Oh, distributors will still distribute Lionsgate movies, but they will not buy the rightsoutright, . which was how Lionsgate protected itself in the past.
It;s complex, but basically when a distributor buys the rights to a movie, it gets a much bigger percentage of the take then in a standard distribution deal. The downside is if the film flops, you eat the loss, not Lionsgate, which covered itself with the money from the sale. A standard distrubtion deal is much different, with Lionsgate taking the risks.