David Cornwall, managing director of Scorpion TV, joined ScreenMDM Talks to weigh in on the landscape for independent doc distributors today.
Cornwall has two decades of experience in content sales. At Scorpion TV, he has assembled an eclectic mix of doc specials and series, working closely with producers to maximize the exploitation of titles across the value chain, from traditional linear deals to YouTube exposure.
It’s a challenging time, he concedes, with the overall market having gotten smaller amid pullbacks in broadcaster and streamer commissioning. Against this landscape, he’s seen “more of a focus on premium content,” he said on this episode of ScreenMDM Talks, which you can watch on YouTube or Spotify or keep reading below.
“That mid-layer of decent filler factual content seems to have gone away,” he said.
Navigating this landscape, Cornwall is “listening to what our buyers are telling us, and we’re trying to give them what they want. We’re trying to focus more on premium content. Quality always sells. If it’s a good show, if it’s well made, if there’s a commitment to craft, that always has a chance of selling. So we always look for quality. Obviously, we’re spreading our bets. We’re not focusing so much on broadcast-only or streaming-only. The tech money of old has gone away somewhat. But the public broadcasters are still there. Some of the linear legacy channels are still there doing their thing. And of course, across AVOD, VOD, YouTube, educational distribution, and in-flight. We’re also looking at working more closely with producers in terms of things like grassroots screenings, corporate screenings, anywhere where we can try to help get the film to a wider audience.”
The company is certainly using YouTube as a key window, monetizing its back catalog on the social video platform. “Producers love it,” he says. “It’s a film that’s 10 years old, and it’s still bringing up returns every quarter from YouTube and other VOD platforms. The one thing I will say, though, is that I’m starting to hear from aggregators we work with that the numbers for films are not what they were, especially if you have them on several different channels on YouTube. But definitely, once a film has run its course on traditional linear, then we’re definitely looking at those alternative outlets on YouTube and other VOD platforms.”
While FAST has been a popular window for a lot of factual content, it’s not an area that Scorpion TV has spent a lot of time in, “simply because it seems to be a volume play—it’s hundreds of hours at least. If you want to have a consistent channel, you need a large output. We are doing one-off curated documentaries. We’ve got a few of our titles on various FAST platforms, and they certainly hold their own against the more traditional VOD outlets. It’s an addition to the party, but it’s not a main thrust of our strategy, I would say, just because we don’t have the volume to maintain a sensible output.”
As for what his clients are looking for, true crime remains a draw, especially the premium variety—which is harder to come by—as well as current affairs. “Anything that really explains not necessarily what’s happening today, but has an angle on these issues, especially for public broadcasters. Part of their remit is to educate their audience. So strong current affairs, which can be difficult because by the time you’ve made it, the news cycle’s moved on. Wildlife, of course, popular science, and strong human interest stories are still there. But I think what buyers want is certainty. They want to know that this is going to deliver an audience.”
Being “bang-on genre” helps, he said. “Not half science, half history or human interest.”
In navigating the sector now, Cornwall is focused on high-quality fare and ultimately on fostering relationships with both buyers and producers.
“I’m really keen to help producers have a career in this business because it’s definitely not easy and it’s not getting easier.”
