Screenvision to launch 28-minute 'Front and Center' cinema pre-show
Screenvision will replace its cinema pre-show with a new 28-minute programme called “Front and Center” starting in October, Variety reported.
The pre-show, the mix of adverts and videos played before the film starts, will run for around 28 minutes and will include commercials. Screenvision describes the format as curated and co-branded content shown ahead of the feature presentation.
The revamp cuts back on puzzles, trivia and behind-the-scenes segments. In their place are content blocks built around topics including food, sports and fashion.
Video for those blocks will come from outside publishers including food site Eater, youth culture brand Complex and news video maker NowThis, Variety reported. Complex president is Moksha Fitzgibbons.
The change is led by chief executive Geoff Schiller, who previously served as chief revenue officer at Vox Media. Schiller said 50% of Screenvision’s cinema audience is Gen Z, the generation born roughly between 1997 and 2012.
That audience mix explains the pitch. Short, topic-led video is familiar to younger viewers. Advertisers pay to reach them in the room.
The rollout starts with a soft launch, meaning a limited release in selected cinemas first. More theatres will get the new pre-show by holiday time.
For moviegoers, this means less waiting-room trivia and more magazine-style clips before the trailers roll. Arrive early and you will see it. Arrive late and you will miss it.
The business behind it is cinema advertising, meaning paid spots sold to play on the big screen. PwC projects that spending will rise to $2.7 billion in 2030, compared with $2.4 billion in 2026, Variety reported.
