Latest in Distribution

Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish confirmed the company has held preliminary discussions about possibly winding down Showtime’s stand-alone streaming service and shifting its programming to Paramount+. Asked about it during an appearance at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Tech Conference, Bakish did not hold back. He…

Canadian distributor Sphere Film has signed a multi-picture deal with A24 under which it will handle the release of nine of its titles in Canada. Titles included in the deal include Cannes 2022 Critics’ Week breakout Aftersun, which also screens at TIFF, and Ari Aster’s Disappointment Blvd, starring Joaquin…

U.S. indie distribution stalwart Bleecker Street has announced an exclusive output deal with Canadian distributor, levelFILM as it heads into a busy Toronto International Film Festival. The partnership will see levelFILM handle Canadian distribution for Bleecker Street's films where they control the North American or…

Brian O'Shea's The Exchange has promoted Nathaniel McCormick to the position of President of Worldwide Sales & Distribution. McCormick, who joined O’Shea at The Exchange in 2012, was previously Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Distribution at the company. In a career spanning two decades in the…

Vieri Razzini, the respected critic, producer and writer who co-founded top Italian distribution label Teodora Film, has died in Rome. He was 82. Born in Florence in 1940, Razzini was a champion of promoting cinema culture in Italy. Having started out as a screenwriter and film critic, he oversaw the classic cinema…

BBC Studios has promoted Rebecca Glashow to the newly created position of CEO of global distribution. The former Discovery and Awesomeness exec has been president of BBC Studios Americas since mid-2020. She oversaw the launch of documentary streaming service BBC Select as well as BBC Podcasts. Last September, global…

Filmhub, which bills itself as a Substack-like solution for independent filmmakers looking to profit from streaming without forfeiting rights to their work, has raised a $6.8 million seed funding round. The round was led by a16z and included the participation of 8VC, FundersClub, Eleven Prime and several individual…

EXCLUSIVE: Premiere Digital, an established media services and software firm, is ramping up its distribution efforts as the film marketplace continues its pandemic evolution. The company has slated documentary The Wall: Climb for Gold as a global PVOD release in January, with more than 50 film and TV titles now in the…

As it enters a new phase with the direct-to-consumer streaming service Discovery+ among its offerings, Discovery has made two key distribution appointments. Michele Barney has been named president of affiliate distribution and Eric Phillips will move into to the newly created role of president of global distribution…

In his first extensive public comments about the major restructuring implemented in October, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said it has elicited “100% buy-in” from executives at the company. With the new structure in place, he added during a Thursday call to discuss Disney’s fourth-quarter and full-year earnings, it will be…

Watching Wayne Wang's Coming Home Again, set for a virtual release (online, but through individual theaters) by Outsider Pictures on Oct. 23, delivered a jolt. Like getting nicked by a live wire. The picture is so small–shot in just over three weeks on a micro-budget. So personal: The story is about a young…

After a day of public distribution drama last Friday, NBCUniversal’s Peacock has officially launched on Roku in the U.S.. The streaming service now has access to Roku’s 43 million active accounts. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts has estimated Peacock has been downloaded 15 million times but it should now get quite a few…