Distribution – Page 4

Film Markets in Flux: Navigating Strikes, Weak Sales, and New Distribution Models

November 7, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

Hopes were high at the beginning of last week that a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) representing the streamers and the studios and SAG-AFTRA would be reached during AFM, but as the weekend approached, hopes faded.

45 Top Titles on Offer at AFM

November 1, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

A roundup of 45 independent films receiving the most significant attention at AFM. As evidenced by the list below, AFM remains a robust market for genre films, and many producers and distributors are reporting strong demand for horror, action, and science fiction titles heading into the market.

Ripples in the Reel: How Strikes are Shaping the Future of Film

October 30, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

AFM approaches amidst unprecedented industry turbulence. While there was hope for a post-Covid recovery, this year’s AFM finds itself under the cloud of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, a dispute reshaping not just this year’s film market but the very fabric of the film and television world.

Peak Streaming: Navigating the Changing Tides of Streaming Feature Films

October 5, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

In the ever-evolving landscape of streaming content, one thing has become increasingly clear to film professionals: the era of unabated growth in streaming, both feature films and series content, is ending. Before 2020, like Netflix and Amazon invested heavily in original films.

Declining Distributor Minimum Guarantees Threaten Viability of Independent Films

October 3, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

In recent years, the state of independent films has been marked by a troubling trend: the decline of minimum guarantees paid by all-rights distributors.

Unraveling the Netflix Effect: A Deep Dive into the Latest Film Festival Deals

September 25, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

The TIFF marketplace, and indeed the entirety of 2023, has seen a surplus of promising films and a scarcity of willing buyers. This trend indicates a broader shift in the indie film market, characterized by a more cautious approach from buyers.

Starz Lost Access to Pay-One Rights for Major Studio Films

September 5, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

Starz’s access to third-party content was severely diminished when it lost Pay-One rights to films released by Sony Pictures after Netflix swopped in last year. Starz only has Pay-One rights to films released by its sibling company, Lionsgate, which HBO and FX previously held.

Universal’s Unique Deal Bifurcates Pay-One Rights Between Multiple Streamers

July 31, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

Universal Pictures bifurcates the 18-month Pay-One Film Licensing Window for its streaming service Peacock and Amazon. After four initial months on Peacock, Universal’s live-action films will stream exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video for ten months before returning to Peacock for the final four months.

Amazon’s MGM+ Could Emerge as a Formidable Streaming Service After Acquiring Lionsgate

July 28, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

By absorbing Lionsgate and Starz into MGM+, which is available and promoted worldwide to hundreds of millions of Amazon subscribers, MGM+ could emerge as a leading streaming service. Besides Amazon, Paramount Global is said to be considering Starz.

How Streamers and Lockdowns Distorted Distribution Prices

February 15, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

Even before unprecedented disruptions to the theatrical market, established film buyers and sellers were under tremendous financial pressure after spendthrift streamers elbowed in to populate their sparse film catalogs and vie for Oscar gold.

Sundance Fails to Ignite an Apathetic Independent Film Market

February 8, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

By every measure, the theatrical market for independent films remains on life support after the first in-person Sundance Film Festival since the ‘before times’ in January 2020.

An Inside Look at Netflix’s Latest Film Licensing Deal

November 10, 2021 FilmTake Comments Off

Netflix emerged as the winner in a nearly two-year auction process for the exclusive U.S. rights to stream Sony’s theatrical releases in the lucrative first PayTV window starting with the studio’s 2022 slate.

AT&T’s Great Media Escape Takes Shape After DirecTV and WarnerMedia Selloffs

September 5, 2021 FilmTake Comments Off

AT&T’s decision to acquire a declining DirecTV in 2015 and a bloated WarnerMedia in 2018 were massive miscalculations. Desperate to pay down its debt, in March 2021, AT&T announced it would sell a 30% stake in DirecTV.

Virtual EFM Bolsters Film Market

March 13, 2021 FilmTake Comments Off

Despite muted expectations by sellers, buyers, and producers heading into the virtual European Film Market on March 1, most reported a successful and busy market.

Breaking Theatrical Windows

August 18, 2020 FilmTake Comments Off

Universal Pictures and AMC, the world’s largest exhibitor, struck a deal to shrink the theatrical window from 90 days to just 17 days.

The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall

April 3, 2020 FilmTake Comments Off

AMC, the world’s largest theater chain, has hired attorneys to help restructure its mountain of debt as the company’s credit rating plummets.

Will Sundance Boom or Bust?

January 20, 2020 FilmTake Comments Off

After a lackluster Sundance in 2018, last year was full of mega-deals, especially by Netflix and Amazon. Buyers spent over $120 million acquiring rights to some 40 films.

Streaming Bout

December 4, 2019 FilmTake Comments Off

The streaming bout between Netflix and traditional media companies for the world’s online video subscribers is well underway.

Hollywood Set to Own Theaters Again

November 20, 2019 FilmTake Comments Off

The Department of Justice in the United States is preparing to allow Hollywood studios to own film theaters once again. This decision would reverse 70 years of anti-trust law that was implemented in 1948, which is known as the Paramount decrees.