Profit Opportunity: Effortlessly Offload Classic Movies From Your Archive
In today's diverse media landscape, your film back catalog—comprising older films and TV shows—can hold significant monetary and audience reach potential. Here's a guide to help you navigate the process of selling your back catalog to global buyers.
Industry Research and Networking
Understanding the market for back catalog content is crucial. Connecting with industry professionals who broker deals for film and TV rights can provide valuable insights. Attending film markets, trade shows, and industry events such as MIPCOM and the American Film Market offers opportunities to meet buyers from around the world who acquire such content for streaming services, broadcasters, or distributors globally.
Distribution and Sales Agents
Many producers and owners of back catalog titles work with specialized sales agents or distributors who have established relationships with global buyers. Learning how these agents operate, the rights they typically handle, and their contract terms can be beneficial. Researching companies that specialize in film/TV distribution is recommended.
Digital Marketplaces and Platforms
Online platforms and marketplaces offer infrastructure to sell or license video content. While often geared towards newer content or niche videos, these platforms provide useful insights into pricing, rights management, and global buyer demand.
Industry Publications and Reports
Trade publications like Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Screen Daily regularly cover trends and deals related to back catalog content sales worldwide, shedding light on buyer interests and pricing norms.
Legal and Rights Management Expertise
Selling back catalog involves understanding copyright, licensing rights, and contracts. Consulting legal experts in entertainment law to understand what rights you control and how to package/sell them can help you negotiate more effectively with global buyers.
Direct Contacts and Research
Identifying potential buyers globally—such as streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon, regional streamers), TV broadcasters, or specialty content aggregators—is crucial. Research these buyers’ acquisition criteria and reach out strategically.
While the focus of some search results may be on movie memorabilia auctions and general industry mergers, resources like the Contus blog outline practical steps for selling video content online that can be useful if you aim to sell your back catalog digitally. However, back catalog sales in the professional market usually involve deal-making with distributors or sales agents rather than direct-to-consumer sales platforms.
Summary of Recommended Next Steps
- Explore film/TV industry sales agents and distributors specializing in back catalog rights.
- Attend relevant markets or trade shows for networking with global buyers.
- Consult entertainment legal experts on rights and contracts.
- Research buyer acquisition profiles globally (streamers, broadcasters).
- Study industry reports and trends on back catalog sales.
By following these approaches, you can build the knowledge and networks needed to successfully sell films and TV shows from your back catalog to global buyers.
- To maximize the potential of your back catalog, consider working with industry professionals who specialize in film and TV rights sales, attending film markets and trade shows, and researching companies that focus on film/TV distribution.
- As you navigate the process of selling your back catalog, it's important to understand the legal aspects of copyright, licensing, and contracts, consult legal experts in entertainment law, and research global buyers' acquisition criteria.
