ESPN seeks partners / AMC loses streaming subs / "Suits" breaks its own record / "Summer I Turned Pretty" renewed

Plus the weekend calendar, Miss Universe remains on Roku, "City on Fire" canceled, RIP Mark Margolis, "Uncle Stan" update, and more

Inside Streaming For August 04, 2023

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Happy Friday, everyone! AMC Networks continues struggling. The company dropped 300,000 subscribers across its various niche streaming platforms in Q2, and though they explained it partly by changing the way they count their customers, it's still not a great sign. Personally, I'm a big fan of AMC+, which includes not just content produced by the cable network (including the "Walking Dead" franchise, "Lucky Hank" with Bob Odenkirk, and the terrific mystery-drama "Dark Skies") but also stuff from the horror-centric service Shudder. If you're a horror fan, you really do owe it to yourself to check out Shudder, which features a very well-curated mix of classic horror films and freshly-released content. I hope, just for my own sake as a fan, AMC figures out a profitable way to keep that venture going, at least. OK, that's it for me! We'll see you back here next week. Lon p/lon-harris

1 According to The Wall Street Journal, ESPN is seeking a strategic partner to aid in its transition from cable network to streaming service. Disney executives are apparently pitching ESPN as an "industrywide hub" through which fans could access streams of various live sports and broadcasts. More: ESPN hopes to offer a standalone streaming version of its flagship cable network to digital subscribers within the next two-to-three years. Disney hopes to use this strategy to offer access to various sporting events without paying massive fees for the media and broadcast rights. According to WSJ, Major League Baseball has already entered discussions with ESPN about potentially streaming games to local markets. The WSJ report indicates that ESPN could ultimately team with more than one strategic partner on the effort.

2 AMC Networks lost over 300,000 streaming subscribers across its various niche platforms in the second quarter of 2023. The company now has around 11 million subscribers to its various streaming services, down from 11.8 million at the end of 2022. More: In Q2, AMC adjusted its definition of "subscriber" to no longer include estimated subscriber conversions; this was partly responsible for the dip. AMC's streaming services include AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, ALLBLK, and HIDIVE. AMC+ will add a lower-cost ad-supported tier later on this year. The company has set an overall goal of hitting 20-25 million subscribers in 2025; executives forecast that they will reach the halfway point by the end of this year. A trio of "Walking Dead" spinoffs -- including the already-debuted "Dead City," and shows following the characters Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), Rick Dalton (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) -- could provide AMC+ with a much-needed boost this year; all three shows completed production prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

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3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, AUGUST 4 THE CHI: The Showtime drama series from creator Lena Waithe -- centering on an ensemble of people living on Chicago's South Side -- returns for a sixth season this weekend. Jacob Latimore, Birgundi Baker, Curtiss Cook, Luke James, Yolonda Ross, Alex Hibbert, and Michael V. Epps co-star. Season 6 is divided into two eight-episode installments; no release date for Part 2 has been announced. [Paramount+] SECRET CELEBRITY RENOVATION: The CBS reality series features celebrities from the worlds of acting, sports, and music surprising special people from their lives with custom home renovations. Nischelle Turner hosts. It's back for a third season. [Paramount+] THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART: 7-part Australian limited series, based on the novel by Holly Ringland, about an orphaned girl with a violent past who goes to live with her grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) on a flower farm. Sarah Lambert ("Love Child") co-wrote the series and served as showrunner. [Amazon] THE BIG NAILED IT BAKING CHALLENGE: Debut humorous baking competition series -- spun off from "Nailed It!" -- in which 10 terrible home bakers compete for a $100,000 cash prize while receiving helpful instruction from professional coaches. "Nailed It!" regulars Nicole Byer and Jacques Torres return for the spinoff, along with baking expert Erin Jeanne McDowell and cake artist Robert Lucas. [Netflix] THE HUNT FOR VEERAPPAN: Four-part true-crime docuseries from India -- produced in a combination of Tamil and English -- profiling the infamous outlaw and poacher Veerappan, the target of the longest and costliest manhunt in the country's history. [Netflix] THE MARRIAGE PACT: Debut reality series in which five pairs of friends must decide whether or not to go through with an old promise: to marry one another if they're still single past a certain age. Shan Boodram hosts. [Roku] EVA THE OWLET: Animated series for kids -- based on the "Owl Diaries" books by Rebecca Elliott -- about a creative, cheeky young owl who lives in the forest town of Treetopington along with her best pal, a bat named Lucy. Season 2 premieres this weekend on Apple TV+. [Apple TV+] USA TRACK AND FIELD: The annual Ed Murphey Classic track meet will take place this weekend at Rhodes College and Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Peacock's coverage starts at 7:15 pm CT. [Peacock] PGA TOUR: The 2023 Wyndham Championships take place this weekend at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina. The event streams live for all Peacock Premium subscribers. [Peacock] LGPA TOUR: This weekend is also the LGPA's Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open, played this year at Dundonald Links. [Peacock] SKINAMARINK: Experimental horror film from Canadian writer/director Kyle Edward Ball, in his feature debut. The unconventional film simulates a child's nightmare, and centers on two young kids who awaken in the night and detect a strange presence in their home. The film debuted at the Fantasia festival in Montreal, and quickly went viral on social media. [Hulu] SWEETWATER: Biographical sports drama starring Everett Osborne as Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, a former Harlem Globetrotter and the first African-American man to sign a contract with the NBA. Cary Elwes, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Pollak, and Richard Dreyfuss co-star; Martin Guigui wrote and directed. [Hulu] SUPERCELL: 2023 direct-to-VOD action drama starring Daniel Diemer as a teenager who runs away from home to follow in the footsteps of his father, a legendary storm chaser. Skeet Ulrich, Anne Heche, Jordan Kristin Seamón, and Alec Baldwin co-star. [Hulu] KHUN PAN 3: Epic action fantasy film from Thailand, set in the 1950s, in which the bulletproof sorcerer cop (Ananda Matthew Everingham) takes on a new assignment that threatens the source of his supernatural power. [Max] SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 WWE SUMMERSLAM: The annual professional wrestling event features competitors from both the Raw and SmackDown divisions, and streams live this year from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Matches include Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar; Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor; Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler; Ricochet vs. Logan Paul; and a SummerSlam Battle Royale. Peacock's coverage begins at 5 pm PT. [Peacock] THE WILD SIDES: Three-part nature docuseries from BBC America, following families of various different species living side-by-side on the Mashatu game preserve in Botswana, including elephants, cheetahs, leopards, jackals, and baboons. Colin Salmon narrates. [AMC+] SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION: The Showtime boxing series features fights from top prospects and up-and-coming talent, taking on their toughest opponents to date. New episodes air Fridays on Showtime and Paramount+ on Saturday. [Paramount+] USA GYMNASTICS: The 2023 U.S. Classic streams live from Hoffman Estates, Illinois, this weekend on Peacock for Premium subscribers only. [Peacock] SUNDAY, AUGUST 6 WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY: The period sports drama series -- baed on the book "Showtime" by Jeff Pearlman -- looks back at the 1980s "Showtime" era of the Los Angeles Lakers. Season 2, which premieres on Sunday, follows team members and management between the years 1980 and 1984. John C. Reilly, Quincy Isaiah, Jason Clarke, Adrien Brody, Gaby Hoffman, and Jason Segal co-star. [Max] BIG SKY KITCHEN WITH EDUARDO GARCIA: On the Magnolia culinary series, Montana-based chef and forager Eduardo Garcia features recipes drawn from both his Latin and Jewish heritage, utilizing locally sourced ingredients. It's back for a second season. [Max] WORST COOKS IN AMERICA: LOVE AT FIRST BITE: Debut "Worst Cooks" spinoff series from Food Network in which eight single, aspiring chefs participate in a variety of dating and romance-themed challenges, hoping for a shot at a $25,000 grand prize and possibly also love. Anne Burrell and Jeff Mauro co-host. [Max] EVIL LIVES HERE: True-crime docuseries from Investigation Discovery, in which people who shared a home with convicted murderers tell their stories, alongside dramatic re-enactments. Season 14 debuts this weekend on Max and cable. [Max] MAKING WAVES: Romantic drama feature from Hallmark starring Holland Roden as a music executive who goes to a festival to hear a hot new band, only to discover the lead singer is her long-forgotten childhood sweetheart (Corey Cott). Matt Mazur and Gelsea Mae co-star. [Peacock] THE GREAT CHOCOLATE SHOWDOWN: The Canadian cooking competition series -- which airs on Food Network in Canada -- finds 10 amateur home bakers facing off each week in different timed challenges, until only one winner remains. Anna Olson hosts. Season 4 premieres Saturday night on CW in the US; new episodes hit the app and website on Sundays. [CW] RECIPE FOR DISASTER: Debut CW cooking competition series in which three professional chefs try to create memorable, tasty dishes while working under extremely adverse conditions. Ann Pornel hosts; Eden Grinshpan and Shahir Massoud serve as judges. [CW]

4 The former USA Network legal comedy-drama "Suits" was viewed for 3.7 billion minutes on both Netflix and Peacock between July 3 and July 9. That sets a new Nielsen viewership record for any acquired program within a single week; the previous record had also been set by "Suits." More: July 3-9 was the third week that "Suits" held the #1 spot on Nielsen's US streaming chart.  According to Nielsen, "Suits" is now the 13th most-streamed program of all time, ranking it among heavyweights like "Stranger Things," "Wednesday," "Tiger King," and "Ozark." Even in Week 3, viewership remains concentrated around Season 1, meaning the show will likely enjoy many more weeks of popularity as viewers work through later seasons. Another legal drama -- Netflix's "The Lincoln Lawyer" -- was in second place for the week, with 1.4 billion minutes viewed.

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5 Amazon Prime Video renewed the teen romantic drama series "The Summer I Turned Pretty" for a third season. The show comes from creator Jenny Han, based on her trilogy of novels. More: Season 2 debuted on July 14 and doubled the viewership of Season 1 within its first three days. According to Amazon, the show's second season now ranks among the 10 most-watched Prime Video TV seasons in history. Lola Tung stars as Belly, who finds herself in a love triangle with two brothers (Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno) while spending her summers on Cousins Beach. Amazon greenlit the new season prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes; no work on the new episodes will begin until the strikes are resolved.

6 The Miss Universe pageant extended its streaming deal with The Roku Channel. The 72nd annual Miss Universe event will take place on November 18 and will stream live on Roku from El Salvador. More: Telemundo will broadcast the event in the US. Roku's streams will be available in both English and Spanish languages. Roku has not released specific viewership numbers for past Miss Universe pageants but indicated that the 2022 event reached "millions" over the weekend, across both live and on-demand streams. The 2022 Miss Universe was Roku's first-ever livestreamed event.

7 Apple canceled the crime drama series "City on Fire" after a single season. Season 1 wrapped up its eight-episode run about one month ago. More: The series was based on a novel by Garth Risk Hallberg, and centers on a murder investigation on 2003 New York with connections to a string of fires around the city. Though Season 1 covered the events of the book, the creative team had hoped to continue the story in future seasons. "The OC" vets Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage served as executive producers and showrunners, and wrote all eight episodes.

8 QUICK HITS The AWS Cookbook - packed with practical insights and hands-on examples - is a must-have for your cloud toolkit.* Character actor Mark Margolis -- best known to TV fans as Hector Salamanca on "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" -- died on Thursday in New York City at age 83 following a brief illness. "The Office" vet Leslie David Baker -- who co-starred as Stanley Hudson on the long-running comedy series -- announced that he will return $110,000 in Kickstarter pledges for a proposed spin-off series called "Uncle Stan"; Baker apologized to fans for delays and suggested he'll attempt to restart the project following resolution of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. Wes Anderson's latest film "Asteroid City" hits Peacock on Friday, August 11, 57 days after it debuted in theaters; Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Bryan Cranston, Steve Carrell, and Tom Hanks co-star. "Twisted Metal" costume designer Liz Vastola spoke with Syfy about nailing the look of homicidal clown character Sweet Tooth's signature mask. How to score a spoke-tacular deal on your next set of wheels. Upway will deliver a top-notch e-bike right to your door for up to 60% less than retail. Use code INSIDE for $150 off.* *This is sponsored content

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Knowledge Hub Term of the Day Term sheet: Term sheets summarize the basic terms and conditions of an investment between a startup and an investor, such as a venture capital firm. Read More Question of the Week Have you ever regretted a career decision? What would you have done differently? Join the conversation

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Lon Harris 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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