Quick context, so we start in the right place

• How often does your team run a catalog gap analysis? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Twice a year, Yearly, Ad hoc
• Describe the single most important genre or audience segment you need to grow this quarter
• Which territories are highest priority for this acquisition effort Options: North America, Europe, Latin America, APAC, MEA, Global
• Estimate the number of hours of content you need in those territories to meet your programming or launch goals Options: Under 100 hours, 100–250 hours, 250–500 hours, 500–1,000 hours, Over 1,000 hours
• Who on your team owns the final decision about licensing windows and exclusivity Options: VP Content Acquisition, Head of Programming, Chief Content Officer, Procurement lead, Cross-functional committee
• When do you need the assets delivered to meet your launch or programming window Options: Within 2 weeks, Within 4 weeks, Within 8 weeks, Within 12 weeks, Flexible

Where the current catalog falls short

• What forecasting failure in the last 12 months forced you to re-license or urgently buy content
• Walk me through the genres where your retention dipped after a rival secured exclusive rights
• How many titles or hours in that genre would have prevented the drop Options: 1–5 titles, 6–15 titles, 16–30 titles, 30+ titles, Unsure
• Describe the analytics you use to link a title's viewership to subscriber retention or ad revenue
• List the indicators you trust most when estimating a title's cross-market performance Options: Historical hours watched, Demographic overlap, Search and discovery lift, Completion rate, Return viewership
• If a candidate title fails to reach your retention threshold in its first month, what contract term would make you cancel the license immediately Options: Shortened minimum term, Step-down pricing, Performance break clause, No option to cancel

Signals that mean a title will actually move the needle

• Who on your team sets the target retention uplift that justifies a license spend Options: Head of Content Science, VP Content Acquisition, Head of Programming, Growth/Revenue lead, Cross-functional committee
• Which audience signals from your analytics stack are non-negotiable for greenlighting a title Options: High past category affinity, Strong title-level hours watched, Repeat viewing within 30 days, Strong trailer CTR, High completion rate
• Estimate the uplift in weekly active users or ad impressions you'd need to see to justify exclusive rights Options: <1% uplift, 1–3% uplift, 3–6% uplift, >6% uplift, Depends on territory
• Tell me about a title you licensed recently that exceeded expectations and why you think it did
• In practice, what process does your team follow to separate content impact from marketing activity
• What single audience metric, if absent, would make you walk away from a proposed title Options: No historical hours watched, No overlap with core demo, No localization potential, Unclear rights

Rights, windows, and the exclusivity trade-off

• Point to a clause in exclusivity language that has previously created the largest revenue or scheduling conflict for you
• Please list the territories where you will require full exclusivity, and where non-exclusive or windowed rights are acceptable Options: Full exclusivity in home market, Windowed exclusivity only, Non-exclusive acceptable, Varies by title
• Typically, what length of first-window exclusivity do you view as worth a material premium Options: 7–14 days, 15–30 days, 31–90 days, 90+ days, Do not pay for exclusivity
• Are platform-specific rights (SVOD, AVOD, FAST, linear) required separately or bundled for your deals Options: Separate line items required, Bundled acceptable, Depends on title and territory, Prefer bundled with opt-outs
• Identify one licensing term that would make your legal team stop the deal before signatures

Budget, valuation, and the price-per-hour calculus

• If paying for exclusivity does not increase net subscriptions, why would you still consider paying for it Options: Brand positioning, Competitive blocking, Bundled commercial benefits, Other strategic reasons
• Share the key inputs you use when modeling a title's ROI, for example expected hours watched per user, churn avoided, or CPM
• Select your preferred pricing model for this acquisition Options: Fixed fee (flat license), Revenue share, Hybrid (guarantee + share), Output deal
• Give a ballpark maximum per-hour price you would consider for non-exclusive rights in primary territories Options: Under $1/hour, $1–$5/hour, $5–$15/hour, Over $15/hour, Price varies by title
• Name the role that has veto power over price approvals in your process Options: CFO, Head of Procurement, VP Content Acquisition, Chief Content Officer, Procurement committee

The other options you're weighing

• List the external studios, aggregators, or internal teams you are comparing against and where each falls short against your retention goals
• Explain the conditions under which your team would stay with the current supplier or an internal solution instead of changing
• Have any internal stakeholders explicitly proposed building this capacity without an outside partner Options: Yes, actively building, Yes, proposed but not resourced, No internal proposal, Unsure
• Rate how comfortable your executive team is with switching content suppliers, from 1 (not comfortable) to 5 (very comfortable) Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Name the one advantage that would compel you to switch suppliers even if price and windows were identical

Can your team meet the delivery and integration demands this deal requires

• Identify the integration or delivery constraint most likely to stop the deal before first ingest
• Provide the endpoints and file-delivery methods your platform requires for successful ingest Options: SFTP, Aspera/Aspera on Cloud, AWS S3 with presigned URLs, API-based push, Other
• Do you have a named owner for metadata mapping and localization approvals Options: Yes, named individual, Yes, team but no single owner, No named owner yet, Working on assignment
• Rate the maturity of your metadata schema and mapping automation from 1 (manual) to 5 (fully automated and tested) Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Please name the team or function that will manage encryption keys, packaging, and delivery acceptance on day one Options: Platform operations, Security team, Third-party integrator, Content transfer team, Other
• Are there regulatory, censoring, or content-delivery approvals that could delay delivery in any priority territory Options: Yes, major approvals required, Yes, minor approvals, No known approvals, Unsure
• State the action your team would take if a required delivery format or endpoint could not be met within four weeks Options: Delay launch, Accept alternate format with conversion, Seek vendor support, Cancel deal

How this moves forward, and who clears it

• Once a pilot delivers the target uplift, which decision or approval clears the way to sign within seven days Options: CFO sign-off, Head of Content final approval, Commercial committee approval, Procurement OK
• Select the key milestones you need before asking legal to draft a contract Options: Title list agreed, Territories and windows set, Pricing agreed, Delivery specs confirmed, Pilot metrics defined
• Provide the roles required in the final signature chain and the sequencing of approvals
• Give a typical timeline in business days for procurement and legal to approve a standard license once commercial terms are agreed Options: 5–10 business days, 11–20 business days, 21–40 business days, 40+ business days, Varies by territory
• State the condition under which your team would skip a pilot and proceed directly to a longer-term license Options: Proven historical performance, Strategic franchise must-have, Exclusive window necessity, Senior exec directive
• Point to the single remaining obstacle that would prevent signing within your target window even if delivery, rights, and price requirements are met

• Catalog Fit Review, Solution Experience

• Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
• Deliver a prioritized 10-title proposal with territory/window mappings and modeled retention and revenue estimates for each title within five business days.
• You confirm the screened top-title slate aligns with your catalog gap analysis and the territories/windows you require.
• You accept the retention uplift and revenue estimates for the prioritized titles as a reasonable basis for licensing decisions.
• Walk through top candidate titles against your gap analysis
• Run and deliver an exclusivity sensitivity analysis showing incremental cost versus incremental retention for the top three candidates.
• Run the retention and revenue impact model
• You agree on a next-step evidence package and a prioritized title list to advance toward commercial terms within your budget and timeline.
• Provide your target cost-per-hour thresholds and any minimum retention uplift requirements or audience segment exports needed to finalize models.
• Validate the priority trade-offs and exclusivity impact
• Confirm the timing window you must meet for any launch or programming commitments so the seller can prioritize deliverables accordingly.
• Forced validation, confirm this matches your need

• Catalog Fit Review, Solution Experience
• Catalog Fit Review Deck
• Catalog Fit Review Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• License Content by Territory and Window
• Execute License Agreement and Rights Grant
• Provide Historical Title Performance Data
• Deliver Broadcast/Streaming Asset Packages
• Perform Technical QC and Ingest Support
• Provide Closed Captions and Subtitle Files
• Provide Localized Dubbed Audio Tracks
• Deliver Key Art, Trailers, and Promotional Assets
• Provide Title Metadata and EPG Catalog Feed
• Provide Rights Clearance Documentation
• Manage Exclusivity, Holdbacks, and Blackouts
• Set Up Per-Title Revenue-Share Accounting
• Package Series Bundles and Episodic Ordering

License Content by Territory and Window

• Which titles do you want included in the license list (provide EIDR IDs or internal asset IDs where available)?
• Which territories (use ISO country codes) must be included and which must be explicitly excluded?
• What windows do you require per territory (provide start date, end date, and whether the window is first-run, second-window, or library)?
• Do you require per-title exclusivity in any territory and, if so, specify exclusivity tier desired (exclusive first-window, exclusive library window, non-exclusive)? Options: Exclusive first-window, Exclusive library window, Non-exclusive, Need consultation
• Do you need title-level holdbacks or blackout rules tied to theatrical release, sport events, or local public holidays? Options: Yes, No, Unsure - need recommendation
• Describe the acceptance criteria for the territory-by-territory schedule (for example: signed amendment, approved calendar with ISO dates, or platform content calendar confirmation).

Execute License Agreement and Rights Grant

• Who will be the authorized signer for the license agreement (name, role, and contact email)?
• Select the license model you prefer for these titles Options: Fixed fee per title, Revenue share, Per-hour view fee, Hybrid (minimum guarantee + revenue share)
• What pricing cadence and invoicing frequency do you require for licensing fees (monthly, quarterly, annually, milestone-based)? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Annually, Milestone-based, Custom cadence
• List any legal appendices required with the agreement (for example: music clearance exhibit, talent waiver exhibit, advertising inventory schedule).
• List any territory-specific indemnities or local law changes that must be reflected in the final agreement.
• Provide the evidence that will validate the rights grant at signature (examples: chain-of-title PDF, signed rights memo, proof of prior clearance).

Provide Historical Title Performance Data

• Select the historical performance metrics you require per title (choose all that apply). Options: 30/60/90-day view hours, Retention by viewer cohort, Average minutes viewed, Ad CPM and fill uplift, Subscriber retention attribution
• Specify the date range for historical performance data (for example: rolling 12 months, calendar 2019-2023). Options: Last 3 months, Last 12 months, Last 24 months, Custom date range
• Indicate whether you need performance data normalized to territory-level (per ISO country code) or provided as global aggregates. Options: Territory-level (per country), Regional aggregates, Global aggregate, Both territory and global
• Provide preferred file format for performance exports or integrations (CSV export, Parquet files, or API feed). Options: CSV, Parquet, API feed (JSON), Other
• Are anonymization or minimum-aggregation thresholds required for viewer-level data to comply with local privacy laws (for example minimum viewer count per data row)? Options: Yes - specify thresholds, No, Need recommendation
• Who on your team will validate historical performance reports (name, role, contact) and what SLA do you expect for data delivery?

Deliver Broadcast/Streaming Asset Packages

• Identify which titles require full Interoperable Master Format (IMF) packages versus single-master MXF deliverables. Options: IMF package, Single-master MXF, Both depending on title, Need guidance
• Specify required video codec, frame rate, resolution, and color space per deliverable (examples: 4K HDR, 1080p SDR, 24 fps, 25 fps).
• Confirm whether time-stamped edit decision lists (EDLs) or version change logs are required with each asset package. Options: EDL required, Version log only, Not required, Need recommendation
• List delivery endpoints and protocol preferences for each territory or platform (for example SFTP host, Aspera over UDP, cloud bucket with signed URL).
• How will you verify package completeness and integrity on receipt (for example: required checksum algorithm, IMF CPL match, signed delivery receipt)?
• Identify the contact who will supply asset manifests with EIDR or internal asset IDs, runtimes, and episode numbering.

Perform Technical QC and Ingest Support

• Choose the QC scope required per deliverable: checksum-only, file-level technical QC, or frame-accurate content QC with loudness and visual checks. Options: Checksum-only, File-level technical QC, Frame-accurate content QC
• List automated QC rules you require (examples: loudness LUFS/LKFS threshold, caption integrity, audio channel mapping, black-frame thresholds).
• Indicate whether IMF composition playlist (CPL) repair or CPL creation is required during ingest for titles delivered as IMF. Options: CPL repair required, CPL creation required, Not required, Depends on title
• Choose monitoring and alerting channels for ingest failures and QC exceptions (email, webhook to ticketing tool, SMS, phone escalation). Options: Email, Webhook to ticketing, SMS, Phone call escalation, Other
• Confirm whether you require post-ingest QA reports with timecode-linked defect logs and daily ingest dashboards. Options: Yes - detailed reports, Summary reports only, No
• List primary and backup contacts on your operations team for ingest escalation (name, timezone, phone/email).

Provide Closed Captions and Subtitle Files

• Specify subtitle and caption formats required per territory/platform (examples: SCC for broadcast, TTML for platform delivery, SRT for archive, WebVTT for web). Options: SCC, TTML, SRT, WebVTT, Other
• Which languages need captions or subtitles and which must be embedded versus sidecar files (use BCP-47 language tags where possible)?
• What captioning standards must be met (for example broadcast EIA-608/708 compliance, SDH accessibility requirements, or local regulatory requirements)?
• Do you require caption burn-in for any territories or platforms, and if so which deliverables require burned-in captions? Options: Yes - specify deliverables, No, Burn-in optional
• Provide your preferred method for caption timecode alignment (SMPTE timecode, program clock references, or file-based offsets). Options: SMPTE timecode, Program clock reference, File offset in seconds, Other
• Who will review and sign off caption/subtitle files on your side (name, role, contact) and what SLA for corrections do you require?

Provide Localized Dubbed Audio Tracks

• Which dubbed audio languages do you require (provide BCP-47 language tags) and do you need 5.1, stereo, or both per deliverable? Options: Stereo, 5.1 Surround, Both, Other
• Specify audio format and codec requirements for dubbed tracks (for example PCM 24-bit, AAC-LC, or broadcaster-specified format).
• Do you require stem-level delivery (dialogue, music, effects) or combined dubbed mixes only? Options: Stem-level delivery, Combined dubbed mix only, Both as available
• Describe localization QA expectations for dubbed tracks (lip-sync tolerance, ADR edits, creative approval steps).
• Are cultural or regulatory edit versions needed for specific territories (for example music clearances or content edits)? Options: Yes - list territories, No, Need guidance
• Who on your localization team will approve final dubbed audio masters (name, role, contact) and what is the expected turnaround for revisions?

Deliver Key Art, Trailers, and Promotional Assets

• Which key art dimensions and file formats do you require for each platform (for example 1920x1080 JPEG for poster, PNG for transparent assets, or 3000x4000 print art)?
• Which trailer versions are required (full trailer, TV spot, 30s cutdowns) and do you require localized trailers per territory? Options: Full trailer, TV spot, 30s cutdowns, Localized per territory
• Specify any mandatory metadata to accompany promotional assets (for example creative credits, delivery date, usage window, aspect ratio flag).
• Do you need a marketing usage license specifying channels and duration for promotional assets? Options: Yes - provide license template, No, Need recommendation
• Provide image resolution, color profile, and DPI requirements for print versus digital assets.
• Who will be the creative contact for promotional asset approvals and what SLA do you require for sign-off cycles?

Provide Title Metadata and EPG Catalog Feed

• Which metadata fields are required for each title and episode (examples: canonical title, synopsis, cast list, runtime, parental rating, EIDR, ISAN)?
• What EPG feed format do you require (CSV, XML-TV, JSON feed, or platform-specific schema) and which frequency for catalog updates? Options: CSV, XML-TV, JSON feed, API push
• Do you require localized metadata strings per territory and language and, if so, which languages are mandatory? Options: Yes - list languages, No, Partial localization
• Provide the validation rules for metadata submission (field length limits, controlled vocabularies for genre, mandatory fields).
• What is the expected SLA for metadata delivery and corrections to the EPG feed (for example daily, weekly, immediate on issue)? Options: Immediate (24 hours), Daily, Weekly, Custom cadence
• Provide the acceptance criteria that confirm EPG catalog feed ingestion success (for example zero schema errors, record count match, spot-check sample approvals).

Provide Rights Clearance Documentation

• Which rights clearance documents must accompany each title (for example chain-of-title affidavit, music cue sheets, talent clearance lists)?
• Do you require third-party music or archival footage clearance evidence for any titles and, if so, list the affected titles and territories? Options: Yes - list titles/territories, No, Unsure - need review
• Specify the preferred file formats and notarization requirements for legal exhibits (PDF, certified copies, scanned originals). Options: PDF, Certified physical copy, Scanned originals, Other
• Are chain-of-title packages required to include signed release dates and effective jurisdiction statements for each territory? Options: Yes, No, Depends on territory
• Who on your legal team will validate rights clearance packages and what SLA for legal review do you require?
• Provide any regulatory or local content restrictions that must be documented for delivery (for example age-rating certificates, content advisories).

• Content License Agreement
• License Schedule (Title & Rights Annex)
• Commercial Terms & Payment Schedule
• Exclusivity Rider
• Delivery & Acceptance Terms
• Audit, Reporting & Reconciliation Addendum
• Confidentiality & Publicity Terms
• Compliance Addendum (conditional)

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Performance Measurement (weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Review (around day 90)
• Quarterly Performance Review (ongoing)

• Execute agreed metadata and quality fixes and report completion before the next review.
• Each acceptance criterion from Catalog Fit Review is evaluated and labeled pass or fail with supporting data.
• The buyer's acceptance decision is documented and any conditional remediation items have clear timelines.
• A retest date is set for any conditional items and owners are assigned for remediation tasks.
• Publish the acceptance decision and evidence package to the shared workspace, citing Catalog Fit Review targets.
• Open remediation tickets for any failed criteria with resolution owners and retest dates.
• Schedule the conditional retest or follow-up acceptance review if required.
• Trended performance vs Catalog Fit Review targets
• Confirm whether cumulative viewing hours and revenue per title remain on or off target relative to Catalog Fit Review benchmarks.
• Close or reprioritize enhancement requests and agree the deliverables for the next quarter.
• Ensure a clear monitoring plan is in place for any ongoing remediation or improvement work.
• Update the enhancement backlog with agreed priorities and target delivery quarters.
• Schedule and publish the next quarterly performance report with title-level viewing and revenue metrics.
• Reconfirm success criteria and named owners
• All critical deployment issues are documented and have target resolution dates.
• The delivery status for a representative sample of titles is validated and recorded.
• Named owners are confirmed for each open blocker and remediation action.
• Publish a go-live health report summarizing ingest and playback validation results.
• Open and prioritize remediation tickets for any playback or metadata failures with target resolution dates.
• Confirm the communication channel and cadence for day-to-day operational escalations.
• Present first measurement data
• Determine whether total viewing hours and viewer retention rate are progressing toward Catalog Fit Review targets and surface the main gaps.
• Agree a set of corrective actions with target dates to address the top 3 drivers of underperformance.
• Confirm the date and data required for the acceptance gate review.
• Deliver a title-level performance dashboard showing viewing hours and retention rate versus targets recorded in Catalog Fit Review.
• Create remediation tickets for the top root causes with resolution timelines tied to the acceptance gate.
• Schedule a follow-up data review to verify the effect of implemented corrective actions.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Deployment and ingest validation
• Present outcome data against each criterion
• Operational quality and metadata issues
• Diagnose root causes for gaps
• Enhancement requests and prioritization
• Agree corrective actions and timelines
• Early operational signals and adoption patterns
• Document pass/fail per criterion and acceptance decision
• Confirm path to acceptance gate
• Agree remediation plan for unmet criteria
• Agree next quarter monitoring and actions
• Blockers and open defects
• Agree immediate remediation actions