We will rock you—and give you a chance to head back out to the lobby for some popcorn. As streaming options undermine movie theaters’ traditional offerings, those locations are shifting their focus to host more screenings of live concert events, in real time. For example, Bon Jovi and Florida Georgia Line are among the musicians who have agreed to play one-time live shows, simulcast into some 400 cinemas across the United States and thousands of theaters worldwide. The shows, produced by Encore Live LLC and Trafalgar Releasing, capitalize on several current trends in combination: empty movie theaters, fans’ lingering reluctance to pack themselves into crowded clubs or huge concert venues, and musicians’ need to earn a living. The movie theater concerts allow musicians to play and fans to enjoy the shows, often for far less money than they would have spent to see the concert the old-fashioned way. Yet even if the ticket prices are lower, the revenues add up. According to Encore, Bon Jovi’s May show sold more than 200,000 tickets. The company also expects sales figures to increase to around 600,000 tickets per show, including international screenings. Thus, the potential payout could be as much as $15 million.

Source: Anne Steele, “The Hottest New Concert Venue: Your Local Movie Theater,” The Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2021