NFL Christmas Day games / WBD touts IP at upfronts / YouTube bans "Glory to Hong Kong" / New Marvel Studios TV schedule

Plus today's calendar, Disney hits #1 on Nielsen, Ferrell and Youssef "GOLF" comedy, Disney+ Springsteen doc, McCarthy joins "Only Murders," and more

Inside Streaming For May 15, 2024

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Hello once again and thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming brief. I honestly can't believe Max's "Dune" spinoff series is actually coming out. That show has been in development for longer than that streaming platform has existed. It's been in the works since before audiences really even embraced the "Dune" franchise. Today, that teaser is being excitedly shared across social media in the wake of "Dune: Part Two" winning over crowds with its IMAX spectacle. But when a "Dune" prequel show about the origins of the Bene Gesserit order was first announced, it was met with strong skepticism that this complex, weird, occasionally quite talky franchise would ever attract a wide, mainstream audience. Just goes to show, sometimes having a little faith in the material and its ability to connect with people over time -- even if it takes a bit of time to spread via word of mouth -- is the right move. The industry now is so quick to seize on new trends and pivot immediately, sometimes great projects with huge potential don't get proper time to develop and find their fan bases. Lon p/lon-harris

1 Netflix signed a new deal with the NFL to stream two football games on Christmas Day. The Christmas Day games begin this season. More: The deal extends for two more years, with at least one Christmas Day game guaranteed for both 2025 and 2026. 2024 is the first year that the NFL has added the two holiday games to its schedule. These are the first live NFL rights that Netflix has ever secured, though it collaborates with the league on the behind-the-scenes docuseries "Quarterback" and its upcoming spinoff, "Receiver."

2 Warner Bros. Discovery focused on its mega-franchises and IP at its annual upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. HBO chief Casey Bloys touted popular returning shows like "House of the Dragon," "The White Lotus," "The Last of Us," "And Just Like That," and "Hacks" during his time on stage. More: Bloys screened a first teaser for Max's "Dune" prequel series, now titled "Prophecy." During the presentation, Bloys also announced that the comedy travel series "Conan O'Brien Must Go" has been renewed for a second season. Celebrity guests included "Sex Lives of College Girls" executive producer Mindy Kaling, "And Just Like That" star Sarah Jessica Parker, and "Hacks" cast members Hannah Einbinder and Paul W. Downs. Food Network announced a baking competition series inspired by the world of "Harry Potter," while Adult Swim released a first look at an anime series based on "Rick & Morty."

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3 DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 10 YEARS OF THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON: Two-hour primetime special from NBC commemorating the 10th anniversary of Fallon's "Tonight Show," featuring classic moments and highlights from the past decade. [Peacock] ASHLEY MADISON: SEX, LIES & SCANDAL: Docuseries chronicling the rise and fall of the infamous dating website Ashey Madison, geared toward married people seeking adulterous affairs. In 2015, a hacker group known as The Impact Team breached the website's security, ultimately revealing the identities and personal information of more than 37 million users. Toby Paton ("24 Hours in A&E") directs. [Netflix] IN THE KITCHEN WITH HARRY HAMLIN: Five-episode unscripted series in which actor and writer Hamlin and his niece, classically trained chef Renee Guilbault, prep and host a string of dinner parties from Hamlin's home kitchen. Celebrity attendees include Lisa Rinna, Bobby Moynihan, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Dean Norris, Tongayi Chirisa, and Ed Begley Jr. [AMC+] UNCLE SAMSIK: First-year political drama series from Korea, set in the 1960s, about the close partnership between an idealistic wannabe politician (Byun Yo-han) and the shady fixer (Song Kang-ho) supporting his campaign via questionable tactics. This is "Parasite" vet Song's first major TV role. [Hulu] GHOST ADVENTURES: The Discovery paranormal investigation series, in which a team of ghost hunters visits infamously haunted locations, returns this week for a 28th season. Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley host. [Max] HOME SWEET ROME! Internationally-produced English language live-action musical comedy series for the whole family, which streams on Max in the US. Kensington Tallman stars as Lucy, a California teen who relocates to Rome after her dad marries an Italian pop star. Darrin Rose and Eleonora Facchini co-star. [Max] BOTCHED BARIATRICS: Debut reality series from TLC centering on patients who have suffered complications following bariatric surgery for weight loss. [Max] LOVE & HIP HOP: MIAMI: The VH1 reality series -- the fourth overall entry in its "Love & Hip Hop" franchise -- chronicles the lives of a number of Miami residents with music industry connections. Season 5 aired earlier this year on cable and hits Paramount+ today. The cast includes Trina, Amara La Negra, Trick Daddy, Sukihana, Florence El Luche, Safaree Samuels, Ray J, and Princess Love. [Paramount+] HOSTAGE RESCUE: Debut docuseries examining real-life rescue missions and stories about thwarted kidnappings and hostage taking incidents. New episodes hit TV on Tuesday nights and come to the CW app and website on Wednesdays. [CW] BIG CITY GREENS: The Disney Channel animated series centers on 10-year-old Cricket Green (Chris Houghton), who moves with his family to the Big City to live with his Gramma Alice (Artemis Pebdani). 4 new Season 4 episodes hit Disney+ today. [Disney+] DINO RANCH: The animated Disney Jr. series follows the adventures of the Cassidy Family, who manage a prehistoric-themed ranch where dinosaurs roam free. 5 new Season 3 episodes come to Disney+ today. [Disney+] C.H.U.E.C.O. First year Spanish-language family comedy series from Argentina. Darío Barassi stars as Juan, a financially struggling single father of three who inherits a fortune from his estranged uncle, on the condition that he cares for his mischievous talking chimpanzee, Chueco. Consuelo Duval, Agustín Aristarán, and Santiago Torres co-star. [Disney+]

4 YouTube publicly agreed to comply with a court order, blocking videos featuring the song "Glory to Hong Kong" for all users in the Chinese-controlled region. A panel of judges has ruled that the pro-democracy anthem functions as a "weapon" to undermine national security. More: Last week, a court in Hong Kong granted a request by the government to ban the song, ordering YouTube to remove access to 32 specific videos. While YouTube has agreed to comply, the streamer is apparently still considering a potential appeal to the court's ruling; a YouTube representative said the company is "disappointed by the court's decision" in a statement. In 2023, Google declined to comply with a separate government request, asking it to remove a Google Drive accoount that was being used to submit and store videos of people singing "Glory to Hong Kong."

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5 During its 2024 upfront presentation, Disney+ set a new release schedule for shows from Marvel Studios. Kathryn Hahn's frequently-retitled "WandaVision" spinoff, now called "Agatha All Along," arrives first on September 18. More: Hahn reprises her "WandaVision" role as duplicitous witch Agatha Harkness for the new series; Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, Patti LuPone, and Sasheer Zamata co-star. "Daredevil: Born Again" follows in March of 2025; Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Jon Bernthal all reprise their roles from the Netflix "Daredevil" series for the reboot. "Ironheart," featuring "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" vet Dominique Thorne as brilliant young inventor Riri Williams, also arrives in 2025, though no specific release date has been set. Anthony Ramos co-stars in "Ironheart" as "The Hood." At a media investor conference this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged that the company lost billions by jumping into the streaming business "in a very, very aggressive way" and attempting to "tell too many stories" before there was a realistic chance to recoup on their investments.

6 According to Nielsen's "The Gauge" report for April, Disney -- as a company -- led all other studios and streamers in overall TV consumption in the US. Disney-owned networks and platforms accounted for 11.5% of all TV viewing in the US in April; about 42% of that total came from Disney+ and Hulu. More: YouTube held the #2 spot, with 9.6% of all TV viewing in the US. Notably, all YouTube viewership is concentrated in streaming, while Disney's total also includes broadcast and cable networks like ABC, ESPN, and Disney Channel. Including cross-platform viewership, YouTube was followed by NBCUniversal (8.9%), Paramount (8.8%), and Warner Bros. Discovery (8.1%). Though Netflix ranks just behind YouTube in terms of streaming-exclusive platforms, with a 7.6% share of the audience, it trails behind these other media giants when broadcast and cable views are included. Streaming viewership as a whole slumped in April vs. March; even YouTube views were down around 3% month-over-month.

7 Will Ferrell signed on to star in the Netflix comedy series "GOLF," alongside Ramy Youssef. This marks the "Saturday Night Live" vet's first major role in a scripted TV series. More: Ferrell and Youssef co-created the series along with "Ramy" and "The Carmichael Show" vet Josh Rabinowitz. Ferrell stars as a fictional golf legend; the nature of Youssef's role remains unclear. Youssef and Rabinowitz will serve as co-showrunners; they also executive produce along with Ferrell. Ferrell will also be seen in the upcoming Netflix documentary "Will & Harper," documenting a cross-country road trip he took with long-time friend Harper Steele.

8 QUICK HITS A documentary about Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band -- chronicling the group's 2023-2024 world tour -- hits Disney+ and Hulu around the world in October. Melissa McCarthy joined the cast of Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" ahead of its fourth season; the star-studded new episodes premiere on August 27. The eight-episode animated sci-fi series "Terminator Zero" -- a spinoff of the popular film franchise centered around original characters -- hits Netflix around the globe on August 29. Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins -- who starred in the Netflix docuseries "Unlocked: A Jail Experiment" -- defended his decision to allow the streamer's cameras into the county jail before a review committee of Arkansas state lawmakers this week; Higgins is accused of failing to seek proper authorization before approving plans for the show. Netflix teamed with "Tinder Swindler" producers Raw TV on "This Blew Up," an anthology docuseries about projects or companies that "spiraled out of control." During an appearance on the "Pivot Podcast," Tom Brady said he regrets participating in his livestreamed roast on Netflix, because of the emotional impact of the jokes on his children.

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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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