Opera is not dying – but it needs a second act for the streaming era

Updated management practices and monetized digital production could help opera companies rely less on subscriptions and big donors for revenue – bolstering budgets.

By: Christos Makridis, Arizona State University; Institute for Humane Studies, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 20, 2026

Words: 1,273

Last Updated: 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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By Christos Makridis, Arizona State University; Institute for Humane Studies

Every few years, you’ll hear a familiar refrain: “Opera is dying.”

National surveys point to slumping attendance at live performances. Audiences are aging, leaving fewer fans to fill seats at productions of “La Bohème,” “Carmen,” “The Magic Flute” and the like, while production costs grow.

I’m a labor economist who studies the economics of art and culture. To assess the state of …

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