Sony's Rothman Tells Exhibitors: Longer Windows, Less Ads, Lower Prices
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- Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, opened CinemaCon at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with a direct challenge to exhibitors, listing three must-haves: longer theatrical windows, shorter ad-driven pre-shows, and lower ticket prices
- Rothman specifically urged cinemas to "enforce longer windows even if that means you cannot play every film," arguing selectivity preserves exclusivity
- Sony Pictures rolled out its upcoming slate during the hour-and-a-half presentation, including a new Jumanji, Spider-Man, literary adaptations, and an R-rated animated Bloodborne feature from PlayStation Productions with Lyrical Animation and YouTuber Sean 'Jacksepticeye' McLoughlin
- Sony dated Takashi Yamazaki's Grandgear for President's Day 2028, anchoring its long-range release calendar
- Rothman praised Universal's recent commitment to a new exclusive 45-day theatrical window for its core slate as "a great start," signaling thaw in the long-running studio-exhibitor window fight
- Rothman acknowledged the box office is stronger than it's been since 2019, but stressed overall admissions remain down from pre-Covid, framing the three demands as urgent rather than advisory
Why it matters: Admissions are still below pre-Covid levels, and Rothman is publicly telling the exhibition side it must self-reform on windows, pre-shows, and pricing or risk continued erosion — with exhibitors facing the choice of holding the line on windows even at the cost of missing some Sony titles. His speech effectively puts the burden of recovery on theater owners while studios like Universal have already conceded ground with a 45-day window commitment.
