It came about when I was appointed to my position as general manager in 2005. How did the idea for cinema broadcasts of Met Opera performances come about? BoxOffice spoke with Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, to discover how one of the world’s premier arts institutions built a new revenue stream for cinemas through its niche audience.

A program that began with under 80 theaters in North America is now an international enterprise that reaches 70 countries.

The Met has become a global leader in alternative content thanks to a project that could only have been realized through the spread of digital cinema. Since its launch in December of 2006, The Met: Live in HD has broadened the reach and accessibility of opera through live transmissions of its performances. Peter Gelb’s experience in shepherding the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera House into movie theaters around the world counts among the highest-profile success stories in the nascent history of alternative content.

The met opera schedule 2015