Theatrical Windows Remain Unchanged Since Cinemacon Plea for 45 Days
January-April studio releases (and early May's) had an average of 30 days.
‘Sinners’ (Warner Bros.)
The news takeaway such as it was from this year’s Cinemacon meeting of exhibitors over three months ago was a demand that studios push back windows - first release of a current film on a non-theatrical platform, usually PVOD - to 45 days or more.
It will take until next year’s event to see if it made any difference, but enough time has passed to suggest nothing in changing. Though it is minor solace, at least windows have stabilized.
For the last few years, earlier at IndieWire and now here, we have carefully charted when all wide studio release windows. Then over three distinct periods (January-April, May-August, September-December, then full year) we have reported on the average for home release as well as trends among distributors.
For 2024, the windows were, in calendar order, 30 days, 33 days, and 33 days, with a 32 day average for the entire year. The first third normally has a slightly lower average typically due to fewer blockbusters during the period.
The first four months of 2025 had an unusual three films open that passed $200 million in U.S./Canada gross (“A Minecraft Movie,” “Sinners,” and “Captain Marvel: Brave New World”) compared to only one last year. So perhaps it is significant that the average window for the 29 total wide studio releases remained at 30 rather than nudge slightly higher. But the increase of five in the total number of films, including a more that had minimum windows, seems to be more the reason for no average increase than any increased desire to go earlier.
For what it’s worth, adding the five releases in the first three weeks of May (the period through which all films have added home platforms), and the average remains at 30. However, with fewer films total this summer, and a high number of blockbusters, don’t be surprised if the May-August average ends up higher than last year’s.
18 of the 29 films in the first four months actually had windows of under 30 days. What pushed the average higher among the remaining 11 were three Disney films that waited from 53 to 61 days (none sooner), even though only “Captain America” was a hit. #1 for the period “Minecraft” had a 39 day window. “Sinners” had 46. (“Thunderbolts,” a May 2 release, also was 61 days.) Only five of the 29 films had windows over 45 days or more.
Otherwise, there seem to be few shifts from the norm. Disney had already established itself as keeping films exclusively in theaters the longest. Warner Bros. who had two big hits, had two go to PVOD in three weeks or less, “Mickey One” at 32 days, only “Sinners” and “Minecraft” longer.
It’s a bit early to track initial streaming dates, since many have yet to play. That date has been moving earlier, recently often to in between 90-120 days. That actually is a bigger threat to studios than PVOD, since subscriber pay no extra to watch and have unlimited viewing opportunities, compared to a one time charge (initially usually $19.99) and only 48 hours to watch.