Focusing on the United Kingdom, this article addresses key issues facing the international distribution industry arising from over-the-top (OTT) digital distribution and the fragmentation of audiences and revenues. Building on the identification of these issues, it investigates the extent to which U.K. distribution has altered over a ten-year period, pinpointing continuities in the destination and type of sales alongside changes in the role and structure of the industry as U.K.-based distributors adapt to a changing U.K. broadcasting landscape and global production environment. At one level, increasing U.S. ownership of U.K.-based distributors and the arrival of OTT players such as Netflix highlight the tensions between the national orientations of U.K. broadcasters and the global aspirations of independent producers and distributors. At another level, video-on-demand (VOD) has boosted international sales of U.K. drama. Although the full impact of subscription VOD (SVOD) on content and rights has yet to materialize, significant changes in the industry predate the arrival of SVOD.
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