Max adds Dolby Vision / Joint sports streamer seeks CEO / New shows declined last year / "Night Country" hits 5M viewers

Plus today's calendar, Apple's "Prime Target" series, Disney "Iwájú" trailer, "ST: Discovery" Season 5, new "Bridgerton" clip, and more

Inside Streaming For February 14, 2024

Happy Valentine's Day and thanks for reading today's Inside Streaming brief. So HBO is reporting that "True Detective: Night Country" is not just the most popular season of "True Detective" to date, but is outperforming the most recent seasons of hits like "The White Lotus" and even "Succession." The hype definitely seems to be there. There was pretty high awareness, I'd say, that they were coming out with a new "True Detective" season from a new showrunner, and Jodie Foster's a big enough name to warrant some extra attention. It's just a bit odd because I don't feel like this season is widely liked? At least, not on my social media feeds. I've been enjoying it but I feel like the internet's response has been lukewarm at best, with lots of complaints about the slow pace and spooky supernatural vibe that doesn't feel entirely consistent with past seasons. But I guess being a crowd-pleaser is less important than just getting everyone's attention? Even the people who don't like what Issa López has done with the show are apparently still watching. Lon p/lon-harris

1 Warner Bros. Discovery announced Max live sports broadcasts will now support Dolby Vision on compatible TVs. This makes Max the first US streamer to offer Dolby Vision for live sports. More: Dolby's process boosts brightness levels, clarity, and color; the company said that it will use real-time feeds to adjust brightness levels "intelligently" across broadcasts. Though no specific line-up was announced, WBD suggest the feature will be available for most leagues and organizations, including the NBA, NHLA, MLB, NCAA, and US Soccer. The first Dolby Vision-enabled sports stream will be this weekend's NBA All-Star Game and associated events. The Dolby Vision streams are available for all Max subscribers via the "Bleacher Report" hub.

2 According to The Wall Street Journal, former Apple executive Pete Distad is among the leading candidates to run a high-profile new sports-focused streaming service. The new streamer is a joint venture between Disney's ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. More: Distad previously ran Apple's sports and video businesses before exiting the company last year. During his time at Apple, Distad was largely focused on securing deals with sports leagues; he helped to negotiate the 2022 licensing agreement with Major League Soccer, valued at around $2.5 billion. He's also a former Hulu marketing and distribution executive. WSJ did not disclose the names of any other potential candidates; it's anticipated that the companies will announce a CEO in the coming weeks. The ESPN/Fox/WBD streaming service is expected to launch later on this year.

3 DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 THE NEW LOOK: Debut historical drama series chronicling the French fashion industry in the immediate aftermath of World War II, starring Ben Mendelsohn and Juliette Binoche as iconic designers Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. Maisie Williams, John Malkovich, Emily Mortimer, Claes Bang, and Glenn Close co-star; "Damages" and "Bloodline" vet Todd A. Kessler created. [Apple TV+] LOVE IS BLIND: The reality dating series -- in which 30 singles get to know one another, and occasionally agree to get engaged, without ever meeting face to face -- is back for a sixth season. This year's participants hail from Charlotte, North Carolina. Nick and Vanessa Lachey co-host. [Netflix] PLAYERS: Romantic comedy feature starring Gina Rodriguez as a New York sportswriter who prefers hook-ups to serious relationships, until a charming reporter (Tom Ellis) challenges her preconceptions about settling down. Damon Wayans Jr., Joel Courtney, Liza Koshy, and Ego Nwodim co-star; Trish Sie ("Pitch Perfect 3") directed. [Netflix] GOOD MORNING, VERÔNICA (BOM DIA, VERÔNICA): The Portuguese-language crime drama series from Brazil is back for a third and final season. Tainá Müller stars as a police clerk who begins investigating otherwise neglected cases after witnessing a tragic suicide. [Netflix] A SOWETO LOVE STORY: Romantic comedy film from South Africa, about a mother who uses her family's home in the iconic Johannesburg borough as an enticement, to encourage her three adult sons to find wives and settle down. Lunga Shabalala, Duduzile Ngcobo, and Sparky Xulu co-star; Rolie Nikiwe ("The Brave Ones") directs. [Netflix] THE HEARTBREAK AGENCY (DIE LIEBESKÜMMERER): Romantic comedy feature from Germany about a company that claims it can cure lovesickness, and the skeptical journalist who's determined to expose them as a fraud. Rosalie Thomass and Laurence Rupp co-star. The film was inspired by the self-help book "Goodbye Heartache" by author Elena-Katharina Sohn, and her actual organization, which helps those suffering from personal loss. [Netflix] LIFE BELOW ZERO: NEXT GENERATION: The National Geographic reality series -- a spinoff of the original "Life Below Zero" -- follows a new group of hardy individuals struggling to survive in the harsh remote Alaskan wilderness. 13 episodes from the show's sixth season hit both Disney streamers today. [Hulu and Disney+] STAR WARS: YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES: Animated "Star Wars" series for kids, about a group of younglings training to become Jedi Knights during the High Republic era, years before the events of the films. The show returns this week for some additional Season 1 episodes. [Disney+] BIG LITTLE BRAWLERS: Six-episode Discovery Channel reality series centering on the Micro Wrestling Federation of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which exclusively features competitors of short stature. Real-life couple and wrestling duo Pinky Shortcake and Syko co-star. Season 1 aired earlier this year on cable and hits Max in the US today. [Max] VH1 FAMILY REUNION: LOVE & HIP HOP EDITION: The reality series features cast members from every season of "Love & Hip Hop" reconnecting and taking tropical getaways together. Seasons 2 and 3 both hit Paramount+ today. [Paramount+] THE SMURFS: This animated series, originally produced in Belgium, is the third incarnation of the classic "Smurfs" franchise, and finds the tiny blue villagers exploring the larger world. Season 2 premiered last year in the US on Nickelodeon, and hits Paramount+ today. [Paramount+]

4 According to new data from FX Networks Research, the number of new scripted series dropped last year for the first time since 2020. 516 new scripted series were introduced in 2023, down from 600 the year before; that's a 14% year-to-year decline. More: 2023 marked the steepest drop in new shows in more than a decade. This likely marks the end of the era known as "Peak TV," when streaming services prompted an exponential jump in fresh TV content. Studios had already started cutting back on new programming in 2022, but the Hollywood strikes of last year significantly accelerated the process; the number of debut shows is expected to continue declining in 2024.

5 The latest episode of HBO's "True Detective: Night Country" was viewed by 5 million people over last weekend. That's the most viewership an episode of the mystery-drama series has received to date, but HBO measured the audience for the full Super Bowl weekend, not just a Sunday night premiere. More: 2 million viewers watched the season premiere of "True Detective: Night Country" across both HBO and Max on its debut night. This data combines Nielsen's measurements of the HBO cable audience along with Max's internal numbers. HBO reports that "Night Country" is now the most popular season of "True Detective," with an average of 12.7 million total viewers across the season's first two episodes; that also puts it ahead of "The White Lotus" Season 2 and "Succession" Season 4.

6 Leo Woodall ("One Day") and Quintessa Swindell ("Black Adam") will co-star in Apple's upcoming thriller series "Prime Target." The 8-episode series comes from "Sherlock" vet Steve Thompson and Ridley Scott's production company, Scott Free. More: Woodall plays a mathematical genius working on codebreaking technology who finds himself at the center of a global conspiracy; Swindell co-stars as an NSA operative keeping tabs on him. Stephen Rea, David Morrissey, Martha Plimpton, Jason Flemyng, and Sidse Babbett Knudsen co-star. No release date has yet been announced for the series.

7 Disney+ released a trailer for the Nigerian animated fantasy-adventure series "Iwájú." The series -- co-produced with the African comic book publisher Kugali --  marks Disney's first-ever animated collaboration with an outside studio. More: The series is set in a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria, and centers on a wealthy and well-connected girl who befriends a self-taught technical whiz and a cybernetic lizard. The voice cast features Simisola Gbadamosi, Dayo Okeniyi, Femi Branch, Siji Soetan, and Weruche Opia. The music comes from Nigerian composer Ré Olunuga; Disney will release a soundtrack album in March, along with a mobile game inspired by the series called "Rising Chef."

8 QUICK HITS Visa and Mastercard have come to a historic $5 billion settlement, marking a pivotal moment for small business owners.* "Star Trek: Discovery" returns to Paramount+ for its fifth and final season on April 4; Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, and Wilson Cruz co-star. Netflix released a new clip from "Bridgerton" Season 3, debuting in May; the new episodes follow the romance of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and his neighbor, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). The British period fantasy-adventure series "Renegade Nell" -- from "Happy Valley" creator Sally Wainwright -- hits Disney+ on March 29; Louisa Harland ("Derry Girls") stars as a young outlaw in 18th Century England who begins receiving messages from a magical spirit. The "Today" show got an early look at "Pathological: The Lies of Joran van der Sloot," an upcoming Peacock true-crime documentary about the Dutch national who murdered business student Stephany Flores and tourist Natalee Holloway; the film premieres on February 27. "Prom Dates," the next original Hulu film from studio American High ("The Binge"), co-stars Julia Lester and Antonia Gentry as best friends who break up with their boyfriends the day before prom; Chelsea Handler and John Michael Higgins have both joined the cast. "The Baxters" -- a series adaptation of the novels by author Karen Kingsbury -- hits Prime Video on March 28; star and producer Roma Downey has had the books under option for more than a decade. "Arrow" vet Stephen Amell grabbed the lead role in NBC's "Suits" spinoff pilot, "Suits LA"; he'll play a former New York federal prosecutor who moves to Los Angeles and enters private practice. On Instagram, "Road House" star Jake Gyllenhaal shared a photo of himself on set with rapper and singer Post Malone, who apparently makes an appearance in the Prime Video action film; Amazon's remake of the '80s Patrick Swayze classic arrives on March 21. Bravo announced that Porsha Williams Guobadia will return to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" for its 16th season; Williams Guobadia was a series regular from Seasons 5-13. In an interview with Times Radio, "Succession" star Sarah Snook revealed that actor Brian Cox would act "incredibly intimidating" on the show's set, even growling and at times faking "diabetic rage" to test everyone's energy. Dive into advanced tips and tricks with the Kubernetes Cookbook. Get your copy, compliments of the cloud experts at DoiT.* *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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