Nov 27, 2025
The distribution landscape is changing fast. Platforms are fading and creators are taking control. This blog looks at direct-to-fan models and how filmmakers, festivals and rights holders can use Hiway to own their content and audience.
David Orman
Co-Founder & CEO
A major shift is hitting film and content distribution. And it has been a long time coming.
Roc Nation launching its own distribution platform wasn’t just a music headline.
It was a signal.
It confirmed what filmmakers, distributors, festivals and rights holders have been saying for years: the power is finally shifting from platforms to creators.
Direct-to-fan distribution is no longer niche.
It is becoming the default model across:
independent film
Documentaries
digital content
live events
sports content
archive catalogues
And this shift is exactly why Hiway was created.
Timing matters, and the timing right now is perfect.
The old distribution system wasn’t built for creators
It was built for intermediaries.
For decades, independent filmmakers, sales agents, catalogue owners and festivals have lived inside a model where:
Platforms own the audience
Aggregators and distributors take the revenue
Viewer data is locked away
Rights and windows are unclear
Payments are delayed
Creators sit at the bottom of the value chain
The people who create the content have the least control over it.
And in today's market, that imbalance is no longer sustainable.
Direct-to-fan is becoming the new centre of gravity
Music has already moved.
Gaming has already moved.
Creators like MrBeast and the Sidemen have moved.
Film is next.
The filmmakers who win the next decade will be the ones who:
➡️ own their audience
➡️ own their distribution
➡️ own their rights and windows
➡️ own their data
➡️ own their revenue
Creators don’t want to rent their audience anymore.
They don’t want platforms deciding if their work lives or dies.
They want direct control, real revenue, and global reach.
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This is exactly why Hiway was built
Hiway isn’t “another streaming platform.”
Hiway is new infrastructure built for creators who want direct-to-fan control.
It’s for:
Filmmakers
who need secure screeners, rights control, and transparent monetisation.
Documentary producers
who want direct revenue without waiting for distributors or platforms.
Distributors
who want digital rights, windows, screeners and analytics in one place.
Film festivals
who want an easy OTT solution and year-round monetisation of selections.
Catalogue & archive owners
who want to monetise dormant libraries in global markets.
Hiway gives creators:
a direct path to fans
a direct path to revenue
a direct path to audience data
a direct grip on rights and windows
one upload for global screeners, sales, and public streaming
Creators should control how their content moves, earns, and reaches audiences worldwide, without any middleman.
The technology finally exists.
And the market demand for it has never been higher.
Proof: creators are already bypassing the old system with Hiway
This shift is happening in real time:
Films distributed direct to real fans, not an algorithm
Fan communities reached globally through SmartLinks
Pricing, access and audience controlled from one central library
First-party audience data collected automatically
Real revenue flowing directly to creators
Real creators.
Real audiences.
Real income.
Zero intermediaries.
Hiway is now open to everyone
Any filmmaker, festival, distributor or rights holder can now:
launch a direct-to-fan streaming platform in minutes
host secure screeners for buyers, press and sales agents
build private industry rooms for acquisitions
stream and monetise globally or by territory
collect and own first-party data
control rights, windows and pricing
monetise full catalogues - not only new releases
No CapEx.
No technical knowledge required.
No waiting for platform approvals.
Upload your content.
Set your markets.
Reach your fans.
Earn revenue directly.
The future of film distribution belongs to creators who own their audience.
Hiway makes that possible today.
Your way. On the Hiway.
Want to see how direct-to-fan distribution works?
Book a test drive:
Book a Demo
About the Author
David Orman
Co-Founder & CEO
With a career that has taken me through venture capital, media, sport and digital content, I’ve picked up more stories than I can count, and too many I can't tell....