AMC revenue dips / Christmas NFL games to Netflix / "The Bear" S3 teaser / Harvey threatens "Baby Reindeer" lawsuit

Plus the weekend calendar, "Shōgun" Season 2 talks, "Fallout" smashes Prime Video record, Wonka reality baking series, and more

Inside Streaming For May 10, 2024

Thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming! Netflix suddenly getting more aggressive about acquiring live sports, like these Christmas Day NFL games, is happening at the exact precise worst moment for smaller streamers like Peacock and Paramount+. Those platforms desperately need that exact kind of exclusive can't-get-it-anywhere-else content to fend off not just juggernauts like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but the new specter of a bundled and discounted Disney+, Hulu, and Max service.  In one week, Netflix has cracked late night (with John Mulaney's brilliant "Everybody's in LA") and now they're starting to grab precious holiday NFL broadcasts? This might be the beginning of the end for NBCUniversal's streaming dreams. Lon p/lon-harris

1 The loss of cable advertising revenue continued to impact AMC Networks in Q1 of 2024. Revenue dropped 17% over the same period one year ago, to $596 million. More: AMC noted that some of this revenue dip was due to non-recurring expenses related to the Apple TV+ sci-fi series "Silo" and production house 25/7 Media. Ad revenue specifically dipped by 13% to $140 million, mostly due to an ongoing downturn in the cable TV marketplace. The company's streaming revenue was up 3% to $145 million in Q1; streaming subscribers also jumped by 2% to 11.5 million.

2 John Ourand of Puck News reports that Netflix is negotiating a rights deal with the NFL, which would bring Christmas Day games to the streaming platform. Ourand writes that Netflix "will [likely] wind up carrying the two NFL games scheduled for December 25," citing "a bevy" of unnamed sources. More: Ourand suggests that, though negotiations are close to settled, no deal has yet been finalized. A deadline for the negotiation has reportedly been set for May 15. The report indicates that the NFL is asking for at least $50 million, and up to $100 million, per game. The idea of Netflix streaming the NFL's Christmas Day matches was first floated by radio host Boomer Esiason.

3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, MAY 10 DOCTOR WHO: BBC's reboot of the iconic British sci-fi series is back this week for a 14th season, the first to star Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as his companion, Ruby Sunday. Two new episodes -- "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord" -- arrive on Friday. This is the first "Doctor Who" season to debut simultaneously in the US and the UK. [Disney+] THE IRON CLAW: 2023 biographical sports drama feature from writer/director Sean Durkin ("The Nest"), chronicling the infamous string of tragedies impacting the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers from the 1970s through the 1990s. Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Lily James, Stanley Simons, and Holt McCallany co-star. [Max] THE CHI: The Showtime drama series, surveying the interconnected lives of various residents of Chicago's South Side, is back this week for the second half of its sixth season. Jacob Latimore, Birgundi Baker, Curtiss Cook, Luke James, Yolanda Ross, and Iman Shumpert co-star; Lena Waithe created the series and executive produces along with Common. [Paramount+] BLOOD OF ZEUS: The adult animated action-fantasy series -- inspired by ancient Greek mythology -- returns on Friday for a second season. Derek Phillips stars as Heron, the demigod son of Zeus, who finds himself in the middle of a clash between Olympus and its enemies. Jason O'Mara, Claudia Christian, Elias Toufexis, and Mamie Gummer co-star; Powerhouse ("Masters of the Universe," "Skull Island") handles the animation. [Netflix] LIVING WITH LEOPARDS: Nature documentary from wildlife cinematographer Brad Bestelink, centered on a family of leopards living in Africa. Bestelink narrates, providing background about how he and his team embedded themselves near the family to capture the up-close, intimate footage. [Netflix] THE ULTIMATUM: SOUTH AFRICA: South African spinoff of the reality dating series, in which three long-time couples at a crossroads get a chance to try dating other people before deciding whether to remain together and resolve their issues or permanently separate. Howza and Salamina Mosese co-host. [Netflix] POKÉMON HORIZONS: THE SERIES: The animated "Pokémon" series -- its first without former lead characters Ash and Pikachu -- returns for "Part 2" of its debut season. Liko, Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers embark on new adventures in the Galar region. [Netflix] COOKING UP MURDER: UNCOVERING THE STORY OF CÉSAR ROMÁN (EL REY DEL CACHOPO): Three-part true-crime docuseries from Spain examining the allegations against chef and restauranteur César Román. In 2018, Román attempted to flee justice after being arrested for the murder of his 25-year-old Honduran girlfriend, Heidi Paz. [Netflix] EILEEN: 2023 period psychological thriller, based on the novel by Ottessa Moshfegh, who also co-wrote the adaptation. Thomasin McKenzie stars as a quiet and troubled young woman in 1964 Massachusetts who makes a mysterious and glamorous new friend (Anne Hathaway) at the juvenile detention center where she works. Shea Whigham and Marin Ireland co-star; William Oldroyd ("Lady Macbeth") directed. [Hulu] WANTED MAN: Dolph Lundgren co-wrote, directed, and stars in this 2024 direct-to-VOD action thriller as an aging police detective who travels to Mexico to extradite a female witness (Christina Villa), then finds himself targeted by bad guys on both sides of the border. Kelsey Grammer and Michael Paré co-star. [Hulu] BIOSPHERE: 2023 indie sci-fi comedy starring Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass as the last two survivors on a depopulated Earth, who now live together within a protected, domed habitat. Mel Eslyn co-wrote the script with Duplass and directed, in her feature debut. [Hulu] PAST LIES (LAS LARGAS SOMBRAS): Debut drama series from Spain about a group of successful women whose lives start to unravel after the remains of a former classmate, who disappeared during a senior trip to Mallorca, are unexpectedly discovered. Elena Anaya, Belén Cuesta, Marta Etura, and Irene Escolar co-star. [Hulu] SATURDAY, MAY 11 MARK TWAIN PRIZE: KEVIN HART: 2024's event honoring Kevin Hart marks the first Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony to stream on Netflix, thanks to a new deal between the streamer and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. The show -- recorded in March -- features tributes to Hart from Lil Dicky, Dave Chappelle, Jimmy Fallon, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, Nelly, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and others. [Netflix] NIKKI GLASER: SOMEDAY YOU'LL DIE: This is the "FBoy Island" host and comedian's second hour-long special for HBO, following 2022's "Good Clean Filth." It was recorded at the Moore Theater in Seattle, Washington, last year and features material about remaining childless and the harsh realities of aging. [Max] SUNDAY, MAY 12 INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: The horror drama series -- inspired by the 1976 novel by Anne Rice and its sequels -- returns this weekend for a second season. Jacob Anderson stars as Louis de Pointe du Lac, a nearly 150-year-old bloodsucker who relates his life story to cynical journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Sam Reid, Assad Armand, and Ben Daniels co-star, while Delainey Hayles takes over the role of Claudia this year from Bailey Bass. Rolin Jones ("Perry Mason") created the series and serves as showrunner. [AMC+] EXPEDITION FROM HELL: THE LOST TAPES: Limited docuseries from Discovery Channel chronicling a doomed expedition into South America led by former US Special Forces demolition expert Mickey Grosman. Utilizing over 700 hours of archival footage, the series surveys the trek, undertaken by amateur adventurers for charity, across 5,000 miles of the South American continent, and the numerous obstacles faced by Grosman and his followers. [Max] NAKED AND AFRAID XL: The Discovery Channel reality series, a spinoff of the original "Naked and Afraid," drops survivalists into the wildness for an extended 40-day session with extremely limited resources. It's back this weekend for a 10th season on both Max and cable. [Max] A WHITEWATER ROMANCE: Romantic comedy feature from Hallmark in which two business rivals get closer during a retreat in the Rocky Mountains. Cindy Busby and Benjamin Hollingsworth co-star. [Peacock] DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA: Season 3 of the hit anime series -- based on the manga by Koyoharu Gotouge -- comes to Crunchyroll in the US this weekend. It adapts the "Swordsmith Village" and "Hashira Training" arcs from the original manga. [Crunchyroll]

4 Emmy favorite FX comedy-drama series "The Bear" returns for a third season in June. All 10 S3 episodes premiere on Hulu in the US on June 27. More: The news arrived along with a brief teaser, showing chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) getting a start on his daily kitchen prep. The show centers on a family-owned Chicago sandwich shop that reinvents itself as a fine dining establishment; White co-stars alongside Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and celebrity chef Matty Matheson. The show's debut season won 10 Emmys earlier this year, including Best Comedy Series, and honors for White, Edebiri, and Moss-Bachrach's performances.

5 Fiona Harvey, who claims to have inspired Netflix's scripted dramatic thriller series "Baby Reindeer," told Piers Morgan she plans to sue the streamer in an interview posted on Thursday. "Baby Reindeer" is a semi-autobiographical series by Scottish writer and comedian Richard Gadd about his complex relationship with a stalker; during her interview, Harvey called it an "obscene," misogynistic," and "defamatory" work of fiction. More: Harvey, a lawyer who's also from Scotland, said she's been forced to go public and tell her side of the story due to the show's global popularity. Though a scripted work of fiction, "Baby Reindeer" is billed by Netflix as a "true story"; the stalker character on the show is named "Martha." In a statement released on Wednesday, Netflix maintained their claim that the events are presented accurately, and also said that every precaution was taken "in disguising the real-life identities of the people involved." Harvey further claims several of the details in the show are inaccurate, including the suggestion that she'd been legally charged with stalking, or that she sent Gadd tens of thosuands of emails. In Harvey's version of the events, she and Gadd met up socially "five [or] six times," and she sent him some "jokey banter emails."

6 FX signed a new deal with "Shōgun" star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada, opening the door to a potential second season. In terms of Emmy consideration, FX may re-categorize the former limited series as an ongoing drama, in order to avoid any potential controversies. More: Other deals and elements are still being worked out ahead of any formal Season 2 renewal announcement. The show is based on a 1975 novel by author James Clavell; Season 1 concluded the book's story. Several shows introduced as limited series have pivoted into ongoing dramas, including HBO's "Big Little Lies," "The White Lotus," and "True Detective." "Shōgun," from married co-creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, was FX's most costly original series to date.

7 Amazon's series adaptation of the "Fallout" video game franchise blasted its way to #1 on Nielsen's charts in its debut week, from April 8-14. The show was viewed for a massive 2.9 billion minutes in its first five days online, besting any other competitors by over 1 billion streamed minutes. More: Those numbers make it Amazon's biggest Nielsen debut of all time, surpassing previous record holder "Reacher" by more than 1 billion minutes. According to Nielsen, the "Fallout" audience was 63% male; 75% of the viewers were under age 50. Most of the viewership was also concentrated in the show's first four episodes, indicating that the show will remain popular for at least a few more weeks. "Fallout" has already been renewed for Season 2. "Bluey" on Disney+ came in second place, while "Grey's Anatomy" fell to third; the Fox medical drama "The Resident," which streams on Netflix and topped the previous week's list, fell to fifth place.

8 According to Deadline, Netflix is developing a reality competition series based on the classic Roald Dahl novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The streamer acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021. More: Netflix has pitched the project to a number of production companies; these deals are apparently still being negotiated. Deadline reports that this kind of "bake off" process, in which several companies compete for the chance to develop a new unscripted concept, are increasingly popular among networks and streamers, but not with the production companies themselves. Bake off deals require studios to spend money up-front developing concepts, which is more costly and time-consuming than the traditional pitch process.

9 QUICK HITS The animated DC Comics series "Batman: Caped Crusader" -- a reimagining of the Batman mythology -- comes to Prime Video in its entirety on August 1; "The Batman" director Matt Reeves co-produced with J.J. Abrams and "Batman: The Animated Series" vet Bruce Timm. A fresh collection of 20 "Bluey" shorts -- titled "Bluey Minisodes" -- are headed to Disney+ and Disney Junior over the summer. Peri Gilpin will make regular guest appearances as Roz Doyle on Season 2 of Paramount+'s "Frasier" revival; Gilpin co-starred as Roz in 11 seasons of "Frasier," and guested on the revival's Season 1 finale. Six-episode independently produced workplace comedy series "Tires" comes to Netflix in its entirety on May 23; comedian Shane Gillis co-created and co-stars in the series, set at an auto repair shop, along with Steven Gerben. Netflix renewed the Australian YA comedy-drama series "Heartbreak High" for a third and final season. "Game of Thrones" vet Sophie Turner grabbed a lead role in the upcoming Prime Video UK heist drama "Haven"; she'll play a staffer at a pension fund investment firm who's pressed into helping a gang of thieves steal billions of pounds. Netflix dropped a trailer for the animated comedy series "Exploding Kittens," in which God (Tom Ellis) and Satan (Sasheer Zamata) return to Earth in the form of everyday housecats, while continuing their eternal cosmic battle; the series, inspired by the popular card and mobile games, arrives in July. "Saturday Night Live" regular Ego Nwodim joined the cast of Peacock's upcoming mockumentary comedy series "Mr. Throwback"; Adam Pally stars as a memorabilia dealer who reunites with his grade school pal, NBA all-star Steph Curry (playing himself). A London-based distributor claims that major Chinese platform iQIYI has been streaming the beloved '00s Korean thriller "Oldboy" without proper licensing deals in place for at least six years. Hallmark Channel renewed the Canadian period drama "When Calls the Heart" -- its longest-running series -- for a 12th season. "3rd Rock from the Sun" vet Kristen Johnston grabbed a lead role opposite Leanne Morgan in Chuck Lorre's still-untitled Netflix comedy series; the pair will play loyal but very different sisters helping one another through various life crises. BBC ordered a second season for the acclaimed comedy series "Such Brave Girls"; the show -- about a small, dysfunctional family of three -- streams on Hulu in the US. The classic 1980s Julia Child cooking series "Dinner at Julia's" is now streaming for the first time ever on the PBS Living channel; PBS Living is available through Amazon Prime Video Channels.

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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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