Disney password crackdown / YouTube's Mohan on AI training / "Avatar" loses showrunner / New Roku ad patent

Plus the weekend calendar, Amazon "Legally Blonde" spinoff, Hulu grabs Kaling's "Murray Hill," WNBA stays on Prime Video, and more

Inside Streaming For April 05, 2024

Thank you to our sponsor

Happy Friday and thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming brief. It feels like stories about training AI models, and the vast corpus of information and data that needs to get fed into this software up front before you start getting any kind of usable outputs, are still flying under the radar. But this is such an important, even existential issue for the future of this technology. By their own admission, AI companies CAN'T produce workable models without feeding them basically everything on the internet, from Reddit comments to YouTube videos to New York Times articles and everything in between. If they have to pay to license all of that content, these tools are no longer cost effective to develop. But if they don't have access to that content at all, these tools are useless. All the hype and all the billions of dollars in investment money can't seem to close this gap. We either allow these companies to plagiarize everyone in the entire world or they cease to function. How is that not a bigger story? Lon p/lon-harris

1 During an interview on CNBC this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed plans to begin cracking down on password sharing across the company's suite of streaming platforms. According to Iger, Disney will launch "our first real foray into password sharing [enforcement]" in June, with a full protocol in place by September. More: New limits on account-sharing will extend across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Initially, Disney will prompt people using accounts from outside their household to sign up for their own subscriptions. Account holders will be allowed to add users from outside their households for an additional fee, similar to Netflix's system. Iger's CNBC interview followed Disney's annual shareholder meeting; the company has promised investors that its streaming business will hit profitability by the close of this fiscal year, also in September.

2 In an interview with Bloomberg, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said that training an AI text-to-video model using YouTube's content would be a "clear violation" of the platform's terms of use. Mohan explained that YouTube users upload their work with "certain expectations," including that it won't be downloaded and re-shared without their knowledge or permission. More: These were Mohan's first public remarks on the subject of AI training. Mohan said he has no knowledge about whether or not specific text-to-video models, such as OpenAI's Sora, have been trained on YouTube videos. Back in March, OpenAI CTO Mira Murati told The Wall Street Journal that she wasn't sure whether or not Sora had been trained on videos from YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook. OpenAI has publicly discussed training some of its large language models, including GPT-5, on transcriptions of YouTube videos.

A message from our sponsor, Totango + Catalyst. Drive new revenue with post-sales customer growth  An overwhelming 97% of revenue leaders say that post-sales customer growth is a critical business outcome, according to our recent survey.  Growing revenue solely through new customer logos is no longer a viable option in today’s environment.  Download our research report and discover what 250 customer success and sales leaders are thinking about revenue, retention, and customer expansion in 2024.  Read the report and learn why: How accelerating revenue growth through your customers is more reliable than chasing new logos Nearly one-third of company leaders don’t have access to revenue insights needed to drive business decisions Expansion targeting, increased product adoption, and delivering recurring value are keys to customer expansion Today’s new normal calls for new growth strategies. Get our report for proven strategies to drive revenue with customer retention and customer expansion. Get The Report

3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, APRIL 5 SUGAR: Debut mystery-drama series from creator Mark Protosevich ("The Cell," "I Am Legend") and director Fernando Meirelles ("City of God"). Colin Farrell stars as a Los Angeles private detective investigating the disappearance of a famed Hollywood producer's granddaughter. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Amy Ryan, Dennis Boutsikaris, and Lindsay Pulsipher co-star. [Apple TV+] THE ZONE OF INTEREST: 2023 period drama film from writer/director Jonathan Glazer ("Under the Skin"), inspired by the 2014 novel by Martin Amis. Christian Friedel stars as Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss, who lives with his wife (Sandra Hüller) and family in an idyllic home located directly next to the concentration camp. The film won two Oscars this year: Best International Feature and Best Sound. [Max] SCOOP: Biographical drama feature from the UK, recreating the landmark 2019 BBC interview between Prince Andrew and journalist Emily Maitlis concerning his association with convicted pedophile and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell co-star as Maitlis and the Prince, while Billie Piper plays producer Sam McAlister, on whose book the film is based. "The Crown" vet Philip Martin directs. [Netflix] THE ANTISOCIAL NETWORK: MEMES TO MAYHEM: Documentary profiling the far-right online community 4chan, which started as a gathering place for bored teens but ultimately gave rise to the QAnon conspiracy and, by some accounts, the January 6 attack. "Feels Good Man" vets Giorgio Angelini and Arthur Jones directed. [Netflix] PARASYTE: THE GREY: Live-action sci-fi horror series from Korea, based on the manga "Parastye" by Hitoshi Iwaaki. It's set in a world that's being invaded by parasitic creatures from space who take over the bodies of human hosts. Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan, Lee Jung-hyun, and Kwon Hae-hyo co-star; "Train to Busan" vet Yeon Sang-ho directed and co-wrote. [Netflix] NIGHT SWIM: 2024 supernatural horror film from executive producers Jason Blum and James Wan, about a suburban family who discover that their backyard swimming pool is haunted. Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon co-star. Bryce McGuire wrote and directed the film, which is based on his 2014 short. [Peacock] MARY & GEORGE: Limited historical drama series from the UK, based on the 2017 nonfiction book "The King's Assassin" by Benjamin Woolley. Julianne Moore stars as Mary Villiers, the Countess of Buckingham, who gained power and influence for her family in the early 17th Century by training her son George (Nicholas Galitzine) to seduce King James I (Tony Curran). "Killing Eve" vet D.C. Moore created the series. [Starz] ALEX RIDER: The British YA spy thriller series is back for a third and final season. Otto Farrant stars as a teen who's recruited by MI6 to infiltrate spaces where adult agents aren't welcome. Stephen Dillane, Vicky McClure, Brenock O'Connor, and Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo co-star. [Freevee] HOW TO DATE BILLY WALSH: Teen rom-com from the UK starring Sebastian Croft as Archie, whose plans to declare his feelings for long-time crush Amelia (Charithra Chandran) are thwarted when she falls for a charming new transfer student (Tanner Buchanan). Lucy Punch, Kunal Nayyar, and Nick Frost co-star; "Riverdale" and "Bridgerton" vet Alex Pillai directed. [Prime Video] HIT: High school drama series from Spain starring Daniel Grao as unconventional teacher Hugo Ibarra Toledo, who struggles privately with alcoholism while trying to make a real difference in the lives of his students. It's back for a third season. [Prime Video] DINOSAUR: Debut Scottish comedy series, originally produced for BBC Three, starring Ashley Storrie as an autistic woman in her 30s whose carefully-crafted life is thrown into disarray when her sister, best friend, and roommate (Kat Ronney) gets engaged. David Carlyle, Lorn Macdonald, and Danny Ashok co-star; Storrie co-created with Matilda Curtis. [Hulu] SHE CAME TO ME: 2023 romantic comedy from writer/director Rebecca Miller ("Maggie's Plan"). Peter Dinklage stars as an operetta composer with writers block who finds inspiration, and upends his marriage, after meeting an eccentric tugboat captain. Marisa Tomei, Anne Hathaway, Joanna Kulig, and Brian d'Arcy James co-star. [Hulu] FESTIVAL OF THE LIVING DEAD: 2024 horror film set at a festival commemorating the events of George A. Romero's original "Night of the Living Dead" that's interrupted by a new zombie outbreak. Ashley Moore and Carmen Bicondova co-star; Jen & Sylvia Soska ("Rabid") direct. [Tubi] SATURDAY, APRIL 6 ALEX EDELMAN: JUST FOR US: Recorded version of the hit one-man comedy show, which was taped at Broadway's Hudson Theater in August of last year. Edelman recounts the true story of how he infiltrated a meeting of white nationalists in Queens. [Max] HOMEGROWN: Urban farming reality series from Magnolia Network, following Patchwork City Farms owner Jamila Norman as she helps people grow their own fruits and veggies in their backyards and home gardens. It's back this weekend for a fourth season. [Max] METALOCALYPSE: ARMY OF THE DOOMSTAR: 2023 animated comedy feature for adults, spun off from the Adult Swim series "Metalocalypse" and serving as a conclusion to the story. Series co-creator Brendan Small wrote and directed, and provides many of the voices, along with Tommy Blacha, Malcolm McDowell, and Mark Hamill. [Max] ONE BAD APPLE: A HANNAH SWENSEN MYSTERY: Debut romantic mystery feature from Hallmark, reuniting "The Wedding Veil" stars Alison Sweeney and Victor Webster. The film is based on the novel "Apple Turnover Murder" by Joanne Fluke; it's Hallmark's ninth "Hannah Swensen" adaptation. [Peacock] THE FABLE: Debut Japanese anime series, based on the manga by Katsuhisa Minami, about a lifelong assassin who's ordered by his employers to become a normal law-abiding citizen for an entire year. [Hulu] SUNDAY, APRIL 7 CMT MUSIC AWARDS: The annual music award ceremony airs live on CBS and streams on Paramount+ at 8 pm ET on Sunday night from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Performers include Cody Johnson, Old Dominion, Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, and Trisha Yearwood. Kelsea Ballerini hosts. [Paramount+] BEACON 23: Sci-fi mystery series from creator Zak Penn ("Free Guy"), based on a book by "Silo" author Hugh Howey. It's about a government operative (Lena Headey) and a former soldier (Stephan James) with conflicting agendas who are trapped together in remote space, on a way-station for intergalactic travelers, in the 23rd Century. Glen Mazzara ("The Walking Dead") and Joy Blake ("The Passage") serve as co-showrunners on Season 2. [MGM+] BEST BITE IN TOWN: Debut Food Network reality competition series from producer Guy Fieri. Noah Cappe and a pair of guest chefs try as much food as they can in different towns, then present their favorite dishes to a panel of judges, who choose the overall "best bite." [Max] BLIND DATE BOOK CLUB: Romantic comedy feature from Hallmark starring Erin Krakow as a bookshop owner and matchmaking veteran who makes her own love connection when a bestselling author (Robert Buckley) comes to town. [Peacock] GO! GO! LOSER RANGER! Debut anime series, based on the manga by Negi Haruba, about the war between a powerful alien army and elite human warriors known as the Dragon Keepers. [Hulu] MISSION: YOZAKURA FAMILY: Another first-year Japanese anime series, this one is based on the manga by Hitsuji Gondaira. When an orphan discovers his closest friend and her parents are secretly covert operatives, he marries into the family and becomes a spy himself. [Hulu]

4 Showrunner Albert Kim will exit Netflix's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" series after a single season. Season 1 executive producers Jabbar Raisani ("Lost in Space") and Christine Boylan ("Poker Face") will take over Kim's duties moving forward. More: Kim is moving over to Disney+, where he'll executive produce the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series while developing new film and TV projects. Kim joined "Avatar" in 2020, replacing previous showrunners Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, who also created the original Nickelodeon animated series. Konietzko and DiMartino are back at Nickelodeon, developing new animated "Avatar" projects under their Avatar Studios banner.

A message from our sponsor, Pattern. Which selling model is better? Understand the differences, advantages, and disadvantages behind Amazon 1P, Amazon 3P, and Amazon 3P Partnership selling models. Gain clarity and make informed decisions with our exclusive report.  Inside you'll learn: Definitions of 1P, 3P, and 3P Partnership Insights into inventory ownership and order fulfillment Amazon fulfillment methods demystified Tips for inventory forecasting and shipping Learn More

5 A new patent filing by Roku, first highlighted by the blog Lowpass, would allow the company to serve ads to viewers using third-party connected devices. The company is apparently developing a system that will allow its smart TVs to push ads to any device connected via HDMI cables. More: Third-party devices could theoretically include an Apple TV, Chromecast, or a video game console. The patent suggests that these ads could appear whenever the primary content is on pause; it describes several methods by which the TV could determine when the third-party device has been paused. In fiscal year 2023, Roku lost around $44 million on its smart TV division; currently, the company makes much more revenue via its ad platforms than it does from hardware sales.

6 Deadline reported that Reese Witherspoon's company, Hello Sunshine, is working with Amazon MGM Studios on multiple "Legally Blonde" spinoff series. The initial spinoff is being developed by "Gossip Girl" duo Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage; no premise has yet been announced. More: After acquiring MGM, Amazon identified a list of a dozen classic titles around which to fast-track new projects, including "Legally Blonde." The first "Legally Blonde" film was released in 2001, and starred Witherspoon as former sorority girl Elle Woods, who shatters stereotypes while studying at Harvard Law School. That film was followed by a theatrical sequel in 2003 and a direct-to-video follow-up in 2009; Mindy Kaling has also workshopped a potential revival that never came to pass.

7 Following a bidding war among networks and streamers, Mindy Kaling's latest project, "Murray Hill," landed at Hulu. The comedy series, written by Kaling, centers on five work-obsessed 20-somethings living in the "glamorous" Manhattan neighborhood. More: Kaling will also executive produce the series, as part of her overall deal with Warner Bros.Television. The writer/actor has a long history with Hulu; the streamer saved her sitcom "The Mindy Project" after it was cancelled by Fox, and kept it alive for three additional seasons. Kaling has since created and produced "Never Have I Ever" for Netflix, along with "The Sex Lives of College Girls" and "Velma" for Max.

8 QUICK HITS As a key player in the corporate world, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve and understand the implications of Visa and Mastercard's groundbreaking $5 billion settlement.* Prime Video renewed its deal with the WNBA for an additional 2 years, and will remain the league's exclusive US streaming partner. Netflix announced the cast for "Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black," the multi-hyphenate's first original series for the streamer; Taylor Polidore Williams and Crystle Stewart co-star as Black women who find themselves entangled in one another's messy lives. Frank Grillo joined the cast of "Tulsa King" ahead of its second season on Paramount+; he'll play a Kansas City mobster who also has his eye on Tulsa. Comedian Matt Rife signed a new Netflix deal, and will develop two stand-up specials plus a workplace comedy series for the streamer. Hulu's "Futurama" reboot returns for a new season -- the animated sci-fi comedy's 12th overall -- on July 29. "9-1-1" showrunner Tim Minear sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss this week's episode, which surprised fans by revealing that Oliver Stark's character Buck is bisexual. Though it hasn't been officially renewed, both actor Steven Yeun and creator Robert Kirkman suggest that work has already started on Season 3 of Amazon's animated superhero comedy-drama "Invincible"; the show's long-delayed Season 2 wrapped up this week. The Starz period drama series "The Serpent Queen," starring Samantha Morton as infamous French royal Catherine de Medici, returns for a second season this summer; Minnie Driver joins the cast this year as Elizabeth I. Former "Double Dare" host Marc Summers claims he was misled by producers of the Investigation Discovery docuseries exposé "Quiet on Set" and ultimately walked out of his interview session; Summers told host Elvis Duran that he never met the series' subject, producer Dan Schneider, and had no knowledge of the show's true focus. Max's feature adaptation of the John Green novel "Turtles All the Way Down" premieres on May 2; Isabela Merced stars as a young woman struggling with anxiety. Peacock released a trailer for the new reality dating show "Love Undercover," in which five well-known athletes pose as everyday guys in Los Angeles while attempting to find a new partner; the series premieres on May 9. Newcomer Michael Bradway joined the cast of NBC's "Chicago Fire" ahead of its 12th season; he'll make recurring appearances as charming firefighter Jack Damon. The Lionsgate Play service signed a new carriage deal with Filipino mobile carrier Smart Communications, to provide access to new subscribers in the Philippines. Dice Cream is automating the ice cream industry with their revolutionary technology. Learn more about investing in their ice cream robot.* *This is sponsored content

Upcoming Events APR 10 Ask email experts from Google and Yahoo your most important questions at SocketLabs' interactive webinar on April 10. Virtual Register Here. * This is a sponsored event

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

Discover more on inside.com/streaming Thanks for reading today's issue of Inside Streaming. Explore Explore

Join us in the Revenue Revolution. Drive customer-led growth with CS + post-sales strategies.

Pattern, the largest 3P seller on Amazon, accelerates ecommerce with patented tech and unmatched services.

Share Email Share on X Open in Browser Open in Browser Open in Browser

Did someone forward this email to you? Get your free subscription here. Interested in sponsoring this newsletter? Connect with our sales team here. You received this email because you are subscribed to Inside Streaming. Manage your subscription or unsubscribe here. 767 Bryant St. #203, San Francisco, CA 94107 Copyright © 2024 Inside.com