Distribution : Netflix has a big quarter by Sam Sokolow

That's phenomenal for Netflix, Sam Sokolow! I think YouTube wins the big game too. YouTube is too big, and they have things that Netflix doesn't have, like streamers. Indie movies are doing incredibly right now, and I don't see that slowing down.

Sam Sokolow I see Google/Youtube taking a huge bite of the market from the studios, and actually losing out eventually to a rising totally independent market. The Studios can't seem to embrace the current and economics of media creation, and to my mind are making fundamental mistakes that indicate they have lost the plot (for example, the maneuvering on cooperation with SAGAftra to de facto control voice actors and accumulate libraries of 3D models/etc. both clearly in hopes of cutting out live talent in favor of essentially auto-generated AI productions - that's just one). But YouTube so far is entirely untrustworthy and social media platforms are not networks or distribution outlets. In recent months, as many youtubers are becoming skilled at production and achieving sometimes millions of subscribers, they are beginning to rebel against Google/YouTube's (and TikTok and IG and FB) abusive practices (such as manipulating views, arbitrary demonetization, unsubscribing viewers and political censorship, etc) and going to their own direct platforms. They understand that they are paid fractions of pennies on the revenues they generate for YouTube and the new paradigms developing increasingly allow them to cut out the platforms that don't make money for them. I follow several YouTube channels who have begun to do just that, and who may leave the platform entirely- leaving it where it came from, the platform for amateur and shared content.

The above platform tactics to be part of the standard internet method of doing business in any event. Provide a platform that appears to give free tools to a community, use that community to generate traffic which you monetize, control access to that community to maximize your income. But the current trend frankly both surprised and delighted me. As head of the Independent Producers Guild, I love it when independent creators take control, end run monopolies and cartels, and maximize their own profits.

As a follow up, I updated some of my data on industry and economics. And I included research through Google's on AI app, Gemini.

In Querying Gemini extensively about the practices of YouTube, it concluded with these statements: (A) "When YouTube demonetizes a channel or video, it still runs ads on that video, and YouTube typically retains the ad revenue." (B) Here are four common methods YouTube has been observed undertaking to manipulate viewer statistics: (1) Limited Access to Real-Time Data: YouTube doesn't provide real-time analytics to all users. Many creators, especially smaller channels, have to wait for daily or weekly reports. This delay can obscure sudden spikes or drops in viewership. (2) Hiding Low View Counts: While YouTube doesn't explicitly hide low view counts, it's been suggested that videos with very few views might be less likely to appear in search results or recommendations, effectively limiting their visibility. (3) Inflated Click-Through Rates: Some argue that YouTube's algorithm might inflate click-through rates for certain videos, especially those that are part of sponsored campaigns or those that align with YouTube's business interests. This can make it difficult for creators to accurately gauge the organic performance of their content. (4) Filtering Views by Device or Location: YouTube might filter views based on factors like the viewer's device (e.g., mobile vs. desktop) or location. This can skew statistics, making it challenging to understand the true reach of a video across different demographics and platforms. (5) YouTube has not publicly confirmed or denied any of these practices.

There is also the practice of unsubscribing" viewers from a channel which either competes with a preferred YouTube channel or which it otherwise wants to ghost ban or censor. I myself have been "unsubscribed" more than once from certain channels I watch, which YouTube likes to play with. So I also asked about that practice and Gemini admitted that "Youtube might unsubscribe viewers from channels without their specific request." Further, it advised that even the corporate annual reports don't detail how much ad revenue YouTube generates, or the average ad revenue generated per view on any given channel.

This is unacceptable to professional filmmakers (or anyone else, really), who need to maximize audience and profits. Since an exodus has already begun, and corporations who have total control over their own statistics and numbers are not likely to be honest about those, or to share any significant part of their revenue, I expect that the trend over time will continue. To the benefit of independent producers and audience.

Sam Sokolow... Netflix is heading towards customizable AI immersive content and younger audiences will desire this. I envision some significant filmmakers who have a clear voice and can deliver quality non-AI works will have dedicated audiences. Youtube will evolve and I believe will also head towards AI immersive content once the tools become widely available. I do not believe that there is an 'end game'... only expansion and we are all learning to be non-attached and ride the wave.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg and Rebecca James - thank you both for such thoughtful responses. The data and POVs are strong.