Posts classified under: Roderik Smits

Smits, R. (2025). Circulating Films Online: Insights from Independent Distributors in Europe. Industry Report, March 2025.

This report draws on original and in-depth insights from ten interviews with independent film distributors in Spain, Romania, Norway and the Netherlands. It explores how films become available and visible on streaming services.

• How does the online streaming market factor into the business of independent distributors?
• What are the film release strategies developed by independent distributors and what are the most valuable streamers for them?
• And how do increased levels of data intelligence inform online distribution?

While gathering insights into the reasoning behind processes of availability, visibility, marketing, and data intelligence, the analysis reflects on the opportunities and challenges that independent distributors face with their films in the streaming market.

What becomes clear through this analysis are the motives that explain why the streaming market for some distributors is already an integral and productive part of their business; but for others, the streaming market is still unpredictable and unproductive.​

 

Este informe se basa en datos originales y detallados de diez entrevistas con distribuidores de cine independiente de España, Rumanía, Noruega y los Países Bajos. Explora cómo las películas llegan a estar disponibles y visibles en los servicios de streaming.

• ¿Cómo influye el mercado del streaming en el negocio de los distribuidores independientes?
• ¿Cuáles son las estrategias de lanzamiento de películas desarrolladas por los distribuidores independientes y cuáles son los servicios de streaming más valiosos para ellos?
• ¿Y cómo influye el aumento de la inteligencia de datos en la distribución en línea?

Al tiempo que recopila información sobre el razonamiento que subyace a los procesos de disponibilidad, visibilidad, marketing e inteligencia de datos, el análisis reflexiona sobre las oportunidades y los retos a los que se enfrentan los distribuidores independientes con sus películas en el mercado del streaming.

Lo que queda claro a través de este análisis son los motivos que explican por qué el mercado de streaming para algunos distribuidores ya es una parte integral y productiva de su negocio; pero para otros, el mercado de streaming sigue siendo impredecible e improductivo.

Smits, R. (2024). Theatrical Distribution or Online Streaming? Release Strategies in Europe in Times of Disruption and Change. En Meir, C. and Smits, R., European Cinema in the Streaming Era (pp. 85-108). Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-42182-2_5

This chapter provides insight into the development of streaming-related release strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic, with particular reference to the European market. I am particularly interested in the relationship between streaming platforms and theatrical cinema exhibitors, a relationship that is often described in terms of conflict and tension. For some in the industry, streaming platforms are perceived as a threat to the theatrical cinema sector. For others in the industry, streaming platforms are symptomatic of the way that the modern era of film exhibition is taking shape, with different distribution systems co-existing to enable different routes to market for different films. This chapter draws on trade press and news coverage to analyse how the relationship between streaming platforms and cinema exhibitors developed during the pandemic. What sort of release strategies for films became common when lockdowns and other policy restrictions were imposed on cinema exhibitors? How did changing circumstances impact release windows for films, and in particular the theatrical cinema window? And has the pandemic brought about structural changes to the film distribution and exhibition businesses in Europe and beyond?