MPAA hopes new website will lure audiences away from pirating

In promoting the Motion Pictures Association of America’s recently launched WhereToWatch.com website to a crowd of theater owners on Tuesday, MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd said the industry’s future will depend on striking a balance between movie going and watching online via an overabundance of devices.

The intent of the website is to drive audiences to sources of legal content, rather than pirated material, Variety reported.

WhereToWatch.com is a website where viewers can quickly find information on where movies are playing in local theaters or online. Viewers can also use the website to order movie tickets through Fandango or Movietickets.com.

Dodd said the effort “is also a crucial recognition of the changing technological landscape, and the need to continue evolving to meet the demands of our consumers,’’ according to his prepared statement obtained by Variety.

The push-pull between movie theaters and emerging technologies was a central theme at this year’s CinemaCon confab in Las Vegas.

On Monday, Disney distribution chief said that movie attendance has steadily declined over the last five years among those ages 18 through 39, Variety reported.

“It doesn’t take much of a leap to think that the technology advances we’re seeing outside of the theatrical space are some how connected to these trends,” Dodd said.

“We, all of us who make our home in this industry, must stand up and speak out to protect their jobs, and our industry, by spreading this message, whether in movie theaters, the best place to enjoy their presentation, or on television, or streaming legally online,” he added.

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