Comcast-Paramount team-up / Noggin shutting down / Nielsen: 7 titles hit 1B minutes / "Girls5eva" reunites on Netflix

Plus the weekend calendar, "The Netflix Slam" first look, Apple drops piracy app, "Invincible" S2 Part 2 trailer, and more

Inside Streaming For February 16, 2024

Happy Friday and thanks once again for opening Inside Streaming. I think Comcast and Paramount joining forces actually makes some degree of sense. On their own, they're going to continue really struggling to compete with juggernauts like Amazon, Netflix, and Disney, especially now that Fox, ESPN, and Warner Bros. Discovery have gone all-in on this collaborative live sports platform. It's honestly not clear if even a combined Paramount+/Peacock can really compete at the upper level of the US streaming marketplace at this point, but they have a way better shot together than separately. (Maybe get Sony or AMC or Lionsgate to jump in, too down the road?) Lon p/lon-harris

1 The Wall Street Journal reports that Paramount and Comcast executives have met to discuss a potential joint streaming venture or partnership. A deal could involve merging the Parmaount+ and Peacock services. More: A joint Paramount+/Peacock service would cut costs while providing a more attractive option for subscribers than either service on its own. WSJ suggests the companies are considering multiple options for partnerships, beyond just combining their two streamers. Last week, Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a collaborative streaming platform for live sports.

2 Paramount shut down Noggin, a streaming service and interactive educational platform from Nickelodeon aimed at preschool-aged kids. As part of this week's layoffs at Paramount, the entire team working on Noggin was let go. More: The service will wind down this year; no specific end date has been announced, but Noggin has stopped accepting new subscribers. A lot of Noggin content already appears on Paramount+ under the "Nick Jr." label. Noggin launched in 2015 and cost $7.99/month; the brand was originally a Nickelodeon spinoff cable network. In addition to a collection of more than 1,000 learning games, Noggin featured titles including "PAW Patrol," "Peppa Pig," "Dora the Explorer," and "Blue's Clues."

3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 OPPENHEIMER: 2023 biographical drama from writer/director Christopher Nolan, starring Cillian Murphy as theoretical physicist and Manhattan Project director J. Robert Oppenheimer, and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "American Prometheus" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh co-star. The film is nominated for 13 Oscars, including Best Picture. [Peacock] THE COLOR PURPLE: 2023 musical period drama feature, based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker, Steven Spielberg's 1985 film version, and its stage musical adaptation. Fantasia Barrino stars as Celie Harris, who escapes years of hardship, oppression, and abuse with the support of a free-spirited jazz singer (Taraji P. Henson) and her defiant daughter-in-law (Danielle Brooks). Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., and Halle Bailey co-star; Blitz Bazawule directs. Brooks is Oscar-nominated for her supporting role. [Max] THE DYNASTY: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Debut 10-part sports docuseries following the New England Patriots team over 20 years, as they progress from struggling franchise to league-dominating champions, with a focus on the collaboration between quarterback Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft. The series was inspired by the book "The Dynasty" by reporter Jeff Benedict; Brian Grazer and Ron Howard executive produced. [Apple TV+] SNOOPY PRESENTS: WELCOME HOME, FRANKLIN: Animated "Peanuts" special providing an origin story for Franklin, the strip's first Black character, who was introduced more than 50 years ago in the TV special "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." In the special, new neighbors Charlie Brown and Franklin join forces to win the neighborhood Soap Box Derby race. [Apple TV+] THIS IS ME...NOW: A LOVE STORY: Narrative musical film, inspired by Jennifer Lopez's 2024 album, and following the actress and singer's "journey to find love." Ben Affleck, Sofía Vergara, Keke Palmer, Post Malone, Trevor Noah, Fat Joe, and others make guest appearances; music video vet Dave Meyers directs. [Prime Video] DARK HARVEST: 2023 fantasy-horror film from director David Slade ("30 Days of Night"), inspired by the 2006 novel by Norman Partridge. In a small rural town in the 1960s, teenage boys wage an annual Halloween night battle against a supernatural creature known as "Sawtooth Jack." Casey Likes, E'myri Crutchfield, Elizabeth Reaser, Jeremy Davies, and Luke Kirby co-star. [Prime Video] LIFE & BETH: The romantic comedy-drama series from star, writer, director, and co-creator Amy Schumer returns for a second season, with all 10 new episodes premiering today. Season 2 finds Beth (Schumer) and John (Michael Cera) learning more about one another as they confront their ongoing communication problems. Susannah Flood, Violet Young, Kevin Kane, and Yamaneika Saunders co-star. [Hulu] THE POD GENERATION: 2023 sci-fi romantic comedy from writer/director Sophie Barthes ("Cold Souls"), set in a near-future in which couples can opt to grow their children in detachable, artificial wombs. Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor co-star. [Hulu] BLUE BLOODS: The police procedural drama series -- about an extended New York family populated largely by police officers -- returns to CBS this weekend for a 14th and final season. (Season 14 will be divided into two halves; the very final episodes premiere this fall.) Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, and Len Cariou co-star. [Paramount+] S.W.A.T. The CBS police procedural series -- which was briefly canceled before being revived -- is back for a seventh and final season this week. Shemar Moore, Alex Russell, Kenny Johnson, David Lim, and Patrick St. Esprit co-star as officers and commanders in the LAPD's elite Special Weapons and Tactics unit. [Paramount+] FIRE COUNTRY: The CBS drama series stars Max Thieriot as a convict who shortens his sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he's teamed with a group of seasoned pros. Kevin Alejandro, Jordan Calloway, and Stephanie Arcila co-star. It's back for Season 2. [Paramount+] EINSTEIN AND THE BOMB: Historical docuseries from the UK, combining archival footage, scripted re-enactments, and the scientist's own words to explore his life in the years after he fled Nazi Germany. Aidan McArdle stars in the scripted segments as Einstein. [Netflix] THE ABYSS (AVGRUNDEN): 2023 Swedish-language action-thriller about a dedicated mine employee (Tuva Novotny) who's torn between her personal and professional responsibilities when her hometown begins collapsing into the Earth. Richard Holm ("The Machinery") co-wrote and directed. [Netflix] COMEDY CHAOS (KOMEDI KACAU): Debut comedy series from Indonesia, starring Raditya Dika as Panca, a freshly unemployed man in a faltering marriage whose fate now rests on his struggling comedy club. [Netflix] SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18 LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER: The late-night satirical commentary series -- in which the former "Daily Show" correspondent takes irreverent deep dives into global affairs and political issues -- returns this weekend for an 11th season. HBO has already renewed the show through Season 13. [Max] TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: The Food Network reality competition series -- in which veteran chefs square off in high-stakes challenges -- returns for a fifth season. All four previous champs -- Tiffani Faison, Maneet Chauhan, Brooke Williamson, and Mei Lin -- return to oppose a new contender for a shot at a $150,000 prize. Guy Fieri hosts. [Max] NAKED AND AFRAID: The Discovery Channel reality series features survivalists struggling to escape dangerous, wilderness locations together after being abandoned without food, water, or other essential resources. It's back this week on cable and Max for a 17th season. [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. Fresh episodes from the show's eighth season hit Max on Sunday. [Max] PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS: The annual awards ceremony -- honoring popular favorites from the world of entertainment -- airs live at 8 pm ET on NBC and E!, and streams simultaneously on Peacock, from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Simu Liu hosts; performers include Kylie Minogue and Lainey Wilson. [Peacock] AN AMERICAN IN AUSTEN: Romantic comedy feature from Hallmark, starring Eliza Bennett as a huge Jane Austen fan who finds herself magically transported into the world of "Pride & Prejudice." Nell Barlow, Nicholas Bishop, and Dominic Andersen co-star. [Peacock] THE EQUALIZER: The CBS crime drama series is based on the '80s series of the same name, which also inspired the Denzel Washington film franchise. Queen Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, a former CIA operative who uses her skills to help everyday people seeking justice. Tory Kittles, Adam Goldberg, and Liza Lapira co-star. It's back for a fourth season this weekend. [Paramount+] CSI: VEGAS: The procedural crime drama series -- the fifth overall entry in the "CSI" franchise -- returns to CBS and Paramount+ this week for a third season. Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria, Mandeep Dhillon, and Marg Helgenberger co-star. [Paramount+]

4 During the week of January 15-21, seven different titles drew more than 1 billion minutes of viewing in the US. That's unprecedented since Nielsen started measuring streaming viewership four years ago. More: Six titles have exceeded 1 billion minutes in a single week on just four occasions in the past. The animated kids' series "Bluey" was #1 for the week with 1.5 billion minutes streamed on Disney+. Amazon's "Reacher" was the most-popular streaming original show, with 1.23 billion minutes viewed. Netflix's thriller series "Fool Me Once," true crime docuseries "American Nightmare," and heist film "Lift" all surpassed the 1 billion minutes milestone. The network shows "Young Sheldon" and "Grey's Anatomy" also hit 1 billion minutes this week.

5 Season 3 of the musical comedy series "Girls5eva" premieres on Netflix on March 14. The series debuted on Peacock, but Netflix will be its new streaming home; the previous two seasons are also moving over to the platform in March. More: The show centers on a former 1990s girl group that reassembles in the present day; Broadway veterans Sara Bareilles and Renée Elise Goldsberry co-star with comic actors Busy Philipps and Paula Pell. The show comes from creator/showrunner Meredith Scardino; Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, who collaborated with Scardino on "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," executive produce. Though the show built up a passionate fanbase on Peacock, it failed to reach a mainstream crowd; the hope is that Netflix will expose "Girls5eva" to a wider audience.

6 NBC's "Today" got an early look at "The Netflix Slam," the streamer's upcoming live tennis special. Pros Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will face off during the livestream, in their first match since 2022. More: The match will stream live from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Sunday, March 3. The stream will feature commentary from a number of well-known tennis players, including Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mary Joe Fernández, and Pat McEnroe. A Spanish-language simulcast features commentary from Feliciano López, David Ferrer, and Santi Millán. Last year, Netflix experimented with a similar live golf exhibition, called "The Netflix Cup." Nadal and Alcaraz last faced off in May 2022 at the Madrid Open; Alcaraz won in three sets.

7 Before it was pulled from Apple's App Store, the piracy app Kimi was downloaded around 153,000 times. According to the data analysis firm Appfigures, Kimi was ranked in 4th place among all entertainment apps, and 12th place overall, before Apple removed it from the platform. More: During its breakout App Store moment, Kimi was more popular than the Max, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, and Disney+ apps. Kimi's developers made the app appear to be a "vision-testing platform" or a mobile game in order to get around Apple's review filters; the app nonethleess offered illegal bootleg streams of popular movies and TV shows, including low-quality copies of theatrical films. Kimi was released to the App Store in November, but went largely unnoticed until downloads spiked in February; Apple removed it on Tuesday of this week.

8 QUICK HITS If your business accepted Visa or MC from Jan. 1, 2004 to Jan. 25, 2019, you may be entitled to a share of the historic $5.6 billion settlement.* Amazon posted a trailer for the second half of "Invincible" Season 2; the hyper-violent animated superhero comedy-drama returns on March 14. Jon Hamm joined the cast of Paramount+'s latest Taylor Sheridan-produced drama "Landman" in a recurring guest role; Billy Bob Thornton stars in the series, which is set in the world of West Texas oil drilling. Dennis Quaid will star opposite Annaleigh Ashford in the Paramount+ scripted true crime series "Happy Face"; he'll play real-life incarcerated serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, who finds a new way to intrude on the life of his estranged daughter (Ashford). Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. snagged the lead roles in Netflix's series adaptation of the 1975 Judy Blume novel "Forever"; Regina King will direct the first episode and executive produce the series. Netflix picked up "Apex," a survival thriller script written by Jeremy Robbins ("The Purge" series) that's described as "Free Solo" meets "Silence of the Lambs." Max ordered its first original series from Spain, an adaptation of Sergio Sarria's novel "When Nobody Sees Us," to star Maribel Verdú, Mariela Garriga, and Austin Amelio. Conquer any Kubernetes challenge with the Kubernetes Cookbook. Get your copy from DoiT, a global team of cloud experts.* *This is sponsored content

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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 Lon Harris

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