AMC and Universal did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, but as The Hollywood Reporter points out, it appears they will share PVOD revenue. That point is what seems to have tipped the scales for the country’s largest theater chain. “AMC enthusiastically embraces this new industry model both because we are participating in the entirety of the economics of the new structure, and because premium video on demand creates the added potential for increased movie studio profitability, which should in turn lead to the green-lighting of more theatrical movies,” said AMC CEO Adam Aron.

The agreement comes after the two companies had a falling out in April. Aron said the chain would not play Universal movies at any of its theaters across the US, Europe and the Middle East after Universal floated the idea of releasing its films in cinemas and at home on the same day. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trolls World Tour, one of the movies Universal released directly to PVOD platforms like Apple TV this past spring, made $95 million after three weeks. Jeff Shell, the head of NBCUniversal, told the paper that “as soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.”   

The deal could present a way forward for an industry dealing with the ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic. The health crisis forced theaters across the US to close in March. AMC currently plans to reopen sometime in mid- to late-August. It could also give some movies, which currently have no release date thanks to deals studios signed to show them at theaters, a way to make their way online.  

While Trolls is only available as a $20 rental, Warner will make this animated feature available for 48-hour rental at a price of $20, or purchase for $25, in the US and Canada starting on May 15th. There’s no word on whether or not it will make a quick jump to HBO Max, which just announced a launch date, but so far Disney has used Disney+ for a few accelerated streaming releases, will premiere Artemis Fowl on the service later this year. This is the second home release Warner has adjusted, it bumped Birds of Prey up to March 24th as lockdowns started to roll out across the US.

Scooby-Dooby-Doo! is coming to you. WB’s animated feature ‘SCOOB!’ is releasing on PVOD and premium digital ownership May 15. Grab the Scooby Snacks! pic.twitter.com/MQVF8dEiQm

— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) April 21, 2020

In a statement, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said “Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an option for people to view these titles in the home that is both accessible and affordable. We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible.”

Notably, NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast, which can sell the movies via cable boxes unlike most of its competitors and has been itching to do this since 2007 (remember Tower Heist?). With box office returns dropping off right now, others will have to consider following its lead. So far, Disney pushed up the release of Frozen 2 on Disney+ by a couple of months and also released the latest Star Wars flick for video on-demand purchase a few days early, and this windowless release schedule could quickly become a new normal even it’s not Netflix that makes it happen.

Just shy of a decade after Wal-mart bought Vudu, The Information reports that the retail giant is “considering” selling its digital video on-demand store. There’s no word on how far along in the process any potential deal is, or if will actually happen, but anyone can see that the service made more sense a few years ago, when it was one of the best ways to access DVD digital copies linked to an Ultraviolet locker. That went right along with in-store disc sales, and enabled a business selling digital copies to people who wanted an easier way to watch movies they’d already purchased on discs.

Now, Ultraviolet is dead and Disney’s Movies Anywhere setup has largely taken over that space. While it also connects to Vudu, it’s not exactly what Wal-mart had in mind back in 2010. Increasingly, video watching hours are devoted to subscription streaming services, which are using inflated budgets to swallow up exclusive content. There was a rumored plan to try and do the same thing for Vudu, but that appears to have fallen through, while Apple, Disney, Comcast/NBC and AT&T/Warner/HBO are all preparing to launch new subscription options.

In a statement to The Information, a Walmart spokesperson cited the service’s 100 million-strong install base, and said “We’re constantly having and [are] open to conversations with new and existing partners to explore opportunities for continued growth; however, we never share details of those discussions.”

Maybe a potential buyer will see benefit in a service that many people already use to get movies and TV shows, with some included free options, a small selection of original content like Mr. Mom, and a history that stretches back to 2007 when it launched on a $400 set-top box.