Shaping OTT Movie Consumption through Immersive Cinema: A Qualitative Investigation of Consumer Perspectives

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entertainment sector saw a worldwide disruption with restrictions on outdoor activities. Consequently, consumers turned towards video and music streaming services for their entertainment consumption. Several film studios have taken the digital release route on over-the-top (OTT) sites to avoid revenue losses and indefinite delays. However, these non-theatrical OTT film releases need to experiment with different strategies to bring the experiences to par with theatrical ones. This exploratory study aims to provide insights on whether Immersive Cinema can be used to imitate the physical world through digital simulation on OTT platforms to gain credibility in a competitive entertainment market. We conducted semi-structured, qualitative interviews with 21 consumers and Focus Group Discussions with 14 MBA students to understand perspectives about Immersive Cinema consumption on OTT platforms and its potential when compared to traditional theatrical releases. Using the findings of this study, OTT platforms can curate their new films as a direct alternative to theatrical releases.