Focus on Second Window Activity
As competition continues to grow for 1st window acquisitions with emerging SVOD players challenging the existing SVOD, Pay and Free TV services, the potential value of second window licensing deals is becoming increasingly difficult to predict.
Content owners are looking to maximise their income from first window sales as the demand from buyers for extensive rights such as catch-up utilisation is causing the revenue lifecycle of a show to become increasingly front-loaded. As a result, we are finding that where previously distributors could estimate the percentage of the overall revenue to come from secondary sales, this is now much more complex.
SVOD services are the biggest buyers of second windows overall though in some markets Free and Pay TV channels are taking a significant number of shows. Since the beginning of the 2016/17 season 12 Show Tracker shows have been acquired in the second window by a Pay TV channel in France; Canal+ Series leading the way with 5 acquisitions (including American Gods & Designated Survivor) followed by Warner TV with 4 (McMafia and Knightfall are both acquisitions from a non Turner/Warner Bros distributor)
In Germany the biggest number of second windows are taken by the Fox+ SVOD service (9 shows), with most of these being Fox’ own series. Free TV channels have acquired 13 shows in total, with ProsiebenSat.1 the most active buyer.
There remains a hesitance within the market from buyers to take a show after an Amazon or Netflix first window, when they have often fully exploited the rights available and in most instances continue to hold VOD rights themselves for a further 2-3 year period. Despite this reluctance we are seeing a number of deals involving SVOD, Free and Pay TV services, however broadcast channels are only receiving minimal catch-up rights in this second window.
Keep up to date with second windows and other distribution trends with Show Tracker.
.svg)
