HOME ENTERTAINMENT TRENDS IN 2021: The pandemic accelerated changes that were well on the way in home entertainment, according to Variety. Streaming skyrocketed, as did premium video-on-demand (PVOD), and that will only continue. “COVID was clearly an accelerant to move more entertainment consumption to the home,” says Galen Smith, CEO of Redbox. “Event films will still be big theatrically, but there will be a push to accelerate consumers’ abilities to watch at home through PVOD and shorter overall windows — both digitally and on disc.” The Redbox chief adds, “We don’t believe the theatrical model will return exactly as it existed prior to COVID. The evolution over the last year benefited consumers and content creators through the introduction of new products — and a number of them, like PVOD, are here to stay. PVOD has been a model the studios have wanted to add for many years, and I expect to see more PVOD releases in 2021. It’s another way to provide customers choice, which is good for them as well as for the industry.”
CHRIS HARRISON HAS MADE IT: The Bachelor host Chris Harrison has gotten the bobblehead treatment. “I feel like I’ve finally made it by having a Bobblehead,” Harrison said of the new collectables. “These are so fun and the perfect addition to any dramatic event.” They are available exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee.
GOVERNMENTS HELP ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY: As the COVID crisis continues, governments are shelling out cash to the entertainment industry, notes The Hollywood Reporter. Among the efforts: a relief package in the U.S. which could save up to 70% of small and medium-size movie theaters, , according to John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners; the U.K.’s $676 million Film and TV Restart Scheme; plus programs in Ireland, South Korea, Canada, Australia, France and Austria aiming to help stop the bleeding among creatives. “2020 has been a rough year for most in the entertainment industry, but 2021 is when we're going to really be hit,” notes one leading European film producer. “That's when this year's losses are going to show up on balance sheets and when we're going to see a wave of companies go bust.”
BBC SCRUBS $433M FROM THE VALUE OF ITS PRODUCTION: The coronavirus pandemic has wiped $433 million from the value of the BBC‘s commercial operations, including for BBC Studios, which produces global hits like Doctor Who, Good Omens, and Top Gear.