ShortsTV

Overview

ShortsTV is a dedicated short film channel and distribution company founded in 2001 and available on cable, satellite, and streaming platforms across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The channel is the world's first and only dedicated short film channel, programming curated short content across drama, comedy, documentary, animation, and genre categories for audiences who seek short-form cinema rather than feature-length productions.

ShortsTV is available through major US cable providers including DirecTV and Dish Network, through Amazon Prime Video as a channel add-on, and through digital streaming platforms in European and Asian markets. The channel's global distribution makes it one of the few platforms specifically designed to generate revenue for short filmmakers through broadcast and streaming licensing.

Short Film Distribution Landscape

Short films have historically been among the most commercially underserved categories of cinema. While shorts are prestigious in the festival world -- an Academy Award nomination for Best Short Film carries significant career value -- the commercial distribution infrastructure for short content has been limited. ShortsTV represents one of the more systematic attempts to build a genuine commercial distribution channel for short-form cinema.

For short filmmakers, ShortsTV provides a commercial distribution destination that the feature-length streaming platforms do not serve. Short films do not fit the standard SVOD catalog model -- they are too brief to justify individual discovery by casual viewers -- but a curated short film channel solves this discovery problem by providing a dedicated context for short-form viewing.

Oscar Shorts Program

ShortsTV operates the Oscar Shorts theatrical program, releasing the Oscar-nominated short films in live action, documentary, and animated categories theatrically across the US and internationally each year in conjunction with the Academy Awards season. This program gives short filmmakers rare theatrical exposure in the commercial multiplex environment, connecting Oscar season audiences with the nominated shorts alongside the feature competition.

The Oscar Shorts theatrical program is one of the most effective mechanisms for short filmmakers to achieve commercial theatrical release. Films nominated for Academy Awards in the short categories are screened in hundreds of theatres across the country through the ShortsTV program, reaching audiences far beyond the festival circuit audience that typically encounters short film content.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For short filmmakers seeking commercial distribution, ShortsTV is one of the primary US distribution options alongside Vimeo On Demand for direct self-distribution and festival circuit exposure. The channel's licensing model pays short filmmakers for broadcast and streaming rights, providing revenue that most short films never generate through festival-only circulation.

The Oscar Shorts theatrical program is accessible only to Academy Award nominees. For other short filmmakers, ShortsTV's general programming considers a range of quality short content for its channels, with acquisition through direct submission or festival relationship.

See Also

For how short film distribution differs from feature film distribution in revenue and strategy, see Distribution Deals Explained. For short film festivals that serve as the primary discovery platform for short film content before broadcast distribution, see the Film Festivals Directory.