Netflix teams w/ MSFT on ads / YouTube TV hits 5M subs / "Stranger Things" viewership record / "Criminal Minds" returns

Plus today's calendar, streaming viewers getting older, new "Lord of the Rings" teaser, "Love is Blind" lawsuit, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network July 14, 2022

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Netflix will partner with Microsoft on its new lower-cost ad-supported streaming tier. The streamer announced Microsoft as its "global advertising technology and sales partner" in a blog post on Wednesday. More: In the post, Netflix COO Greg Peters described the company's goals as "more choice for consumers and a premium, better-than-linear TV brand experience for advertisers." Though no formal release date has been set for the ad-supported tier, it's expected to launch before the end of this year. Microsoft and Netflix have worked closely together in the past; the first version of the service's "Watch Instantly" streaming project was built with Microsoft's Silverlight technology instead of the Flash Player, the more common software of the era. THE VERGE

YouTube TV is now the most-popular live TV streaming service in the US, with over 5 million subscribers. Chief rival Hulu Live claimed around 4.1 million subscribers in April of this year. More: Next in line are Dish Network's Sling TV, with about 2.25 million subs as of March, and Fubo TV, which claims just over 1 million subscribers. Live TV services debuted around 8 years ago -- sometimes referred to as "skinny bundles" -- as a transition from traditional cable packages for recent cord-cutters. In the time since, many consumers have abandoned these services in favor of cheaper, a la carte offerings from Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. YouTube TV launched five ago, and offers content from over 100 channels along with unlimited cloud DVR space and family plans; subscriptions start at $65/month. CNET

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DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS: Mockumentary comedy series -- spun off from the 2014 film of the same name -- about a group of vampires (and one familiar) living together in a house on Staten Island. Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, and Mark Proksch co-star. New Season 4 episodes air Tuesdays on FX and come to Hulu on Wednesdays. [Hulu] SOLAR OPPOSITES: The adult animated comedy series comes from "Rick & Morty" vets Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan, and centers on a group of four aliens from Planet Schlorp who live amongst humans and impersonate a typical American family. The voice cast features Roiland, Sean Giambrone, Thomas Middleditch, and Mary Mack. It's back for a third season. [Hulu] THE CASE STUDY OF VANITAS: Anime series from Bones Inc. ("My Hero Academia"), based on the manga by Jun Mochizuki. It's set in a steampunk version of 19th Century Paris, and centers on a human doctor with the ability to "cure" vampires. The full first season comes to Hulu in the US today. [Hulu] SOUTH PARK: THE STREAMING WARS PART 2: The fourth animated "South Park" special to debut exclusively on Paramount+ continues the story from June's "The Streaming Wars": Randy goes "full nuclear Karen" while Cartman's feud with his mother Liane continues. [Paramount+] D.B. COOPER: WHERE ARE YOU?!: Four-part docuseries looking back at the infamous 1971 hijacking case, in which a man calling himself D.B. Cooper threatened to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet, and ultimately parachuted to freedom with a $200,000 ransom. The film follows the 50-year search for Cooper's true identity and whereabouts. Marina Zenovich ("The Way Down") directed. [Netflix] NEVER STOP DREAMING: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SHIMON PERES: Documentary profile former Israeli prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres, with a focus on his participation in the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty. The film features interviews with former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama and narration from George Clooney. [Netflix] BIG TIMBER: The reality series -- which airs on the History Channel in Canada -- centers on Kevin Wenstob, who owns and operates Wenstob Timber Resources on Vancouver Island along with his partner Sarah Fleming and son, Erik. Season 2 comes to Netflix in the US today. [Netflix] SINTONIA: Teen crime drama series from Brazil, created by music video producer and label owner Konrad "KondZilla" Dantas, following the lives of three childhood friends from a São Paulo favela as they pursue their ambitious dreams. Season 3 debuts on Netflix in the US today. [Netflix] HURTS LIKE HELL: Four-episode scripted limited series from Thailand, based on real events and told in a documentary style, set in the seedy world of underground Muay Thai boxing. The story centers around how the sport -- once a revered part of the nation's cultural heritage -- has become a central hub for crime and corruption. [Netflix] UNDER THE AMALFI SUN (SOTTO IL SOLE DI AMALFI): This Italian YA romantic comedy is a sequel to Netflix's 2020 film "Under the Riccione Sun." One year after meeting and falling in love in Riccione, Camilla (Ludovica Martino) and Vincenzo (Lorenzo Zurzolo) reunite on the Amalfi Coast for another fun-filled summer. [Netflix] REHAB ADDICT LAKE HOUSE RESCUE: Debut series from HGTV in which home renovation expert Nicole Curtis returns to her hometown of Lake Orion, Michigan, to take on the restoration of a historic waterfront cottage dating back to 1904. [Discovery+] LIFE BELOW ZERO: THE NEXT GENERATION: Season 4 of the National Geographic reality series -- which follows people who live and work in the extreme environment of the Alaskan wilderness -- comes to Disney+ in the US today. CHIBI TINY TALES: Animated comedy shorts, which originally debuted on The Disney Channel, featuring tiny, cute versions of familiar Disney characters. An upcoming Disney Channel series, "Chibiverse," will expand on the concept. [Disney+] SPIDEY AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS: Animated series from Disney Junior following the kid superhero team of Peter Parker (Spidey), Miles Morales (Spin), and Gwen Stacy (Ghost-Spider). 4 additional Season 1 episodes come to Disney+ today. [Disney+] MAKE DO & MEND: In this spinoff of the reality series "Escape to the Chateau," Dick and Angel Strawbridge -- along with their children Dorothy and Arthur -- help families from across the UK handle their own redesign and renovation projects. Season 2 comes to Peacock in the US today. [Peacock] THURSDAY, JULY 14 RESIDENT EVIL: Action-horror series, based on the video game franchise, looking at the global apocalypse brought about by the Umbrella Company's T-virus from two different moments in time: 2022 and 2036. The cast includes Lance Reddick, Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Adeline Rudolph, and Siena Agudong; "Supernatural" vet Andrew Dabb developed the adaptation. This original take is not connected to Netflix's animated "Resident Evil" adaptation, "Infinite Darkness," or the film series. [Netflix] KUNG FU PANDA: THE DRAGON KNIGHT: Animated series based on the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise, and featuring the return of Jack Black as the voice of Po the Panda. In this new adventure, Po teams up with an English knight (Rita Ora) on a globe-spanning quest to round up four powerful weapons. [Netflix] HART TO HEART: The chat series features host Kevin Hart sitting down for intimate, one-on-one, unfiltered conversations with celebrity guests from his wine cellar. Season 2 features appearances by Pete Davidson, Simu Liu, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jay-Z, Saweetie, Kristen Stewart, Mike Tyson, Mark Wahlberg, Tyler Perry, Chris Rock, and Seth McFarlane. [Peacock] EVERYTHING'S TRASH: Debut comedy series from Freeform starring "2 Dope Queens" vet Phoebe Robinson (who also writes and produces) as a Brooklyn podcaster whose life changes when her brother (Jordan Carlos) begins a successful career in politics.  Moses Storm, Nneka Okafor, and Toccarra Cash co-star. New episodes air on Freeform on Wednesdays and come to Hulu on Thursdays. [Hulu] VICTORIA'S SECRET: ANGELS AND DEMONS: Investigative documentary from filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer ("The Reagans"), examining allegations of dubious business practices against the American lingerie brand, as well as connections between its longtime CEO, billionaire Les Wexner, and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. [Hulu] ROOM 203: 2022 indie horror film from co-writer/director Ben Jagger -- based on a novel by Nanami Kamon -- about two best friends who move into a cursed apartment. Francesca Xuereb and Viktoria Vinyarska co-star. [Hulu] FBOY ISLAND: The dating competition series sends three women to a tropical paradise along with 26 eligible bachelors. The twist is that half of the men are "nice guys" genuinely looking for love, while the other half are self-proclaimed "FBoys" who are just in it for the $100,000 grand prize. Comedian Nikki Glaser hosts. Season 2 debuts Thursday on HBO Max. [HBO Max] VOTE FOR JUAN (VENGA JUAN): Spanish limited comedy series -- a continuation of the previous series "Vota Juan" and "Vamos Juan" -- following former Logroño mayor Juan Carrasco (Javier Cámara) as he continues fighting a corruption case dating back to his political administration. All three of the series come to HBO Max today. [HBO Max] ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN: Drama series starring Eva Marcille as Marilyn "Madam" DeVille, an ambitious mogul in the male exotic nightclub industry who's constantly looking to expand her empire. Christian Keyes created the series, based on his play; Tyler Perry executive produces. Season 2 debuts on BET+ today. [BET+] GOOD MADAM (MLUNGU WAM): South African horror film, produced in a mix of the English and Xhosa languages, starring Chumisa Cosa as a young domestic worker in the suburbs of Cape Town who works for a catatonic old white woman, whom she calls "Madam." Over time, she begins to sense a disturbing presence around her in Madam's house. Jenna Cato Bass ("Flatland") co-wrote and directed. [Shudder]

The fourth season of Netflix's "Stranger Things" set a new record based on Nielsen's current streaming viewership metrics. According to Nielsen, the horror drama's fourth season was viewed for 7.2 billion minutes between May 30 and June 5, the highest total for any title since the creation of the company's weekly rankings two years ago. More: The previous week, in which "Stranger Things 4" debuted, the show hit 5.14 billion minutes of viewing; that two-week total adds up to 12.34 billion minutes. No show has ever topped 6 billion minutes of watch time on Nielsen's charts in the past; only "Tiger King" and "Ozark" topped 5 billion viewed minutes in a week, and that was during the peak of the pandemic lockdowns in 2020. All viewed episodes of "Stranger Things" were included in the rankings; though most views likely came from new episodes, the tallies also include viewings of prior seasons. Netflix's internal metrics confirm that "Stranger Things" is its most popular English-language series; the streamer considers Korea's "Squid Game" its largest global hit to date. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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Paramount+ formally greenlit a revival of the procedural drama series "Criminal Minds," after more than a year of deal-making and false starts. Six cast members from the original series -- Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, and Paget Brewster -- will return for the new episodes, along with executive producer and showrunner Erica Messer. More: "Criminal Minds" producers ABC Signature and CBS Studios reached an agreement for a revival series several months ago; the remaining time has been spent lining up new deals with Messer and the actors. Production on the new season is scheduled to begin on August 21 in Los Angeles; Mantegna has already shared a photo from the show's new soundstage. While the original network series was episodic in nature, the new season will apparently be more serialized, with the team investigating a single case over all 10 episodes. DEADLINE

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, citing data from Nielsen, viewers over age 50 accounted for 39% of the total viewership of major streaming services in the US, the largest increase for any demographic group. During the same period in 2021, viewers over 50 accounted for just 35% of total streaming viewership. More: For the first time ever, viewers between ages 50 and 64 were streaming more TV than the previous generation, including viewers between 35 and 49. Minal Modha, an analyst with Ampere Analysis, theorized that smart TVs and other devices have made streaming more accessible to older consumers. Netflix was the most-viewed streaming service observed by Nielsen, drawing 6.8% of the total audience share in May 2022. DECIDER

Amazon released a new teaser for its upcoming epic fantasy series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." The show finally debuts on September 2. More: Two previous teasers have been released, including one that was broadcast during this year's Super Bowl, and another last week that was exclusive for Prime Video subscribers. Amazon reportedly spent $250 million on the rights to the "Lord of the Rings" franchise. According to some insiders, the company plans to continue the series for five seasons, at a total potential budget of over $1 billion. The series is set thousands of years before the events of the books "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit," during the Second Age of Middle-earth; specific plot details remain sketchy. THE VERGE

Jeremy Hartwell, a former contestant on Netflix's reality series "Love is Blind," has sued Netflix and the show's producers, alleging a number of labor law violations. Hartwell claims that participants are subjected to "inhumane working conditions" and earn a rate below minimum wage. More: The suit was filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles, and names Netflix along with production company Kinetic Content and casting agency Delirium TV as co-defendants. Hartwell claims that participants are given alcohol while being deprived of both food and water; he says he spent several days after the shoot recuperating from sleep deprivation and malnutrition. Hartwell also alleges that participants are cut off from access to the outside world and their friends and family, in order to make them more emotionally vulnerable and hungry for social connections. He also claims that contestants were told they would have to pay $50,000 in "liquidated damages" if they left prior to the completion of production. Neither Netflix nor Kinetic Content released a statement regarding the lawsuit. VARIETY

QUICK HITS Elon Musk gave a shout out to Boxabl calling it a “cool product.” Invest in Boxabl today with over 15,000+ investors!* Reality competition series "Dancing with the Stars" moves exclusively to Disney+ for its new season this fall along with a pair of new hosts: Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro. Tudum -- Netflix's "global fan event" -- will return to YouTube this year on September 24, featuring new announcements, tidbits, and teasers for more than 100 upcoming films and TV shows. Netflix greenlit the new film comedy "You Are SO Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah!," based on the YA novel by Fiona Rosenbloom; Idina Menzel, Sarah Sherman, and Luis Guzmán will co-star in the film, which comes from producer Adam Sandler's company, Happy Madison. Apple ordered a series based on the life of automaker Enzo Ferrari, from "Peaky Blinders" vet Steven Knight and "Without Remorse" director Stefano Sollima; the series is based on the biography "Ferrari Rex" by Luca Dal Monte. Jeff Goldblum took over the lead role of the vengeful god Zeus in Netflix's "Kaos," a dark contemporary re-imagining of Greek mythology; Hugh Grant was originally cast in the role but exited the project due to a scheduling conflict. FX renewed the critically-acclaimed comedy-drama series "The Bear" -- set among the staff of a Chicago beef sandwich restaurant -- for a second season; the full first season is streaming now on Hulu. "Confess, Fletch" -- Paramount's new feature adaptation of the Gregory McDonald novel from "Superbad" vet Greg Mottola -- will hit video-on-demand on September 16 and Showtime on October 28, following a limited theatrical run; Jon Hamm stars as investigative journalist Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, who was previously played in two films by Chevy Chase. Showtime posted a trailer for the TV adaptation of the 1980 Paul Schrader film "American Gigolo," starring Jon Bernthal as recently-released ex-convict and former sex worker Julian Kaye; the series arrives on September 11. Hulu ordered a docuseries from Sony, inspired by the Spotify "Rap Caviar" playlist; "RapCaviar Presents" will feature deep dives into contemporary cultural topics from the perspective of hip-hop artists. The animated "Beavis and Butt-head" revival series debuts on Paramount+ on August 4. FX posted the trailer for the second season of "American Horror Stories," introducing Alicia Silverstone, Judith Light, Bella Thorne, Dominique Jackson, and Max Greenfield to the anthology series' ever-expanding ensemble. Netflix dropped a new trailer for the comedy series "Uncoupled," starring Neil Patrick Harris as a newly-single gay man in his 40s who's navigating the New York dating scene; the series arrives on July 29. Netflix announced new board games in collaboration with the tabletop gaming company Asmodee, based on the shows "Squid Game," "Ozark," and "Stranger Things." Fatigued? Gaining weight? Hyper stressed? Uncover the root cause by testing hormone/nutrient levels with an at-home lab kit. Code INSIDE for 20% off.* *This is sponsored content

Lon Harris is the writer and editor of Inside Streaming and was the very first person to ever write an Inside newsletter. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and also writes about TV and film for Fandom, Screen Junkies, Rotten Tomatoes, Gamma Ray and others. Plus he has a Game of Thrones podcast called "Casterly Talk" and competes on The Movie Trivia Schmoedown as "The Professor." Editor Jonathan Harris is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles.

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