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What's After the Movie?

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What's After the Movie?
Industry Studios, festivals, awards, release strategies and box office vocabulary.

Exhibitor Split: Meaning & Definition in Film

The share of box office revenue that goes to the cinema operator.

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Revenue Sharing Model

After a film’s release, box office income is split between the distributor (representing the studio) and the exhibitor (theater owner). The exhibitor split is the portion retained by the theater.

Exhibitor Split: Common Arrangements

  • Front-Loaded — Higher percentage to the distributor in opening weeks, then gradually increasing to the exhibitor.
  • Flat Percentage — Same split throughout the run.

Factors Influencing the Split

  • Film’s perceived marketability.
  • Length of theatrical window.
  • Negotiating leverage of the theater chain.

Exhibitor Split: Example

A blockbuster may start with a 90/10 split favoring the studio, shifting toward a 50/50 split after several weeks.

Exhibitor Split: Significance

The exhibitor split determines the profitability of theatrical operations and can influence how long a theater keeps a film on its schedule.

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More Film Industry & Awards Terms

Entries filed on the same shelf as Exhibitor Split, each with the one-line answer first. They are the words that usually come up in the same conversation.

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