Flicks & mortar: They’re under fire in the age of content, but cinemas will never die

Since the Lumière brothers first projected moving images to a paying audience in Paris in 1895, cinema and movies have evolved with technological advancements and audience expectations.

Brick-and-mortar cinemas themselves have been seemingly under threat for a while too – since at least as far back as the introduction of digital media. Recent global events had many claiming the final nail was soon to be hammered into the coffin of the silver screen.

IRL’ll be back

Covid-19 wasn’t the first time the medium had come under threat. The Spanish flu over a hundred years ago hit cinemas around the globe in a similar fashion. Broadcast television, hard media and now streaming (the latter now making up 38% of all TV usage) have at one point or another throughout history spelled ‘the end’ of cinemas. And yet; they endure.

There are approximately 1.8 billion streaming subscribers globally (with Netflix alone making up over 230 million of those worldwide). But there remain few places in the world that better serve up the combination of exclusive content and a unified, shared experience than the humble movie theatre.

2023 saw a lot of brands return to physical experiences, and 2024 shows no sign of the experience renaissance slowing down.

To read the full article, visit The Drum.