First-Run Rights

Explanation

First-run rights grant a broadcaster or streaming platform the exclusive right to be the first to show a film or TV series in a particular territory. Holding first-run rights means no other platform can legally stream or broadcast the content before you. In the streaming era, first-run rights for major films are aggressively contested: Netflix, Amazon, and Apple regularly outbid traditional studios and broadcasters for the rights to premiere anticipated films. The value of first-run rights comes from audience attention — viewers subscribe specifically to see a highly anticipated premiere. First-run rights differ from exclusivity windows: first-run rights refer to premiering content; exclusivity windows cover a defined period of sole distribution after the premiere. After a first-run deal expires, subsequent distribution rights (TVOD, AVOD, library SVOD) are typically sold separately.