, for its article “Dealmakers weigh in on Paramount-AMC deal as theaters take opposing sides,” quoted Akin Gump entertainment and media partner Christopher Spicer on the potential impact of Paramount Pictures Corp.’s recent deal with AMC Theatres, which will give the theaters a share of streaming profits from two of its upcoming films in exchange for reducing the window between theatrical and digital release to 17 days after a film falls below 300 screens. The article notes that this could allow consumers to stream these films after their premiere in as little as half the time.

Spicer said that studios could use this arrangement as an experiment and potentially start a new trend, adding, “Once they go through the cycle, they’ll be able to see what the theatrical did and compare it to comparable films in traditional windows to see if they really lost anything. Was there more VOD (video-on-demand)? How much of an increase was there?”

Additionally, Spicer noted that, with the increased demand from consumers, pay-TV outlets such as Amazon, HBO and DirecTV are just as important to studios as theater chains with regard to the purchasing of their products. He added, “If you're a studio you have to figure out how to make the maximum dollars out of your film and you can't not think about how theaters or pay-TV producers will respond.”