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Movie downloads will adopt a ‘pay by the inch’ system that will vary by screen size, says DreamWorks chief

Saqib Shah
May 1, 2014

With video streaming and downloading sites growing at a rapid pace, it seems that growth is forcing the industry to re-evaluate its payment format.

Dreamworks CEO Jefferey Katzenberg has hinted that movies will soon be sold at a ‘pay by the inch’ system, with prices depending on the screen size of the device on which they will be viewed.

What’s more, the DreamWorks’ head has claimed that movies will soon be available as digital downloads within less than a month of their first cinema release date.

“I think the model will change and you won’t pay for the window of availability,” Katzenberg said of the changing film industry.

“A movie will come out and you will have 17 days, that’s exactly three weekends, which is 95 per cent of the revenue for 98 per cent of movies.”

Speaking during an Entrepreneurial Leadership conference in the US, he added: “On the 18th day, these movies will be available everywhere ubiquitously and you will pay for the size.

“A movie screen will be $15. A 75-inch TV will be $4.00. A smartphone will be $1.99. That enterprise will exist throughout the world. When that happens, and it will happen, it will reinvent the enterprise of movies.”

For those of you accustomed to watching movies on bigger screens such as traditional or smart television sets, worry not.

According to Katzenberg this new movie model will not be introduced for another 10 years.

The DreamWorks head has yet to detail how movie publishers plan on ensuring cheaper smartphone downloads are not simply ported to the home’s bigger screens.

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About the Author

Saqib Shah

Tech/gaming journalist for What Mobile magazine and website. Interests include film, digital media and foreign affairs.

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