I own an OTT channel that is on the Roku & Amazon FireTV platforms. I originally launched it to widen the audience of San Diego filmmakers and quickly found the channel served as a vital bridge between YouTube and Web streaming where films on Roku & Amazon FireTV are curated and meet quality standards. In my case, the films I distribute are ones that are local film festival winners. We just wrapped our own film festival where the mayor of the city we held it thanked us and issued a proclamation.
I often wonder - do filmmakers know they can stream their films on Roku & FireTV without a costly distribution deal? What has your experience been? Did you know this is possible?
2 people like this
Michael Howard Many don't know they can this this, which has been available for a very long time, though you would think it is public knowledge at this point. The issue, though, is that in the last couple years Roku restructured its programs so that it is nearly impossible to actually make money through their system. I haven't examined the details for FireTV.
1 person likes this
As the distributor, I'm able to offer TVOD through Roku. I've found it easy enough to set it up, but am finding that the consumer doesn't pay to watch content, since so much is available free. No one even pays as little as $0.99 - they just don't.
This is such an important conversation to be having, Michael Howard.
There’s still a lot of confusion out there about what “distribution” actually means today, and your point about OTT channels serving as a bridge between YouTube and traditional distribution is spot on. That curated middle ground, especially with quality standards and a defined audience, can be incredibly valuable for filmmakers who are trying to get their work seen without immediately jumping into expensive or restrictive deals. Really appreciate you opening this up, there’s a lot of value in demystifying these pathways for the community.
Hi Michael Howard! Do films on your channel get discovered organically, or do filmmakers still need to drive their own audience?
I’d love to hear more about how you set up your channel. I’ve looked into it before, and the third party services that create apps and host the files charge some hefty subscription rates.
Is your channel ad-supported? How do you manage that? Also, how do you cut through the noise and get people to seek out and download the app?