Distribution is the practice and means through which movies are placed in venues where audiences can see them, such as theaters, video stores, online, or on television and cable networks. A distributor is a company that acquires the rights to a movie from the filmmakers or producers and then makes the film available to public audiences by renting or selling the film to theaters or other exhibition outlets.

Feature films are longer films, usually between 90 and 120 minutes, which are the primary attraction for audiences. Our experience of a movie—its length, its choice of stars (over unknown actors, for example), its subject matter, and even its title—is partly determined by decisions made about distribution even before the film becomes available to viewers. Features might be premiered in a variety of ways: in a saturated booking to as many locations as possible (including international) simultaneously, in a wide release to a couple of hundred theaters; in a limited release to only a handful of screens in select major cities; or through platforming, where the film is released in gradually widening markets.

Movies are typically distributed with target consumers, or a demographic, in mind (for example, teenage males, females in their twenties and thirties, or urban African American audiences). Determining the release strategy based on the film’s target audience can help increase its chances for success.

Distributors also use a variety of other channels known as ancillary markets. These ancillary markets include network television, satellite and cable programming (including “On-Demand” services), DVDs and Blu-ray discs, and online downloads via service providers such as iTunes and Netflix. There is usually a lag time between a film’s theatrical release and its release in ancillary markets. Some films, however, are distributed directly to home video or cable television. Noncommercial films, like activist documentaries, artist films, and alternative media, may choose non-theatrical or educational distributors instead of commercial distributors.

Distribution timing refers to when a film is released for public viewing, with summer and the December holidays being the most important time for generating revenue. After a first release, some movies have a second release, usually at smaller theaters, a few weeks or months after their initial release.