Netflix CEO says going to the cinema is “outmoded” – but he's missing the point

Going to the cinema is going through a tough time.

While audiences have rebounded post-Covid, they are still well down on the figure from 2019 in most markets; indeed, the number of tickets sold last year in the US is as low as it has been since 1995.

Have we fallen out of love with going to the cinema? Is it, as one Netflix chief recently said, an “outmoded idea”?

Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive director of Netflix, made the comments at the Time100 Summit, saying: “We deliver the programme to you in a way you want to watch it… What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they’d like to watch movies at home, thank you.”

Asked if the idea of making movies “for movie theatres, for the communal experience” was “an outmoded idea”, Sarandos said, “I think it is – for most people, not for everybody.”

My knee-jerk reaction was to shake my fist at “Big Tech” and their disruptive ways. But then I wondered if, to a large extent, I actually agreed?

End of Days

When was the last time I went to the cinema? I would really need to think about that. After a thorough consultation with my phone, I think it was to see Tenet, way back in 2020.

Some would say that film was enough to put anyone off going to the cinema, although repeat lockdowns and having a baby were perhaps as much to blame for me.

But the fact I could simply replace my cinema trips with streaming films at home was arguably the key factor.

I no longer needed to go the cinema; I could let convenience win. And it’s no surprise that Mr. Netflix sees his company as the solution for people like me rather than a problem.

In truth, my cinema attendance was undeniably in decline pre-Covid despite the fact I still love films and watch as many as ever in 2025.

Perhaps, the cinema experience was no longer delivering on the communal entertainment experience I wanted?

Canvassing a few colleagues, I am not alone in this feeling and a few obvious reasons crop up.

While I am not quite at Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Hell is other people” level (honest), there’s no denying that other people's behaviour is a commonly cited reason for being annoyed at the cinema.

Masticating popcorn-munchers and crumpling crisp packets is one thing, light and sound from people on phones, is another.

For us nerds, there’s also the increasing anticipation of a sub-par AV experience.

Whether that be a slightly out of focus picture, booming bass or even a speaker not working, there’s nothing that will annoy us (and probably you) as much as the feeling we're being shortchanged by the promise of truly thrilling big-screen entertainment.

Talking of being shortchanged, the sheer expense of the experience is another recurring reason for swerving the cinema.

Whether it's perception or reality – though the fact that the average US cinema ticket has doubled in price over the past 20 years suggests it’s reality – there’s an increasing feeling that in these financially trying times a trip to your local movie theatre is an expensive treat (especially if you buy some expensive treats on the way in).

With many cinemas facing falling attendances and rising costs, it's no surprise ticket prices have crept up. And, it should be said that we know plenty of cinemas that also offer cheap tickets, membership offers and more.

Home Alone

Competition now comes from our own big-screen TVs, soundbars and surround sound speakers, and a seemingly unlimited choice of movies from streaming services for the cost (monthly) of a cinema visit (or thereabouts). Not to mention, for some of us, many many DVDs and Blu-rays, new and old.

If you’re reading this, you are likely to be pretty happy with your home cinema set-up and at least able to adjust it on the fly should you not be.

Anyone else in the room while you’re watching will probably be behaving themselves or you can at least tell them off using their full name.

Noisy snacks are always much less of an issue when the snacks are available for you to eat and you’ve probably been able to rustle them up at a lower price than on offer in your local multiplex.

Whether it’s the volume, getting a drink or snack, or even having a toilet break (yes, I am getting old), it's hard to argue with the convenience of your living-room – you don't have to travel far to get there, either.

And we haven’t even mentioned the films themselves. For new films, the gap between the cinema release and arriving on streaming has shrunk drastically, from months to weeks or sometimes even days. Another reason to be tempted to watch at home.

The Pursuit of Happyness

So, maybe going to the cinema is somewhat ‘outmoded’ for me. But I also know I would hate the cinema to become a relic of a different age.

There remains no comparison to seeing a film on a huge cinema screen surrounded by speakers.

Sure, more and more people have a 65-inch or bigger TV at home, but at around 1.45 metres wide that’s no match for a 26.5 metre IMAX. Size matters when it comes to immersing yourself in the action.

And you may well have a five-star soundbar or a serious surround sound speaker setup at home, but it won’t match the 400 speakers of a Dolby Atmos cinema.

Of course plenty of people don’t have a “system” at home that they are happy with, so a trip to the cinema remains the only way to get the thrill of a big picture and surround sound.

If your cinema tastes are little less bombastic then you may be more at home at an independent cinema, where you might get a more challenging choice of films, not to mention a glass of wine in your seat and maybe even some food.

Plenty of indie cinemas take a great deal of care with the sound and picture, too, and show classic films in film.

Other indie cinemas are less about the cheese, wine and distressed furniture, and more about the sense of community.

A place to meet like-minded cinema lovers and argue (politely) about films - something you might have already exhausted, or been exhausted by, in your own living room.

The shared laughter, thrill or jump-scare in the cinema is one great thing but the best cinemas can offer you even more of that shared film experience, should you want it.

The campaign to save the Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End shows the strength of feeling for such spaces, as does the cinema’s growing attendance figures – it had its busiest-ever year in 2024.

It seems obvious that cinemas of all shapes and sizes are crucial to maintaining a healthy ecosystem for movies and movie lovers.

Cinemas have evolved to offer a range of experiences that you can't get at home – from classic movies on film to food and drink, community events to groundbreaking sound and pictures.

Netflix et al. can live alongside that – and I am happy that they do – but still can’t match the full range of what's now on offer from cinemas.

So, if you have fallen out of love with going to the cinema or simply realised you haven't been for a long time, maybe now is the time to try somewhere new and remind yourself what’s so great about it?

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