Streaming services vs Cinema in the UAE

Whoever invented the calendar must be crowned King again. As time has told several tales in history which only dates can record. 

Having lived some few decades on earth as a Nigerian, I have seen a bit of generation, one of which is that of my folks, which had them see their supposed blockbusters at the Pen Cinema, somewhere in Agege city, Lagos state.  

One of the things that thrilled me then asides from the posters on the big board was how after a while, the films to be shown were written in chalks, different colours. My point? The cinema was gradually facing out, and yes, fast forward to date, the location is being used by Zenith Bank Plc and Tastee Fried Chicken. Faced out! 

No doubt the brick-and-mortar cinema experience may be having a hard time competing with the streaming services that have the option for you to pause your movie, take a leak, and grab more popcorn and soda on your way back. This and more would we compare in today’s article. Kindly read through till the end. 

The UAE in time past has created an atmosphere for leisure in the entertainment world. Among many things created was the cinemas, which were standalone compared to chains as seen today. 

If history has to be told, watching films at the cinema in the UAE has long been since 1940. Although most of the cultural heritage and facts have suffered documentation, hence history was partly told from anecdotes, since “Firstism” was a major issue. 

The standalone cinema is independently owned as a private business compared to a chain of the franchise as seen today. 

The Standalone cinema seeks clearance and registration from the appropriate government agencies in order to broadcast graphical content via mass media for entertainment purposes. This achievement necessitated the shop owner devising tactics to get visitors to come to see the films on display. This was accomplished through the use of posters and viral marketing.

The first cinema in pre-UAE Sharjah, according to the Sharjah Museums website, was an outdoor event with the words Sharjah Paramount written on the wall.

After its Inauguration in 1945, the cinema screened feature films and documentaries for mass media, and the passionate cinema visitors would come to sit on empty kerosene steel drums half-filled with sand. Talking about love for the film. 

The 1990s was when standalone cinemas went out of business and a new chain of cinemas was becoming. 

As time passed, cinema chains such as Vox Cinemas and Grand Cinemas/Novo Cinemas opened in both existing and newly constructed malls. These chains relied on Hollywood, Bollywood, and other film industries.

 

Arab films were rarely released in theatres at the time, and without a well-established UAE film industry, there were very few UAE films being produced, let alone one's worthy of theatrical release. 

Streaming simply refers to any media content type that is either live or recorded through the aid of the internet to computers or other mobile gadgets in real-time. Things that could be streamed are music video podcasts, webcasts, movies, TV shows. 

Having shaped your thoughts, the provider of the content being streamed is the streaming service.

 

These are entities that provide a bouquet or plan which enables users to access a range of media content that serves for a period in time, usually monthly. 

Examples of streaming services as of today are Netflix, Amazon Prime, Starz play Arabia, ICFLIX, SHAID, EROS NOW, etc. 

Differences between the Cinemas and the Streaming service. 

Maybe they are not rivals, maybe they are just part of the prophecy, or perhaps just a validation that times are changing. I'll let you decide on that. 

In the meantime, it has been seen those filmmakers and owners, for a good spread of business and optimization, tend to leverage on both platforms, since they both tell a gap in the ranking of the target audience. And what is better than making money? making more money! 

Take, for instance, you would barely find a very popular face in power or celebrity sitting in a cinema, but you can always have these same people stream via any of the platforms from their convenience. 

1. You have the option to stream multiple films from your platform, having paid a stipend for a month. 

2. You have control over when and how you watch your films. 

3. You could download your films and repeat them. 

4. You could share your login details with others, which means you could split bills as well, and save cost. 

5. You are safer from possible outbreaks seeing your films indoor than going to the cinemas. 

 

Thank you for reading through to the end. For more interesting information on related matters in the UAE, you can always rely on The Watchtower - Web Design Agency Dubai.