Netflix price drop / Apple TV+ stalls out / Netflix "Quarterback" series / BritBox hits 3M global subscribers

Plus today's calendar, Viaplay launches in US, "Animal Control" nabs 4.5M viewers, Amazon "My Spy" sequel, and more

Inside.com Part of   Network February 23, 2023

Netflix cut its subscription prices in more than 100 territories over the past week. The price drop was likely intended to offset concerns about the streamer's new password-sharing crackdown, according to TechCrunch. More: Impacted countries include Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Libya, Iran, Kenya, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Venezuela, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and The Philippines, among many others. US subscribers prices will not be affected. The amount of the discount varies from country to country; according to Ampere Analytics, it ranges from a 20-60% cut. Around 4% of Netflix's total subscriber base -- or roughly 10 million people -- will have their monthly fees reduced. TECHCRUNCH

Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" A new survey from UBS Evidence Lab -- based on a poll of 1,200 Americans -- found that interest in Apple TV+ has stalled. Just 22% of iPhone users currently subscribe to Apple TV+, essentially the same numbers the platform was seeing in January 2020, before the COVID lockdown triggered a massive surge in overall streaming subscriptions. More: So-called "iPhone penetration levels" were also down for Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu, while HBO Max has seen an increase in adoption among iPhone owners. Only 5% of respondents cited Apple TV+ as the service providing the "best value for money"; Netflix scored the highest, with 27%. Around 25% of respondents also said that Apple TV+'s subscription costs were too high considering the amount of content on the platform; 31% responded that they don't subscribe to Apple TV+ because they prefer offerings from other streamers. YAHOO FINANCE

DAILY CALENDAR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 BEL-AIR: The drama series reimagines the classic '90s sitcom "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and stars Jabari Banks as a teen from West Philadelphia who moves to the tony LA neighborhood to live with wealthy relatives. Olly Sholotan, Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Jimmy Akingbola, and Coco Jones co-star. The show's back this week for a second season. [Peacock] SNOWFALL: The FX period crime drama series returned last night on cable for a sixth and final season. New episodes hit Hulu on Thursdays. Season 6 follows '80s LA drug kingpin Frank Saint (Damson Idris) as he attempts to stay one step ahead of both US law enforcement and the Soviet KGB. Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Michael Hyatt, Amin Joseph, Alon Aboutboul, and Kevin Carroll co-star. [Hulu] OUTER BANKS: The teen mystery-drama series -- about a group of working-class misfits known as "The Pogues," living along the Outer Banks of North Carolina -- returns for a third season. Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, and Carlacia Grant co-star. [Netflix] CALL ME CHIHIRO: Live-action drama feature from Japan, based on the manga by Hiroyuki Yasuda, starring Kasumi Arimura as a cheery and idiosyncratic former sex worker who opens a bento shop in a small beachside town. Rikiya Imaizumi ("By the Window") co-wrote the script and directed. [Netflix] THE MS. PAT SHOW: The Emmy-nominated comedy series -- inspired by comedian and star Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams' real life story -- returns this week for a third season. J. Bernard Calloway, Tami Roman, Theodore Barnes, and Briyana Guadalupe co-star; Season 3 features guest appearances by Marla Gibbs, Jaleel White, Don "DC" Curry, and others. [BET+] BLACK SNOW: In this mystery drama series from Australia, the opening of a high school's time capsule reveals new information about the never-solved 1995 murder of a 17-year-old girl (Talijah Blackman-Corowa). Travis Fimmel stars as the investigator tasked with solving the long-dormant crime. [Sundance Now]

Mahomes An upcoming Netflix behind-the-scenes docuseries -- "Quarterback" -- chronicles of the lives of three NFL quarterbacks throughout the 2022 season. Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs was among the QBs to wear a microphone on the field throughout the 2022 season for the show; he's joined by Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons. More: Cameras also followed the players at home, as they went about their personal lives. Mahomes led the Chiefs to victory in the Super Bowl for the second time last season; he was also selected as the NFL's MVP. NFL Films will co-produce the series; former NFL QB Peyton Manning is onboard as an executive producer. ESPN

BritBox's "Stonehouse" The BritBox streaming serivce now has three million subscribers across eight international markets, according to Variety. The platform is a collaboration between BBC and ITV, and features a catalog of new and classic British TV shows and films. More: The service is available in the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. BritBox launched in the UK in November 2019 but split off from the international operation in 2022, and has since been integrated into ITV's domestic platform, ITVX. BritBox last announced it had reached 2.6 million subscribers in March 2022. The service's chief US rival is AMC's Acorn TV platform, which also features programming from the UK; AMC doesn't report individual numbers for its various niche streaming services. VARIETY

Viaplay's "Occupied" Scandinavian streamer Viaplay launched in the US this week and comes to Canada on March 7. The service currently has around 7.3 million subscribers around the globe; 37% of them, roughly 2.7 million, are located outside of the Nordic countries. More: Viaplay largely built its international audience on the global success of "Nordic Noir" shows, but hopes to expand its line-up in the future. A number of Nordic shows, including some produced by Viaplay, have streamed in the US; the AMC+ and Sundance streaming platforms frequently feature Scandinavian content. Viaplay's 2017 climate crisis thriller "Occupied" streamed on Netflix in the US. According to Viaplay executive Vanda Rapti, who's overseeing the North American expansion, the platform's primary audience is "savvy people who like foreign films and series and choose to prioritize new culture experiences." HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

After three days of "delayed viewing" across linear and streaming platforms, the debut episode of Fox's new sitcom "Animal Control" has been seen by around 4.5 million viewers. That's a 114% increase over its singe-day viewership. More: Around 1.3 million people watched "Animal Control" on the "Fox Now" website and app or via Hulu, making it the network's most-streamed scripted debut ever. The previous record holders were "9-1-1: Lone Star" and "The Last Man on Earth." The "Animal Control" pilot is Fox's most-watched comedy telecast without an NFL game as a lead-in since the 2021 "Last Man Standing" series finale. The workplace comedy centers on a group of Animal Control staffers; Joel McHale stars as an opinionated ex-cop who joins the team. DEADLINE

Amazon greenlit a sequel to the 2020 action-comedy film "My Spy." Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Kristen Schaal, and Ken Jeong will all reprise their roles from the first film for the sequel, which is titled "My Spy: The Eternal City." More: The original "My Spy" was produced by STX Films, then sold to Amazon following the pandemic and the shutdown of global movie theaters. Bautista starred in the original film as JJ, a CIA operative who goes undercover to surveil precocious 9-year-old Sophie (Coleman) and her family. In the sequel, JJ chaperones Sophie on a school choir trip to Italy before becoming embroiled in an international terrorist plot. New cast members joining the franchise include Anna Faris, Craig Robinson, and Flula Borg. Original writers Jon & Erich Hoeber and director Peter Segal will also return for the new film. "My Spy" was the third most-watched film on any subscription VOD service in 2020, behind only Disney+'s "Hamilton" and Amazon's "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." DEADLINE

A new update allows Amazon Fire TV devices to stream audio directly to hearing implants made by Cochlear. The feature utilizes the Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) protocol. More: In the past, Cochlear has teamed with smartphone makers on similar streaming audio technology. Company executives explained that smart TVs and other streaming devices were the next logical step. The feature is compatible with Cochlear's Nucleus 8, Nucleus 7, Nucleus Kanso 2 and Baha 6 Max processors. ENGADGET

QUICK HITS Running late to a meeting has never looked better than with Bombas’ new spring drops. Use code INSIDE for 20% off.* The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) will open negotiations on new film and TV contracts -- largely centering on increased streaming residual rates -- on March 20. YouTube added support for multi-language audio tracks, allowing creators to add dubbing to new and existing videos on their channels.  Hulu dropped a teaser for the debut comedy series "UnPrisoned," starring Kerry Washington as a therapist who's determined to build a relationship with her ex-con father (Delroy Lindo); the series debuts on March 10. Netflix renewed its overall deal with "Dark" creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, following the cancelation of their ambitious mystery-drama series "1899" after a single season; the duo's next project will be an adaptation of the comic book "Something is Killing the Children." Amazon's "Clarkson's Farm" received a significant boost in UK viewership following public controversy about a Jeremy Clarkson-penned editorial criticizing Meghan Markle; the Season 2 premiere was viewed by nearly 4.3 million people in the country, according to numbers from research firm Barb. Alison Brie and Jake Lacy joined the cast of Peacock's limited series "Apples Never Fall," based on the Liane Moriarty novel, alongside Annette Bening and Sam Neill. YouTube appears to be testing a "1080p Premium" tier that streams videos at a higher bitrate, giving the images enhanced depth and clarity. Amazon renewed the supernatural thriller series "The Rig" for a second season; regulars Martin Compston, Iain Glen, and Emily Hampshire will all reprise their roles for the new episodes. Mo'Nique's long-awaited debut Netflix comedy special -- "My Name is Mo'Nique" -- arrives on April 4. Stella Meghie ("The Photograph") signed on to direct episodes of the upcoming Disney+ series "Wonder Man," starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the Marvel Comics superhero. Rolling Stone argues that Bravo's "Real Housewives" reality series are suffering from an "authenticity crisis" following a string of "misleading storylines." You could be starting therapy with an accredited professional in just 48 hours. Join today and take 25% off your first month.* *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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