Counterprogramming (film distribution)
In film distribution, counterprogramming is a studio's marketing strategy to distribute a film that appeals to audience demographics not targeted by another film.
The 2013 book The Business of Media Distribution said film business was highly competitive and that counterprogramming was a studio's way to maximize revenue. The book called counterprogramming "a strategy that may drift off of increased in-theater foot traffic, target a different demographic than is drawn to a new blockbuster picture, or simply address the too much product, too few weekends challenge".[1]
Studios also engage in counterprogramming in response to major non-film events. Lionsgate distributed the 2013 film Warm Bodies in the United States on the weekend of February 1, 2013, the same weekend as Super Bowl XLVII, to cater to the female teen demographic.[2] The film grossed $20 million on its opening weekend and ranked first at the box office. The counterprogramming approach to the Super Bowl had been done prior to Warm Bodies; the most successful film opening on Super Bowl weekend was Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert with $31.1 million in 2008.[3]
References
- ^ Ulin, Jeff (2013). The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-136-07069-3.
- ^ Balaji, Murali (2013). Thinking Dead: What the Zombie Apocalypse Means. Lexington Books. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-7391-8383-0.
- ^ Coyle, Jake (February 3, 2013). "Warm Bodies heats up box office with $20 million". bigstory.ap.org. Associated Press. Retrieved June 4, 2014.