Fubo sues joint streamer / Disney exits DVD business / Netflix "Milestone Movies" screenings / "Ferrari" skips Euro theaters

Plus today's calendar, new comedy from "Maid" creator, Netflix Expos doc, Ruby Franke sentenced, and more

Inside Streaming For February 21, 2024

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Thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming. I'm a bit sad about the obvious winding down of the physical media business in general, but Disney shifting its DVD and Blu-Ray sales over to Sony actually strikes me as rather upbeat news. Physical media hasn't been a priority for the Mouse for many years. They've got merch and theme park tickets to sell. As a result, they've allowed that entire side of their business to kind of dwindle. Sony, on the other hand, still sells a lot of PlayStation consoles, which have DVD/Blu-Ray players built in. So it's worth their while to keep at least hardcore collectors buying up and enjoying new discs while they can. Pushing off all the work to Sony probably means that we'll get at least a few more years of active releases from the "Disney Vault" than we would have otherwise. Lon p/lon-harris

1 FuboTV sued the companies behind a new collaborative live sports streaming platform. The suit seeks to block the recently-announced service, which brings together feeds from Disney's ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, and also seeks punitive damages. More: Fubo claims that the three companies won't provide access to the same "skinny bundle" of content they're promoting to other distributors. Instead, the suit alleges that the companies hope to sell distributors like Fubo a more costly package filled with "unwanted, expensive content" that doesn't align with consumer preferences. Shares in Fubo have plummeted around 20% since the new team-up sports service was announced. The Fox/Disney/WBD service will carry content from 14 TV networks, including ABC, Disney's ESPN channels, Warner's TNT and TBS, the Fox network, and Fox Sports channels. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Department of Justice will investigate the proposed streaming service for potential anti-trust violations.

2 Disney announced plans to exit the physical media business. The company entered a licensing agreement with Sony Entertainment, which will continue to promote, sell, and distribute both new Disney releases and archive titles. More: Best Buy recently removed the DVD and Blu-Ray sections from its retail stores. The winding down of physical media has been an ongoing trend for several years; in 2020, Warner Bros. and Universal launched a joint venture, Studio Distribution Services, to handle their physical media businesses. Sony continues to have a strong interest in the physical media business, as DVD and Blu-Ray discs are playable on PlayStation consoles.

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3 DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 CONSTELLATION: Debut sci-fi thriller series from "Doctor Who" vet Peter Harness, starring Noomi Rapace as an astronaut who returns to Earth, and finds that some details about her life have mysteriously changed in her absence. Jonathan Banks and James D'Arcy co-star; "Breaking Bad" vet Michelle MacLaren directed the first two episodes. [Apple TV+] MESSI'S WORLD CUP: THE RISE OF A LEGEND: Four-part sports docuseries charting international football icon Lionel Messi's career, through five World Cups, culminating with Argentina's ultimate victory against France in 2022. Messi participates in the series and provides his unique perspective, along with teammates Ángel Di María, Rodrigo De Paul, and others. [Apple TV+] STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH: The animated "Star Wars" series -- a spinoff of "The Clone Wars" following the further adventures of Clone Force 99 -- returns for a third and final season. The voice cast includes Dee Bradley Baker, Michelle Ang, Ian McDiarmid, Ming-Na Wen, and Wanda Sykes. [Disney+] PUPSTRUCTION: Disney Junior series for young kids about a hard-working dog construction crew serving the town of Petsburg. Three fresh Season 1 episodes come to Disney+ today. [Disney+] THE GOOD DOCTOR: The ABC medical drama series returned to TV this week for a seventh and final season. Freddie Highmore stars as autistic surgeon Dr. Shaun Murphy, who's now adjusting to his new role as a father. Paige Spara, Richard Schiff, Christina Chang, and Fiona Gublemann co-star. [Hulu] THE ROOKIE: The ABC police drama is back for a sixth season this week, which resolves the Season 5 finale cliffhanger. Nathan Fillion, Richard T. Jones, Alyssa Diaz, and Melissa O'Neil co-star. [Hulu] WILL TRENT: The ABC procedural drama is based on novels by Karin Slaughter, and stars Ramón Rodríguez as an intuitive special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Erika Christensen, Iantha Richardson, and Sonja Sohn co-star. It's back for a second season. [Hulu] THE FAMILY STALLONE: The reality series chronicles the home lives of actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone, his wife Jennifer, and daughters Sophia, Scarlet, and Sistine. It's back for Season 2. [Paramount+] DOLLY PARTON'S PET GALA: CBS variety special combining live musical performances with a canine fashion show, as pets model designs from the "Doggy Parton" line. Performers include Parton, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, and Chris Janson; Parton co-hosts with Jane Lynch. [Paramount+] BLANK INK CREW: The VH1 reality franchise follows the daily lives and experiences of staffers at Black Ink Crew tattoo parlors on both coasts. "Black Ink Crew New York" Season 10 and "Los Angeles" Season 2 both aired last year on cable and hit Paramount+ today. [Paramount+] CAN I TELL YOU A SECRET? Two-part true crime docuseries from the UK, exploring the experiences of three women who were targeted by serial stalker Matthew Hardy. In 2022, Hardy received the longest sentence in British history for internet stalking. [Netflix] CRIME NATION: Debut true crime docuseries examining cold cases and "ripped from the headlines" stories of criminal justice. Each episode runs two hours in length and features exclusive interviews with witnesses and experts. Episodes air Tuesday nights and hit the CW website and app on Wednesdays. [CW] TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM: 2023 animated superhero film, rebooting the "Turtles" franchise with a new voice cast of actual teenagers: Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon. Ayo Edibiri, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, Seth Rogen, and Rose Byrne co-star.  [Prime Video]

4 Netflix will bring some films from its curated "Milestone Movies" collection to revival theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The collection features films released in 1974 that are commemorating their 50th anniversary this year; it includes "Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More," "A Woman Under the Influence," and "Foxy Brown," among others. More: The Milestone Movies collection debuted on Netflix in January. In March, 15 films will screen at the Paris Theater in New York, while 12 titles will run at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles; four additional films will screen at Los Angeles' Bay Theater. In April, Netflix will introduce a 40th-anniversary Milestone Movies collection (featuring films released in 1984); a 30th-anniversary collection follows in July, with a 20th-anniversary collection debuting in October.

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5 Amazon will release the Michael Mann biopic "Ferrari" directly to Prime Video in Germany, Austria, and France. The film hits Prime Video in Germany and Austria on March 1, with French subscribers getting it the following week, on March 8. More: The film received some negative attention in the European press for casting American actor Adam Driver and Spanish actor Penélope Cruz as famously Italian couple Enzo and Laura Ferrari. As well, the film was a theatrical disappointment in the US, grossing just under $40 million at the American box office. The film was a modest theatrical hit in the UK, however, grossing $5.3 million.

6 Netflix ordered the limited dark comedy series "Sirens" from "Maid" creator and showrunner Molly Smith Metzler. The project comes from Margot Robbie's company LuckyChap, which also developed "Maid"; Robbie will executive produce the new series. More: "Sirens" is based on Metzler's play "Elemeno Pea," which she wrote while studying at Julliard. The story centers on Devon, who's concerned about sister Julia's relationship with her new boss, a wealthy and domineering socialite. This is the first original project to emerge from Metzler's overall Netflix deal, signed after the release of "Maid." Metzler previously wrote for the shows "Shameless" and "Orange is the New Black."

7 Netflix ordered a documentary about the Montreal Expos and the team's controversial 2004 departure from Canada. This is the first project to emerge from Netflix's creative partnership with Montreal studio Attraction. More: The film chronicles the decision to move the Major League Baseball team from Montreal, and the impact of that decision 20 years later. In 2005, the Expos moved to Washington and changed their name to the Nationals. Netflix opened its new Canadian headquarters last spring in Toronto.

8 QUICK HITS Former YouTube "mommy vlogger" and parenting influencer Ruby Franke was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. The limited romance series "One Day" got a boost from the Valentine's Day holiday, hitting #1 on Netflix's English-language TV Top 10 last week. Disney+ picked up two popular YouTube animated series for young kids; Moonbug's "Morphle and the Magic Pets" and Zeptolab's "Om Nom Stories" will remain on YouTube while also debuting episodes on the Disney+ platform. A documentary profile of 20-year-old singer The Kid Laroi, "Kids Are Growing Up," hits Prime Video on February 29. British actor and comedian Ewen MacIntosh, best known for playing accountant Keith Bishop on the UK version of "The Office," died on Monday at age 50.

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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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