Analysis
NAICS 51212 is the 2022 NAICS industry for motion picture and video distribution, part of 5121 (Motion Picture and Video Industries).
It has only one more detailed code, 512120, which covers exactly the same activities; the definition, index entries and statistics are on that page.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 38% and employment fell 14%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
County Business Patterns counts 493 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 2,525 people at an average annual payroll of $119,223 per employee (90th percentile of national industries). 76% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which marks it as a small-business industry.
By establishments it ranks 4th of the 4 codes at this level within Motion Picture and Video Industries, with 1.9% of them.
Official definition
See industry description for 512120.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.