Table Profit: How Films Get Paid Before You Buy a Ticket

Table profit means a film recovers its budget through pre-sales before a single ticket is sold.

The four big pre-sale streams: satellite (TV), digital (OTT), music/audio, and overseas rights.

OTT and TV pay a minimum guarantee upfront, shifting box-office risk off the producer.

Satellite-rights values have crashed in 2025-26, so buyers now bundle TV and digital into one deal.

A film can flop at the box office and still be 'in profit' on paper for the producer.