History ChannelHop / COVID19PandemicRelatedExamples

* ''Film/Dune2021'' %% Rumors are swirling that Dune will be taken off the HBO Max release strategy, but Warner Bros. has explicitly denied this. Please do not remove it from this list until that denial is explicitly contradicted.

* ''Film/TheManySaintsOfNewark'' (prequel to ''Series/TheSopranos'')
* ''[[Franchise/TheMatrix The Matrix Resurrections]]''

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyANewGeneration'', from Paramount

* ''Film/{{Reminiscence|2021}}''

!! Disney+ (via Premier Access):

* ''Film/{{Cinderella|2021}}'', from Creator/SonyPictures.
* ''Theatre/EverybodysTalkingAboutJamie'', from Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios.

* (expected) ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvaniaTransformania'', from Creator/ColumbiaPictures[[note]]limited-time Prime Video exclusivity; Sony retains home entertainment and linear TV rights[[/note]]

[[folder:Film Examples]]

!!! Disney+ Premier Access:
* ''Film/Mulan2020''.
* ''WesternAnimation/RayaAndTheLastDragon''. [[note]]Simultaneously released in theaters[[/note]]
* ''Film/{{Cruella}}''. [[note]]Simultaneously released in theaters[[/note]]
* ''Film/BlackWidow2021'', from Creator/MarvelStudios. [[note]]Simultaneously released in theaters[[/note]]
* ''Film/JungleCruise''. [[note]]Simultaneously released in theaters[[/note]]

* While not an official transfer of ownership, ''Film/{{Nomadland}}'', from Creator/SearchlightPictures, was made available on Hulu day-and-date with its wide theatrical release (following a virtual cinema premiere and an exclusive two-week Creator/{{IMAX}} run).

!!! It was announced on December 3, 2020 that all Warner Bros. theatrical releases through the end of 2021, starting with ''Film/WonderWoman1984'', will stream on HBO Max for a one-month period on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBxppYsRaUM the same day they arrive in theaters]]. Here is a list of them:
* ''Film/TheConjuringTheDevilMadeMeDoIt''
* ''Film/CryMacho''
* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse
** ''Film/WonderWoman1984''
** ''Film/TheSuicideSquad''
* ''Film/Dune2021'' %% Rumors are swirling that Dune will be taken off the HBO Max release strategy, but Warner Bros. has explicitly denied this. Please do not remove it from this list until that denial is explicitly contradicted.
* ''Film/GodzillaVsKong''
* ''Film/InTheHeights''
* ''Film/JudasAndTheBlackMessiah''
* ''Film/KingRichard''
* ''Film/TheLittleThings''
* ''Film/{{Malignant}}''
* ''Film/TheManySaintsOfNewark'' (prequel to ''Series/TheSopranos'')
* ''[[Franchise/TheMatrix The Matrix Resurrections]]''
* ''Film/{{Mortal Kombat|2021}}''
* ''Film/{{Reminiscence|2021}}''
* ''Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy''
* ''Film/ThoseWhoWishMeDead''
* ''Film/TomAndJerry2021''

* ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMovie'' [[note]]Simultaneously released in theaters[[/note]]
* ''Literature/CliffordTheBigRedDog'' [[note]]Simultaneously released in theaters[[/note]]

!!Creator/{{Peacock}}

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBossBabyFamilyBusiness'', from Creator/DreamworksAnimation, was released simultaneously on the Peacock platform (for 60 days) and in theaters. This marks a double Channel Hop for the ''Boss Baby'' franchise, since the [[WesternAnimation/TheBossBaby first film]] was originally released by [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]], while the sequel will be released under the Creator/{{Universal}} brand.
* ''Film/HalloweenKills'', on Peacock for 60 days and simultaneously released in theaters.

!!Creator/{{Epix}}

* ''Film/SaintMaud'', joint release with original distributor Creator/{{A24}}.[[note]]A24 released the film in theaters in January 2021 before the film's Epix premiere in February; the Epix broadcast explicitly bills it as an "Epix Original".[[/note]]

!!Theatrical Studio to Theatrical Studio
* ''Film/JoeBell'' was originally acquired by Solstice Studios following its premiere at the 2020 Toronto Film Festival. However, the nascent studio was hit hard by the pandemic, with their first release ''Film/{{Unhinged}}'' disappointing at the box office and their other releases scuttled; eventually, the studio dropped ''Joe Bell'', which was picked up by Roadside Attractions.

!![[AvertedTrope Notable Aversions]]
* Creator/{{MGM}} allegedly pitched ''Film/NoTimeToDie'' to Creator/AppleTVPlus and Creator/{{Netflix}} due to the rising costs incurred by its delays. However, the streamers balked at its $600 million pricetag.
* Apple TV+ and Netflix allegedly approached Creator/{{Paramount}} about purchasing ''Film/TopGunMaverick'', but the studio refused to sell.
* After previously picking up ''Film/EnolaHolmes'' from the studio, Netflix made a $250 million offer to Creator/LegendaryPictures to purchase ''Film/GodzillaVsKong''. This time, however, Creator/WarnerMedia blocked the deal, which led to backlash when Warner's plan to release the film on Creator/HBOMax was revealed. Ultimately, Warner compensated Legendary for its part in the film's production as a result.

[[folder: TV examples]]

!!Creator/TheBBC

Owing to the sudden dearth of new programming available due to the pandemic, several series originally intended for BBC Two (generally home to more niche or highbrow programming) were moved or promoted to the more mainstream BBC One to fill the holes in the schedule. Examples of this include:

* ''Series/DragonsDen''
* ''Series/TheGreatBritishSewingBee''
* ''Series/MasterChef: The Professionals''
* The Australian import ''The Secrets She Keeps'' was originally intended for BBC Four (a digital channel even more niche and highbrow than BBC Two, and frequently features other imported dramas), but was promoted to BBC One, a decision likely helped out by the fact that it featured [[Series/DowntonAbbey Laura Carmichael]] in the lead role

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBossBabyFamilyBusiness'', from Creator/DreamworksAnimation, was released simultaneously on the Peacock platform and in theaters. This marks a double Channel Hop for the ''Boss Baby'' franchise, since the [[WesternAnimation/TheBossBaby first film]] was originally released by [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]], while the sequel will be released under the Creator/{{Universal}} brand.
* ''Film/HalloweenKills'', simultaneously released in theaters.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBossBabyFamilyBusiness'', from Creator/DreamworksAnimation, will release simultaneously on the Peacock platform and in theaters. This marks a double Channel Hop for the ''Boss Baby'' franchise, since the [[WesternAnimation/TheBossBaby first film]] was originally released by [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]], while the sequel will be released under the Creator/{{Universal}} brand.

%% DO NOT ADD UNTIL CONFIRMED; CURRENTLY ONLY IN EARLY TALKS ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania4Transformania'', from Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation[[note]]limited-time Prime Video exclusivity; Sony retains home entertainment and linear TV rights[[/note]]

* ''[[Franchise/TheMatrix Matrix Resurrections]]''

* ''Franchise/TheMatrix 4''

* ''Film/{{Reminiscence}}''

* ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol: The Movie'' [[note]]Simultaneously released in theaters[[/note]]

* ''Film/PalmSprings'', from Creator/{{Neon}}. [[note]]This one's complicated, in that Neon and Hulu jointly purchased distribution rights to the film, with the intent that it would play in theaters under the former before becoming a streaming exclusive under the latter. The pandemic, however, led to the film becoming a day-and-date release in both drive-in theaters (under Neon) and Hulu (as a Hulu Original, with no Neon branding).

[[/note]]

%%The ''Fear Street'' trilogy is not an example of a COVID channel hop, as its move was instigated by Disney dropping 20th Century's deal with Chernin Entertainment, not theater closures. While the pandemic may have instigated the specific choice of Netflix as a replacement distributor, that is not confirmed.

%%''Summer of Soul'' was jointly acquired by Searchlight and Hulu in 2021; it is not an example of a COVID channel hop.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongebobMovieSpongeOnTheRun'', from Paramount - '''international only'''

* The ''Film/FearStreet'' trilogy, from Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios.

* While not an official transfer of ownership, ''Film/{{Nomadland}}'', from Creator/SearchlightPictures, was made available on Hulu day-and-date with its wide theatrical release (following a virtual cinema premiere and an exclusive two-week Creator/{{IMAX}} run). The same thing would happen with Searchlight’s Summer of Soul.

* The ''Literature/FearStreet'' trilogy, from Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios.

* ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'', from Paramount

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Luca}}'', from Pixar. [[note]]Released theatrically in markets without Disney+[[/note]]

* While not an official transfer of ownership, ''Film/{{Nomadland}}'', from Creator/SearchlightPictures, was made available on Hulu day-and-date with its wide theatrical release (following a virtual cinema premiere and an exclusive two-week Creator/{{IMAX}} run).

* Netflix made a $250 million offer to Creator/LegendaryPictures to purchase ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'', much as they had done for ''Film/EnolaHolmes''. This time, Creator/WarnerMedia blocked the deal, which led to backlash when Warner's plan to release the film on Creator/HBOMax was revealed. Ultimately, Warner compensated Legendary for its part in the film's production as a result.

* ''Film/NewsOfTheWorld'', from Creator/{{Universal}} - '''international only'''