Samuel Burton Bonsall, IV, Thesis Supervisor Samuel Burton Bonsall, IV, Thesis Honors Advisor Shelley Lisa Curling, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Revenue Recognition Film Accounting Streaming Services
Abstract:
This thesis attempts to define how revenue is recognized for film content released on streaming platforms in comparison to theatrical releases. There has been a shift in the past decade of consumer references towards streaming platforms over more traditional channels for films. Corporations have met this challenge by changing their business logics and disrupting the traditional film release cycle. A movie no longer has to be released exclusively in theaters for 90 to 120 days before being released to home and mobile entertainment channels. Movies are now released on streaming services the day of the theatrical release or even skipping the release to find the streaming service immediately. This has changed how we view the success of films. We can no longer measure a film’s success by revenue alone. Box office sales need to be reported alongside other success metrics such as viewership and customer growth.
