Streaming
AVOD
Streaming
Streaming Growth Slows: How SVOD Platforms Are Shifting Strategies in 2025
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.
Distribution
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.
Distribution
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.”
Distribution
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.
Distribution
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.
Streaming
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.
Distribution
Distribution
Cannes Recalibrates: Pre-Sales Shrink, Streamers Stall, and Co-Productions Surge
The 2025 Cannes Market delivered more questions than answers, as industry players navigated, stalled US deals, shrinking Pay-1 licensing windows, and a growing rift between premium and mid-budget titles. High production and distribution costs are driving greater selectivity among studios and streamers, leaving many films without buyers in the North American market.
Distribution
Cannes 2025: Rising Costs, Fewer Bets, and Smarter Deals in a High-Stakes Market
Despite record attendance and renewed energy on the Croisette, the Cannes 2025 Film Market is operating under the familiar strains of soaring acquisition costs, and a struggle to reconcile rising budgets with narrowing margins. For buyers and sellers alike, the market is less about glitz and more about financial clarity, pricing discipline, and navigating global distribution headwinds.
Distribution
All Eyes on Pre-Sales: Can Cannes 2025 Spark a Market Revival?
The slowdown in packaging during the first half of the year, has led to a stronger-than-usual Cannes lineup. The market is flush with well-developed packages and finished films with genuine theatrical potential. With more robust slates from top sales agencies and buyers reportedly ready to move on high-promise titles, Cannes 2025 could outperform recent years.
Streaming
Beyond Binge Watching: Ads, Sports, and Telecoms Are Steering Streaming Back to Cable’s Playbook
The U.S. streaming market is saturated, with 96% of households subscribed to services, prompting a shift from acquisition to retention strategies. Ad-supported models are gaining traction as affordability overshadows uninterrupted viewing. Live sports and telecom partnerships are key growth areas, while brand ecosystems are vital for subscriber retention in this maturing landscape.
Distribution
2024 in Review: Netflix Reigns, Roku Rises, Theaters Falter, and Trends Shaping 2025
In 2024, the media industry faced significant challenges, with domestic box office revenues falling sharply due to delays and a lack of original content. Contrarily, free ad-supported streaming platforms like Roku gained traction, indicating a shift towards cost-effective viewing. The industry grapples with evolving strategies amid ongoing mergers and the rise of library content.
Streaming
Europe’s AVOD Boom: How Ad-Tiers Will Reshape Streaming Markets in 2025
Europe’s streaming market is on the verge of transformation, propelled by the rise of ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) platforms. Consumers increasingly favor lower-cost subscription plans featuring ads, benefiting major players like Netflix and local entities such as TF1+. However, platforms face challenges with ad relevance, viewer retention, and stringent EU regulations.
Streaming
SVOD Trends in 2025: International Variability, Advertising, and Pricing Adjustments
Content and pricing strategies are shifting as platforms focus on retaining subscribers with live sports and bundled services. Sports rights, such as those for the Champions League and NFL, have driven substantial growth for Paramount+ and Peacock—Prime Video benefits from integrating most major streaming services into one platform.
Distribution
The FAST Frontier: How Free Ad-Supported Platforms Are Transforming Streaming and Cable Television
As streaming fatigue sets in, consumers increasingly opt for FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television), with traditional cable providers feeling the pinch. Once considered fringe players, FAST platforms capture significant market share with their ad-supported, cost-free models, while SVOD giants drive premium content strategies and global expansion.
Distribution
Netflix Faces Off Against YouTube for Viewer Engagement and Audience Loyalty
As the intense battle for subscriber acquisition in the streaming wars begins to calm, Netflix, the leader in subscription-based video on demand (SVOD), now faces a formidable new rival—YouTube. Meanwhile, ad-supported free streaming platforms like Tubi are gaining ground, reshaping the digital entertainment playing field.
Streaming
Chasing Netflix: How the Major Media Companies Stack Up in Subscribers, Revenue, and Challenges [Part Five]
The following five-part article series looks at how the major streaming services compare in terms of financial performance, subscriber numbers, and the unique strengths and challenges each faces in the ever-evolving streaming industry, concluding with a review of wildcard streamers Prime Video, Apple TV+, and issues facing the streaming industry.
Streaming
Chasing Netflix: How the Major Media Companies Stack Up in Subscribers, Revenue, and Challenges [Part Four]
The following five-part article series looks at how the major streaming services compare in terms of financial performance, subscriber numbers, and the unique strengths and challenges each faces in the ever-evolving streaming industry, continuing with a review of the mid-tier streamers Paramount+ and Peacock.