Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
Lifetime
Lifetime is doubling down on branded holiday originals and multi-platform distribution while selectively acquiring music-inspired and drama titles for its core cable and streaming footprint.
Current mandate
Lifetime is currently executing its 2025 "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" holiday event, anchoring its originals slate around 12 new Christmas movies premiering on Fridays and Saturdays beginning November 29. The network expanded its holiday footprint this cycle by adding a thriller entry, "Do What I Fear," to Lifetime Movie Network on December 4, moving beyond purely romantic or family-focused fare. A recent acquisition, "Eric Jerome Dickey's Friends and Lovers," signals continued interest in music-inspired films and drama with romantic and personal growth themes outside the holiday window.
Over the past 12 months, Lifetime has logged 40 tracked records, reflecting a steady acquisition and development cadence rather than a burst-and-pause pattern. The network's multi-platform rollout strategy, spanning cable premiere, next-day TVE/VOD availability, the Lifetime Movie Club subscription service (reportedly offering 70 library titles from October 24), and a dedicated FAST channel launching November 1, indicates that windowing and catalog monetization are as central to its current strategy as new commissions. Talent choices blend returning network regulars with new additions, suggesting a preference for projects that carry built-in audience recognition.
Filmmakers and rights holders with completed or near-complete drama projects, particularly those with romantic arcs, personal growth themes, or music-adjacent storylines, represent the clearest fit for Lifetime's non-holiday acquisition pipeline. The network's 70 tracked decision makers and a deal velocity signal of 1 active move in the past 30 days suggest a selective, relationship-driven access environment rather than an open-submission marketplace.
Signature peaks
- 100 Holiday Library Titles — Rolling out on website, app, and VOD partners from Oct. 27
- 70 Lifetime Movie Club Titles — Library titles available on subscription service from Oct. 24
- 70 Decision Makers Tracked — Active contacts across acquisition and development per ScriptMatch data
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Not disclosed
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Lifetime operates as a relationship-driven buyer with 70 tracked decision makers. No public open-submission process is documented. Represented projects with talent attachments or existing IP, particularly in romantic drama and music-inspired film, represent the most viable entry point. ScriptMatch contact data provides direct access to the acquisition and development team.
- Deal structure
- Acquisitions are structured as network originals or targeted pickups for cable premiere with next-day TVE/VOD availability. Multi-platform windowing is standard, encompassing the Lifetime Movie Club subscription service, VOD partners, and the Holiday Movie Favorites by Lifetime FAST channel for library titles. Budget terms are not publicly disclosed.
Recent acquisitions
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Eric Jerome Dickey’s Friends and Lovers
Market context
"It's a Wonderful Lifetime returns in 2025 with 12 new Christmas movies, a holiday thriller, and a FAST channel, signaling that Lifetime's original programming engine is running at full capacity heading into Q4."
Lifetime is currently executing its 2025 "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" holiday event, anchoring its originals slate around 12 new Christmas movies premiering on Fridays and Saturdays beginning November 29. The network expanded its holiday footprint this cycle by adding a thriller entry, "Do What I Fear," to Lifetime Movie Network on December 4, moving beyond purely romantic or family-focused fare. A recent acquisition, "Eric Jerome Dickey's Friends and Lovers," signals continued interest in music-inspired films and drama with romantic and personal growth themes outside the holiday window.
Common questions about Lifetime
Does Lifetime accept unsolicited scripts?
Lifetime does not operate a public open-submission portal based on available intelligence. The network's acquisition activity, including the recent pickup of 'Eric Jerome Dickey's Friends and Lovers,' appears to flow through established industry relationships and represented talent. Writers and producers without existing Lifetime contacts are best positioned by securing representation or attaching a producing partner with a prior network relationship before approaching the 70 tracked decision makers in ScriptMatch's database.
What budgets does Lifetime typically work with for original movies?
Budget figures for Lifetime originals are not publicly disclosed, including for the recent acquisition of 'Eric Jerome Dickey's Friends and Lovers,' which lists budget as not disclosed. Lifetime's model is consistent with cable network original movies, which industry observers generally characterize as modest to mid-range productions. Projects pitched to Lifetime should be structured for efficient production schedules and practical locations rather than large-scale physical production.
Does Lifetime acquire films from festivals?
Festival acquisition is not a prominently documented pathway in current Lifetime intelligence. The network's recent activity centers on commissioned originals and targeted acquisitions of projects with existing IP or talent attachments, such as the Eric Jerome Dickey adaptation acquired in October 2025. That said, completed drama films with strong romantic or personal growth themes that align with Lifetime's content focus could surface as acquisition candidates through festival exposure if the right relationships are in place.
How do I reach Lifetime's acquisition team?
Lifetime tracks 70 decision makers in ScriptMatch's database, making it one of the more staffed buyer profiles on the platform. Direct outreach is most effective through representation or a producing partner with an established Lifetime relationship. The network's deal velocity shows 1 active signal in the past 30 days, indicating a selective rather than high-volume acquisition pace. ScriptMatch's contact data is the recommended starting point for identifying the appropriate acquisition or development executive for a given project type.
What genres is Lifetime prioritizing right now?
Lifetime's current programming focus centers on holiday originals, romantic drama, and, notably in 2025, holiday thrillers, as evidenced by 'Do What I Fear' on Lifetime Movie Network. Outside the holiday window, the network's content focus includes music-inspired films and drama with romantic and personal growth themes, consistent with the recent acquisition of 'Eric Jerome Dickey's Friends and Lovers.' Projects that blend emotional character arcs with accessible, relationship-driven storytelling represent the clearest fit for Lifetime's year-round mandate.
Is Lifetime actively acquiring projects right now?
Lifetime's latest tracked signal is dated April 18, 2026, and the network logged 40 records over the past 12 months, indicating ongoing activity. However, unique deals in the past 30 and 90 days register at zero in current ScriptMatch data, with a deal velocity score of 1, suggesting the network is in a consolidation or development phase rather than an active acquisition sprint. The 2025 holiday slate appears largely set, making the non-holiday drama and music-inspired pipeline the more likely near-term acquisition target for outside submissions.
Adjacent buyers in this lane
- Focus Features — Focus Features is doubling down on experiential brand-building and festival acquisitions to court th
- Roadside Attractions — Roadside Attractions is a North American boutique distributor actively acquiring festival-originated
- Fox Entertainment — Fox Entertainment is running a deliberate, low-volume acquisition strategy built around creator-led,
- 20th Television — 20th Television is actively building its overall-deal roster and deepening its animation pipeline, w
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