It’s mid-March 2020. Coronavirus memes are floating around the internet, and people laugh at the thought of a potential national crisis. Right, like that would happen. A week later, and the President announces a national state of emergency. You’re stuck in the house, working from home, and there it is. Streaming services, games, and movies – all waiting for you. You order takeout. You start up a film. It’s the dawn of a new norm. 

Covid-19 has been one of the biggest shock-factors in the United States since the Spanish Flu outburst, but that isn’t the focus of this. What was the biggest bummer Covid brought with it? That’s right! The lockdown address. There were many phases of reactions to this: “They can’t keep me inside!”, to, “Ugh”, to the optimists of this all who shouted “Slumber party!”. It hasn’t been easy on anybody whatsoever, but a few titan companies rose up to the occasion to help us poor souls! Amazon, DoorDash, and most importantly, streaming services and video games. 

Services such as Disney +, Netflix, Hulu, and recently introduced Peacock dominated in sales. It was – and partially still is – the prime time to release digital content. One step at a time though!

Now streaming

The first focus will be streaming services. In the year of 2020 as a whole, Disney + boasted an astounding $38.9 million in revenue from just subscriptions, and the prime release of Mulan, according to Business of Apps. This was, and is, a large improvement, considering the Disney Parks tanked for a short while, due to stay-at-home orders. 

Not only sales skyrocketed, but so did subscriptions, considering many people relied on some form of media entertainment to get them through the hard months. Disney + did just as well flooding the market with a plethora of original content, and rights purchased to new shows. Many people relied on services like Netflix too! Netflix reportedly gained only 6.5 billion, according Statista which isn’t nearly as heavy, but still immense. 

Sales aren’t the most important part of the streaming impact during COVID. These services helped people relax and find their inner peace in the most challenging days. Math teacher Jackie Dillion gave her personal picks on how the media helped. 

“They [movies, shows] are and will continue to be how I destress and take a time out from the world around me,” Dillon said.

 On the big screen

It seems that most everybody has found comfort in these services. Theaters haven’t been as lucky, however. Regal Theaters closed from March to about June, reopened in July, then closed early August. According to Slashfilm, Regal lost a hefty  $1.6 billion. Larger theaters, such as the Xtreme Line, and local chains haven’t had any issues, due to either immense profit before, or low maintenance fees. It isn’t certain if our favorite date-night spots will recover, and if streaming services will dominate, but one thing is certain: people are eager to get back.

Senior Nicholas Hubbard is a self-proclaimed horror-movie maniac. 

“The movies are a home to me,” Hubbard said. “If I can go to the movies and experience something -good or bad – I’m going to. It’s all part of the impact the big screen brings.” 

At the end of the day, none of this has been easy at all. Covid has impacted homes, families, jobs, and everyday entertainment, which is why many people are thankful companies have stepped up to create ways to cope and stay occupied, bringing back the tickle of happiness given before. We thank you, media services.