Quick Project Snapshot

• Give a one-sentence summary of the project you want us to represent.
• How complete is your content right now, in percentage? Options: Finished master and deliverables, Picture locked but needs finishing, Rough cut, Concept or script only
• Who on your side is the final decision owner for licensing and pre-sale financing? Options: Head of Business Affairs, CFO/Finance Lead, Executive Producer, Creative Executive, Other
• When do you need pre-sale financing in place to avoid production delays for your project, in calendar weeks? Options: Within 2 weeks, Within 4 weeks, Within 8 weeks, Within 12 weeks, Flexible
• Which territories are highest priority for your campaign? Options: North America, United Kingdom & Ireland, Western Europe (France/DE/Benelux), Southern Europe (Italy/Spain/Portugal), Scandinavia, DACH, Latin America, APAC (including Australia), Global
• Provide the title, runtime, genre, and any major attached talent for your project in one paragraph.

Where the Rights and Numbers Live

• If your rights inventory and recent streaming numbers were misread, how much revenue could you be leaving on the table for this project?
• List all rights you control for your content, by territory and by right type, for example theatrical, SVOD, AVOD, broadcast, merchandising, format remakes, or sequel rights.
• How recent and granular is your viewership data, and which platforms does it cover?
• Which reporting formats do you have available for your viewership data, for example weekly plays, hours viewed, unique viewers, recency cohorts, or revenue per user? Options: Weekly plays, Hours viewed, Unique viewers, Recency cohorts, Revenue per user, Only aggregate revenue statements
• Who currently owns the masters, writer and director agreements, and any third-party distribution encumbrances on your project that we should know about?
• What single rights gap or contractual clause in your agreements would make an active buyer walk away?

Timing, Money, and Decision Moves

• If pre-sale financing slips beyond your target window, which part of the project stops first? Options: Post-production, Marketing and delivery, Tax credit applications, Talent commitments, Other
• Quantify the pre-sale funding your project requires to reach the next milestone, and what fraction is already committed.
• Identify the internal and external approvers on your side that must sign off on finance terms, and indicate who has veto power.
• Select the financing structures acceptable for your project from the following list. Options: Minimum guarantee pre-sale, Bridge loan against pre-sales, Equity participation, Revenue based advance, Lender underwrite
• Would a pre-sale offer that conditions creative approvals jeopardize your production schedule? Options: Yes, No, Depends on scope of approval
• What is your typical turnaround time for legal redlines or producing missing rights documents? Options: Same day, 1-3 business days, 3-7 business days, 1-2 weeks, Longer than 2 weeks
• Choose which action you would take if pre-sale financing cannot be in place within your target window: pause production, seek bridge debt, or use internal funds. Options: Pause production, Seek bridge debt, Use internal funds, Other

How Buyers Will See and Value This Content

• Why should a buyer pay more for this title today than they would have three years ago for your project?
• Describe your single most persuasive asset for buyers, for example a breakout talent, a spike in streaming, or a festival award.
• Name comparable deals in the last 24 months that you believe set the right pricing benchmark for your project, and why.
• Indicate which of your team members has run territory-specific packaging before and can help tailor buyer lists. Options: Head of Distribution, Business Affairs lead, Producer, External consultant, No one on the team
• Select the competitive bidding approach your team prefers. Options: Sealed bids, Staged auction, Brokered negotiation, Direct licensing with negotiation window
• State the timeline for marketing materials and delivery promos your team can deliver to meet your ideal market launch.
• Would you proceed if suggested packaging required re-cutting or additional clearances that delay your launch by more than 4 weeks? Options: Yes, No, Depends on expected uplift

Where Things Tend to Break

• Recall a contractual surprise in past deals that cost your project the most money or creative control.
• Have you previously agreed to buyer approval clauses in past deals, and if so, how did that play out for you? Options: Yes, and it caused material changes, Yes, but it was manageable, No, we have avoided approval clauses
• List any outstanding claims, options, or reversion triggers on your content that could block a sale.
• Flag the people on your side who would need to be involved if a buyer demands a creative approval right during negotiations.
• Estimate how often last-minute music licensing or clearances surface during your sales process for projects like this. Options: Almost every project, Often, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Name the single unresolved rights or contract issue within your files that would stop you from signing a representation agreement today.
• Can your creative executive accept a buyer requirement for editorial approval that could change the narrative? Options: Yes, No, Only with narrow carveouts

The Other Paths You Are Weighing

• Given what you know, which alternative most risks undercutting your value: keeping sales internal, staying with the incumbent rep, or licensing to a direct aggregator? Options: Keeping sales internal, Staying with incumbent rep, Direct aggregator/platform licensing, Local territory sales agents
• Mark which of the following options your team has actively evaluated or is in talks with. Options: Incumbent representation, Internal sales team, Specialty distributor, Direct aggregator/platform, Pre-sale financier, Local territory sales agent, Other
• Why would you stay with your current approach instead of bringing in outside representation?
• Has anyone on your team proposed running the sales campaign internally to save commissions? Options: Yes, formally proposed, Yes, discussed but informal, No one has proposed that
• Describe the conditions that would have to be true for you to keep the incumbent or run the campaign internally.
• Point to the internal champion for staying the course on your side and describe the decision power they hold.
• Explain what single factor would make you still choose the incumbent even if price and timeline aligned.

Ready to Run: Data, Rights, and Team

• Could your team deliver signed masters and a complete rights ledger within 10 business days if requested? Options: Yes, No, Yes, with conditions
• Mark which systems hold your metadata and viewership exports. Options: Internal CMS/asset manager, Streaming platform analytics, Third-party analytics provider, Accounting or royalty system, Manual spreadsheets
• Provide the contact on your team who owns API access or report exports and can grant read access.
• Estimate how clean and complete your metadata is for this project, on a scale. Options: Mostly complete, Partially complete, Missing key fields
• Are there legal or union approvals required before offers for your project can be solicited in certain territories? Options: Yes, in specific territories, No, Not sure, need to confirm
• Choose your preferred remedy if a rights shortfall appears in a priority territory for your project. Options: Buyouts or options top-up, Revenue share with buyer, Negotiate reversion or carveouts, Pause sales in that territory
• Could you sign a representation agreement within 3 business days if we confirm a viable buyer and financing for your project? Options: Yes, No, Need legal review first

Sign-Off Criteria and Next Steps

• State the single outcome that would make you sign a representation agreement this week.
• Pick which contractual protections are non-negotiable for your team. Options: No editorial approval, Territory carveouts, Short exclusivity window, Audit rights and transparency, Clear conflict disclosure, Tiered commission or success fee
• Give your target time between contract signature and the start of an initial market run for your content. Options: Less than 1 week, 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 4-8 weeks, More than 8 weeks
• Supply the names and roles of approvers on your side and their typical sign-off timelines.
• Explain any barriers that would still prevent you from moving forward if we meet your minimum price expectation in week one.
• Mark your preferred next step from the list below. Options: Share rights and analytics immediately, Schedule a technical data call, Legal team reviews draft contract, Run an internal readiness check, Pause and reassess
• Will you commit to exclusive representation for the run if we present three qualified buyers and a financing term sheet within 10 days for your project? Options: Yes, Maybe, No

• Market Packaging Experience

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the proposed packaging scenario that best reduces valuation uncertainty and meets the CFO's financing timeline.
• Seller to deliver a prioritized packaging plan with three comparable-deal benchmarks and projected price ranges per territory within five business days.
• You confirm the territory prioritization and buyer sequence that produces the fastest path to pre-sale financing.
• Present three packaging scenarios with comparables
• Buyer to provide final list of restricted territories, any non-negotiable creative approval clauses, and the definitive financing deadline date.
• Seller to draft the proposed auction timeline and reserve mechanics aligned to the provided financing deadline and circulate for comment.
• You confirm the bidding mechanics and contractual protections prevent unwanted editorial control while preserving price competition.
• Prioritize territories and buyer rosters
• Demonstrate competitive-bid mechanics tied to financing
• You agree on the remaining evidence needed to move to Mutual Commit within the next decision window.
• Buyer to confirm decision owners and signature authority for Mutual Commit within three business days after receiving the packaging plan.
• Protecting creative approval in deal structures
• Validate alignment with your objectives

• Market Packaging Experience Session
• Market Packaging Experience Deck
• Market Packaging Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Negotiate International Distribution Pre-sale Agreements
• Run Territory-by-Territory Competitive Bidding
• Structure Revenue Participation and Back-end Deals
• Negotiate Endorsement and Licensing Agreements
• Package Multi-platform Name, Image, and Likeness Rights
• Draft Creative Control and Editorial Protection Clauses
• Secure Pre-sale Financing Commitments from Buyers
• Manage Rights Clearances and Third-party Licenses
• Administer Royalty Accounting and Proceeds Distribution
• Negotiate Renewals for Expiring Licensing Portfolios
• Execute Multi-territory Licensing Bundles and Windowing
• Draft and Execute Performance and Payment Guarantees

Negotiate International Distribution Pre-sale Agreements

• List the target territories by ISO 3166 code you want included in the pre-sale term sheet.
• Which buyer categories should we prioritize in term-sheet outreach (select up to three)? Options: Subscription video on demand (SVOD), Ad-supported video on demand (AVOD), Broadcast network, Pay TV/cable, Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST), Syndication
• Specify the range for an acceptable minimum guarantee (advance) per territory or territory bundle in US dollars. Options: Under $50,000, $50,000–$250,000, $250,000–$1,000,000, Over $1,000,000, Undetermined — discuss
• Who on your team is authorized to approve and sign a distribution term sheet and what is their title?
• Provide the list of delivery materials you can provide at signature (for example: picture-lock ProRes master, closed-caption files, E&O certificate, metadata CSV). Options: Picture-lock ProRes master, H.264 proxy + ProRes master, Digital Cinema Package (DCP), Closed captions and subtitle files (SRT/TTML), Metadata spreadsheet (CSV)
• Indicate preferred term-sheet mechanics for advances and recoupment (for example: advance recouped against license fees, MG applied against royalties, split on net receipts). Options: Advance recouped against license fees, Advance credited to royalties after recoupment, Gross receipts split (define percent later), Net receipts waterfall (define later)

Run Territory-by-Territory Competitive Bidding

• Identify for each territory whether you require exclusive, non-exclusive, or windowed exclusivity (attach territory list if different by market). Options: Exclusive, Non-exclusive, Windowed exclusivity, Not sure — need guidance
• Which auction format do you prefer per territory: sealed-bid, open ascending, best-and-final, or ranked offers? Options: Sealed-bid, Open ascending (live auction), Best-and-final, Ranked offers (top N shortlisted)
• State the minimum per-territory reserve/floor price or rule for setting a reserve (for example: fixed dollar, multiple of recent streaming CPM, percentage of global MG).
• Name the buyer diligence packet items we should require before allowing bidding (for example: proof of funds, recent program acquisition term sheet, localization capacity). Options: Proof of funds / bank letter, Recent acquisition term sheet, Localization and playout capacity details, Channel reach / streaming MAU data
• Who will be your primary contact for bidder Q&A and what is the expected turnaround time for approvals of buyer redlines to term-sheets?
• Indicate the maximum number of buyers you want to run simultaneously in a single-territory competitive run. Options: 1–5, 6–15, 16–30, 31–50, 50+

Structure Revenue Participation and Back-end Deals

• Specify the back-end participation model you prefer to negotiate (examples: gross receipts split, net receipts waterfall, profit share after distributor recoupment). Options: Gross receipts split, Net receipts waterfall, Profit share after recoupment, Flat royalty per platform
• Provide the target participation thresholds and trigger events (for example: participation starts after MG recouped; participation begins at $X of distributor receipts).
• Identify required audit rights and reporting cadence for back-end statements (for example: quarterly statements with annual audit window). Options: Quarterly statements, Semi-annual statements, Annual statements, Quarterly + right to annual independent audit
• How will you define points of deduction in a waterfall (examples: distribution fees, withholding taxes, platform commissions)? Options: Distribution fees, Platform commissions, Taxes and withholding, Marketing deductions (specify cap)
• Who will be the financial owner for verifying back-end calculations and providing bank routing/payment instructions?
• Describe any pre-existing third-party revenue participation obligations tied to the project (for example: producer points, co-producer share, talent backend percentages).

Negotiate Endorsement and Licensing Agreements

• List product categories or brand verticals that are prohibited for endorsements (for example: gambling, alcohol, political advertising). Options: Gambling, Alcohol, Political advertising, Tobacco, None / no restrictions
• Which approval rights must you retain for creative executions that use the talent's image (for example: script approval, final ad cut, placement of name/likeness)? Options: Script approval, Final ad cut approval, Placement and prominence approval, No approval required
• Specify compensation forms you will consider for endorsements (flat fee, revenue share, equity, combination). Options: Flat fee, Revenue share, Equity, Combination
• Provide any sample endorsement term lengths and territory limits you prefer (for example: 12 months global, 2-year country-specific).
• Indicate required deliverables from brand partners before payment (for example: final creative files, campaign analytics dashboard, proof of placement). Options: Final creative files, Campaign analytics report, Proof of placement / run log, Other
• Who handles product clearance and trademark checks: you, we, or a third-party clearance vendor? Specify the vendor if known. Options: You handle clearance, We handle clearance, Third-party vendor (specify)

Package Multi-platform Name, Image, and Likeness Rights

• Which platforms should be included in the NIL package (for example: streaming, social media channels, live appearances, merchandising)? Options: Streaming platforms, Social media channels, Live appearances, Merchandising, In-game integrations
• Specify the permitted uses for the talent's name and likeness in each platform (for example: promotional stills, voiceover, motion capture).
• Indicate maximum grant duration and any renewal opt-in mechanics you require for NIL deals. Options: Short term (under 12 months), 1–3 years, 3+ years with renewal option, Per campaign only
• Who will own the creative assets produced under NIL (you, brand partner, or joint ownership)? Options: You own assets, Brand owns assets, Joint ownership (specify split)
• Provide examples of previous NIL activations or comps we should benchmark when structuring multi-platform packages (attach links or term summaries).
• Specify required protective clauses for use of likeness in secondary products (for example: no sublicensing without approval, merchandising caps).

Draft Creative Control and Editorial Protection Clauses

• Describe the level of editorial approval required at each milestone (for example: script approval at greenlight, final cut approval at picture lock). Options: Script approval at greenlight, Rough cut approval, Final cut approval, No final cut approval
• Indicate maximum approval turnaround times you will accept for creative decisions (for example: 5 business days for final approval). Options: 2 business days, 5 business days, 10 business days, Custom
• Specify specific editorial protections to include (for example: no changes to character arcs, veto on use of archival footage, credit position guarantees).
• Who will be the designated creative approver for promotional materials and how should approval requests be submitted (email, platform ticket, shared folder)? Options: Email, Platform ticket, Shared folder (cloud), Other
• State any absolute no-change items that must be contractually protected (for example: song placement, character name, opening sequence).
• Identify remedies you prefer if editorial protections are breached (for example: injunctive remedy, termination right, financial penalty). Options: Injunctive relief, Termination right, Financial penalty, Renegotiation only

Secure Pre-sale Financing Commitments from Buyers

• Specify the target pre-sale financing amount you need to secure (currency and total) to meet your post-production budget.
• Name acceptable forms of financing commitment we should collect from buyers (for example: signed commitment letter, escrow instruction, bank guarantee). Options: Signed commitment letter, Escrow instruction, Bank guarantee, Proof of funds
• What evidence will validate buyer pre-sale financing commitments (for example: fully executed commitment letter, escrow receipt, wire confirmation)?
• Indicate critical financing milestone dates that must be met (for example: 50% of required funds in escrow by date X).
• Identify preferred escrow agents or payment mechanisms you accept (for example: escrow account, letter of credit, direct wire to production account). Options: Escrow account, Letter of credit, Direct wire to production account, Escrow agent to be agreed
• Who is responsible for closing pre-sale draw payments and providing wire instructions: you, we, or a third-party financier? Options: You provide wire instructions, We provide wire instructions, Third-party financier (specify)

Manage Rights Clearances and Third-party Licenses

• Provide a current rights matrix or list of underlying rights that remain to be cleared (for example: music cues, archival footage, underlying book rights).
• Identify which clearances are outstanding and their estimated completion dates (for example: music cue 3 licensed by MM/DD/YYYY).
• Who will procure Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance and by what date must the certificate be provided? Options: You procure E&O, We procure E&O, Third-party to procure (specify)
• What evidence will validate rights completeness for market runs (for example: signed licenses, E&O certificate, cleared cue sheet)?
• Specify any third-party licensor contact constraints or approval gates (for example: music publisher approval required prior to license execution).
• Indicate whether translations, dubbing, or localization rights are included or must be negotiated separately per territory. Options: Included, Negotiated separately per territory, Partial — specify

Administer Royalty Accounting and Proceeds Distribution

• Specify the reporting format you require for royalty statements (for example: CSV with columns for territory, gross receipts, deductions, net receipts). Options: CSV royalty template, PDF statement, Spreadsheet (XLSX), Custom format
• Indicate desired reporting cadence and payment frequency (for example: quarterly reports with 45-day payment terms). Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-annual, Annual
• List any required withholding tax treatments or currency conversion rules we must apply in proceeds distribution.
• Who is your designated finance contact for receiving reconciliations and bank instructions?
• State audit window expectations and acceptable auditor qualifications (for example: right to audit within 2 years; auditor must be certified public accountant).
• Describe any carve-outs or fees that must be deducted before calculating participant splits (for example: marketing amortization, distribution commission cap).

Negotiate Renewals for Expiring Licensing Portfolios

• Attach or list the expiring agreements you want considered for renewal along with their contract IDs and expiry dates.
• Provide the recent streaming viewership metrics you will use to justify renewal value (for example: 30-day unique viewers, average watch time, completion rate).
• Which renewal structures do you prefer: flat-fee renewal, indexed renewal tied to viewership, or revenue-share renewal? Options: Flat-fee renewal, Indexed to viewership metrics, Revenue-share renewal, Hybrid
• Identify any territory-by-territory exceptions for renewals (for example: exclude Country X from automatic renewal).
• Who will validate historical consumption reports during renewal negotiation (you, we, or a third-party analytics provider)? Options: You validate, We validate, Third-party analytics provider
• State minimum data thresholds that must be met to trigger a renewal offer (for example: average monthly viewers > 10,000 over last 90 days).

• Master Representation Agreement
• Statement of Work (90-Day Go-to-Market Plan)
• Commission Schedule
• Exclusivity Rider
• Conflict Disclosure & Consent
• Approval Rights & Creative Control Addendum
• Signature Authority & Execution Form
• Pre-Sale Financing Milestone Schedule

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

• Update the shared follow-up channel with the agreed quarterly report and next review date
• List pending creative approvals with missing inputs and target completion dates for each
• Publish a corrective action plan that includes tasks, desired outcomes, and resolution dates to the shared channel
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision with pass/fail status for each numeric criterion.
• Agree remediation items, timelines, and evidence required for any conditional or failed criteria.
• Confirm the post-acceptance realization tracking cadence and the reporting package to be used going forward.
• Publish the acceptance decision record with pass/fail status for each acceptance criterion
• List remediation actions for any failed or conditional criteria with target completion dates and required evidence
• Deliver the agreed post-acceptance monitoring template and sample populated report for the next quarterly review
• Deal outcomes and revenue reconciliation
• Confirm quarter-to-date gross deal value and reconcile receipts to the ledger.
• Reduce open issues count and lower average days to resolution through agreed actions.
• Identify at least one operational adjustment to improve portfolio monetization next quarter and record the tasks required.
• Deliver a reconciled revenue report tying deals to receipts and territory acknowledgements
• Publish an open-issue register with target resolution dates and required evidence for closure
• Produce a prioritized list of portfolio operational adjustments and the specific outputs required to test each
• Re-confirm commitments and owners
• All onboarding deliverables and required documents are present in the shared workspace or a remediation plan with dates is agreed.
• Communication channel and stakeholder contact list are validated for active follow-ups.
• Immediate blockers are captured with remediation tasks and target resolution dates.
• Publish a go-live checklist confirming each required document and access point or record a remediation plan with dates
• Populate the shared follow-up channel with stakeholder roles and preferred contact methods
• Log any technical or content delivery blockers and provide a target remediation date for each
• Present first outcome data
• Determine whether total gross deal value and pre-sale financing are meeting mid-course expectations and document any shortfalls.
• Identify the top 2 root causes for any shortfall and agree corrective tasks with dates.
• Confirm the evidence package and timeline required for the 90-day acceptance gate.
• Produce a territory-level deal ledger showing executed deal dates, gross values, and counterparty identifiers for audit
• Compile verified pre-sale financing receipts and a reconciliation to the committed schedule
• Deployment and documentation validation
• Financing receipts and milestone fulfillment
• Creative approvals and delivery status
• Present audited outcome data against each criterion
• Creative approvals and delivery backlog
• Channel and user readiness
• Root-cause diagnosis for performance gaps
• Document pass/fail per criterion
• Named acceptance decision and next steps
• Agree corrective actions and milestones
• Open issues burn-down
• Early signals and initial outreach status
• Portfolio optimization opportunities and constraints
• Blockers and immediate remediation
• Confirm path to acceptance gate
• Transition plan for post-acceptance realization tracking
• Agree operational action plan for next quarter