Netflix ad tier plans / More WBD layoffs / Apple TV+ may get ads, too / Netflix's Q3 content surge

Plus today's calendar, "The English" trailer, Noah's "Daily Show" exit scheduled, Hulu's "God Forbid" trailer, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network October 13, 2022

Netflix announced pricing information for its new lower-cost ad-supported Basic tier. A Netflix Basic with Ads plan will cost $6.99 per month; the new pricing structure launches on November 3 in the US. More: Netflix's Basic tier will launch about one month before Disney+'s ad-supported version, which arrives on December 8. Netflix's Basic plan is less expensive than the Disney+ option, which costs $7.99 a month; a $10.99 monthly bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ will also be available. According to Netflix COO Greg Peters, viewers can expect four to five minutes of ads per hour. Both series and films will be interrupted by ad breaks, though premium films -- such as the upcoming "Knives Out" sequel -- will likely run with just pre-roll spots. The Standard Netflix plan -- the next cheapest available option -- runs $15.49 per month, nearly double the cost of the Basic plan. Hundreds of advertisers will be included at launch; according to Netflix's worldwide head of advertising Jeremi Gorman, initial inventory is nearly sold out. Basic Netflix plans will also stream in 720p resolution rather than 1080p, and will not allow content downloads. DEADLINE

King and Melton Layoffs continued at Warner Bros. Discovery, including the dismissal of two top marketing executives. Marketing chief Tricia Melton and Jill King, the Senior VP for marketing and partnerships at Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, will both exit the company by the end of the year. More: Also this week, Warner Bros. Television cut around 26% of its total workforce, or around 125 positions; it's presently unclear which divisions of the company will be hit the hardest. Melton joined the company in June 2020 and helped to launch the HBO Max "Cartoonito" brand; King is a 22-year WB veteran who helped to develop hit series including "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Steven Universe." Back in August, HBO and HBO Max laid off around 14% of its total staff; 30% of the HBO and HBO Max ad sales department was also cut last month. According to a widely-shared opinion piece from animation blog Cartoon Brew, the new consolidation could functionally kill the independent nature of Cartoon Network Studios, as it's folded into the larger Warner Bros. Animation group. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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DAILY CALENDAR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 THE WATCHER: Scripted true-crime miniseries from "Dahmer" and "Ratched" vets Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, based on a New York Magazine article by Reeves Wiedeman. Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale star as a married couple who move into their dream home in New Jersey, then start receiving ominous letters from a stalker who identifies themselves as "The Watcher." [Netflix] DEAD END: PARANORMAL PARK: The animated fantasy horror-comedy series -- based on creator Hamish Steele's graphic novels and Cartoon Hangover shorts -- returns today for a second season. It follows the supernatural adventures of Barney and Norma (Zach Barack and Kody Kavitha), two employees at a spooky theme park that's genuinely haunted by demons. [Netflix] SUE PERKINS: PERFECTLY LEGAL: Travel docuseries from the UK, featuring the actress and comedian touring around South America and getting into unexpected, daring, even sometimes dangerous adventures. [Netflix] THE SINNER: The fourth and final season of the mystery-drama anthology series aired in 2021 on USA Network and comes to Netflix in the US today. Each season features Bill Pullman as police detective Harry Ambrose. In Season 4, after Ambrose has retired and moved to Maine, he's recruited to look into a tragedy involving the daughter of a prominent local family. Alice Kremelberg, Michael Mosley, Frances Fisher, and Jessica Hecht co-star. [Netflix] THE PLAYLIST: Limited series from Sweden, relating a fictionalized account of the founding of the Spotify music streaming app. Edvin Endre and Christian Hillborg co-star as Spotify founder Daniel Ek and his business partner, Martin Lorentzon. [Netflix] EXCEPTION: Original horror sci-fi anime series from writer Otsuichi ("Goth") and character designer Yoshitaka Amano ("Final Fantasy"). It's set in the distant future, when teams of 3D-printed humans explore the cosmos, looking for new planets to terraform and colonize. [Netflix] SOMEONE BORROWED (ESPOSA DE ALUGUEL): Romantic comedy feature from Brazil, starring Caio Castro as a dedicated bachelor who hires an actress to portray his fiancee in order to fulfill his dying mother's final wish. [Netflix] PARTNERS IN RHYME: Precious Way stars in this returning comedy series as Taylor, aka Luscious T, a high school rapper who's determined to become the next Cardi B. MC Lyte, Wesley Jonathan, and Rolonda Watts co-star. Season 2 debuts on ALLBLK today. [ALLBLK] A RADICAL LIFE: Documentary feature profiling former "First Lady of ISIS" Tania Joya, as told from her own perspective. For 12 years, Joya was married to John Georgelas, a Texas native who had joined and risen through the terrorist organization to become its highest-ranking American member. Ultimately, after moving her family to Syria during that country's civil war, Joya began to question some of her choices and plot her escape. Ricki Stern ("Surviving Jeffrey Epstein") directed. [Discovery+] SHE WILL: 2021 horror drama from first-time co-writer/director Charlotte Colbert, starring Alice Krige as an aging film star who confronts an ancient evil during a healing retreat to the Scottish countryside. Malcolm McDowell, Kota Eberhardt, and Rupert Everett co-star. [Shudder] DARK GLASSES (OCCHIALI NERI): This Italian crime thriller is the first new film from iconic writer/director Dario Argento since "Dracula 3D" in 2012. Ilenia Pastorelli stars as an escort who's attacked and blinded by a serial killer, then attempts to track him down with the aid of her new friend, a young Chinese boy (Xinyu Zhang). Dario's daughter Asia Argento co-stars. [Shudder] MATHIS FAMILY MATTERS: Reality series from E! centered on the home and family life of TV judge Greg Mathis, featuring his wife Linda, his four adult children, and his many grandkids. Season 1 aired over the summer on cable and hits Peacock today. [Peacock]

According to a report from Digiday, Apple is engaged in talks with various media agencies about potentially bringing ads to the TV+ streaming service. The meetings apparently include Apple's VP of Advertising Platforms, Todd Teresi. More: The plans involve what's known as a DSP, or demand-side platform, which would allow sponsors to purchase and customize ad breaks via an automated system, based on user metrics. Though Apple does not currently have a DSP, it plans to build one out specifically to drive the TV+ advertising process. Apple doesn't plan to roll out ads until 2023 at the earliest, according to Digiday's sources. The company already has ad deals for some of its sports livestreams, such as "Friday Night Baseball"; Apple has not made any announcements about ads coming to any other TV+ programming. GIZMODO

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"Dahmer – Monster" According to numbers from the Wall Street firm MoffettNathanson, Netflix released 1,026 original episodes of television in Q3 of this year, breaking its own all-time record. That's more than five times the amount of original content released by any of Netflix's streaming rivals during the same time period. More: Amazon Prime Video and Hulu released 223 and 194 original episodes in Q3, respectively, while Disney+ came in with just 140 and Warner Bros. Discovery hit just 114. Altogether, Netflix debuted 159 exclusive series in Q3, topping its previous record of 143, set during Q4 2021. The most popular recent shows have included new releases "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" and "The Sandman," along with fresh seasons of "Cobra Kai" and "Locke and Key" The big Q3 surge was in part due to the COVID-19 lockdown, which caused production shutdowns last year and then a bump in delayed content this year. These figures don't include shows that aired or streamed elsewhere before being licensed by Netflix, such as popular CW series or kids' content like CoComelon, which originated on YouTube. VARIETY

Amazon dropped a trailer for "The English," a new period Western limited series. Emily Blunt stars as Lady Cornelia Locke, an aristocratic English woman who journeys to the American frontier in the 1890s, seeking revenge for the death of her son. More: During her travels, Lady Cornelia employs a Pawnee scout (Chaske Spencer) to assist her with her plan, which ultimately brings them to the town of Hoxen, Wyoming. The cast also includes Stephen Rae, Valerie Pachner, Rafe Spall, and Toby Jones; Hugo Blick ("An Honourable Woman") created. All six episodes hit Prime Video in the US on November 11. INDIEWIRE

Trevor Noah will host his final episode of "The Daily Show" on Thursday, December 8. The comedian took everyone -- including his bosses at Paramount Global -- by surprise by announcing his departure during a taping on September 29. More: "The Daily Show" will apparently return to Comedy Central with a new host on January 17, though no further plans were disclosed. It's unclear if Paramount plans to hire an entirely new host or promote a regular "Daily Show" correspondent, such as Ronny Chieng or Roy Wood Jr., to the anchor seat. Starting on December 5, the show will host a "celebratory look back" at the best moments from Noah's seven-year tenure. DEADLINE

Hulu dropped a trailer for the documentary "God Forbid," exploring the sex scandal that brought down evangelical Christian leader Jerry Falwell Jr. The documentary largely centers around interviews with Giancarlo Granda, who reportedly engaged in a years-long sexual relationship with Falwell and his wife, Becki. More: Granda met the Falwells while working as a pool attendant at Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel; he alleges that he and Becki Falwell entered a romantic relationship with her husband's permission. Reuters first published details of Granda's allegations in 2020, leading Falwell to resign from his position as President of Liberty University. The Hulu documentary comes from "Cocaine Cowboys" vet Billy Corben, who executive produced alongside filmmaker Adam McKay ("Don't Look Up"). "God Forbid" hits Hulu on November 1. INDIEWIRE

A new three-part docuseries from ID and Discovery+ will examine controversies, scandals, and tragedies from the set of the iconic Fox musical comedy-drama series "Glee." The series will apparently feature insights and testimonials from a number of "Glee" cast and crew members, though no specific names have yet been provided. More: Among the incidents that will be explored in the series: the death of actor Cory Monteith from a drug overdose, the death of actress Naya Rivera on a boating trip in 2020, and allegations that co-star Lea Michele created a toxic work environment. "Glee" was created by the team of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan and aired on Fox from 2009 to 2015. ID and Discovery+ also recently co-produced the docuseries "House of Hammer," examining allegations against actor Armie Hammer and other members of his wealthy and prominent family. VARIETY

QUICK HITS 7 brands got influencers campaigns right and you can, too. Wisdom from the experts on running a successful influencer marketing campaign.* Warner Bros. Discovery announced the close of its Writers and Directors Workshops, then promptly altered course, keeping the programs intact but moving them from Warner Bros. TV over to the company's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion unit. Lucy Liu joined the cast of the Amazon holiday comedy film "Red One," also starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and Kiernan Shipka; "Jumanji" vet Jake Kasdan directs. Zooey Deschanel signed on for a regular role in the Apple TV+ comedy-drama series "Physical" ahead of its third season; this will be her first regular acting role since the end of the sitcom "New Girl" in 2018. Actor Keke Palmer's new digital network KeyTV -- which will spotlight work from a young generation of new and diverse creators -- launches on November 3. HBO Max and Legendary's "Dune" spinoff series "The Sisterhood" added "Game of Thrones" vet Indira Varma to its cast; she'll play the powerful Empress Natalya alongside previously-announced cast members Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson. Apple posted a trailer for the second season of its drama series "The Mosquito Coast," based on the novel by Paul Theroux; the new episodes arrive on November 4. The eight-part docuseries "Life After" follows 12 retired NFL players -- including DeMarcus Ware, Spice Adams, and Domenik Hixon -- as they embark on new chapters of their lives; the series hits Amazon Prime Video on October 18.  HBO Max is developing the limited drama series "Heatwave" with "Mrs. Wilson" writer Anna Symon and "Killing Eve" director Shannon Murphy; the series centers on a woman in her 40s who embarks on a reckless love affair with her teenage son's friend during a family vacation in Ibiza. Ohio farmer Andy Detwiler, who ran the popular YouTube channel "Harmless Farmer" showcasing how he completed everyday chores without having arms, passed away in September at age 52. All 64 matches in this year's World Cup soccer tournament will stream for free in sub-Saharan Africa for the first time, via the South African Showmax streaming service. Apple grabbed the international rights for the animated short "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and his Horse," based on the bestselling book by Charlie Mackesy; the film hits Apple TV+ on December 25. *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 Eduardo Garcia is a writer and editor based in New York. He is the author of "Things You Can Do," an illustrated book about climate action. Bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, Slate, Scientific American, and others. In one of his previous lives, Eduardo worked as a Reuters correspondent in Latin America for nearly a decade.

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