Netflix adds 9.3M subs / Sony joins Paramount talks / "Fallout" renewed for S2 / "Quiet on Set" makes Max history

Plus the weekend calendar, Watcher exits YouTube, Peacock's "Big Bear Challenge," YouTube adds 8K on Meta Quest, and more

Inside Streaming For April 19, 2024

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Hello again and thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming. Netflix announced that they're not going to report new subscriber numbers every quarter, and Wall Street is kind of freaking out about it. But honestly, this makes sense to me. Netflix has a tremendous lead over basically all of their competitors, so of course that's not going to be the #1 metric they're focused on moving forward. Let Peacock worry about new sign-ups. Netflix already has a commanding lead, and now it's time for them to focus on squeezing these subscribers for all of their available dollars and attention. Also, because Netflix is already close to hitting 300 million global sign-ups, there's just not nearly as much room to grow (short of opening up entirely new international markets). "New sign-ups" as a metric is going to get less and less impressive as the years go on and the available audience that doesn't already have Netflix continues to dwindle. It makes sense to shift everyone's focus before that happens, not after. Anyway, I doubt Netflix is trying to pull a fast one on investors. They're in the lead, in terms of international streaming, and will probably remain so for the immediate future. Lon p/lon-harris

1 Netflix added 9.3 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2024, bringing its overall total to 269.6 million worldwide. The company announced that it will no longer report subscriber totals or average revenue per member to Wall Street starting in Q1 2025, and will instead focus on "key financial metrics." More: Netflix executives predict annual revenue growth of 13-15% for the year. In a letter to shareholders, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that the company would focus on continuing to develop high-quality shows, films, and games, while building out and expanding its advertising business. He also noted that the company's live events and sports strategy was just starting to develop, and remains "in the very early days." An SEC filing indicates that Sarandos earned a bit less in 2023 than in previous years, with a pay package valued at around $49.8 million.

2 According to Deadline, Sony has joined talks with Apollo Global Management about a potential bid for Paramount Global. Currently, Paramount majority shareholder National Amusements is conducting exclusive negotiations with Skydance and Redbird Capital around a possible acquisition deal. More: Apollo and Sony reportedly plan to offer cash in exchange for all outstanding Paramount stock, taking the company entirely private. It's currently unclear how directly Sony would be involved in the deal; Deadline suggests this is primarily Apollo's deal, and Sony might be on board simply for "management expertise." Paramount stock jumped 12% following the initial Deadline report. Sony is the only major Hollywood studio without its own dedicated streaming platform; the combination of Sony content with the Paramount+ service could serve as a significant Netflix rival.

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3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, APRIL 19 REBEL MOON – PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER: The second half of co-writer/director Zack Snyder's action-fantasy epic follows up on last year's "A Child of Fire," and finds Kora (Sofia Boutella) and her band of warrior recruits preparing to defend the planet Veldt against the power of the Motherworld and the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee). Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, and Ray Fisher co-star. [Netflix] LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL: 2024 supernatural horror film from writer/directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes, presented as footage from a 1977 talk show. In a bid to boost ratings, "Night Owls" host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) welcomes a young guest (Ingrid Torelli) who has apparently been demonically possessed. [Shudder] THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES: Debut fantasy drama series for the whole family, based on the books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Single mom Helen (Joy Bryant) moves with her kids into their family's ancestral estate, only to discover that magical creatures also occupy the propery. Jack Dylan Grazer, Christian Slater, Lyon Daniels, Noah Cottrell, and Mychala Lee co-star; Aron Eli Coleite ("Daybreak") created. [Roku] MIGRATION: 2023 animated adventure comedy film from "Minions" and "Super Mario Bros." studio Illumination, scripted by "White Lotus" vet Mike White. It's about a family of mallards whose epic journey from New England to Jamaica mirrors a traditional family vacation. The voice cast includes Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Danny DeVito, Keegan-Michael Key, and Awkwafina. [Peacock] JANE: The kids' educational series, produced by the Jane Goodall Institute and inspired by the famed primatologist's legacy, centers on a 9-year-old aspiring environmentalist (Ava Louise Murchison) who daydreams about one day protecting endangered species herself. It's back for a second season. [Apple TV+] WHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU: 2024 romantic comedy feature, based on the novel by Julianna Baggott and Steve Almond. Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff co-star as strangers who hook up at a mutual friend's wedding, then spend the following day exploring the possibility of a deeper connection. Peter Hutchings ("The Hating Game") directed. [Hulu] HGTV SMART HOME 2024: Annual special in which the HGTV network gives away a stylish and state-of-the-art smart home to one lucky sweepstakes winner. This year's home is located in Atlanta, Georgia. [Max] SATURDAY, APRIL 20 HIGH HOPES: Debut workplace reality series taking viewers behind the scenes at Hollywood's MMD cannabis dispensary, which owners and brothers Slava and Mishka hope to one day transform into a weed empire. Jimmy Kimmel executive producers. [Hulu] PREDATOR V PREY: Debut nature docuseries from BBC America, examining the world's most dominant apex predators, including lions, cheetahs, and crocodiles, and their strategies for taking down formidable opponents. Howard Charles narrates. New episodes air on cable and stream on AMC+ on Saturdays. [AMC+] SUNDAY, APRIL 21 THE JINX – PART TWO: Six-part HBO true-crime docuseries, following up on the influential Emmy-winning 2015 series about late real estate heir and convicted killer Robert Durst. Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki returns for sequel, compiled over 8 years of additional investigations into Durst's numerous alleged crimes. [Max] BE MY GUEST WITH INA GARTEN: The Food Network series features the chef, author, and "Barefoot Contessa" vet preparing favorite recipes and enjoying lively conversations in her home along with celebrity guests. It's back this week for a fourth season. [Max] FALLING IN LOVE IN NIAGARA: 2024 romantic comedy-drama feature from Hallmark starring Jocelyn Hudon as a formerly-engaged but freshly-single woman who forges a new connection on what would've been her honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls. Dan Jeannotte co-stars. [Peacock]

4 Amazon Prime Video renewed the post-apocalyptic sci-fi action series "Fallout" for a second season. Though the streamer has not released any specific viewership info, it reported that "Fallout" ranks among its three most popular original series to date. More: The series is based on a video game franchise from Bethesda Softworks. "Westworld" vets Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy executive produced the series; Geneva Robertson-Dworet ("Captain Marvel") and Graham Wagner ("Silicon Valley") serve as showrunners. Production on Season 2 will move from New York to California, in order to secure a $25 million tax credit from the state. A brief scene at the tail end of the Season 1 finale suggests that Season 2 will likely adapt elements of the game "Fallout: New Vegas."

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5 According to Nielsen, the Investigation Discovery docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" was viewed for 1.25 billion minutes during the week of March 18-24. Based on Nielsen rankings, that makes the exposé the most-streamed series in the history of the Max platform within a single week, besting HBO's "The Last of Us." More: Four different streamers -- Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and Disney+ -- were all represented in the Nielsen Top 5 between March 18-24; that has only happened in one other week ever, back in October of 2022. The #1 show on Nielsen's chart this week was Netflix's "3 Body Problem," which debuted all eight of its episodes on March 21; it was viewed for 1.37 billion minutes across those first four days. Amazon's "Road House" remake came in second place, with 1.32 billion minutes viewed. "Bluey" on Disney+ also exceeded 1 billion minutes viewed for the 13th consecutive week.

6 Production house Watcher Entertainment will launch its own subscription-based streaming service. The company -- founded by three former BuzzFeed creators -- built up its audience with unscripted YouTube content, but will now exit the platform in favor of its own streamer, called "Watcher." More: The ad-free Watcher platform launches on Friday, April 19; subscriptions cost $5.99 per month or $59.99 for the year. Watcher currently boasts around 2.9 million YouTube subscribers; popular shows on the channel include "Mystery Files," "Survival Mode," "Pretty History," "Ghost Files," and "Dish Granted." The company was founded by Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara, and Shane Madej, whose BuzzFeed output included "Worth It" and "BuzzFeed Unsolved." While Watcher will now produce original content exclusively for its own streamer, the company plans to leave its back catalog intact on YouTube, and will also occasionally post pilot episodes for new shows there, for marketing purposes.

7 Peacock announced the first-ever wildlife reality competition series. The three-part series "The Hungry Games: Alaska's Big Bear Challenge" tracks bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park as they bulk up and consume calories before hibernating for the winter, keeping TV audiences posted on their progress. More: In all, the bears will attempt to eat around three million calories, gaining up to 200 pounds before going to sleep. "Flight of the Conchords" and "Our Flag Means Death" vet Rhys Darby will narrate the series, which comes from Canadian programmers Love Nature and Ample Entertainment.

8 QUICK HITS Thicker, fuller hair starts through Hers. Personalized treatment plans designed to regrow hair with unlimited access to medical providers and complete care through the app.* YouTube now supports 8K streaming video on the Meta Quest VR headset. Apple grabbed the TV rights for "Long Island Compromise," the upcoming novel from "Fleishman Is In Trouble" writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner; the author plans to script the series adaptation of her own book and executive produce alongside "Erin Brokovich" vet Susannah Grant. "The Chi" returns to Paramount+ with Showtime for the second half of its sixth season on May 10. Original "FBI" showrunner Rick Eid plans to exit the series, though he'll remain an executive producer; Eid also currently serves as the showrunner for NBC's "Law & Order." Icelandic-American actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson ("Trapped") joined the cast of HBO's "Somebody Somewhere" ahead of its third season; he'll play a new renter of Sam's (Bridget Everett) family farm, named Iceland. "Would It Kill You To Laugh?" and "Our Flag Means Death" vet Andrew DeYoung will direct "The Chair Company," the new HBO pilot from "I Think You Should Leave" duo Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin. Bravo disputed a report in In Touch magazine suggesting that on-air personality and executive producer Andy Cohen plans to depart the network. Pattern released a 30-page insights report for beauty brands selling on Amazon.* *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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