Major film studios

Major film studios are production and distribution companies that release a substantial number of films annually and consistently command a significant share of box office revenue in a given market. In American and international markets, major film studios, often known simply as majors or Big Five studios, are commonly regarded as five diversified media conglomerates whose various film production and distribution subsidiaries collectively command approximately 80 to 85% of American box office revenue. The term may also be applied more specifically to the primary motion picture business subsidiary of each respective conglomerate.

Since the dawn of filmmaking, major American film studios have dominated both American cinema and the global film industry. American studios have benefited from a strong first-mover advantage in that they were the first to industrialize filmmaking and master the art of mass-producing and distributing high-quality films with broad cross-cultural appeal. Big Five majors – Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Sony Pictures – routinely distribute hundreds of films every year into all significant international markets. The majors enjoy "significant internal economies of scale" from their "extensive and efficient [distribution] infrastructure," while it is "nearly impossible" for a film to reach a broad international theatrical audience without being first picked up by one of the majors for distribution. All Big Five major studios are members of Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).