Entertainment (industry)
The commercial sector that creates, produces, distributes, and promotes content for audiences, including performances, recordings, films, and games.
Intellectual property: Legal rights that protect creations of the mind, including works, inventions, designs, and distinctive signs. Copyright and related rights let companies control and license much entertainment content.
Business model: A description of how an organization creates value, serves customers, and earns revenue. Entertainment companies combine several revenue sources to finance content and operations.
Independent film: Film production made outside the major studio system, often with independent financing and distribution. It contrasts studio financing and control with smaller-scale, less centralized production.
Cultural industries: Industries that produce and distribute cultural goods and services, including media, arts, and heritage. Entertainment is a major commercial part of the wider cultural sector.
Copyright: A legal right that gives creators control over copying, distribution, and adaptation of original works. It underpins licensing and revenue from films, music, books, and games.
Box office: The revenue generated by ticket sales for theatrical performances, especially films. Ticket sales remain a major measure and source of film revenue.
Mainstream cinema: Films produced and distributed for broad audiences through established commercial channels. Its wide-release economics differ from the narrower markets of independent film.
Media concentration: The consolidation of ownership or control among a small number of media companies. Mergers can concentrate control over production, distribution, and access to audiences.
Media franchising: The development of multiple works, products, or experiences around a shared fictional world or intellectual property. Franchises extend successful properties across formats and merchandise.
Subscription business model: A business model in which customers pay recurring fees for continued access to a product or service. Streaming services use subscriptions to generate recurring revenue from content libraries.