Met shifts to home streaming
NewsDominant in the opera-to-cinema sector, the Metropolitan is about to sell live operas at home for $10 or $20 a pop.
Way to go? Wait and see. (San Francisco Opera got there first, without fanfare.)
Tickets on sale from October 17.
New York, NY (October 3, 2022)—The Metropolitan Opera today announced the launch of The Met: Live at Home, a streaming platform that allows audiences to watch the Met’s acclaimed series of live simulcasts from any device in the comfort of their homes—the latest effort by the company to reach as broad a public as possible. The program was created for audiences who do not have access to a participating movie theater for the Met’s Live in HD cinema transmissions.
Using location services technology and geo-fencing, the streams will be available to opera-lovers and newcomers alike in the United States and Canada who do not live near movie theaters that carry the Met’s transmissions. In countries that do not have participating cinemas, the live programs will be available nationwide. A complete list of participating countries and territories can be found here. Tickets for Live at Home streams will be available for sale starting Monday, October 17.
The initiative expands the reach of the Met’s simulcasts to another 171 countries and territories, in addition to the more than 50 countries with some 2,000 cinemas that currently receive the Live in HD transmissions.
The price of the Live at Home transmissions, which include unlimited free viewings during a seven-day window, will be either $10 or $20, depending on the country.
photo: Met/Marty Sohl
Are the ROH paying attention?
Like the initiative announced today??
I wonder if the artists will be compensated for this new initiative. They receive very little for the HD Broadcasts as it is (and have seen their regular paychecks whacked as well).
Coincidentally, I was just looking at Carnegie Hall tickets, the cheapest seats were $200 per seat in the Family Circle section (a family of four costs $800, before the proverbial popcorn and soda).
It’s a tale of two cities: the cheaper the streaming ticket price, the higher the in-house ticket price; the more the public has access to inexpensive streaming experience, the less the public has access to expensive in-house experience.
I can’t afford it, I don’t know when or if I’ll ever hear an in-house opera again.
The Met still has affordable seats in most sections, not to mention the possibility of rush tickets. Actually, I find it one of the most affordable classical music venues in NYC.
I don’t know where your Carnegie Hall ticket figures come from. I am looking at a Dress Circle ticket for Igor Levit in two weeks, and the price is $49.00.
Could you provide a little more detail on the above? As a Met and Carnegie regular I have never seen prices like those. Carnegie doesn’t have a “Family Circle,” and I’ve never seen $200 seats in the second balcony. Even for the Met’s NYE new production gala, Family Circle seats are $52/ea.
You don’t have to sit in the Family Circle. And how often does a family of 4 go to Carnegie Hall?
The nosebleeds at the MET are still reasonable.
Check out some of the discount websites, TDF, Play-by-Play, Theater Extras, Free Time NY, NYCGO etc. Most of these are these are membership sites but they are well worth it. You can get tickets a lot cheaper for Carnegie Hall and also for the New York Philharmonic, especially for weekdays
Geo-fencing? What about people who do live near participating cinemas but who can’t get to one because of health concerns or disabilities? Jut get over it and make it available to anyone, anywhere and skip the stupid cinemas. My home theater system is excellent and my listening chair more comfortable than any cinema. Plus, I can refill my bourbon as needed!
The experience of live theater and music cannot be totally duplicated on a small screen. Period. That is unless–as I infer from your closing remark–you need to be plowed. That is a whole other matter.
Yes, “Geo-fencing” (No opera for you! Take your money away!) was a very entertaining policy.
Of course, I will never, ever pay Peter Geld even 10 dollars. Pun intended.
The best singers are long gone, there is no Met.
Read carefully. If you live in a country where the theatrical feed is available, you’re not eligible.
In other words, this service is NOT AVAILABLE to people in Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark.
A replay of the live stream of Eugene Onegin from San Francisco opera was available for two days after the live performance. It cost $27.50 on my I Pad which unexpectedly Air Dropped to the 55″ TV, which surprised my husband who was watching Law and Order reruns. Not an opera fan, he went to another room. The sound was excellent with my Apple AirPod Pros.
The Met seems to have a total death wish.
As far as home streaming of live performances is concerned, part of the glamour of a “live” performance is in “going out” even if it is to a movie theater! When I went to the Live in cinema performances I put on a blazer and ate lunch in a restaurant with a table cloth before the performance, pretending it was an excursion to the opera. The tickets were $26 (this was pre COVID) but $21 if one bought tickets for three or more performances or were a senior. One year the Met also provided discounts for these movie goers to live performances in the Met where one could get tickets IN THE ORCHESTRA for $60! However, I no longer live in New York City and it will take me about and hour and a half to get to the nearest movie theater that does the Live in HD so I am very glad that this option is available. Although I do not believe it would be worthwhile if one were trying to watch this on an I phone the filming is amazing and the price would certainly be worthwhile if one were watching on a large flat screen or even a desk top monitor