Livestream and Captures and ProShots, oh my!

Why aren’t there more livestreams and digital captures of Broadway shows? 

Hamilton was not the first time cameras were brought into a theater to film a Broadway show. Broadway shows have been seen on television and in cinema for many years. PBS and the BBC have included captures in their arts and culture programming for nearly fifty years. HBO, Netflix, and Amazon all have grabbed coveted shows with recognizable tv and movie stars, and BroadwayHD has over 300 digital captures available for on-demand streaming - so why aren’t all the Broadway shows available online? 

Since the release of Hamilton on Disney+, audiences are becoming very familiar with this hybrid art form of theater on screens and frequently request the shows they want to see on social media. The pandemic has brought a renewed appreciation for live stage shows and an understanding of the value of digital capture. Evidence is mounting of the additive value of livestreams and proshots in expanding the Broadway fanbase. 

Let’s listen as a panel of experts in this art form discusses the obstacles, advantages, and future of Broadway online and on screen.