The old 90-day model has given way to competing release strategies—but moves to restore longer cinema runs show that the shift is no longer simply towards faster home viewing.
Hollywood’s debate over theatrical exclusivity has entered a new phase. After years of shortening the time between cinema premieres and home availability, some studios are extending that interval again, testing how best to balance box-office earnings with digital demand.
Universal provides a striking example. In March 2026, the studio moved from a 17-day minimum theatrical window to 31 days for its main slate, with a further expansion to 45 days planned for 2027. Focus Features remains an exception, retaining a more flexible structure for films whose economics and gradual theatrical rollouts differ from wide releases.
The change complicates the idea that theatrical windows are steadily disappearing. The roughly 90-day model that once shaped Hollywood distribution has weakened, but its replacement is a mix of studio policies, individual film decisions and market-specific arrangements.
A major turning point came in July 2020, when Universal and AMC agreed that Universal and Focus Features releases could become available on premium video on demand after at least three weekends, or 17 days, in U.S. cinemas. The agreement gave Universal the option to release films earlier at home; it did not require every title to follow that timetable. AMC also secured participation in the new PVOD revenue stream.
PVOD and subscription streaming are distinct parts of this debate. Premium on-demand access generally requires a separate payment to watch a particular new release. Subscription availability places a film within a service’s catalogue. A movie reaching paid digital platforms does not necessarily become available to subscribers at the same time, and it can continue playing in cinemas.
Warner Bros.’ pandemic-era strategy illustrated another approach. Its 2021 slate opened in cinemas while becoming available simultaneously on HBO Max in the United States for one month. The company announced that arrangement as a one-year response to disrupted moviegoing, rather than a permanent industry-wide standard.
Oppenheimer demonstrated how differently a major release could be handled. Christopher Nolan’s film opened theatrically on July 21, 2023, and reached digital rental and purchase platforms on November 21—approximately four months later. Its Peacock subscription debut followed on February 16, 2024. The separate dates show why “coming to streaming” can obscure important differences in release strategy.
For studios, earlier home availability offers another opportunity to monetise audience interest. For exhibitors, a meaningful exclusive period helps preserve a reason to visit the cinema promptly. TheWrap reported that theatre operators worry rapid digital releases encourage audiences to wait, while Universal has previously argued that theatrical and PVOD earnings can coexist successfully.
The commercial question is therefore broader than how quickly a film can move online. It is whether each stage of its release adds revenue without unnecessarily weakening the next—or teaching audiences to skip the first.
Universal’s decision to lengthen its minimum window suggests theatrical exclusivity remains a valuable negotiating point. The old timetable may have fractured, but Hollywood is still deciding how much time a film should have to establish itself on the big screen.
