Radial Entertainment Charts New Streaming Era Focused on Catalogs, Data and Advertising

On June 17, 2026, the StreamTV Show in Denver became the stage for a bold vision from Radial Entertainment’s CEO Jeff Shultz. He outlined a new direction for the streaming industry—one that moves beyond the early “streaming wars” of subscriber acquisition and heads into a phase centered on sustainable businesses, profitability, data, and the strategic value of content libraries.

Shultz described the first wave of streaming as a “capital war” rather than a pure content battle. The rapid influx of money sparked consolidation, setting the stage for a more disciplined approach. "Act two of streaming is going to be about building sustainable businesses, about data, discipline, profitability," he said.

A key theme was the undervaluation of content catalogs. Radial Entertainment, born last year when investment firm Oaktree Capital merged FilmRise and Shout! Studios, now owns roughly 70,000 film and television titles—making it one of the largest independent content owners. Shultz explained that Oaktree’s investment thesis is that many valuable libraries remain fragmented or under‑utilised. "We bought Shout! as an investment business, not on a standalone basis, but as a platform to execute that investment thesis," he said.

The company has added to its library through acquisitions such as Millennium, Open Road, Gravitas, and the Golden Princess catalog. The latter, featuring classic Hong Kong action films from director John Woo, was snapped up after a fan asked why Woo’s work hadn’t appeared on U.S. streaming platforms. Shultz recounted how an acquisition team flew to Hong Kong to secure the rights.

Distribution remains a core competitive advantage for Radial. Drawing on his Pluto TV experience, Shultz said expanding distribution channels—whether TVOD, AVOD, FAST, SVOD, theatrical, or physical—creates a compounding advantage. More distribution generates more audience data, which in turn informs acquisition decisions.

While Radial is investing in original production, the company is taking a disciplined approach. "We are not swinging for the fences or throwing a dart," Shultz said. Instead, the focus is on factual and true‑crime programming—areas where Radial already has expertise and data. The company owns franchises such as "FBI Files," "The New Detectives," and "A Haunting." A new season of "FBI Files" is in production, intended to boost engagement with the existing catalog.

Another initiative is turning Radial’s library into an advertising asset. Historically, advertising for Radial‑owned programming was sold by streaming partners. Now the company is packaging its content and audience data directly for marketers, creating a new revenue stream. Shultz announced that the first advertising deals will launch in September or October 2026, following a debut at Cannes Lions.

When asked for advice to other industry executives navigating disruption and consolidation, Shultz cautioned against chasing every new trend. He recalled a previous StreamTV Show where many companies launched FAST channels, most of which failed. "My advice is: don’t do that," he said. "Look at what’s durable. What remains scarce and valuable as pieces move around on the board?"

The keynote underscored a shift in the streaming landscape: from aggressive subscriber acquisition to a focus on catalog value, data‑driven distribution, disciplined original content, and new advertising opportunities.