GTA 6 poses a threat to Hollywood: Streaming services and movie theaters fear losing viewers

Few entertainment products are generating as much buzz right now as GTA VI. The game is set to launch on November 19 for Xbox and PlayStation, and new updates about the title are emerging almost daily. Many other games have deliberately moved their release dates forward or pushed them back significantly to avoid competing with the new GTA.

But concerns about GTA 6's enormous potential success are no longer limited to the gaming industry. Hollywood, streaming platforms, and movie theater operators are also anticipating that Rockstar Games' open-world blockbuster will capture a significant share of consumers' attention and free time.

Geoff Keighley, host and producer of The Game Awards, has described GTA 6 as potentially the biggest entertainment launch in history. In his view, the game could even surpass box office blockbusters such as Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three in terms of revenue and reach.

According to Keighley, streaming services could be particularly hard hit by the game's success. Players are expected to spend more of their free time exploring GTA 6's fictional version of Florida rather than watching movies and TV shows on Netflix, HBO, Disney+, or other platforms. While a movie can be watched in two to three hours and then it's over, GTA 6 could hold consumers' attention for weeks or even months. That's thanks to its lengthy main storyline, an enormous world packed with activities, and an anticipated long-term online mode.

GTA 6 could therefore accelerate a shift that has been on Hollywood's radar for some time: video games are no longer just competing within the gaming industry. They're now going head-to-head with movies and streaming services for the audience's attention. However, it will take the coming months to determine whether these concerns actually translate into declining viewership.