In bringing esports to the big screen, IMAX President Megan Colligan said the company is trying to find new ways to make the most of movie theaters at times when ticket sales generally lag. The idea is to bring people together in "hyperlocal" ways, she told Cheddar at CES in Las Vegas Friday.
IMAX and Vindex Studios announced a partnership to bring live streaming esports events and experiences to theaters around the world. The esports infrastructure startup will create those experiences, which IMAX will exclusively stream and host for global viewers.
"As much as movies drive an incredible business for us, there are times when our theaters aren't as utilized as they should be," she said. Before esports, IMAX, which experienced its biggest year at the box office in 2019, had been experimenting with music content, creating a 'Jesus is King' exclusive film to coincide with the release of Kanye West's October 2019 album. The film features West performing at the remote "Roden Crater," a James Turell exhibit in a dormant volcano that would not be easily accessible to many people.
Despite the buzz, Colligan called the moment "fleeting" due to the film's intentionally short run..
"We didn't have 20 shows a day of it," everyday Colligan said. "It was a needle drop that came out with his album."
The experience was just an example of what she calls the "super-intimate, super-realized experience," that IMAX offers, which makes a viewer feel like they're in the same room as their favorite artist or watching a game in a new way.
She said IMAX is trying to bridge the experience of attending an event live and giving instant access to events online.
"People want to be part of an event and they want to be in the room when something happens. It doesn't need to exist all the time, everywhere," Colligan said. "It ruins the specialness of things when accessibility of something is available to you on your phone and it's not an event you were a part of."
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President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
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