It’s Friday night. That can only mean one thing: movie night! 

    You grab your laptop and curl up with Wicked in bed. Your parents are on the couch watching a true crime documentary on TV. Your younger brother is happily watching Moana on his iPad for the millionth time.  

    Just a few decades ago, this scene would have been impossible. So how did we end up watching movies in our pajamas?

    It’s Friday night. That means it’s movie night!

    You grab your laptop. You watch Wicked in bed. Your parents are on the couch. They watch a documentary on TV. Your younger brother has his iPad. He watches Moana.

    This scene would have been impossible twenty years ago. So how did we end up watching movies in our pajamas?

    It’s Friday night, and that can only mean one thing: movie night!

    You grab your laptop and curl up with Wicked in bed. Meanwhile, your parents are on the couch watching a true crime documentary on TV, and your younger brother is happily watching Moana on his iPad for the millionth time.

    Just a few decades ago, this scene would have been impossible. So how did we end up watching movies in our pajamas?

    Until the late 1970s, you had to go to the theater to watch a movie—or hope there was a good one on TV that night. Then new inventions like VHS tapes allowed us to choose what movies we watched and when.

    Families visited video rental stores, like Blockbuster. They walked up and down the aisles to pick out VHS tapes to watch on their VCRs.

    Then Netflix came along. You might know it as a streaming company. But that’s not how it started. In 1997, Netflix was founded as a service that let you rent DVDs by mail. People loved getting movies delivered to their homes.

    Until the late 1970s, you had to go to the theater to watch a movie. Or you hoped there was a good one on TV that night. Then VHS tapes were invented. We could now choose what movies to watch and when.

    Families went to video rental stores like Blockbuster. They chose VHS tapes to take home. They watched them on VCRs.

    Then Netflix came along. Today it’s a streaming company. But in 1997, Netflix rented DVDs by mail. People loved getting movies delivered to their homes.

    Until the late 1970s, you had to go to the theater to watch a movie—or hope there was a good one on TV that night. Then new inventions like VHS tapes allowed us to choose what movies we watched and when.

    Families visited video rental stores, like Blockbuster, where they chose VHS tapes to watch on their VCRs.

    Then Netflix came along. You might know it as a streaming company, but that’s not how it started. In 1997, Netflix was founded as a service that let you rent DVDs by mail. People loved getting movies delivered to their homes.

    In 2007, Netflix changed how we watched movies once again. It launched its video streaming service. Streaming technology let movie lovers pick a film and watch it instantly using the internet. 

    For years, Netflix dominated the streaming world. Then the streaming wars began. Companies like Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max challenged Netflix. Streaming services started creating their own movies that were never released in theaters. 

    In the past, there was a limited number of movies that came out in theaters each year. Those were the movies everyone saw and talked about. Streaming changed that. Choosing a movie to watch now involves hundreds—even thousands—of options. 

    In 2007, Netflix again changed movie watching. It launched a streaming service. Streaming lets you pick a movie at home. Then you watch it using the internet. 

    For years, Netflix dominated the streaming world. Then the streaming wars began. Companies like Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max challenged Netflix. Streaming services started making their own movies. They were not released in theaters.

    In the past, a limited number of movies came out in theaters each year. Those were the movies everyone saw. Streaming changed that. Today you have many more choices.

    In 2007, Netflix changed how we watched movies once again when it launched its video streaming service. Streaming technology allowed movie lovers to select a film and watch it instantly using the internet.

    For years, Netflix dominated the streaming world. Then the streaming wars began when companies like Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max challenged Netflix. To be more competitive, streaming services started creating their own movies that were never released in theaters. 

    In the past, there was a limited number of movies that came out in theaters each year—and those were the movies everyone saw and discussed. Streaming changed that. Choosing a movie to watch now involves hundreds—even thousands—of options.

    Even with all these new options, Americans still flocked to movie theaters—until 2020. That’s when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Suddenly, everyone had to stay home. Streaming was the only way to see a movie. 

    Hundreds of movie theaters closed down for good. Movies were released on streaming right away, rather than in the theater first. People wondered: Is this the end of the big screen?

    Not quite. But since then, theaters have had to try new things to get people to come back. Many replaced their old seating with cushy recliners. Others added arcades, laser tag, and bowling alleys. Some even offer collectible popcorn buckets to go with hit movies.

    Sean Baker won best director at this year’s Academy Awards. He had a message for movie lovers. “Watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience,” he said in his speech. “We can laugh together, cry together . . . it’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home.” 

    Americans had options, but they still flocked to movie theaters. Then, in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Suddenly, everyone had to stay home. Streaming was the only way to see a movie. 

    Hundreds of movie theaters closed down for good. Companies stopped releasing movies in theaters. Instead, movies were released on streaming right away. People wondered: Is this the end of the big screen?

    Not quite. The pandemic ended. Theaters tried new things to get people to come back. Many replaced their seats with cushy recliners. Others added arcades, laser tag, and bowling alleys. They even sold collectible popcorn buckets to go with hit movies.

    Sean Baker won best director at this year’s Academy Awards. He had a message for movie lovers. “Watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience,” he said in his speech. “We can laugh together, cry together. It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home.” 

    Even with all these new options, Americans still flocked to movie theaters—until 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. With everyone staying home,  streaming became the only way to see a movie. 

    Hundreds of movie theaters closed down for good, and movies were released on streaming right away rather than in the theater first. People wondered: Is this the end of the big screen?

    Not quite—but since then, theaters have had to try new things to get people to come back. Many replaced their old seating with cushy recliners, while others added arcades, laser tag, and bowling alleys. They even released collectible popcorn buckets to go with hit movies.

    Sean Baker, who won best director at this year’s Academy Awards, had a message for movie lovers. “Watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience,” he said in his speech. “We can laugh together, cry together . . .  it’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home.”