WORLD SCREEN
The New Normal?: Distribution Trends
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Distributors are finding ways to fulfill the endless need for programming resulting from new streaming platforms, viewers stuck at home during lockdowns and delayed productions.
For quite some time, we have heard repeated references to Peak TV—hundreds of series produced and rolled out year-round. This astonishing amount has created problems for channels and platforms, which have struggled with ensuring their shows get sampled, and for viewers who have to find the shows and the time to watch them.
In the past year, the industry has seen a shift to Peak Demand. The coronavirus forced productions to shut down, delayed delivery of shows and halted sports events, leaving channels and platforms with holes in their offerings. But viewers, whose lives had been disrupted by lockdowns and limited socializing, had more time on their hands and were desperate for new shows to watch.