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| Hello once again! Thanks for opening our newsletter. Moody's is suggesting the studios could buy their way out of Hollywood's labor crisis for around $600 million a year, which sounds like a STEAL. Especially when you consider that, by NOT making a new deal, the AMPTP is legitimately risking the health and stability of the entire US entertainment industry. A significant drop in new films hitting theaters in 2024 could mean the end of the cinema business as we know it. Plus, even with streaming subscription numbers trending ever higher, monthly fees can't make up for the loss of advertising revenue. (Even today, we're seeing Comcast raising Peacock subscription rates to help fill in the gap.) It's the worst possible time to turn off the content pipeline entirely, risking the new customers they just spent billions to acquire, especially when this could be avoided for the cost of 2 or maybe 3 summer tentpole films. You have to wonder if there isn't more fear about publicly giving in to the actors' and writers' demands, and thus conceding that strikes are an effective tactic, rather than conceding to the specific demands that SAG and WGA are making. That's my take, anyway. Enjoy today's issue! Lon
p/lon-harris | |
| 1 | | Peacock announced a price increase for both its Premium and Premium Plus plans, effective August 17. The lower-cost ad-supported Premium plan will go from $4.99/month to $5.99, while the ad-free Premium Plus tier gets a $2 price increase, from $9.99/month to $11.99. More: - This marks the first-ever price increase for Peacock; rival streamers Netflix, Max, Paramount+, and Disney+ have already raised their prices post-launch.
- Peacock originally launched with a completely free ad-supported tier, then later restricted this plan to Comcast cable subscribers, before eliminating it entirely.
- Peacock lost $978 million for Comcast during Q4 of 2022 alone; Comcast executives suggested that 2023 would be a year of "peak losses" for the streamer before earnings and revenue "steadily improve."
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| 2 | | According to Nielsen, Paramount+ grabbed about 1% of overall US TV viewing in June. The platform's success was largely bolstered by the new season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," which generated around 1 billion viewing minutes in June. More: - Paramount+ previously made the list back in March, when it got a boost from the debuts of "1923" and new episodes of CBS' "NCIS."
- Six streamers had best-ever months in June, in terms of overall share of TV usage: YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Tubi, and Peacock.
- YouTube remains the overall most-watched streamer in the US, while Tubi is the most-popular free ad-supported platform.
- New data published by JustWatch seems to indicate that, for the second quarter of 2023, Amazon Prime Video has slightly edged out Netflix in terms of US viewership; this has not been confirmed by any other company's metrics so far.
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| 3 | | DAILY CALENDAR TUESDAY, JULY 18 LOVE ISLAND USA: The US version of the reality dating series returns this week for its fifth season. Contestants pair up and then embark on a string of challenges putting their brand-new relationships to the test. Sarah Hyland hosts, while "Love Island UK" vet Iain Stirling provides narration. New episodes debut each day on Peacock during the show's premiere week. [Peacock] SURF GIRLS HAWAI'I: Four-part docuseries from Reese Witherspoon's company, Hello Sunshine, profiling Native Hawaiian female surfers Moana Jones Wong, Ewe Wong, Maluhia Kinimaka, Pua DeSoto, and Brianna Cope. The series follows along as they balance training and family life, all while pursuing a spot on the pro surfing World Tour. [Amazon] I WANNA ROCK: THE '80s METAL DREAM: Three-part docuseries taking a nostalgic look back at the 1980s hair metal scene, featuring insights from members of Skid Row, Winger, Twisted Sister, Vixen, and the Scream. [Paramount+] SILENT WITNESS: The long-running BBC crime drama series follows a team of London-based forensic pathologists and investigators. Emilia Fox stars. Season 26 debuted earlier this year in the UK and hits BritBox in the US today. [BritBox] | | | |
| 4 | | Warner Bros. Discovery rebranded the BT Sport network -- serving the UK and Ireland -- as TNT Sports. The network will be the home for Europe's major soccer leagues, along with rugby, MotoGP, cricket, UFC, boxing, the Tour de France, WWE, and the Olympic Games. More: - In the UK, TNT Sports content will stream via Discovery+; a premium plan is available for $39.25 per month, the same cost as a former BT Sport subscription.
- TNT Sports is available across all of the UK and Ireland's major TV platforms; current BT Sport subscribers are being rolled over without needing to take any action.
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| 5 | | A new report from Moody's analyst Neil Begley suggests that new contracts with SAG-AFTRA, the DGA, and the WGA could cost Hollywood studios and streamers $450-$600 million per year. Begley suggests that, in the event of a new deal, some of these costs will likely "be passed on to buyers." More: - SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 union members; the acting guild joined TV and film writers on strike on July 13.
- Third Bridge analyst Jamie Lumley suggests that streamers, such as Netflix or Apple, may not feel a significant impact from the strikes until 2024, when their content pipelines begin to run dry.
- According to The New York Times, unless a new deal can be negotiated by Labor Day, the strikes will likely have a serious impact on 2024 film and TV releases; this in turn could trigger a financial crisis for national theater chains.
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| 6 | | CBS significantly retooled its Fall TV schedule in light of the ongoing actors and writers strikes. The network first announced its line-up back in May, but has pulled a number of scripted shows in favor of previously-aired content and unscripted reality series. More: - Several shows from around the Paramount Global ecosystem -- including Paramount Network's "Yellowstone," Paramount+'s "SEAL Team" and "FBI True," and the UK version of the sitcom "Ghosts" -- will all air on CBS this fall.
- Reality competition series "Big Brother" and "The Challenge USA" will also extend their runs, along with the primetime versions of the game shows "The Price is Right" and "Let's Make a Deal," and the debuts of new reality series "Buddy Games" and "Lotería Loca."
- Some other networks are plotting to use the same strategy; the Disney+ original superhero series "Ms. Marvel" will air on ABC in primetime starting in August.
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| 7 | | Tubi named Anjali Sud, the former head of Vimeo, as its new CEO. Sud joins the free Fox-owned streamer officially on September 1. More: - Revenues from so-called FAST services added up to $6 billion in 2022; they're projected to reach $18 billion by 2028.
- Tubi is the most-watched FAST service in the US, according to Nielsen.
- The service reports having 64 million monthly active users.
- Sud was appointed Vimeo CEO in 2017 after serving as the company's head of marketing; she oversaw the transition of the company from a YouTube rival into a software company serving content creators.
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- "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" hits Disney+ on August 2, more than 90 days after the film's theatrical release; with a global total of $842.4 million to date, it's the second highest-grossing film of the year, behind only "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."
- According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the New York Jets plan to limit access to the producers of HBO's "Hard Knocks"; for example, the training camp session in which players are informed they've been cut from the team will not be filmed.
- Netflix dropped a trailer for the animated action-adventure film "The Monkey King," inspired by the legendary Chinese character; Jimmy O. Yang voices the Monkey King, who's on a quest to slay 100 demons and impress the Immortals.
- The horror prequel "Pet Sematary: Bloodlines" -- set prior to the events of Stephen King's novel and its previous film adaptations -- hits Paramount+ on October 6; screenwriter Lindsey Beer makes his directorial debut with the film.
- Kinetic Content CEO Chris Coelen spoke with THR about developing reality shows like "Love is Blind," with the specific aim of creating global franchises; he also gave some insight into why Netflix's live "Love is Blind" reunion special fell apart.
- Thomas Jacobson, a representative for families of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer's victims, released a statement condemning the TV Academy's nominations of Netflix's "Monster" for 13 Emmy Awards; Jacobson argued that praising the series risks "normalizing the actions of individuals like Dahmer" and "desensitizing audiences to the real-life consequences of violence."
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 | Writer | | 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." | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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