The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV, and Video Content in an Online World

by Jeffrey C. Ulin

Learn how an idea moves from concept to profits and how distribution dominates the bottom line of an industry otherwise grounded in high profile elements (production, creative, law, finance, and marketing). In this updated edition of a bestselling industry staple, experienced media executive Jeff Ulin relates business theory and practice across key global market segments―film, television, video, and online/digital―providing you with an insider’s perspective that can't be found anywhere else. This new

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Business

648 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

After majoring in anthropology at Harvard, Jeff Ulin became fascinated with other cultures and began traveling the world—capturing and moving an endangered Rhino on a rescue project in Africa, visiting Buddhist monasteries on the Indian/Tibetan border, exploring Asia, Russia and the Mid-East, coupled with living as an American expat in the Netherlands, UK, and Spain, all which color and inform his novels. He’s braved and enjoyed every conceivable mode of travel (tuk-tuk,
atop bus with goats, private planes, Concorde, bullet trains). Jeff’s experiences working for George Lucas on Skywalker Ranch, creating Higglytown Heroes, and working as a General Counsel also infuse his writing. He relishes very spicy Chinese food, is a dog lover, and now lives and paddles on a Mediterranean island.

Reviews

[Natalia Lirnik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very lengthy book offers a comprehensive view of the media content distribution system. However, it must be noted that the latest edition was published in 2019, and much of the information is now hopelessly outdated. The author, who worked on the book first published in 2010, then in 2014 and 2019, simply added more text for the 2-nd and 3-editions, causing it to swell to an enormous size, ultimately turning into a time-consuming tool for readers. The fifth chapter, which focuses on DVD sales revenue, is completely outdated. Chapters one, nine, and ten are the most useful and interesting. I hope that in the next edition, if there is one, the book will be properly revised to remove numerous repetitions and irrelevant information. It would also be highly beneficial if the author's most valuable insights were highlighted in bold to make the material easier to digest.

[Fredy Zuercher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I ever needed to know about video distribution and the some. The book is very up to date on the current video streaming trends

[Christopher M]

2nd edition is almost entirely out of date almost to the point of comedy. Yahoo screens is not quite the forefather Ulin thought it was going to be. Still a few predictions are interestingly weirdly accurate as far as the financial aspects of movie distribution.

[Mike Degen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a super intensive read on the business of entertainment unfortunately a lot of the information is outdated because of the way television revenues and streaming have changed things

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Textbook style coverage of most (all?) content distribution windows, including topline explanation of the financial model for each, peppered with real life examples and anecdotes. Fantastic really although in its comprehensiveness it repeats at times and the 2010 edition may be ready for an update.

Ulin's Rule: "Content value is optimized by exploiting the factors of time, repeat consumption (platforms), exclusivity, and differential pricing in a pattern taking into account external market conditions and the interplay of the factors among each other."

[University of Chicago Magazine]

Jeffrey C. Ulin, JD’86
Author

From our pages (Mar–Apr/10): "In this analysis of how creative concepts ultimately yield profit in the entertainment industry, Ulin, former senior director for distribution and business affairs at Lucasfilm, provides an insider’s account of the evolving challenges studio executives face. The book explains how companies select partnerships or work independently to maximize bottom-line distribution profits."

[Rowan Sully Sully · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very concise and useful book. It has given me what I believe is a very useful introduction to Film & TV distribution and Marketing involving much of the current challenges and opportunities granted by the internet. It also does well to explain all of it's content without delving into too much business jargon, making it easy for someone without any understanding of business to comprehend.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Lots of good stories, statistics and value chains for parts of the industry.

[Lil Mike]

dry but essentially detailed account of the complex legal breakdowns & structures of corporate entertainment arrangements in profit points, partnerships, distribution deals etc

[Joshua Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great look at the financial world of film distribution.

[Matt Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly informative and detailed lesson on media distribution. But now my brain hurts and I'm going to go lay down now...