AI Data Deal TrackerDeal brief
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Lionsgate partners with Runway to train a custom video model on its film and TV library
Lionsgate gave Runway access to its catalog to build a custom AI video model for the studio. Runway is considering offering related models as templates to creators.
NEW YORK, September 18, 2024 Runway and Lionsgate announced a partnership to create and train a new AI model customized on Lionsgate's proprietary catalog. Financial terms were not disclosed.1
Terms of the deal
The model is intended to help Lionsgate Studios, its filmmakers and directors generate cinematic video that can be refined with Runway's controllable tools. Runway said it is considering licensing such models as templates for individual creators who want to train models on their own data.1 The announcement did not disclose payment, contract length or exclusivity.
The public record on this agreement is limited to the announcement and the press coverage cited below. The price is listed here as: Undisclosed. The status shown, Announced, reflects the most recent reporting available on October 22, 2026, and any later amendments are not captured.
Background
The deal was among the first public partnerships between a Hollywood studio and a generative video company. Lionsgate Vice Chair Michael Burns called Runway a best-in-class partner, and Runway's chief executive Cristóbal Valenzuela said the best stories are yet to be told.1 Runway directs companies interested in fine-tuned or custom models to its enterprise offering, which suggests the Lionsgate model is a template for a broader product line rather than a one-off project.
What it means for data sellers
Sellers of video libraries can structure deals where the buyer builds a custom product for them, rather than only paying for data. Such structures can address union and talent concerns. Still, sellers should confirm what rights the vendor retains to learn from the library.
A seller comparing this deal with its own situation should ask what the buyer actually receives: raw data, a license to train, a license to display, or a right to build a product. Each is priced differently, and the answer should be written into the agreement rather than inferred from a press release.
How the deal came together
- Studio goal. Lionsgate wanted AI tools for storyboarding and effects built on its own library.
- Vendor pitch. Runway offered to build an enterprise model fine-tuned on a customer's catalog.
- Announcement. The partnership was announced on September 18, 2024.
- Use inside the studio. The model is meant first for internal creative and production uses.
Takeaways for companies with data
- Studios can trade library access for a bespoke model instead of a cash fee.
- A private, fine-tuned model keeps the seller's data inside a controlled product.
- Terms such as exclusivity and duration are often left out of announcements.
Sources
Every numbered reference above points to an entry here. Figures come from these pages as of the date shown at the top of the article. Where a source reports a number it got from unnamed people, the text says so.
- Runway partners with Lionsgate (Runway, September 2024)
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About the AI Data Deal Tracker
SellYourAIData tracks publicly reported sales and licenses of data to AI companies, with the price, terms and sources for each. Entries are checked against public reporting and updated as deals change. SellYourAIData was not involved in this deal. To ask what your company's data could sell for, get a free valuation. To report a deal, contact us.