10 May Theatrical Windows Keep Shrinking: The 2023 Average Is Now 30 Days [Indie Wire]
TOM BRUEGGEMAN
May 10, 2023 | After 41 days in theaters and over $518 million in domestic box office, Universal’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” will debut May 16 on PVOD. For a record-breaking blockbuster that could be the year’s biggest hit, that might seem… premature.
At the same point in its trajectory, “Top Gun: Maverick” had grossed $575 million and wouldn’t arrive on PVOD (for sale) for another 98 days. However, by Universal’s standards the release of “SMB” is 10 days late. Under the studio’s agreement with exhibitors, films that open over $50 million can move to home availability after 31 days.
“SMB” represents a trend: The period of theatrical exclusivity continues to shrink. With 22 wide releases to date in 2023, the average window stands at 30 days. When we looked at the average in mid-February across a six-month period, the window was 35 days.