Relay’s Bold Redesign is a High-Stakes Win for Independent Filmmakers

Jason Diaz
Dec 30, 2025
2 min read

If you’ve been following the streaming wars, you know the drill: Netflix, Hulu, and Max use algorithms designed to keep you in a "comfort loop," constantly feeding you more of what you’ve already seen. It’s a system that rewards the winners and buries the new, the weird, and the independent.

But Relay is taking a different path. Today, the platform officially launched a bold new look and a complete structural refresh designed to do one thing: get audiences to the right film faster. This isn't just a fresh coat of paint. This is a fundamental rethink of how streaming should work.

Human Curation Meets High-Octane Design

The first thing you’ll notice is the brand. It’s bolder, louder, and unapologetically cinematic. But the real magic is in the redesigned genres and collections. Relay has moved away from the endless, mindless "ribbons" of content and toward a system driven by human curation amplified by AI.

What does that mean for you? It means instead of an cold, unfeeling code deciding what you see, real film lovers are building collections that make sense. The AI then works to amplify those collections to the right people. It’s a "best of both worlds" approach that cuts through the noise.

For the audience, the benefits are immediate:

Easier Discovery: Movies and shows are grouped by vibe and genre in ways that actually make sense.
Less Scrolling: The interface is designed to lead you to a choice, not a headache.
Real Engagement: You’re finding things based on actual interest, not because an algorithm is trying to "fix" your watch history.

The Filmmaker-First Revolution

At Popcorn & Pages, we care about the people behind the camera. The "Relay Shift" is a massive win for creators. On most platforms, if your film doesn't hit a certain metric in the first 48 hours, it’s functionally deleted from the homepage.

Relay is built on the belief that when finding something to watch is easy, more films get watched and more filmmakers get paid. By optimizing for discovery rather than "winning," Relay ensures that independent gems have a fighting chance to find their audience.

And let's talk about the business: Relay maintains an industry-leading filmmaker-first revenue split. When you combine that with a platform that actively helps people find your work, you have the most authentic and supportive streaming environment currently on the market.

Relay is available worldwide right now for a refreshingly low $4.99/month. You can find it on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.

If you’re tired of the "empty impressions" and the dead ends of mainstream streaming, it’s time to switch. Relay is proving that the future of film isn't just about big budgets—it’s about big ideas being found by the right people.