New York (CNN Business) Universal and AMC are mending their frayed relationship in a deal that not only reverses the theater chain's ban on Universal's movies but also appears to upend the traditional exclusivity model that studios and theaters have followed for decades. Under the agreement, Universal's new films will have just three weekends — or 17 days — of exclusivity, rather than the customary 70 days. After that, Universal and its sister studio, Focus Features, has the option of releasing films on video on demand platforms. That doesn't mean, however, that "F9" will pop up on NBCUniversal's new streaming service Peacock on day 18, but rather that consumers can watch it on a platform like iTunes at a premium price or in theaters. The new multi-year dea applies only to AMC's US theaters, and it's unclear whether other studios will enter this new model in the future.

Source: CNN July 28, 2020 20:37 UTC