I've seen some theaters that show Sherlock and other high-production TV, and they seem to do quite well with it. I haven't heard about GoT, though.

As an side - what would the legality be if a group of people "booked" a theater to air a TV show? Would the theater or viewers be liable for holding a commercial screening using a private copy of the thing?

>We’re not open to the general public. Do we still need a license?

>Yes. According to Senate Report No. 94-473, p. 60, “performances in ‘semipublic’ places such as clubs, lodges, factories, summer camps and schools are ‘public performances’ subject to copyright control.”

https://www.mplc.org/page/faqs

That presumably depends on whether the screening is only for e.g your family. Consult a lawyer.

The surprising breadth of "public performance" is the basis for the famous Girl Scout copyright royalty demand

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/17/nyregion/ascap-asks-royalt...

Movie theaters are familiar with risks in this area, so they might have their own rules about what you can and can't watch when you rent out a theater.

Thanks for the source! Also, wow. I figured "rent a theater with strangers for a viewing" would be over the line, but I didn't realize that showing a DVD at a summer camp is technically illegal.

Back a decade ago I did all the tech setup to host a presidential election debate viewing at the Kobuki Theater in SF. I don't know the legality for sure, but I was lead to believe as long as it was invite only and you didn't charge for attending, it was legal. Again, IANAL, but I think as long as it's truly a private event among friends, I think you should be ok.

> I was lead to believe as long as it was invite only and you didn't charge for attending, it was legal.

The UK seems to require a 'non-theatrical' film licence [1][2] for:

- at one-off events

- at film clubs - whether or not you sell tickets

- in common areas for guests, residents and passengers

- in retail and entertainment venues

[1] https://www.gov.uk/showing-films-in-public

[2] https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/copyright/2014/08/01/film-clubs/

What is it about the theater experience you enjoy? It's not too expensive to set up a theater-like setup at home. A home projector and decent screen are around $1k. I've been watching Game of Thrones (and others) on a 110" screen for a few seasons now and couldn't recommend it more.

I don't have a large enough house to have a great theater experience without waking my kids up by enjoying the sound at the volume it should be at. Also, I don't want my three year old repeating the words of Tyrion Lannister.

It's the whole experience. The huge screen. The sound. The seats. The memories of going there as a teenager on a date. Watching a movie together with 200 other people. Zero distractions.

I still love going to the theater.

I hate going to a regular movie theatre. They are huge, crowded, you have to get there early to get a good seat, the chairs are uncomfortable, etc.

On the other hand, I love going to higher end movie theatres that aren't large, you get to pick and reserve your seats online, they have reclining chairs and one of the theatres I go to serves food while you watch.

For me, it's top notch sound quality.

Me too! It's kind of been done, but not in a great way.

https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/game-of-thrones-the-imax-...

GoT in theatres sounds amazing. Sign me up.

That sounds perfect - I had a feeling I read somewhere that they don't do it because TV companies were charging by the showing (and maintaining interest over a run would wane), rather than a split screening/# tickets basis as for films.

In London pubs with Sky sometimes show it like sports - not quite the same, but, y'know.