Tom Rothman Urges Theaters to Cut Ads, Lower Ticket Prices, and Fix the Moviegoing Experience
The theatrical experience has taken its fair share of hits over the last few years, and now one of Hollywood’s most outspoken studio heads is pushing for a reset.
During Sony’s presentation at CinemaCon, Tom Rothman stepped on stage and delivered a pretty direct message to theater owners about what needs to change if the industry wants to stay healthy long term.
Rothman, who leads the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, acknowledged that things are improving, but didn’t sugarcoat the reality that attendance still hasn’t bounced back to where it was before the pandemic.
“But admissions are clearly down from pre-Covid and we all have urgent work to do. For our part, that means delivering a variety of great films to all kinds of audiences. But you, my friends, have an urgent part to play.”
Then he got into specifics, laying out three areas theaters need to rethink, starting with something every moviegoer has complained about at some point.
“Get rid of the endless advertising and substantially shorten the long preshows that some — not all of you have … Get off the ad track. And three, affordability is by far the hardest. Going to the movies must become affordable again.”
He didn’t pretend these changes would be easy either, saying: “Easy it’s not. It’s hard. And business I know has been tough. I am rooting for you because you have been wonderful.”
The crowd responded with light applause, which feels about right considering he was basically telling them to rethink part of their business model.
Rothman has been one of the loudest voices defending theatrical windows, which has been a hot topic as studios and exhibitors have tried to find a balance in the streaming era.
There’s been some progress. Universal recently committed to a 45-day exclusive theatrical window for major releases, something Rothman has supported as a solid step forward.
The box office has improved compared to the past few years, and upcoming release slates are looking stronger, but the reality is people still aren’t showing up like they used to.
And honestly, this is one of those rare moments where I’m completely on Rothman’s side. I don’t agree with a lot of his creative decisions when it comes to films, but he’s absolutely right here.
The theater experience has gotten out of control. Between ticket prices, endless ads, and dragged-out preshows, it feels less like a night out and more like a test of patience. That stuff doesn’t pull audiences in, it pushes them away. It needs to get back to something simpler and more inviting.
