Quick Check: Who’s in the Room and What’s Driving This?

• What single event or metric triggered you to explore negotiated distribution now? Options: Quarterly growth review, Expiring carriage agreement, Incumbent refusing market-rate terms, CAC > LTV, Board directive, Other
• Who is the executive sponsor for this initiative? Options: Head of Distribution, Chief Commercial Officer, CEO/Founder, Head of Business Affairs/Legal, Head of Content, Other
• Who else needs to be actively involved in negotiations or sign-off (name + role)?
• Do you have a target launch window or hard deadline we must hit? Options: Within 30 days, Within 60 days, Within 90 days, Within 6 months, Flexible/No hard deadline
• How would you describe the team’s appetite for a retained advisory vs. a commission-based engagement? Options: Prefer retainer, Prefer commission/contingent, Hybrid retainer + commission, Undecided / need recommendations
• What outcome would make this engagement feel unquestionably successful to you?

Are You Quietly Paying a Premium by Renewing the Status Quo?

• When you look at your last renewal with incumbents, do you believe those terms reflect the content’s current streaming value? Options: Yes — terms are market-reflective, No — terms lag market value, Not sure / haven’t benchmarked
• What is your current blended customer acquisition cost (CAC) for new subscribers via DTC channels, and how has it trended over the past 3 quarters? Options: < $10, $10–$25, $25–$50, $50–$100, > $100, Unknown / need help calculating
• What is your benchmark lifetime value (LTV) per subscriber and the LTV:CAC ratio you consider acceptable? Options: LTV:CAC > 3x, LTV:CAC 2–3x, LTV:CAC 1–2x, LTV:CAC < 1x, We use different metric (explain)
• Tell us about a recent growth initiative that didn’t hit targets—what happened and how did it feel for the team?
• What assumptions do your stakeholders make today about the ease of negotiating distribution (e.g., carriers will match offers, incumbents are immovable)?

Who Really Decides — Not Who You Hope Decides

• If a single influential stakeholder could block or fast-track any deal, who is it and why might they do so? Options: Head of Distribution, CCO / Finance, Head of Content, Legal/Business Affairs, COO/Operations, Board member, Other
• Which groups are aligned on the strategic goal to reach subscribers via partners, and who is currently resistant? Options: Distribution aligned, Commercial aligned, Content aligned, Legal/Business Affairs resistant, Finance resistant, No clear alignment
• How quickly can your legal or business affairs team review and approve a term sheet or confidentiality agreement? Options: Within 48 hours, 3–7 business days, 1–3 weeks, Longer than 3 weeks, Unknown
• Who owns the budget authority for distribution fees, marketing co-investment, and minimum guarantees? Options: CCO / Revenue, Head of Distribution, Finance/CFO, CEO/Founder, Other
• Have you mapped escalation paths for disputes or deal stalls (who gets notified at what trigger)? If yes, describe.

Where Value Is Hidden in Your Current Deals

• Are you confident you understand the true commercial mechanics in each active carriage agreement (MGs, rev-share, CPI credits, promo commitments)? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Not confident, We don't have centralized documentation
• List active carriage or bundle agreements we should audit (partner name + renewal date + known headline terms).
• How do your incumbent partners currently report subscriber additions and attributable revenue—do you have reliable monthly transaction-level data? Options: Yes, full transaction-level data, High-level monthly reports, Quarterly summaries only, No reliable reporting
• Over the past 12 months, which partner types have driven the best cost-per-subscriber performance for you? Options: Mobile carriers, Broadband/ISP bundles, Device OEM preloads, OTT reseller bundles, Retail promotions, Other
• Which contractual items in existing deals have caused the most operational headaches (e.g., billing reconciliation, promo verification, exclusivity disputes)?

What Would Lower CAC Actually Look and Feel Like?

• If a distribution deal delivered subscribers at your target CAC, what would that enable you to stop doing today? Options: Pause paid digital acquisition, Reallocate marketing budget to retention, Invest in content, Expand into new territories, Other
• What is your target acquisition-cost threshold (CPI/CAC) per subscriber by market or territory? Options: < $5, $5–$15, $15–$30, $30–$60, > $60, Different by territory (explain)
• What acceptable payback period (months) would justify a partner-funded minimum guarantee or heavy promo spend? Options: Immediate (0–3 months), 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months, Depends on LTV assumptions
• Which territories are highest priority for subscriber growth this year? Options: US, Canada, Europe (Western), Latin America, APAC, Other
• Which partner profiles do you believe will deliver the best long-term subscribers (select all that apply)? Options: National mobile carriers, Large broadband ISPs, Device OEMs (smart TV/streaming sticks), Smart TV platforms (OS-level), Regional MVPDs/cable operators, OTT/aggregator platforms

If We Put Your Rights on the Table, What Would You Trade?

• Are you willing to use short-term exclusivity, early-window premieres, or co-branded promos to secure materially better economics? Options: Yes — open to exclusivity, Yes — open to promotional windows only, Prefer no exclusivity, Need internal approval
• Which commercial levers are you most comfortable offering to create competitive tension? Options: Minimum guarantees (MGs), Enhanced promotional placement, Exclusive windows, Revenue share uplifts for performance, Co-marketing funds, Device preloads
• What specific content commitments (e.g., episode counts, promotional assets, talent appearances) could you realistically deliver within a partner agreement?
• How would you feel about temporarily pulling titles from an incumbent while we run a competitive process? Options: Comfortable if economically justified, Reluctant but open with safeguards, Not willing to pull content, Depends on legal/contractual constraints
• Have you previously used competitive leverage (multiple partner processes)? If yes, what worked and what didn’t?

Scope & Deliverables: Exactly What Should We Promise?

• Which of these deliverables would you require from an advisory partner? Options: Benchmarking database and comparable term comps, Financial subscriber-economics model, Target partner list and outreach plan, 90-day negotiation playbook and execution, Integration handoff plan for launch, All of the above
• How granular do you want our financial modeling to be? Options: High (territory + partner + window-level), Moderate (partner + territory), High-level (company-wide estimates), Unsure — need guidance
• Which benchmarks matter most for you when evaluating offers (choose top 3)? Options: MG per territory, Revenue share %, Subscriber acquisition cost, Promo commitment velocity, Exclusivity length, Co-marketing funding
• Do you prefer a cadence of collaborative decision checkpoints (weekly) or milestone-driven approvals (at key deliverables)? Options: Weekly check-ins, Milestone approvals, Combination, Ad-hoc as needed
• What billing model would make you most comfortable to authorize work quickly? Options: Monthly retainer, Milestone-based retainer, Commission on deal value, Hybrid retainer + success fee, Require procurement process

Hard Constraints: What Kills a Deal Before It Starts?

• What are your absolute non-negotiables in any distribution agreement (e.g., no exclusivity in key markets, no long-term MGs without escalators)?
• Are there rights, union, or regulatory constraints that will limit our ability to offer exclusivity or certain windows? Options: Yes — significant constraints, Some constraints — manageable, No known constraints, Unsure — need rights audit
• Which content types (original series, licensed library, sports, kids) are off-limits for certain partner types? Options: Original scripted, Licensed library, Live sports, Kids/family, News, No restrictions
• What is the minimum commercial threshold (e.g., MG or revenue share floor) below which you will not engage? Options: Specific MG amount (enter), Revenue share floor (enter), Depends on other terms, No fixed minimum — flexible
• Describe any previous deal terms we must respect (right-of-first-refusal, most-favored-nation clauses, legacy promotional credits).

Readiness: If We Could Deliver Competitive Term Sheets in 90 Days, Would You Be Ready?

• What internal data can you make available to support a rapid audit—subscriber cohorts, churn by acquisition channel, ARPU, contract redlines? Options: Full datasets accessible, Partial datasets available, High-level summaries only, No data currently accessible
• Who will act as our primary day-to-day contact for operational coordination and data requests?
• What internal approvals are required to start outreach to partners (C-level sign-off, legal NDAs, procurement)? Options: C-level sign-off, Legal NDA signed, Procurement PO required, No approvals needed to begin exploratory conversations
• If an attractive partner term sheet arrives, what is your internal window to approve and execute (days)? Options: 24–48 hours, 3–7 days, 1–2 weeks, Longer than 2 weeks
• What communication cadence and format do you prefer during a 90‑day negotiation sprint? Options: Daily stand-up (15m), Bi-weekly deep-dive (60m), Weekly status + urgent alerts, Asynchronous updates only, Combination

Success Signals: How Will We Prove It Worked?

• What top three KPIs will determine whether this engagement was successful? Options: CAC reduction, Net new subscribers, ARPU uplift, Payback period, Partner-sourced revenue, Retention/churn improvement
• What time horizon should we use to evaluate performance post-deal (3 months, 6 months, 12 months)? Options: 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, Other
• How would you like post-deal handoff to be structured (detailed playbook, integration checklist, launch analytics support)? Options: Detailed playbook + checklist, Light handoff and quarterly check-ins, Full launch support for 90 days, Other
• Which stakeholders should receive the performance reviews and how frequently? Options: Weekly to Distribution team, Bi-weekly to Execs, Monthly to Finance/CCO, Quarterly to Board, Custom recipients (specify)
• If the first negotiated deal misses targets, what corrective actions would you expect us to propose? Options: Re-negotiate terms, Adjust promo cadence, Shift to different partner, Pause and reassess strategy, Other

Quick Inventory: Where We Start

• Which distribution partners currently carry your service (select all that apply)? Options: Major broadband operator (national), Regional broadband operator, Mobile carrier, Device manufacturer/OS app store, Aggregated MVPD/virtual operator, Third-party streaming bundle/platform, Retail/IoT partner, None / DTC only, Other
• For each active partner, when does the current carriage/license agreement formally expire? (list partner → expiration date)
• Who within your organization owns each of these agreements and who is the primary negotiator (name, role, and contact)?
• Are any of these agreements currently in a notice/renewal window or under informal extension? Options: Yes — formal notice period active, Yes — informal extension/rollover, No, Unsure / need to check
• Which partners are under active promotional or exclusivity obligations that affect content windows or bundle placement? Options: Yes — paid exclusivity window, Yes — promotional placement guarantees, No, Partially / limited terms, Unsure

What’s Hidden in the Fine Print?

• Which contractual clauses do you suspect are suppressing revenue or blocking distribution flexibility (e.g., legacy minimums, revenue share floors, restrictive windows)?
• Select the economic levers embedded in your contracts today (select all that apply). Options: Minimum guarantees / MGs, Revenue share / rev-share tiers, Advertising revenue splits, Performance escalators, Marketing co-funds, Penalty/recoup clauses, Subscriber-based credits, None of the above / bespoke
• Do any agreements include marketing or promotional commitments from the partner (placement, homepage banners, push notifications)? List specifics and recent fulfillment examples.
• Are there clauses that limit your ability to bundle, cross-promote, or run promotional pricing with other partners? Options: Yes — explicit restrictions, Yes — vague language that limits options, No, Unsure
• Which contract terms have historically been the hardest to change or that partners have refused to renegotiate?

If the Contracts Stayed the Same — What Would Happen?

• If every incumbent renewed on identical terms today, what would your projected subscriber acquisition cost (SAC) and lifetime value (LTV) gap look like in 12 months? Options: SAC comfortably below LTV, SAC roughly matches LTV, SAC exceeds LTV by a small margin, SAC exceeds LTV by a large margin, Unsure / need modeling
• Please provide the last 12 months of partner-attributed subscribers and monthly revenue by partner (or attach a summarized export).
• How have subscriber trend lines from each partner behaved over the last 3 renewal cycles (growing, flat, declining)? Options: Growing steadily, Growing then plateaued, Flat, Declining, Highly volatile
• Describe any clear cases where a partner’s promotional activity directly moved trial-to-paid conversion, retention, or ARPU — include timelines if possible.
• How much of your total subscriber base is partner-attributed versus DTC, and how has that split changed over the last 24 months? Options: Mostly partner (>60%), Balanced (40–60%), Mostly DTC (>60%), Shifted significantly toward DTC, Shifted significantly toward partners, Unsure

Who Holds the Real Leverage?

• Which partners would feel the biggest business impact if you withdrew your content — who would notice the absence first? Options: National broadband operators, Mobile carriers, Device platforms, Regional operators, Aggregators/virtual MVPDs, None — they can easily replace content
• Rank your top five partners by strategic importance for subscriber growth and why (1 = most important).
• Which partners have expressed explicit interest in expanding exposure for your service (extra promotion, bundles, or trials) in the past 12 months? Options: Yes — multiple partners, Yes — one partner, No outreach from partners, Unsure
• Do you currently have alternative distribution routes (telco bundles, AVOD platforms, FAST channels, device preloads) that could be activated if incumbents push back? Options: Yes — ready to activate, Yes — would require integration work, Limited pilots only, No viable alternatives
• Tell us about any partner relationships we could leverage as leverage—have you had exploratory conversations, pilots, or inbound interest recently?

Deal History That Actually Matters

• When was the last time you ran a competitive process against an incumbent and what materially changed as a result? Options: Within 6 months, 6–12 months ago, 12–24 months ago, More than 24 months ago, Never
• Describe a recent renewal where the incumbent offered a flat renewal — what reasons did they give and how did your team respond?
• Have you used external benchmarking or comparable deals in prior negotiations? If so, what evidence moved the needle? Options: Yes — commercial terms, Yes — promotional commitments, Yes — modeled subscriber economics, No, Only informal intel
• Which past concessions did you accept that you now regret or that cost you subscribers/revenue?
• What timelines have historically determined whether you pursued a harder negotiation versus a quick rollover? Options: Short renewal window (<30 days), Business risk too high, Internal resource constraints, Content schedule constraints, Other

Operational Reality: Can You Mobilize?

• If new commercial terms required 60–90 day technical or marketing integrations, can your product and engineering teams meet that timeline? Options: Yes — fully resourced, Yes — with prioritization, Maybe — would need support, No — timelines will be longer
• Do you maintain a current rights inventory (territory, windowing, language) that maps to each partner’s footprint? Options: Complete and current, Mostly current with gaps, Outdated, None
• How quickly can legal and business affairs turn around redlines and sign-offs for a negotiated deal? Options: Less than 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 4–8 weeks, Longer than 8 weeks
• What launch/handoff requirements have historically caused delays after a deal is signed (billing integrations, DRM, artwork, promo assets)?
• List any internal headwinds (resourcing, governance, finance approval) that would need to be cleared to execute an accelerated negotiation and launch.

Risk, Politics, and What Keeps You Up

• Which internal stakeholders could block or slow a better commercial outcome (and why)? Options: CEO / CCO, Head of Content, Legal / Business Affairs, Finance, Distribution leads, Other / external partners
• What are the non-commercial risks that cause hesitation—brand placement concerns, editorial restrictions, or exposure to churn—and how real are those threats?
• What approval thresholds (e.g., required board sign-off, finance sign-off amounts) determine whether a deal can be finalized without executive escalation? Options: Up to $Xk — PM approval, Up to $Xk — CCO approval, Any material MG requires board, Unsure / variable
• How do you feel about the current negotiation posture internally—are teams hungry to push, risking friction, or cautious to avoid partner fallout? Options: Aggressive — ready to push, Pragmatic — selective pressure, Cautious — avoid risk, Split opinions across leaders
• Have you faced reputational or downstream business consequences from a past hardline negotiation? Tell the story briefly.

What Would Success Look Like in Practice?

• If we signed a top-priority partner on renewed terms, what are three concrete metrics that would prove the engagement succeeded within 6 months? Options: Net new subscribers, Reduced SAC vs. DTC, Improved trial-to-paid conversion, Incremental revenue per partner, Retention uplift, Other
• What are acceptable guardrails—minimum acceptable MG, maximum SAC you’ll tolerate, or required marketing commitments—that would make you say yes?
• How quickly would you expect to see meaningful subscriber impact after deal execution (options are realistic windows)? Options: Immediately (within 30 days), 30–90 days, 90–180 days, Longer than 180 days
• Who needs to be convinced internally before a new distribution approach becomes standard practice?
• What reporting cadence and metrics would make you feel confident in tracking partner-driven subscriber economics post-deal? Options: Weekly dashboard, Bi-weekly review, Monthly P&L and cohort analysis, Quarterly executive snapshot, Other

What We’ll Need to Move Forward (Practical Checklist)

• Which of the following documents can you share immediately to help us model the current state (select all that apply)? Options: Current carriage/license contracts, Partner revenue/subscriber reports, Rights inventory, Recent marketing fulfillment reports, Technical integration specs, None available / need time, Other
• Are you prepared to provide access to partner-level performance data under an NDA to enable defensible benchmarking? Options: Yes — can sign NDA, Yes — limited data only, No — cannot share partner data, Unsure
• Do you have any non-negotiable constraints on the scope of outreach (e.g., cannot contact certain incumbents, must route all communications through partner teams)? Options: No constraints, Cannot contact specific partners, All outreach must go through legal/business affairs, Other constraints
• Realistically, how quickly can you make an initial set of documents and contacts available if we begin a 90‑day negotiation plan? Options: Immediately (within 1 week), 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, Longer than 4 weeks
• Who should be the single point of contact on your side for closing data gaps and coordinating partner engagement?

Start Here: Your Distribution Moment

• What's the immediate trigger pushing you to explore new carriage or bundling partnerships today? Options: Expiring incumbent agreement, Renewal offer we find unacceptable, CAC > LTV / unprofitable DTC spend, Board or investor request, Growth plateau, Other
• Who is the internal owner for evaluating and signing distribution deals (role and name if comfortable)?
• What is your target decision timeline from initial discussions to signed term-sheet? Options: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 120+ days, Unsure
• How would you describe current leadership sentiment toward external negotiation advisory firms? Options: Open and proactive, Skeptical but curious, Wary (prefer in-house), Already committed to a partner, Unsure
• Please list the single most important constraint we should know before any outreach (e.g., confidentiality, impending public announcement, blackout windows).

If You Keep Doing What You're Doing, What Breaks First?

• How confident are you that current DTC acquisition channels will sustain profitable growth over the next 12 months? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Neutral, Worried, Not confident at all
• Share your best-available CAC and LTV (or LTV:CAC ratio) for the past three quarters. Please include currency and any segmentation (e.g., mobile vs desktop users).
• Which acquisition channels have you already reduced or paused because ROI dropped below target? Options: Paid social, Programmatic display, Paid search, Affiliate/partners, TV/linear, Other
• How do you currently attribute new subscribers from carrier or bundling partnerships versus DTC campaigns? Options: Direct attribution (UTM/IDs), Modelled contribution, Proxy metrics (installs/views), We don’t reliably attribute, Other
• Tell us about the last time a distribution deal materially moved your subscriber economics—what changed and how did it feel for the team?

Who Holds the Cards (and How Quickly Will They Play Them)?

• If a partner offered a fast, generous promo in exchange for a short exclusivity window, who in your organization could approve that trade within 48 hours? Options: CCO, Head of Distribution, Legal + Business Affairs, CEO/COO, No one can on that timeline, Other
• What internal governance steps usually slow or block a licensing/carriage agreement (e.g., finance sign-off, legal review, content calendar approvals)? Options: Finance sign-off, Legal review, Content scheduling, Board approval, Partner commercial team alignment, Other
• What budget authority model do you prefer for advisory engagements: retainer, commission on closed deals, or a hybrid? Options: Retainer, Success fee / commission, Hybrid (smaller retainer + success fee), Undecided / need recommendation
• Are there specific contractual terms that are absolute no-go’s for you (e.g., long minimum guarantees, broad exclusivity, onerous audit clauses)? Please list.
• Who on your team will own post-signature integration and launch handoff with partners (roles and any known capacity constraints)?

What Would Real Success Look and Feel Like?

• If a carriage or bundle deal reduced average CAC by 30% while maintaining LTV, what would that enable for your business in the next 12 months? Options: Increased marketing scale, Faster content investment, Profitability for core titles, Expansion into new territories, Other
• What are the three KPI anchors leadership will judge a distribution partnership on (e.g., net new subs, blended CAC, churn, ARPU uplift)? Options: Net new subscribers, Blended CAC, Churn rate, ARPU, MAU/DAU engagement, Revenue share / net revenue
• What is the minimum acceptable timeframe within which you expect to see measurable subscriber economics from a new carriage deal? Options: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 6 months, Unsure
• In an ideal world, what territory or platform expansion would change your growth trajectory most dramatically?
• How important are non-financial wins (brand placement, promotional windows, editorial support) relative to pure subscriber economics? Options: More important, Equally important, Less important, Only interested in economics

What’s in Your Current Playbook (and What’s Missing)?

• How would you describe the quality and recency of your benchmarking data on comparable carriage and bundling deals? Options: Comprehensive & recent, Partial & dated, Mostly anecdotal, We have none
• Do you currently maintain a rights inventory (territories, windows, exclusivity clauses) that we could use for modeling? Options: Complete and up to date, Partial, Outdated, No inventory maintained
• Which historical deal elements have you found most impactful when negotiating—minimum guarantees, escalators, promos, co-marketing credits, or other? Options: Minimum guarantees, Performance escalators, Promotional support, Co-marketing credits, Windowing/exclusivity, Other
• Share one example of a past negotiation where you wish you had better leverage or data—what would you have done differently?
• Which internal systems or reports would we need access to in order to build accurate financial models (e.g., subscriber cohorts, churn by channel, revenue recognition data)? Options: Subscriber cohorts, Churn by channel, Marketing performance data, Revenue recognition model, None / not available, Other

Partners: Who’s On the Shortlist — and Who Shouldn’t Be

• If you had to pick three distribution partners to prioritize—who are they and why would each matter to your strategy?
• Which partner types are you most willing to pursue right now? Options: Broadband ISPs, Mobile carriers, Device OEMs (smart TVs/set-top boxes), MVPDs / cable operators, Platform app stores, Retail / OEM bundling
• Are there partners you absolutely do not want to engage with? If so, why (brand fit, competitive conflict, payment terms)?
• How do your existing relationships with carriers or device platforms currently influence your appetite for competitive outreach? Options: We have strong incumbent relationships, We have neutral relationships, We have poor relationships, No prior relationships
• What partner deal structures have felt most risky to you in the past (e.g., long exclusivity, variable rev-share, high marketing obligations)?

Practical Next Steps: What Would Make Leadership Say Yes?

• What’s the smallest proof point that would get leadership to greenlight a 90‑day competitive negotiation (e.g., modeled improvement to CAC, sample benchmarking dossier, partner interest note)? Options: Modeled CAC improvement, Sample benchmarking report, Named partner interest, Pilot promotional runway, Legal/contract template
• Which of the following engagement structures would you be most comfortable starting with? Options: Introductory scoping retainer, Short-term pilot (30–45 days), Success-fee only, Hybrid retainer + success fee, Unsure—need recommendation
• What internal obstacles could prevent a rapid start (e.g., procurement process, confidentiality approvals, legal redlines)? Options: Procurement, Confidentiality/NDA delay, Budget approvals, Legal review, Resource capacity, Other
• How soon could you commit relevant stakeholders to a kick-off workshop (distribution, commercial, content, finance)? Options: Within 1 week, Within 2–3 weeks, Within a month, Longer / unsure
• What would be your single, non-negotiable acceptance criterion for moving from discovery to an executed engagement?

Quick Check‑In: Where are we right now?

• In one short paragraph, summarize the current state of this negotiated deal (what’s signed, verbal commitments, and any outstanding paperwork).
• Which internal stakeholders have reviewed the final commercial term sheet and feel comfortable with it? Options: Head of Distribution, Chief Commercial Officer, CFO/Finance, Legal/Business Affairs, Head of Content, CEO/GM, Other
• Which partners have provided fully executed agreements versus soft/verbal approvals? Options: Fully executed (countersigned PDF), Signed LOI only, Verbal confirmation, Draft under review, No agreement yet / still negotiating
• Are there any clauses you expect to change between the negotiated term sheet and the signature-ready contract? If so, list them briefly.
• How confident are you that the written contract will match the negotiated commercial intent? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Neutral/Unsure, Not confident
• Who on your side will be the primary day‑to‑day contact for final signoffs and rapid clarifications during the signature phase? Include name, role, and preferred contact method.

Are we sure everyone agreed to the same things?

• If someone on your commercial team read the contract today, where might their interpretation differ from what the negotiation team promised?
• Which specific commercial elements have historically caused interpretation gaps in your deals (select all that apply)? Options: Revenue share language, Minimum guarantees / MG timing, Promotional commitments, Definition of active subscribers / eligible users, Payment schedules, Exclusivity windows / territory definitions, Other
• Who outside your core deal team (e.g., content operations, ad sales, product) must be read into the final contract to avoid later misunderstandings?
• Are there any negotiated concessions you expect the partner to ask to re‑define in contract language (and why)?
• How should we structure a rapid internal alignment check if a contractual wording dispute emerges in the final hour? Options: Daily executive review call, Predefined escalation matrix with decision owner, Legal-only adjudication, Pause signature until resolved, Other

Who’s actually accountable when something breaks?

• If a committed promo or placement doesn’t run on day one, who is empowered to resolve it immediately and what authority do they have?
• Which party (client, partner, or joint) owns operational responsibility for subscriber onboarding, tracking, and reconciliation? Options: Client owns, Partner owns, Joint ownership with shared responsibilities, Undecided / needs definition
• List the escalation path for commercial disputes from first responder to final decision maker (names/roles and SLAs for response).
• Are there any internal constraints (budget cycles, legal holidays, exec travel) that could block timely escalation or signoff during launch windows? Options: Yes — fiscal reporting freeze, Yes — travel or holidays, Yes — legal resource constraints, No known constraints, Unsure
• How comfortable are you with delegating limited approval authority to a negotiated on‑call decision owner for the first 30 days post‑launch? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Prefer case-by-case, Not comfortable

Will our promotions and exclusivity behave like we planned—or derail the economics?

• If a partner shortens an agreed promo period by two weeks, what impact would that have on your subscriber acquisition and revenue targets?
• Which promotional commitments are mission‑critical versus nice‑to‑have (select all that are mission‑critical)? Options: Homepage placement / hero slot, Homepage carousel in partner app, Featured guide banner in device UI, Co‑marketing funds, Subscriber free trial extension, Exclusive window for new releases, Other
• How will the partner prove they ran the agreed promotional placements (what artifacts or reporting will you accept)? Options: Screenshots + timestamps, Partner placement report, Third‑party verification, Server logs/redirects, Monthly reconciliation with samples
• Are there hard exclusivity dates that, if violated, would trigger make‑good obligations or financial penalties? Options: Yes — penalties specified, Yes — make‑good only, No exclusivity, Unsure / to be defined
• How do you feel about the partner’s historical reliability running promos of this scale (pick best fit)? Options: Highly reliable — track record, Somewhat reliable — mixed history, Unreliable — frequent misses, Unknown / first partnership

What could stop integration from actually shipping?

• If the integration team had to pick the single biggest technical risk delaying launch, what would they name?
• Which integration components are already signed off (select all that apply)? Options: Authentication & entitlement flow, Billing reconciliation, Subscriber attribution tagging, Promotional activation hooks, Analytics event schema, Partner SDKs installed, None signed off
• What exact artifacts do your engineering and product teams need from the partner to complete integration (APIs, test accounts, sample payloads—list specifics)?
• Has the partner committed to integration SLAs (response times, bug‑fix windows, staging environment availability)? If so, summarize. Options: Yes — SLA documented, Yes — SLA verbal, No SLA yet, Unsure
• How would a one‑week slip in integration readiness affect your marketing and billing plans? Options: Minor impact — can shift campaigns, Moderate — requires campaign edits, Major — will materially miss targets, Unsure

How will we measure success — not just signals?

• Which 3 metrics will you use to declare this partnership a success at 30, 90, and 180 days (be specific: e.g., incremental paid subs, CAC, retention at 30 days)?
• Which data sources will be authoritative for those metrics (select all that will be used for reconciliation)? Options: Partner reporting portal, Client internal analytics, Billing/revenue ledger, Third‑party measurement, API reconciliation exports, Other
• How frequently do you need automated reconciliations (daily, weekly, monthly) to feel comfortable with subscriber accounting? Options: Daily, Every 48 hours, Weekly, Monthly, Ad‑hoc as needed
• If adoption or CAC deviates from model by >20% in the first 90 days, what corrective actions are authorized without renegotiating commercial terms? Options: Increase co‑marketing spend, Adjust promo cadence, Trigger make‑good placements, Pause new activations, Escalate to execs
• Who will own the ongoing performance reviews (name/role) and when is the first joint performance checkpoint scheduled?

If this deal runs off course, what then?

• What contract remedies or make‑goods are included if the partner fails to deliver agreed placements or promo commitments? Options: Monetary credit, Extended promo window, Additional placements, Termination rights, No remedies specified, Other
• Describe a realistic escalation timeline from first missed commitment to formal dispute (who acts at which hour/day).
• Are there predefined termination triggers tied to performance thresholds? If yes, summarize them. Options: Yes — performance thresholds defined, Yes — only for material breach, No termination triggers, Unsure
• If a partner misses a critical KPI, are we prepared to redeploy marketing dollars elsewhere quickly? If so, where would those funds go?
• How does this partnership fit into your backup plan for distribution if it fails to meet expectations? Options: We have active alternative partners, Pipeline exists but not active, No alternatives currently, Unsure

Final readiness: the two‑minute launch checklist

• Which of the following items are fully complete and verified for go‑live (select all that apply)? Options: Fully executed contract, Integration test passed in staging, Promo creative approved, Tracking & analytics validated, Billing reconciliation flow tested, Launch communications scheduled
• What remaining critical item would you want a last‑minute stop‑gap to prevent going live until it’s resolved?
• Who will own the hour‑by‑hour war room during launch day (name/role) and what is their decision authority for fixes?
• Do you authorize a 48‑hour hold policy if any of the top three mission‑critical items fail validation during the final pre‑launch check? Options: Yes — hold and resolve, No — proceed with mitigation plan, Case-by-case
• What immediate post‑launch check should we run at 24 and 72 hours to validate the partnership is delivering as promised (list two checks for each timepoint)?