| Hello all and thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming. Every time a big new movie opens and doesn't set the box office on fire, we're treated to a new round of theorizing and hang-wringing about the impact of streaming, "superhero fatigue," and why Americans stopped going to movie theaters. To me, the answer seems largely straight-forward. Americans got used to watching first-run films at home, either on VOD on their favorite subscription streaming platforms. Unless a movie arrives with a TON of fanfare and anticipation, and people feel like they have NO CHOICE but to see it right away or risk missing out on something everyone else loves... they're probably going to skip theaters and wait to watch it in their own bed at home. I don't even think it matters that much WHEN the movies come to streaming. The recent horror hit "Abigail" hit streaming platforms just 2 weeks after theaters, and we're still waiting on "Godzilla Minus One" to come into our homes here in the US. In both cases, I think some people opted to skip seeing them on the big screen and wait, not due to a total lack of interest, but just because it's cheaper and easier and more convenient. No need to overthink this. Lon
p/lon-harris | |
| 1 | | College basketball superstar Caitlin Clark's first regular-season WNBA game will stream live on Disney+. The May 14 game will be the first non-animated Disney+ livestreamed sports event ever. More: - Clark and the Indiana Fever will face off against the Connecticut Sun in the match-up, which will also air on ESPN2 and stream on ESPN+.
- A second game, between the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces, will also air on ESPN2 and stream on ESPN+ and Disney+ on the same day.
- In the past, Disney+ has livestreamed animated versions of live sporting events, with familiar characters replacing the athletes; the WNBA streams will be traditional live sports broadcasts.
- Clark's run in this year's NCAA women's basketball tournament broke viewership records; her final game was viewed by an average of 18.9 million people.
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| 2 | | During a conference call with investors, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch briefly discussed plans for the joint sports streaming venture with Disney/ESPN and Warner Bros Discovery. According to Murdoch, more than 150 engineers are currently at work on the new platform, which is still on schedule for launch later this year. More: - Murdoch suggested that, despite the aggressive push into the streaming marketplace, Fox remains "wholly and fundamentally supportive of the traditional cable bundle"; he stressed that the new service is aimed exclusively at "cord-nevers" and "people who are not in the cable bundle."
- Former Apple and Hulu executive Pete Distad has been hired to lead the new venture; Murdoch called him "a world class CEO."
- When asked, Murdoch also suggested that the new product will not compete directly with Fox's free ad-supported Tubi service.
- Murdoch suggested that the service has a name behind-the-scenes, but declined to provide it on the call.
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| 3 | | DAILY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 LET IT BE: A restored and remastered version of the 1970 Beatles documentary -- which chronicles the band recording the titular album, along with their iconic 1969 London rooftop concert -- comes to Disney+ today. Peter Jackson, who also directed the docuseries "The Beatles: Get Back" about the same events, supervised the restoration; Michael Lindsay-Hogg directed. [Disney+] ME & WINNIE THE POOH: Debut animated series from Disney Junior, featuring brief vlog-style shorts starring Pooh Bear and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood. Season 1 premiered last year on cable and hits Disney+ today. A similar series, "Playdate with Winnie the Pooh," features the characters as young children, and also hits Disney+ today. [Disney+] DARK MATTER: Limited sci-fi thriller series from creator Blake Crouch, based on his 2016 novel. Joel Edgerton stars as a Chicago physicist who's trapped in an alternate version of his life, and grows concerned that his doppelgänger may be a threat to his original family. Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, and Oakes Fegley co-star. [Apple TV+] HOLLYWOOD CON QUEEN: Three-part true-crime docuseries from "Tiger King" vet Chris Smith, chronicling one of the most large-scale frauds in Hollywood history. A mysterious imposter, ultimately revealed to be Hargobind Punjabi Tahilramani, posed as a string of influential and powerful female moguls, luring gig workers into costly trips to Indonesia based on false promises of work opportunities. [Apple TV+] THE FINAL: ATTACK ON WEMBLEY: Documentary feature from the UK, looking back on a 2021 incident in which thousands of unticketed, largely intoxicated fans and stormed the field at London's Wembley Stadium ahead of a UEFA Championship final match. Robert Miller and Kwabena Oppong co-directed. [Netflix] IN PURSUIT WITH JOHN WALSH: The Investigation Discovery true-crime series features stories about escaped fugitives, missing children, and other ongoing criminal cases. "America's Most Wanted" vet Walsh co-hosts with his son, Callahan. It's back for a fifth season this week. [Max] STUPID PET TRICKS: TBS comedy variety series, inspired by the classic segment from "The Late Show with David Letterman," featuring pet owners and their peculiarly trained animals. Sarah Silverman hosts; guest stars include Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm, Howie Mandel, and Jack McBrayer. Season 1 aired earlier this year on cable and hits Max today. [Max] IN LIMBO: Comedy-drama series from Australia, starring Ryan Corr as a guy who's being haunted by his recently-deceased best friend (Bob Morley), and agrees to help him settle unfinished business from his life. Emma Harvie, Russell Dykstra, and Lena Cruz co-star. Season 1 comes to Hulu in its entirely today. [Hulu] | | | |
| 4 | | Fiona Harvey, the real-life inspiration behind the Martha character from Netflix's breakout thriller series "Baby Reindeer," will join Piers Morgan for a one-on-one YouTube interview. The discussion will stream on Morgan's YouTube channel on Thursday afternoon at 4 pm ET/8 pm GMT. More: - Harvey first revealed her identity in a Daily Record article that ran over the weekend.
- She claims that, though the scripted drama series "Baby Reindeer" is presented as a true story about obsessive fandom and stalking, it misrepresents the real relationship between her and creator/star Richard Gadd.
- In the Daily Record, Harvey refers to the series as a "load of rubbish."
- "Baby Reindeer" has proved a surprise hit for Netflix; it's been the streamer's #1 most-popular English-language series for the past three weeks.
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| 5 | | Peacock ordered a full first season for "The Office" reboot series from co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. Domhnall Gleeson ("Ex Machina") and Sabrina Impacciatore ("The White Lotus") lead the cast. More: - In the new series, the same camera and documentary crew that chronicled the lives of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company employees move on to a new subject.
- This time, the series focuses on the publisher of a struggling Midwestern newspaper, who attempts to revive the company by working with volunteer reporters.
- Daniels developed and produced the original "Office," which was based on a BBC series from creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant; Koman is a veteran of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "Nathan for You."
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| 6 | | Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav declined to discuss the Paramount Global acquisition during an appearnace at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles this week. Though Zaslav apparently met with former Paramount CEO Bob Bakish in December, and has close personal ties to majority shareholder Shari Redstone, he refused to provide any further details about the acquisition or his company's potential interest or involvement. More: - Zaslav's $49 million 2023 compensation package raised eyebrows when it was disclosed last week; when asked about executive compensation, he replied "I think all CEOs need to be paid with alignment with shareholders... If the stock does well, then the CEO should do much better. And if the stock doesn't do well, the CEOs should not."
- Zaslav further added that he thinks concerns about not just CEO pay but also streaming residuals and other issues behind the Hollywood labor crisis are coming to head because "the industry was changing so quickly" and "we didn't quite know exactly how to fairly compensate."
- Zaslav also declined to provide details about WBD's pursuit of broadcast and streaming NBA rights, noting only that "constructive negotiations" are ongoing.
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| 7 | | A new pro-Palestinian song and video from rapper Macklemore has been restricted on both YouTube and Meta platforms, leading to accusations of censorship. The song, "Hind's Hall," finds the rapper expressing solidarity with student protesters across the nation, who are condemning US support for Israel's military and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. More: - The title "Hind's Hall" refers to the Columbia University building that was recently occupied by student protesters; the name itself references Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza City in January.
- The video features clips of student protesters on Columbia University's campus, along with other protests from around the country, and footage of bombs dropping on Gaza.
- YouTube has age restricted the video, limiting its spread and viewership; it currently has around 440,000 views.
- When posted to Facebook or Instagram, the video is marked as "sensitive content"; however, Macklemore's original Instagram post of the video does not appear to have been restricted.
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| 8 | | QUICK HITS - Lady Gaga's "Chromatica Ball" concert special makes its HBO and Max debut on May 25; the special was recorded at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium in September of 2022.
- The period mystery drama series "Lady in the Lake" hits Apple TV+ on July 19; Natalie Portman stars as a housewife and mother in '60s Baltimore who reinvents herself as a journalist and begins investigating an unsolved murder.
- NBC ordered a first season for the comedy series "Happy's Place"; Reba McEntire stars as Bobbie, who agrees to run her late father's restaurant along with an estranged half-sister (Belissa Ecobedo).
- Roku canceled the coming-of-age comedy series "Chad" after its second season; the show was originally developed for Fox before moving over to the TBS cable network, and finally Roku Channel.
- MGM+ released a trailer for the crime thriller series "Hotel Cocaine," a co-production with Australia's Stan streaming platform; Danny Pino stars as a DEA informant in '70s Miami who's pressed to provide information about his own brother.
- Despite online rumors to the contrary, plans for a "Friday the 13th" spinoff series from A24, Peacock, and "Hannibal" vet Bryan Fuller are apparently still moving forward.
- CBS ordered "The Real CSI: Miami," an unscripted true-crime spinoff looking at real cases that were solved through cutting-edge forensic science.
- Netflix removed a moment from its recent livestreamed Tom Brady Roast in which presenter Kim Kardashian was booed by the crowd.
- Original cast member Eamonn Walker is leaving NBC's "Chicago Fire" after 12 seasons as a series regular; his character, fire chief Wallace Boden, will not be killed, leaving open the possibility of return appearances.
- NBC renewed the reality competition series "Deal or No Deal Island" for a second season.
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 | 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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