10. Volume Deals with Buyers Remain Key for Sony’s TV and Movie Distribution
Sony continues to be an effective arms dealer for both TV and movies supplying the likes of Netflix and Amazon with an impressive number of movies across multiple markets to help these two SVOD services rival their studio run rivals. Sony remains a much sought after target of buyers, with many securing content deals for their movies to ensure they are the pay-one home for their slate.
9. Tracking the Distribution of the Oscar Best Picture Nominees
2023 saw A24’s ‘Everything, Everywhere, All at Once’ pick up best picture. In a time where many award-winning movies were destined for either vertical integration or an existing content deal, local buyers were no doubt elated by the possibility of an award winning movie being up for grabs. Unfortunately for them this just made it all the more an attractive prospect for Amazon Prime, acquiring it in Pay-One in multiple markets
8. Indie Studios Plugging The Movie Gap Left by Vertical Integration
Diving deeper into where Indie movies are distributed reveals the extent of Amazon’s relationship with distributors like A24, even branding some of its acquisitions as Amazon Original movies as it did with ‘The Green Knight’. For other distributors like Bleecker Street Media or Neon, more variety of buyer is at play, granting room for even AVOD to secure pay-one deals.
7. Biggest Buyers in Spain Now Chasing the Pay 2 Window
Netflix, Amazon and even Movistar now finds themselves in Spain competitively bidding for the Pay 2 window, each with their own content deals with different studios. As a market with almost every studio SVOD present, many of the biggest movies are simply unavailable to these services in pay-one.
6. The Changing First Window Market For Movies in the US
With the launch of more services and vertical integration becoming increasingly abound in the US, the market for pay-one has dramatically changed since the pre-Covid status quo. Where once there were five main sources of movies in pay-one there are now eleven.
5. PVOD Activity Focused on the US
The premium transactional window serves as an opportunity to further monetise a studio’s content, provided it doesn’t step too much on the toes of its theatrical release or a vertically integrated premiere on that studio’s own service in pay-one. The US continues to lead in this activity, with other markets starting to take note.
4. Netflix Pay 1 Movie Acquisition Strategy Varying from Market to Market
Netflix’s ability to engage in the pay-one window depends largely on the deals at play with other buyers, alongside local regulations. In France it is near non existent while in the US and India they benefit from content deals from the likes of Sony. It is only when examining these markets side by side it is revealed how much more a powerful consumer prospect it is for the movie loving subscriber in some markets compared to others.
3. Disrupting the Norm: Apple TV+ Originals and Theatrical Releases
Apple continues to engage in theatrical releases for its biggest original movie releases, and recognises the benefit of working with the studios on its movies. Some of its biggest movies have come from these engagements, including ‘Napoleon’ (Sony) and ‘Argylle’ (Universal)
2. Movie Windowing Strategies Varying Drastically Between Studios
Timing is key with windowing and between studios the distance between theatrical, transactional and pay-one can be stark. How much importance a studio places on the premium transactional window, or on its own service’s ability to premiere its movies in a timely manner, all factor into how best to time releases.
1. The Key to A24’s Continued Success
A24 came off a winning year in 2022 into 2023 where it continued to benefit from big multi-market buyers like Amazon, while also navigating through the dual-strike in such a way that it was able to continue production on two films, avoiding the disruption suffered by the major studios.
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