Entertainment Distribution Decisions

With digitalization having dramatically reshaped entertainment distribution, this chapter sheds light on three fundamental distribution-related issues that entertainment managers are dealing with today. Regarding the timing of a new product’s initial release, we show that descriptive statistics on the commercial potential of certain release periods are misleading, as they combine demand-sided influences with supply-sided effects caused by managers themselves. Furthermore, managers must thoroughly orchestrate the plethora of distribution channels that exist today. We introduce a framework of the macro- and micro-level factors that need to be considered when valuing alternative distribution models and report results from empirical scholarly experiments on sequential distribution. Finally, we study the piracy threat: its importance, its determinants, and the effectiveness of anti-piracy measures.