Innovation at the Opera

What do you do when your audience is aging, you operate through a single point of distribution and your future success depends on creating the next generation of brand loyalists?

If you’re the Metropolitan Opera, you innovate the distribution channel by digitizing live opera and beaming it to movie theaters throughout the U.S. and Canada. It’s simply the latest example of the arts taking advantage of advances in technology to create a wider audience — call it democratizing an art form. The new high definition movie broadcasts will provide “a unique opportunity for people to experience world-class opera in their local community,” says Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Met. “Plus the movie theater environment and affordable ticket price make these events something the entire family can enjoy.”

While some may think of this as a clever marketing stunt, consider the broader opportunities when viewed as business model innovation. It’s a distribution play. Check out the link below to learn whether the Met is coming to a theater near you.

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events.aspx