What are typical revenue splits between distributors and theaters for documentary releases?
Executive summary
Documentary theatrical splits are not standardized: specialist titles — including many documentaries — frequently return a much larger share to exhibitors than mainstream studio releases, with distributors often receiving roughly 28–35% of box office on such deals, while some aggregate/standard deals for larger films trend toward roughly 50/50 or favor the distributor heavily in opening weeks [1] [2] [3] [4]. Contracts vary widely (sliding scales, “house nuts,” minimum guarantees, four‑wall deals, and gross vs. net accounting), so typical outcomes depend on the film’s scale, bargaining power, and territory [2] [3] [5].
1. Why documentaries usually sit at the “specialist” end of the split spectrum
Documentaries are often treated as art‑house or specialist titles in exhibitor negotiations, and industry reporting shows exhibitors can keep up to 72% of ticket revenue on those films — meaning distributors commonly see the remainder, roughly 28–35% — especially on small‑scale or independent documentary bookings [1] [2]. That trend reflects exhibitors’ leverage on lower‑demand titles: fewer screens, lower marketing support, and distributor willingness to accept smaller percentages in exchange for bookings or minimum guarantees [2] [1].
2. The sliding scale and timing: how week‑by‑week splits shift the math
Many theatrical contracts use a sliding scale that favors distributors in the opening week and shifts toward exhibitors over time; in practice distributors can command a larger percentage early on (examples cited as very distributor‑heavy windows), but as a run continues the exhibitor share increases — a pattern that reduces a small documentary’s lifetime distributor take if it never has a strong opening [2] [4] [6]. Industry summaries and historical practice note that modern deals vary, with some claiming opening weeks as distributor‑heavy (even cited extremes in trade guidance) while aggregate or average splits trend closer to parity for mainstream releases [4] [3].
3. Mechanical variations that change the headline split
Several contractual mechanisms alter effective splits: the “house nut” (an exhibitor keeps a fixed first amount), minimum guarantees (MGs) protecting distributors on tiny grosses, four‑wall arrangements (distributor rents a theater and keeps box office), and negotiating gross‑versus‑net accounting, all of which can dramatically change how much cash flows back to a distributor or filmmaker [2] [4] [3]. Legal and trade guides stress watching these terms — a stated percentage means little without knowing whether it applies to gross, net, or post‑expenses [5] [7].
4. What the averages and anecdote tell us — and where they conflict
Surveys and trade writeups produce conflicting signals: aggregated reporting and encyclopedic summaries often say box office is “roughly 50/50” between distributors and exhibitors as a rule of thumb, particularly for mainstream films, while focused studies and manuals aimed at independents report distributor shares in the high‑20s to mid‑30s for specialist films like documentaries [3] [1] [2]. Industry insiders disagree — exhibitors and distributors report different averages in interviews — underscoring that documentary economics live in the exceptions, not a single industry norm [2].
5. Practical takeaway for documentary filmmakers and financiers
For theatrical expectations on documentaries, plan for conservative distributor receipts: many theatrical deals for such films will return under 40% of gross to the distributor and significantly less to the filmmaker after distributor recoupment and fees, unless the film secures exceptional terms, four‑wall arrangements, or a large‑scale platform release that changes bargaining leverage [1] [4] [2]. Distribution agreements (territories, duration, marketing obligations, and gross vs. net language) will determine real economics, so scrutinize MGs, sliding scales, and recoupment clauses in the distributor contract [5] [7].