Multiplexes or Netflix, Amazon Prime poll: Fear of COVID-19 will revolutionize entertainment sector

It's been over four months since the lockdown was announced with the COVID-19 pandemic grounding the entire world as people were forced to stay at home. While social distancing became a global norm, another trend that widely picked up across demographics was the rise in the use of OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Zee5, etc, along with the demand for original content.

Many producers chose to release their films on OTT platforms which didn't go down well the multiplex owners and film distributors.

And while the discussion on the coexistence of threates and OTT platforms continues to grow, IBTimes decided to run a few polls on the topic to know what's going through the minds of the audience.

Since physical/social distancing is a norm due to coronavirus, we asked the audience 'where will they watch movies now - At Home on TV/OTT (Safe) or In Cinemas (with PPE+SD). OTT garnered 75.8 percent of the total votes while those who wished to watch movies in theatres with all precautionary measures received 24.2 percent votes.

In another poll, we asked 'how do they feel about watching movies at home - It's better. Liking it or It's a boring experience. 47.4 percent of people said that they are liking at home while 52.6 percent said that watching movies on your computer screens has been a boring experience.

In yet another poll, we asked if people would be willing to pay separately for fresh releases on OTT platforms/Cable TV, 37.5 percent of votes were in favor. The remaining 62.5 percent of the total votes said that they won't pay extra for watching movies online.

We believe that cinemas and OTTs can co-exist since both platforms offer a different experience altogether. And there's enough space for both to survive and flourish at the same time, at least in India —for now.