A looming takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by the newly merged Paramount–Skydance is no longer a speculative fantasy — it’s a media and political power play with massive implications for creative independence, threatening to centralize control of news with little public accountability. If Ellison-backed forces succeed, they won’t simply absorb streaming assets and film libraries; they’ll consolidate cultural influence, tighten control over
Let’s be blunt: TIFF 50’s low deal count and headline grabs tell the same story: the old model of acquisition excess no longer exists. But that doesn’t mean distribution is dead; it means it’s being refined. The more brutal, quieter truth is this: many films failed to get deals, not because they weren’t good, but because the margins, windows, and
Well into its second week, TIFF 2025 is shaping up less as a buying frenzy and more as a barometer for where the independent business is heading. Deal volume remains lean, but the festival has already produced a $15 million bidding war for a Midnight Madness horror and a seven-figure North American deal for Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire.”
As TIFF celebrates its 50th anniversary, the festival spotlights what might be its most resilient genre amid a fractured marketplace: horror. With shrinking screen counts, compressed Pay-1/Pay-2 deals, and younger ticket buyers pulling away from theaters en masse, horror remains a rare safe-haven—cheap to produce, reliably engaging, and buoyed by fervent word-of-mouth among young theater-goers.
Toronto’s 50th anniversary edition arrives with independent distributors weighing risk against opportunity. Theatrical remains a tightrope, Pay-1 and Pay-2 license fees are under pressure, and negotiations are slower across the calendar. Yet a sturdier acquisitions slate, a pair of well-capitalized newcomers, and a crop of commercially minded titles suggest TIFF could regain some of its old deal energy.
August 26, 2025Comments Off on Global Streaming in 2025: SVOD Growth Slows as Hybrid TV Models Rise
Global streaming is shifting from rapid subscriber growth to a focus on retention, monetization, and diversified content delivery. With mature markets slowing and engagement slipping, SVOD platforms are expanding into lower-ARPU regions, testing ad-supported tiers, and forging partnerships like Netflix’s landmark TF1 deal, which blends traditional TV, live sports, and on-demand programming.
October 1, 2025Comments Off on Power Grabbers: Is Paramount About to Swallow Warner – and Media Integrity With It?
A looming takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by the newly merged Paramount–Skydance is no longer a speculative fantasy — it’s a media and political power play with massive implications for creative independence, threatening to centralize control of news with little public accountability.
If Ellison-backed forces succeed, they won’t simply absorb streaming assets and film libraries; they’ll consolidate cultural influence, tighten control over narrative pipelines, and reshape what media pluralism even means.
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October 1, 2025Comments Off on Power Grabbers: Is Paramount About to Swallow Warner – and Media Integrity With It?
A looming takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by the newly merged Paramount–Skydance is no longer a speculative fantasy — it’s a media and political power play with massive implications for creative independence, threatening to centralize control of news with little public accountability.
If Ellison-backed forces succeed, they won’t simply absorb streaming assets and film libraries; they’ll consolidate cultural influence, tighten control over narrative pipelines, and reshape what media pluralism even means.
September 24, 2025Comments Off on Film Distribution Reset: Genre Wins, Big Acquisitions, Sparse Deals, and New Frontiers
Let’s be blunt: TIFF 50’s low deal count and headline grabs tell the same story: the old model of acquisition excess no longer exists. But that doesn’t mean distribution is dead; it means it’s being refined. The more brutal, quieter truth is this: many films failed to get deals, not because they weren’t good, but because the margins, windows, and risk calculus no longer justify speculative purchasing.
September 10, 2025Comments Off on TIFF 2025 at Halfway Mark: Slow Negotiations, Genre Plays, New Distributors, and Market Jitters
Well into its second week, TIFF 2025 is shaping up less as a buying frenzy and more as a barometer for where the independent business is heading. Deal volume remains lean, but the festival has already produced a $15 million bidding war for a Midnight Madness horror and a seven-figure North American deal for Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire.”
September 8, 2025Comments Off on TIFF 50 Sees First Big Buy: Obsession Fetches $15M as Horror Fuels Market Momentum
As TIFF celebrates its 50th anniversary, the festival spotlights what might be its most resilient genre amid a fractured marketplace: horror. With shrinking screen counts, compressed Pay-1/Pay-2 deals, and younger ticket buyers pulling away from theaters en masse, horror remains a rare safe-haven—cheap to produce, reliably engaging, and buoyed by fervent word-of-mouth among young theater-goers.
September 6, 2025Comments Off on TIFF Turns 50 as Buyers Weigh Rising Costs Against Shrinking Streaming Fees
Toronto’s 50th anniversary edition arrives with independent distributors weighing risk against opportunity. Theatrical remains a tightrope, Pay-1 and Pay-2 license fees are under pressure, and negotiations are slower across the calendar. Yet a sturdier acquisitions slate, a pair of well-capitalized newcomers, and a crop of commercially minded titles suggest TIFF could regain some of its old deal energy.
June 28, 2025Comments Off on Will California’s $750 Million Film Incentive Revive Production or Reward Studios?
In a long-awaited move, California lawmakers have approved a dramatic expansion of the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, more than doubling the annual cap from $330 million to $750 million.
October 29, 2023Comments Off on Worldwide Film & Television Distribution Intelligence
Go inside dozens of content agreements for rights to transmit motion pictures and episodic television in multiple exhibition windows via PayTV and SVOD in Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the United States.
October 1, 2025Comments Off on Power Grabbers: Is Paramount About to Swallow Warner – and Media Integrity With It?
A looming takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by the newly merged Paramount–Skydance is no longer a speculative fantasy — it’s a media and political power play with massive implications for creative independence, threatening to centralize control of news with little public accountability.
If Ellison-backed forces succeed, they won’t simply absorb streaming assets and film libraries; they’ll consolidate cultural influence, tighten control over narrative pipelines, and reshape what media pluralism even means.
September 24, 2025Comments Off on Film Distribution Reset: Genre Wins, Big Acquisitions, Sparse Deals, and New Frontiers
Let’s be blunt: TIFF 50’s low deal count and headline grabs tell the same story: the old model of acquisition excess no longer exists. But that doesn’t mean distribution is dead; it means it’s being refined. The more brutal, quieter truth is this: many films failed to get deals, not because they weren’t good, but because the margins, windows, and risk calculus no longer justify speculative purchasing.
September 10, 2025Comments Off on TIFF 2025 at Halfway Mark: Slow Negotiations, Genre Plays, New Distributors, and Market Jitters
Well into its second week, TIFF 2025 is shaping up less as a buying frenzy and more as a barometer for where the independent business is heading. Deal volume remains lean, but the festival has already produced a $15 million bidding war for a Midnight Madness horror and a seven-figure North American deal for Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire.”
September 8, 2025Comments Off on TIFF 50 Sees First Big Buy: Obsession Fetches $15M as Horror Fuels Market Momentum
As TIFF celebrates its 50th anniversary, the festival spotlights what might be its most resilient genre amid a fractured marketplace: horror. With shrinking screen counts, compressed Pay-1/Pay-2 deals, and younger ticket buyers pulling away from theaters en masse, horror remains a rare safe-haven—cheap to produce, reliably engaging, and buoyed by fervent word-of-mouth among young theater-goers.
September 6, 2025Comments Off on TIFF Turns 50 as Buyers Weigh Rising Costs Against Shrinking Streaming Fees
Toronto’s 50th anniversary edition arrives with independent distributors weighing risk against opportunity. Theatrical remains a tightrope, Pay-1 and Pay-2 license fees are under pressure, and negotiations are slower across the calendar. Yet a sturdier acquisitions slate, a pair of well-capitalized newcomers, and a crop of commercially minded titles suggest TIFF could regain some of its old deal energy.
