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    Universal, Cineplex Enter Into “Dynamic Window” Agreement

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2224 Views
    A shopper walks past a closed AMC movie theater Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is imposing an overnight curfew as the most populous state tries to head off a surge in coronavirus cases. On Thursday, Newsom announced a limited stay-at-home order in 41 counties that account for nearly the entire state population of just under 40 million people. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

    By Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Writer

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    Another major movie theater chain has struck a deal with Universal Pictures to allow for shorter exclusive theatrical windows. Canada's Cineplex has agreed on a multiyear "dynamic window" agreement, the film exhibitor and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group said Friday. 

    Like the deal struck with Cinemark earlier this week and AMC Theaters before that, Universal and Focus Features films will have at least three weeks of theatrical exclusivity before hitting premium video on demand services. Titles that have an opening weekend of $50 million or more in North American theaters will be guaranteed at least five weeks in theaters. 

    The $50 million mark is just theoretical at this point, however. In normal times, a $50 million launch is not uncommon for Universal's biggest franchises like "Fast & Furious" and "Jurassic World." But no films have done that kind of business during the pandemic. 

    "With audience fragmentation accelerating due to the rise in digital, streaming and cord cutting, as well as the unprecedented issues our industry is facing right now, our relationship with exhibition had to evolve and adapt to the changing distribution landscape," said Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. "Giving consumers the flexibility to view content on their terms is more important than ever to help expand moviegoing."

    Theater owners have long adhered to a strict 90-day theatrical exclusivity window, but the devastating effects of the pandemic on the movie business have forced many to adapt and compromise.
     

    Category:News
    Tags:CineplexUniversal Pictures

    New FDA Rules To Take Effect For TV Drug Commercials

    Thursday, November 14, 2024

    Those ever-present TV drug ads showing patients hiking, biking or enjoying a day at the beach could soon have a different look: New rules require drugmakers to be clearer and more direct when explaining their medications' risks and side effects.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration spent more than 15 years crafting the guidelines, which are designed to do away with industry practices that downplay or distract viewers from risk information.

    Many companies have already adopted the rules, which become binding Nov. 20. But while regulators were drafting them, a new trend emerged: thousands of pharma influencers pushing drugs online with little oversight. A new bill in Congress would compel the FDA to more aggressively police such promotions on social media platforms.

    "Some people become very attached to social media influencers and ascribe to them credibility that, in some cases, they don't deserve," said Tony Cox, professor emeritus of marketing at Indiana University.

    Still, TV remains the industry's primary advertising format, with over $4 billion spent in the past year, led by blockbuster drugs like weight-loss treatment Wegovy, according to ispot.tv, which tracks ads.

    Simpler language and no distractions
    The new rules, which cover both TV and radio, instruct drugmakers to use simple, consumer-friendly language when describing their drugs, without medical jargon, distracting visuals or audio effects. A 2007 law directed the FDA to ensure that drug risk information appears "in a clear, conspicuous and neutral manner."

    FDA has always required that ads give a balanced picture of both benefits and risks, a requirement that gave rise to those long, rapid-fire lists of side effects parodied on shows like "... Read More

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