Discussion How Much Commission Should a Sales Agent Really Take in 2026?

[Cinema Doktor]

Lately I keep hearing completely different numbers depending on the film, territory and overall market situation. Most partners I speak with still mention around 20% commission as the “normal” range, but I also know sales agents working closer to 10%, especially when producers already bring buyers, festival exposure or pre-sales to the table. On the other side, there are still companies asking for 25-35% while many films now sit unsold for years and MGs continue getting smaller. So what actually feels fair today for completed films, streaming deals, pre-sales, collection account handling or long-term library sales? Has the traditional sales agent model simply become too expensive for today’s market, or are producers underestimating how difficult international sales have become lately?

 

[Michael]

Lately I keep hearing completely different numbers depending on the film, territory and overall market situation. Most partners I speak with still mention around 20% commission as the “normal” range, but I also know sales agents working closer to 10%, especially when producers already bring buyers, festival exposure or pre-sales to the table. On the other side, there are still companies asking for 25-35% while many films now sit unsold for years and MGs continue getting smaller. So what actually feels fair today for completed films, streaming deals, pre-sales, collection account handling or long-term library sales? Has the traditional sales agent model simply become too expensive for today’s market, or are producers underestimating how difficult international sales have become lately?

I think the traditional flat 20% model is becoming outdated.

If a sales agent is simply forwarding emails between buyers and producers, then 20% feels excessive. But if they are risking their own capital, offering an MG, funding market screenings, or genuinely pushing territory-by-territory sales, that’s a completely different conversation.

From what I see in today’s market:

10–15% feels fair when producers already bring festival exposure, pre-sales or strong packaging.

20% still makes sense for tough indie territory-by-territory sales where the agent is actively working Cannes, EFM or AFM.

25%+ without real financial risk starts becoming difficult to justify in 2026.

The bigger issue today is often not even the commission itself, but uncapped recoupable expenses. A “cheap” 15% deal can still destroy producer revenue if marketing and market costs remain unlimited.

And global streaming deals are a separate discussion entirely. If one SVOD deal closes worldwide rights in a single contract, a full 20% commission feels hard to defend.

Personally, I think producers need to negotiate smarter:
shorter terms, capped expenses, and real performance expectations.

Because in today’s market, some sales agreements are starting to look more profitable for the intermediary than for the actual film itself.

 

[Lucas]

I think the traditional flat 20% model is becoming outdated.

If a sales agent is simply forwarding emails between buyers and producers, then 20% feels excessive. But if they are risking their own capital, offering an MG, funding market screenings, or genuinely pushing territory-by-territory sales, that’s a completely different conversation.

From what I see in today’s market:

10–15% feels fair when producers already bring festival exposure, pre-sales or strong packaging.

20% still makes sense for tough indie territory-by-territory sales where the agent is actively working Cannes, EFM or AFM.

25%+ without real financial risk starts becoming difficult to justify in 2026.

The bigger issue today is often not even the commission itself, but uncapped recoupable expenses. A “cheap” 15% deal can still destroy producer revenue if marketing and market costs remain unlimited.

And global streaming deals are a separate discussion entirely. If one SVOD deal closes worldwide rights in a single contract, a full 20% commission feels hard to defend.

Personally, I think producers need to negotiate smarter:
shorter terms, capped expenses, and real performance expectations.

Because in today’s market, some sales agreements are starting to look more profitable for the intermediary than for the actual film itself.

Spot on, Michael. Reading some older sales agency agreements today honestly feels like opening a time capsule from a completely different industry.

I’m reviewing an old international sales boilerplate from around 2015/2016 and some of these clauses would probably terrify producers in today’s market

Especially things like uncapped expenses, automatic renewals and full cross-collateralization.

Old boilerplate example below:

TERRITORY & TERM​

The rights granted herein shall apply worldwide throughout the Universe for a term of seven (7) years, automatically renewable unless terminated in writing.

SALES AGENT COMMISSION​

The Sales Agent shall retain twenty percent (20%) of all Gross Receipts derived from exploitation of the Picture in all media and territories, including direct platform acquisitions and global licensing deals.

EXPENSES​

The Sales Agent shall be entitled to recoup all marketing, publicity, travel, accommodation, legal and promotional expenses incurred in connection with exploitation of the Picture.

CROSS-COLLATERALIZATION​

The Sales Agent shall have the right to cross-collateralize revenues and expenses across all territories and media.

ASSIGNMENT​

The Sales Agent may assign this Agreement or any rights hereunder to third parties without prior approval from Producer.

Which clause here aged the worst in your opinion?

 

[Max]

@Michael

Honestly, I think this depends heavily on the producer, genre, territory and how difficult the film actually is to sell internationally.

I know an Eastern European producer who was recently offered a 40% sales commission deal for one of his films, which sounds crazy at first, but the reality is that international sales become much harder when projects lack English-language elements or recognizable cast.

From what I keep hearing lately, the real market range today feels closer to 15–30% depending on what the sales agent is actually bringing to the table.

And in many cases, producers still end up covering additional legal, marketing or festival costs on top of the commission anyway.