If you’re planning your release strategy right now, you need to understand film distribution windowing — because the old rules don’t really apply anymore.
For years, we were told there’s a “correct” order. Theatrical first. Then physical. Then transactional VOD. Then streaming. Then ad-based platforms.
Nice and neat.
But here’s the truth: those windows are getting messy. And honestly? That’s not a bad thing.
Because if you’re an indie filmmaker, flexibility can actually make you more money.
Let me break it down simply.
What Film Distribution Windowing Actually Means
Windowing just means releasing your movie in stages.
You don’t drop it everywhere at once. You move it through different “windows” over time.
Traditionally, it looked like this:
Theatrical → Physical media → TVOD → SVOD → AVOD
And the thinking was: if you skip a window, you can’t go back.
For example, if your movie is already on Netflix or Amazon for free, most people aren’t going to pay to see it in a theater. So you’d lose that theatrical shot.
That’s why everyone treated windowing like it was law.
But the market doesn’t really work like that anymore.
The Old Rules Are Breaking
We’re seeing movies break windows all the time now.
A perfect example is Netflix titles that start on streaming… then go back to theaters and make real money.
Years ago, that would’ve sounded crazy.
Now it’s happening.
Same thing with event screenings. Look at shows like Stranger Things. People literally went to the theater to watch a final episode. Not because they had to — but because they wanted the experience.
That’s the key shift.
When something connects with an audience, the window doesn’t matter as much.
Demand matters more.
Why Theaters Still Matter (Especially for Young Audiences)
Here’s something interesting I’ve noticed.
Young people are going back to theaters.
Not for 3D. Not for gimmicks.
For the experience.
Watching a comedy or action movie with a crowd just hits different. You feel the laughs. You feel the tension. The sound shakes the room. It’s communal.
You don’t get that sitting alone on your couch, no matter how big your TV is.
So theatrical isn’t dead. It’s just evolving.
If your movie feels like an event, people will show up.
Film Distribution Windowing Today: It’s Flexible
This is where modern film distribution windowing gets interesting.
Now you can have a movie:
On transactional VOD
And on AVOD
And still do special theatrical runs
All at the same time.
And guess what? Different audiences choose different options.
Some people are fine watching ads on Tubi.
Other people — like me — would rather just pay $4.99 on Apple or Amazon so we don’t sit through commercials.
Both viewers are valid. Both pay you.
So why limit yourself?
The idea that there’s only one “right” order just doesn’t make sense anymore.
The Only Rule That Really Matters
Here’s the bottom line.
You can obsess over windows all day long. You can plan the perfect release chart. You can debate TVOD vs SVOD vs AVOD.
But none of that matters if people don’t want to watch your movie.
Make something people care about.
Make something marketable.
Make something that feels like an event.
If the demand is there, audiences will find it — in theaters, on streaming, on VOD, wherever.
The windows will work for you.
Not the other way around.
