The rise and rise of SVOD

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Now TV, Mubi, Hulu, Apple TV+ Britbox, Disney+ … there is no denying that SVOD streaming services are on the up.  With content being snapped up at an amazing rate this puts the content owner in a stronger negotiating position than ever before.

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the excitement of a commission but before rushing into signing the commissioning agreement take a step back and consider what rights you want to retain and how these can be best exploited via the ever growing SVOD services.  Are you happy to sign away a 12 month iPlayer window to the BBC (against Pact’s current advice whilst Terms of Trade are being negotiated) or would you be in a better position to make a SVOD deal if the 30-day window is adhered to?  Do you want to agree a worldwide SVOD deal with one of these services or should you consider carving out territories that they are not operating within so that you can exploit these through a different service? Do you want to sign away merchandising rights as part of a catch-all clause or should these be held onto and exploited separately?

These are just a few of the questions that those on the verge of signing a commissioning agreement or considering SVOD offers should be asking themselves.  There are great deals to be had and it’s important to have a really good understanding of the potential rights exploitation of your content and to make the most of it.

The Cow Shed Media Services can offer you advice on how best to make the most of your content. 

Contact laura@thecowshedmedia.co.uk