Distribution

Like half the world, I sat on the couch with a bottle of French red wine and devoured the final episode of Stranger Things on Netflix.

The Duffer Brothers did not disappoint.

Since New Year's Eve, my social media platforms are almost exclusively discussions about Stranger Things. It's not just the end of a series, it's a reminder of the end of the 80s. Everything, from the character arcs to the music choices were perfection, except maybe Linda Hamilton's character. She had no back story, no character, and the story really didn't need her, but I digress.

While half the world mourns one of the greatest series ever made, Stranger Things also reminds of one of the greatest marketing and distribution campaigns ever made. While most of us will never have the same budget, we can still find nuggets to improvise and turn our own projects into bronze, if not silver.

Stranger Things S5’s Marketing is a masterclass in Netflix’s Global Campaign Strategy:

https://florafountain.medium.com/stranger-things-s5s-marketing-is-a-mast...

Las Vegas New Year's Eve drone show:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-FPeSrNGL3M

How Stranger Things Turned Branding ‘Upside Down’:

https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/stranger-things-season-3-has-...

Farewell Hawkins: How Target, Google and more brands are sending off ‘Stranger Things’:

https://www.campaignlive.com/article/farewell-hawkins-target-google-bran...

Reddit thread re Season 5:

https://www.reddit.com/r/StrangerThings/comments/1q0rtc2/season_5_series...

Netflix Crashes as ‘Stranger Things’ Finale Premieres, Second Time This Season:

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/netflix-down-crashes-stranger-things-fi...

Hey Distribution Lounge,

This is a major shift in how one of the industry’s most historic events will be distributed.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a new media partnership that will move the Oscars from broadcast television to YouTube beginning in 2029, ending ABC’s 52-year run as the ceremony’s home.

ABC will continue airing the show through the 100th Academy Awards in 2028. Starting in 2029, YouTube will hold exclusive global rights through 2033. The ceremony will stream live and free worldwide on YouTube, with YouTube TV acting as the U.S. pay-TV option.

What’s especially notable is that this deal goes far beyond Oscars night itself. YouTube will become the Academy’s primary distribution platform for year-round programming, including nomination announcements, red carpet coverage, the Governors Awards, the Student Academy Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, filmmaker interviews, podcasts, and educational initiatives.

According to Academy leadership, the goal is expanded global access and deeper engagement at a time when linear TV audiences continue to shrink. Nielsen data shows Oscars viewership has dropped by more than half over the past decade, despite a modest rebound in recent years.

From a distribution perspective, this feels like a clear turning point. A legacy awards institution is prioritizing global reach, free access, and digital-first engagement over traditional broadcast exclusivity. It raises big questions about how prestige, monetization, audience measurement, and cultural impact will evolve when theatrical film culture fully intersects with platform-based distribution.

Curious to hear your thoughts.

Does this move reinvigorate the Oscars by meeting audiences where they already are, or does it fundamentally change how we experience and value the ceremony? What do you think this signals for the future of live events, awards shows, and film distribution as a whole?

“It’s a real opportunity to talk to people and build cinema with an audience that’s eager for ideas, to open up, to talk, to be part of a conversation,” says [Finn] Halligan, ahead of this year’s festival, which will play 111 films in the port city of Jeddah from December 4-13.”

This sounds like an exciting development for Saudi Arabia’s film industry. The aim is to build a film culture and not just a once a year festival event. Whilst the programme is limited due to the size of the venue, I can see this growing and opening up the market to European films, as foreign language entrants.

What are your thoughts about this?

https://www.screendaily.com/interviews/red-seas-finn-halligan-and-antoin...?

Not sure where to put this - I think this is the most appropriate lounge.

What are your thoughts? Mine: Broadcast television must converge with streaming to survive at all.

https://deadline.com/2025/12/oscars-move-youtube-tv-rights-1236651363/

Seeking distribution for my short film, called Dragon Tamer. Any suggestions? Let me know if you enjoy the film, and have any opportunities for distribution!! Thx

It's shaping up to be a strong year for both domestic (U.S.) box office and international. As Zootopia 2 zooms past $1bn for the first PG film to do so, the state-side theatrical take to date is at $8bn with eyes glued to see if we can reach the $9bn mark with strong holiday season cinema audience attendance.

That would be a very good shot in the arm for theatrical distribution.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/zootopia-2-box-office-zooms-past-1-billion-1236448881/#recipient_hashed=0d256e501c8ac909c642a0f617bb4ffc61a45e2a878496c667973400db74bc64&recipient_salt=6519d7d80a4ad5a40e09794ef97553895d5429b7e537a344269dcbbc35ebc4ac&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=Box%20Office&utm_content=652927_12-14-2025&utm_term=9394800?utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=1765753535-Box+Office-CSL&utm_content=652927_12-14-2025&utm_id=652927

Hey, guys.

I know it's weird, me posting in Distribution, but this is a deeply personal project of mine. My greatest challenge so far comes not as a writer, but as an aficionado of anime and an ambassador of the obscure. As some of you know, I adore classic anime from the 1970s and 1980s, particularly the adaptations of the works of Leiji Matsumoto - "Galaxy Express 999", "Queen Millennia", "Space Pirate Captain Harlock" and "Space Battleship Yamato". I love the Leijiverse because of its strong writing and deeply introspective and philosophical themes.

My challenge, my goal, is to find a way to get the 1982 "Queen Millennia" anime movie (not the TV series, which is already out on Blu-ray) a wide release (outside of Japan, it's only been released in Italy, France, Germany and Spain). I don't care if I have to guarantee an English-language dub for it (I prefer subtitles), I'm willing to do whatever it takes to see this film get unearthed from obscurity, because I believe it's one that deserves to be seen. I came to know about the movie thanks to part of its soundtrack featuring in the 1986 Michael Mann film "Manhunter", and I've been on a one-man mission to make the "Queen Millennia" movie well-known ever since.

I know what you're thinking: who gives a smeg about a 40+ year-old animated film? Let me tell you: stranger things have happened - the 1991 Studio Ghibli flick "Only Yesterday" eventually got an English-language release, the "Virtua Fighter" anime series, despite being less-than-well-received on transmission (but well received enough to get a cult following), got a Blu-ray release some years back (with the first season featuring both English and Japanese audio tracks, and the little-seen-outside-of-Japan second season being in Japanese), and even "Miami Vice", with its complicated musical licensing deals, eventually got DVD and Blu-ray releases, so don't tell me that this can't be done. There's no such thing as "can't", not for me.

I've been able to get a list of the rightsholders for the movie - production rights, distribution rights, soundtrack rights - but I have no idea where the hell to begin. I know the film's obscurity is largely in part due to the theme song, which plays at the end of the movie, but I'm not sure how to conduct myself in this manner. I've started writing a letter to the party involved, and I've set up a Discord server known as the "Queen Millennia Liberation Project". Any advice would be appreciated.

S. P.

2025 sees a few new indie distributors making their way to theaters with their films. Interesting to see their approaches.

https://jonreiss.substack.com/p/2025s-new-indie-distributors?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Hello! I operate Itsbuz Productions – The Rating Tales, a brand/trademark I have applied for.

I’ve created custom branding laurels to highlight curated films on my website. These laurels are not related to festivals or awards — they are only for platform branding.

From a distribution/marketing standpoint, is it acceptable to use such custom laurels on my website and social pages?

Any rules or restrictions I should be aware of before using them officially?

Thank you!

Hi friends, are there any podcasts you like to listen to that talks about distribution??

Another written piece providing distribution tips. I particularly love this section:

Use Owned Media to Control Your Content

Owned media encompasses all digital assets that your business directly controls. It includes:

Your company website

Blog

Email newsletters

Social media profiles

All of these channels are valuable because they give you complete control over how your video content is presented and distributed.

https://firework.com/blog/video-distribution-strategy