Plan ahead for DVD submission to Blockbuster

Strategic planning is essential for any distribution plan.  Plan your Order Date/Street Date (official launch date of DVD) to incorporate the buying windows of the retailers.  Did you know that submissions for Blockbuster (brick and mortar stores, not online) have a lead time of 3-4 months?  Today I got a notice from Blockbuster's buyer stating that the submission TFS forms are due June 11th for Sept and October:

Period 09-2010 Dates: 08/30/2010 - 10/03/2010

Period 10-2010 Dates: 10/04/2010 - 10/31/2010

And remember, if you have set a street date prior to these windows and your product is in the marketplace, you CANNOT be considered for Blockbuster New Release.

So, when you sign with your distributing partner, be sure to ask when the windows are for Blockbuster and WalMart - these two retailers have the longest lead time for submissions.  Then agree upon a start date!