By the week of March 22, studios realized the shutdown would not be brief. This realization forced a radical abandonment of the traditional theatrical window.

The date March 20, 2020 (22-03-20 in international date formatting) marks one of the most significant pivot points in the history of modern entertainment. This was the week the World Health Organization’s pandemic declaration manifested as physical lockdowns across the globe. Almost overnight, billions of people were confined to their homes, triggering a massive, unprecedented shift in how human beings consumed entertainment content and popular media.

With streaming releasing full seasons at once (like the upcoming Bridgerton drop that week), the "week-to-week" conversation was dying. We moved from "Did you see it?" to "Did you finish it?"