- January 31, 2024
Hosted by producer, filmmaker, and Distribution Advocates co-founder Avril Speaks, this episode of the Distribution Advocates Presents podcast features conversations with industry leaders Abby Sun, Matt Stoller, Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh, and Kaila Sarah Hier, on the issues surrounding documentary awards, including what it takes to campaign and questioning the purpose of awards in the field.
- January 24, 2024
Founder, CEO, and Editor in Chief of TheWrap, Sharon Waxman reports on perceptions of the faltering independent film business model at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. *Please note: This article is behind a paywall.
- January 18, 2024
Walter Shorenstein fellow Keri Putnam explores the risks and challenges associated with the streaming media age, discussing implications for content creators, platforms, and consumers in an evolving digital landscape.
- 2024
The 2024 Nostradamus Report identifies a paradoxical sense of hope amid industry upheaval, calling for human-centered innovation and new storytelling strategies to revitalize a film ecosystem under economic and technological strain.
- December 29, 2023
A Hollywood Reporter editor assesses streamers' profitability from the recent earnings season, highlighting the positions of Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney.
- December 22, 2023
In 2023, streaming platforms prioritized profitability, introduced advertising, and formed unique partnerships, facing challenges in content buzz, user interface, and pricing adjustments.
- December 20, 2023
Reports of discussions centered on a possible merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global reveal considerations of potential strategy behind such a move.
- December 20, 2023
Writer Anthony Kaufman reports on filmmakers alleging that nonfiction entertainment studio XTR has not followed through on significant grant offers, including one to South African filmmaker Milisuthando Bongela, casting doubt on its reliability and integrity within the industry.
- December 20, 2023
Writer Addie Morfoot reports on Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and film distributor 1091 Pictures facing legal disputes centered on missing revenue-sharing payments to filmmakers, who are also trying to reclaim their distribution rights should 1091 Pictures' parent company go bankrupt.
- December 19, 2023
Evaluating the landscape of the documentary field in 2023, Anthony Kaufman reports on the types of stories that are gaining prominence and filmmakers' attitudes toward a seemingly contracting industry.
- December 12, 2023
Netflix released a comprehensive report of what people watched on the streaming platform, indicating hours viewed and more data, over a six-month period.
- December 7, 2023
Writers Lacey Rose and Lesley Goldberg describe theories surrounding the anticipated flood of television pitches following the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike that failed to materialize, leading to concerns in the industry.
- December 6, 2023
Writer Anthony D'Alessandro details the new arrangement between HBO, Max, and A24, in their exclusive multiyear pay-one output agreement, which grants HBO, Max, and Cinemax rights to A24's film releases after their theatrical run.
- December 5, 2023
Forbes contributing author Corey Martin highlights impactful deals in the media and entertainment industry during 2023 and outlines key trends to monitor in the upcoming year.
- November 21, 2023
Netflix and Amazon in India grapple with government censorship, resorting to self-censorship and opting for safer content, raising concerns about artistic freedom and a potential cultural homogenization.
- November 15, 2023
Writers Jonathan Mahler, James B. Stewart, and Benjamin Mullin detail David Zaslav's impact as CEO of Warner Brothers Discovery, including his strategies to cut costs following the merger and controversial decisions in programming and focusing funds.
- November 5, 2023
Utilizing research from data provider Digital-i, writer Lucas Shaw discusses the low performance numbers for original programs on Netflix.
- October 13, 2023
Writer Todd Spangler reports that Best Buy will stop selling DVDs and Blu-ray discs in early 2024, aligning with a broader decline in physical media sales.
- October 11, 2023
Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton discusses how the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike exposed the flaws in the industry's bargaining system, and proposes the need for a process to integrate streaming-era economic structures into contracts, as well as for ongoing communication between labor and management.
- October 10, 2023
Writer Matt Grobar reports that more than 2,300 film and TV producers have signed a petition for the removal of the "P" from the AMPTP acronym for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and conveys the opinions of several producers who aim to draw attention to the position of producers in a changing industry.
