Studios Explore Monetizing Streaming Success of Box Office Bombs

As of November 2025, the movie industry is grappling with the continued disruption caused by the rise of streaming. While the shift to streaming is not new, studios and platforms are still navigating this evolving landscape and negotiating deals that will be mutually beneficial.

In the past, movies would primarily make their money through theatrical releases before moving to other platforms like home video and television. Successful films would thrive, while box office bombs would fade away. However, the article notes that this dynamic has changed, with some "bombs" finding surprising success on streaming services.

Specifically, Sony's Spider-Manless Spider-Verse films, including Madame Web, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter, were all epic box office failures. Yet, Madame Web recently topped the Netflix charts the week it debuted on the platform. This trend of streaming providing a second life for poorly performing theatrical releases has caught the attention of studios, who are now looking for ways to monetize this phenomenon.

According to the article, Sony is exploring the possibility of including streaming viewership data in its future deals with platforms like Netflix. The idea is that the streamer would provide metrics on how many people start or finish a given film, and the studio would then be paid based, at least in part, on these numbers. This would allow Sony to earn more revenue from streaming hits, even if they were box office bombs.