Taylor Swift negotiated an unprecedented distribution deal directly with AMC Theatres and Cinemark after talks with major film studios fell through, bypassing the traditional producer-distributor-exhibitor model entirely.

The film was recorded across the first three of six Los Angeles shows of the Eras Tour, from August 3 to 5, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with a budget of $10-20 million.

Production was able to proceed amid the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike because the union gave special approval, recognizing it as a non-AMPTP production that met the standards the unions were seeking in their negotiations with studios.

Swift's parents personally negotiated the term sheet for the film's distribution deal with AMC CEO Adam Aron.

Ticket prices for standard screenings were deliberately set at $19.89, referencing Swift's album 1989 (Taylor's Version), and $13.13 for children and seniors, referencing her lucky number 13.

The film's announcement caused several other movies, including The Exorcist: Believer and Killers of the Flower Moon, to shift their release strategies or dates to avoid competing with it, sparking online comparisons to the 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon under the hashtag '#Exorswift'.

During the performance of '22' in the film, Swift gives her hat to a pre-selected fan from the audience; in this recording, the recipient was Bianka Bryant, daughter of the late NBA player Kobe Bryant.

The film's success inspired Beyoncé to announce her own concert film, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, using the same AMC distribution model pioneered by Swift, and Beyoncé attended the Eras Tour film's premiere.

Disney+ reportedly paid more than $75 million for the exclusive streaming rights to the extended (Taylor's Version) cut, winning a bidding war against Netflix and Universal in a deal negotiated by Swift's brother Austin.

A second concert film, The Final Show, was recorded at the tour's final Vancouver show in December 2024 and directed by Glenn Weiss instead of Sam Wrench, featuring The Tortured Poets Department act added to the setlist after the first film's release.