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According to the LA Times, the number of DVD and video stores in Spain has dropped 25% since 2003 -- contributing to the 30% freefall in home entertainment revenue.

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Furthermore, complaints about releasing data are laughable, because the data is already released, and a virtual trading system has existed for a 13 years without any problems (HSX). Cantor owns HSX, and HSX often predicts movie results more accurately than studio estimates, so the idea that these trading systems are designed around a faulty understanding of the movie industry is laughable. If anything, this is one of the most tested trading systems in the history of this country to ever go live. I cannot think of any other trading system we have that had 13 years of data on before people started trading it for real money.

I have worked in both industries as a futures trader and film producer. The people who criticize this practice don’t understand it. Futures markets where designed to reduce risk, starting with the grain markets a long time ago. If you could lock in a good price for grain and didn’t know what the future would be, but you knew what your costs were, you could lock in a profit while speculators could take on that risk. It’s a great idea for the film biz. There will be fewer box office disasters and more films greenlit because of the influx of investor dollars. Those who don’t want it are nervous that their accounting practices will be scrutinized and they SHOULD be nervous. I say bring this thing on!!

Zucker’s critics are ranting that first he killed comedy, losing the NBC franchise of Thursday night “Must See TV,” where “Seinfeld,” “Friends” and “Will & Grace” once hilariously reigned; then he killed drama, failing to develop successors to the formidable “ER,” “West Wing,” and “Law & Order”; then he killed the 10 o’clock hour by putting Jay Leno on at a time when people expect to be told a story; and then he killed late night by putting on a quirky redhead who did not have the bland mass-market appeal of Leno and who couldn’t compete with the peerless late-night comedian NBC had stupidly lost 16 years ago, David Letterman.