Is ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ available to stream?
Elias Magnus
Seeing as the supernatural comedy only recently acquired an official release date in Sept. 2021, we don’t expect to see the film on streaming services anytime soon. If that’s not enough confirmation, the home page of the Ghostbusters website states the movie will be released exclusively in movie theaters.
If you were hoping for a Dune situation where the film was released in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time, it’s not going to happen for Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Many fans were hoping the film would be available on Netflix since the streaming giant signed a massive $3 billion deal with Sony earlier this year. However, the contract doesn’t go into effect until 2022, meaning Ghostbusters: Afterlife falls short of the arrangement.
The movie’s release does fall under Sony’s existing deal with Starz, so you can expect to see Ghostbusters: Afterlife streaming on Starz at some point in 2022.
Will Ghostbusters Afterlife Be on Hbo Max?
No. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a Sony movie, not a Warner Bros. movie, and therefore Ghostbusters: Afterlife will not be on HBO Max at the same time it is in theaters. HBO Max—which is owned by Warner Media—has been the streaming home for blockbuster Warner Bros. theatrical movies like Dune, but it will not be the streaming home for Ghostbusters. (At least, not any time soon.)
Is Ghostbusters Afterlife on Netflix?
No. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is not on Netflix. While Netflix has signed some deals to stream some 2022 Sony films, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a 2021 movie and will likely not be included in that. Therefore, it’s unlikely that Ghostbusters will be streaming on Netflix any time soon.
Can I Watch Ghostbusters Afterlife at Home
Sony doesn’t have an established window policy, but they are firmly committed to preserving the theatrical window. Sony Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein minced no words during Sony’s presentation at CinemaCon, telling the crowd “Debuting movies simultaneously in theaters and at home is devastating to our collective businesses…Our movies will be seen exclusively first in our movie theaters,” said Greenstein. He continued, even more bluntly, “It’s the window, stupid!”
So yes, you can expect a wait before the new Ghostbusters movie is available to watch at home, and we don’t have an exact date yet. What we can do is look at their recent releases to get a sense of what their windows are looking like.
If you can’t make it to the theaters and don’t want to wait that long, you can expect to see the picture on Amazon Prime Video a few weeks after its theatrical release. It won’t be free, though — plan to rent it for $19.99 initially. As time goes by, the rental price usually drops to $5.99, and the option to buy the film is $19.99.