Jessica Ryan
@jessicaryan
Piratical pioneer of experiences live on the Internet (circa 2013) // CEO Broadway Unlocked, your friendly theatre on the internet // Indefatigable advocate for arts
Jessica Ryan
@jessicaryan
Piratical pioneer of experiences live on the Internet (circa 2013) // CEO Broadway Unlocked, your friendly theatre on the internet // Indefatigable advocate for arts
Broadway Unlocked and Live Digital
What was particularly fascinating, though, was that being in a live audience in the theatre (red line) led to higher highs and lower lows than watching in a small group (yellow line) in my lab. It was even more reduced when people watched the movie alone (brown line) in my lab. In fact, because of the scaling it looks like they flatlined but I can assure you, the peaks and troughs are present, they are simply greatly reduced in size.
Collective effervescence led to emotional enhancement, making the live performance with a big audience that much more impactful.

ATG Entertainment, which has a long-term lease on the Lyric, has collected more than $34 million in rent on Broadway from Cursed Child. In the year ending in February 2025, rent consumed nearly 11% of box office sales. To be sure, ATG has its own real estate expenses. In 2013, it paid $64 million for the lease to the Lyric, and later spent millions more on Cursed Child renovations.
For many viewers, value sits at the intersection of intellectual property (IP), fandom, and audience activation… self-identified fans are more likely to follow their fandoms across different media, and to spend money on related merchandise, services, and events.14 As such, fans are often “net promoters” who organically extend the marketing reach of brands and franchises they care deeply about. In an ever-fragmenting and costly media landscape, fandoms can reduce uncertainty and risk of investments.

Live Digital and