Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” is riding high on theatrical eyeballs, amassing $1.4 billion in global box office revenue. The movie on Tuesday became available for digital purchase, but it’s still unclear when the “Top Gun” sequel will be streaming on Paramount+.
Paramount’s website gives users the option to pay $20 for the digital version of the movie from Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV and iTunes as well as from Microsoft’s store. “Top Gun: Maverick” will also be available for DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on November 1.
But Paramount still hasn’t announced when the movie will come to its flagship streaming service Paramount+. Shortly after “Top Gun: Maverick” premiered in theaters at the end of May, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish said the movie’s theatrical run will surpass Paramount’s standard 45-day window for new releases.
As of this time, it’s been nearly three months since the movie debuted in theaters – where it’s still available to watch. The movie has remained longer in theaters than other Paramount movies released this year.
“The Lost City” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” for instance, premiered in theaters on March 25 and April 8, respectively. “The Lost City” debuted on Paramount+ on May 10, while the “Sonic the Hedgehog” sequel became available to stream on May 24 – both premiering on Paramount+ 46 days after theatrical release.
Speaking during Paramount’s second quarter earnings call, Bakish highlighted the engagement level for recent movie releases. He added Paramount was selective with releasing films during the early stages of the pandemic, opting to wait until market conditions improved.
“While we could have released ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘The Lost City’ earlier, we held off because we knew these phenomenal stories would bring audiences back to theaters,” said Bakish, per a Seeking Alpha transcript. “That proved to be the right call.”
As audiences await the streaming release of “Top Gun: Maverick,” Paramount+ is expanding its distribution. The service in June launched in the U.K. and Ireland and will soon debut in Italy on September 15. Paramount+’s ad-supported tier is also now included for Walmart+ subscribers, as part of a new streaming bundle.