Rentrak, Screen Engine Partner for Real-Time Audience Polling Service

As box office tracking is criticized for its gross unreliability lately, Rentrak and Screen Engine, a leading industry measurement firm, unveiled Wednesday a new joint syndicated service called PostTrak, which gives studios real-time audience insight to movies as they exit the theaters.

Subscribers to the new service include most of the six major studios, as well as other distributors including the Weinstein Co.

“PostTrak gives us a unique opportunity to find out not only who is going to our films, but gives us a feel for how audiences are responding — all in real time,” said Weinstein distribution prexy Erik Lomis.

SEE ALSO: Film Biz Says Tracking Systems in Dire Need of Improvement

PosTrak only measures audience sentiment for wide releases. The service polls audiences from a cross-section of 20 major North American markets (compared to the 3-4 markets polled normally), determining, for instance, what were the most effective tools in building awareness for a movie, as well as whether or not the film lived up to expectations.

“I couldn’t be more pleased that the industry has embraced PostTrak as the new gold standard in theater exit polling,” said Kevin Goetz, founder and CEO of Screen Engine.

Also part of the service is gauging the urgency of a moviegoer’s recommendation, a key component for film measurements, according to market researchers. PostTrak launched earlier this year.

Rentrak provides box office data to all of the major studios and distributors, tabulating grosses and analysis from more than 85,000 screens in 37 countries worldwide.

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