The COVID-19 pandemic might have closed movie theaters but new films are still being released to the public and some of them are celebrated with watch parties. Nearly two weeks after non-essential businesses, which unfortunately includes cinemas, were closed, Universal announced watch parties for the early release of 'The Hunt,' 'The Invisible Man,' and 'Emma.' The communal viewing experience was held over Twitter so that "moviegoers can stay put in their homes and still experience a new release with a large group of people."
To partake in the experience, consumers needed to rent the movie, watch it during the designated time, and use specific hashtags to follow along with the film. For example, for The Hunt, the hashtag was #TheHuntMovieAtHome.
Hashtag-Based Watch Parties
Universal Celebrates the Early Releases of Three New Movies
Trend Themes
1. Hashtag-based Watch Parties - Social media-based tools can enable audiences to experience new releases with others despite the closure of movie theaters.
2. Virtual Cinema Experiences - Movies can be hosted virtually using social media platforms, enabling a communal viewing experience among moviegoers.
3. Premium Video-on-demand - More movies can be released via premium video-on-demand platforms amid the closure of cinemas and shifts in the release calendar.
Industry Implications
1. Entertainment - Entertainment companies could leverage social media platforms to create unique event-based concepts that encourage consumer engagement and generate revenue streams.
2. Cinema - Movie theater enterprises have the opportunity to explore new approaches to the virtual cinema experience while theaters are closed temporarily to boost revenue streams and attract audiences.
3. Streaming - Streaming platforms can potentially tap into audience demand for new event-based innovations and interactive experiences that can supplement content releases.