Distribution is no longer a single pathway. Producers today are navigating platforms, studios, global streamers, and direct-to-audience ecosystems, often simultaneously. This session explores how audience-building and fandom intersect with financing and distribution. From creators like Luke Bateman, who built an audience through BookTok before landing a traditional publishing deal, to the global rise of K-drama fandom through companies like CJ ENM, and genre models such as Blumhouse, the panel looks at how audience traction can influence the marketplace. Can building an audience early reduce financing risk? When does online momentum translate into traditional opportunities? And how should producers think about fandom when developing projects in the first place?

Produced by Caden Pearson.

Moderated by Nicholas Verso.