In the wake of theater shutdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has temporarily relaxed its motion picture eligibility rules for the Golden Globes.
In a public release, the HFPA announced that it will drop a requirement that voters see it in a theater. It will now allow film distributors to provide HFPA voting members with "a screening link or a DVD copy of the motion picture so that members may view it at home."
The HFPA's usual standards require voting members to be invited to screenings in a "third-party" Los Angeles-area theater or screening room no more than one week after the L.A. release of the film. The HFPA said that "[t]his alternate screening procedure is in effect from March 15 until April 30, 2020" but could be extended.
Another change impacts distribution. As long as an English-language film had a release planned for a Los Angeles theater between March 15 and April 30, it can still be eligible for awards even if it first debuts on "a television format (e.g. subscription streaming service, subscription cable channel, broadcast television, etc.)." This deadline also may be extended. The original eligibility standard allowed only pay-per-view cable, pay-per-view delivery or screening in a Los Angeles-area theater.