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| Seemingly some positive news on the strike front today, as the studios appear to have returned to the writers with a significant new proposal. We've yet to hear a formal response from the WGA - that will come later this afternoon - but it's a very positive sign that some kind of compromise is at least being discussed, after months of stalemate. A quick deal could even theoretically salvage 2023's festival and awards season! Venice and Toronto are both fast approaching. We've actually got our first look at Bradley Cooper's latest award play, the Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro," just today! So keep your fingers crossed. Lon
p/lon-harris | |
| 1 | | According to Bloomberg, Hollywood's streamers and studios have reached out to striking writers with a new proposal. The new deal apparently includes a number of key concessions to writer demands, including limits on the use of AI and more transparency around streaming viewership. More: - The Bloomberg piece credits Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Disney CEO Bob Iger with leading the effort, from the studio side, to reach a new agreement with writers.
- The new deal would ensure that humans are credited as the writers of screenplays, and would provide steps for informing creative teams as to how their content is performing on streaming platforms, though further specifics about the proposal were not disclosed.
- There's also apparently a 20% increase in residual payments made to writers when shows move between TV networks.
- The WGA and AMPTP negotiation teams met on August 11, when the new terms were delivered; they're scheduled to meet again on Tuesday.
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| 2 | | According to Nielsen, broadcast and cable TV accounted for less than half of all TV viewing in the US in July, dropping below 50% for the first time. Streamers accounted for 38.7% of total US TV usage, the largest monthly share ever reported by Nielsen. More: - Cable's share dipped below 30% for the first time ever, while broadcast viewing dropped 3.6%.
- Among streaming platforms, three set new records for their overall share of US TV viewing: YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.
- The month's two most-streamed titles were the USA Network legal drama "Suits," which appears on both Netflix and Peacock; and the Australian animated kids show "Bluey," which streams on Disney+ in the US.
- "Suits" was viewed for around 18 billion minutes in July; for comparison, when "Stranger Things" Season 4 debuted in July, it was also viewed for around 18 billion minutes.
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| 3 | | DAILY CALENDAR TUESDAY, AUGUST 15 90 DAY: THE LAST RESORT: Debut TLC reality series in which couples who have appeared in the "90 Day Fiancé" franchise attend therapeutic retreats together, in an attempt to salvage their troubled relationships. At the end of the retreat, participants must decide whether to remain together or break up. Season 1 premieres this week on cable and Max. [Max] GOOD BONES: HGTV home renovation series in which mother/daughter duo Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk transform properties around their hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. The show returns this week to Max and cable for an 8th and final season, though the hosts are apparently workshopping their next HGTV project. [Max] WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT HOUSE? Debut HGTV reality series in which home inspector Joe Mazza and designer Noel Gatts seek out and repair hard-to-spot and potentially dangerous problems ahead of lavish home renovations. [Max] HOUSE HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL: HGTV reality series, a spinoff of the original "House Hunters," featuring Americans seeking new homes in foreign countries. Season 188 debuts on Max and cable this week. [Max] A SCENT OF TIME: Romantic fantasy-drama series from China, based on the novel "The Female Supporting Role," about a woman from the present-day who finds herself transported into the book she's been reading. Worse yet, she's trapped in a supporting role. Zhou Ye and Wang Xing Yue co-star. [Max] REINVENTING ELVIS: THE '68 COMEBACK: Original music documentary, looking back at the development and impact of Elvis Presley's iconic 1968 NBC comeback special. Director Steve Binder, who produced the special along with The King, participated in the film. John Scheinfeld ("What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?") directed. [Paramount+] SICK OF MYSELF (SYK PIKE): 2022 dark comedy feature from Norway, examining the toxic relationship between a pair of narcissists, Signe and Thomas (Kristine Kujath Thorp and Eirik Sæther). When Thomas begins having some success as an artist, Signe one-ups him by faking a severe illness. Kristoffer Borgli wrote and directed. [Paramount+] JARED FREID: 37 AND SINGLE: The New York comedian's first Netflix special centers on the modern experience of being single, and features material about dating apps, awkward encounters, break-ups, gender reveal parties, and more. [Netflix] EYE OF THE STORM (YI QI): Mandarin-language dramatic thriller film from Taiwan, about a group of doctors who are locked down in a hospital along with hundreds of patients and their families following the outbreak of a mysterious and deadly virus. Edison Wang, Tseng Jing Hua, and Simon Hsueh co-star; Lin Chun Yang ("The World Between Us") directed. [Netflix] COCAINE BEAR: 2023 comic thriller from director Elizabeth Banks ("Charlie's Angels"), very loosely inspired by a true story, about an American black bear who ingests a lost shipment of cocaine and goes on a killing spree. Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ray Liotta, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. co-star. [Amazon] OF AN AGE: 2023 romantic drama from Macedonian-Australian writer/director Goran Stolevski. Elias Anton stars as Kol, a 17-year-old Serbian immigrant and ballroom dancer who enters a brief but intense romance with the brother (Thom Green) of his dance partner and only friend (Hattie Hook). [Amazon] | | | |
| 4 | | New data from the Wall Street Journal suggests that ad-free streaming platform prices have increased by around 25% over the past year. Disney recently raised prices on both Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions; Peacock, Max, Paramount+, and Apple TV+ have also increased subscription rates over the last year. More: - The price increases signal a pivot in the streaming industry, from attempting to grow platforms as quickly as possible to focusing on profitability.
- WSJ suggests that the price increases could lead to additional churn, as consumers cycle in and out of subscriptions, or opt for lower-cost ad-supported plans.
- Streamers apparently hope to shift some consumers from ad-free subscription plans to ad-supported plans; in recent months, both Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery have generated more revenue per user from ad-supported plans than their ad-free counterparts.
- According to Disney, around 40% of new subscribers to Disney+ now opt for the ad-supported tier.
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| 5 | | Netflix started its first public tests of cloud-streamed video games. Starting this week, some Netflix subscribers in the UK and Canada will be able to play Netflix games via their smart TVs or connected devices. More: - The streamer will also make some games available to play on the web at Netflix.com.
- Netflix VP of games, Mike Verdu, called the new efforts a "limited beta test."
- So far, the beta includes just two games: "Oxenfree" (produced by Night School Studio, which Netflix has acquired), and "Molehew's Mining Adventure."
- Netflix started offering mobile game downloads for subscribers in November of 2021; so far, titles are only available on iOS and Android.
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| 6 | | "Maestro," director and star Bradley Cooper's biopic about composer Leonard Bernstein, hits selected theaters on November 22 and comes to Netflix on December 20. "Maestro" makes its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival later this month. More: - Cooper stars as Bernstein; the film centers on his complex romance with Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan) over the course of 30 years.
- Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, and Josh Hamilton co-star.
- Cooper co-wrote the "Maestro" script along with Josh Singer, who won an Oscar for his work on "Spotlight."
- This is Cooper's first film as director since 2018's "A Star is Born," which was nominated for eight Oscars.
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| 7 | | Writer Jeffrey Kennedy and his company, Irish Rover Entertainment, agreed to drop a lawsuit against Netflix and "Stranger Things" creators Matt and Ross Duffer. The lawsuit was dropped with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled at a later date. More: - Kennedy had claimed that "Stranger Things" copied his unproduced screenplay "Totem," about a girl with special powers who fights inter-dimensional monsters.
- The writer further accused a concept artist who had worked on "Totem" of sharing his ideas with the Duffer Brothers, a charge that they consistently denied.
- Kennedy and Irish Rover declined to comment on the suit.
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| 8 | | QUICK HITS - The AWS Cookbook - packed with practical insights and hands-on examples - is a must-have for your cloud toolkit.*
- YouTube announced a new policy intended to curtail medical misinformation on the platform; the company plans to remove videos that contradict well-established guidelines from public health officials over topics including COVID, reproductive health, and exposure to potentially carcinogenic materials.
- Iconic Australian soap opera "Neighbours" returns after two years off the air to Amazon Freevee on September 18; veterans Guy Pearce and Mischa Barton reprise their classic roles in the new episodes.
- A number of new free streaming channels on Roku feature classic content from the NBCUniversal library, including "Murder, She Wrote," the original "Saved by the Bell," and "Little House on the Prairie."
- Fox's "The Masked Singer" returns early this year -- on Sunday, September 10 -- for its milestone 10th season; several fan-favorite contestants from over the years will return this season for new, unmasked duet performances.
- Former "Big Brother" castmate Luke Valentine addressed his dismissal from the CBS reality series over the use of a racial slur on camera; he thanked fans for their support and assured them "the fires of love will continue to burn."
- This AI company, backed by top VCs, is eliminating a $1 trillion problem in hospitality. Join the revolution and learn how to invest in Jurny today!*
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Term of the Day Common area maintenance (CAM): CAM includes the fees tenants must pay to cover the expenses associated with the maintenance and operation of the common areas. Question of the Week Do you share details about your salary with your coworkers? Join the conversation |
INSIDE STREAMING LEADERBOARD (ALL-TIME) |
 | 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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