According to a recent Nielsen’s report, streaming viewership just hit an all-time high, officially surpassing both broadcast and cable television in May 2025. It’s a historic moment that confirms what many of us have already felt: the way audiences consume content has fundamentally shifted.
Read the full article from Deadline here:
https://deadline.com/2025/06/streaming-hits-new-high-broadcast-cable-tv-...
With this shift, indie creators and producers have more opportunities, but also more competition, than ever before. Platforms are hungry for content, but their expectations are evolving fast.
How are you navigating this changing landscape?
Are you actively targeting streamers? Have your distribution strategies changed? Let’s talk trends, challenges, and wins as the distribution model continues to transform.
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I saw this! How crazy that we've finally hit this point. I, personally, have been targeting streamer much more directly during the distribution process. It's a great way to get people to see your movie. That being said, these deals, while decently lucrative, aren't always the best. They can have a "you should be grateful to be on our platform" attitude. And, frankly, you SHOULD be! So it's a balance you kinda have to navigate.
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Ashley Renee Smith I have to admit, because of my recent disabilities and that there are no more matinees at the theaters, I've 100% turned to streaming exclusively for my content, with the occasional PVR of cable TV shows. While I love the atmosphere of the theatre, grabbing a popcorn and pop, I only prefer crowds during concerts and protests.
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Absolutely, Aaron Mirtes, such a great point. Streaming is an incredible avenue for visibility, and it opens doors to a global audience in a way that traditional platforms never could. But you’re right, the trade-off can be tricky. It’s such a competitive space that even with a strong project, filmmakers often find themselves navigating deals where leverage feels lopsided.
It’s definitely a moment to celebrate the shift in audience behavior, but also a reminder to go into those conversations informed and strategic. That’s why staying connected to communities like this, and continuing to learn about distribution models and deal structures, is so important. Thanks for sharing your insight!
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It's been a fall-off-a-log to see where streaming is going for anyone who produces or watches media in the last decade. The streaming trend though means that the major studios are finished, IF (and only if) independent producers rediscover their entrepreneurial and professional spirit, and abandon the superfan wannabe club who just seeks validation from studios and asks to be part of them. Professional independent filmmaker ARE part of the inner circle already. As we launch FilmPods at filmpod.app - these are the stats we already relied upon to justify our likely success with a wholly independent platform. We haven't even launched for audience - won't do that until September - but already have our first series in production (Uncharted Freedom) and our first feature (The Rabbit Hole) premiere scheduled for both an exclusive streaming audience, and are negotiating directly with independent filmmakers to bring them on with their own FilmPod.
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FilmPod sounds intriguing.