Nielsen: Brady Roast hits #1 / "Acolyte" grabs 4.8M views / "Baby Reindeer" lawsuit / WBD still wants NBA rights

Plus the weekend calendar, Netflix previews upcoming animation, Twitch will make DJs pay labels, Tyson vs. Paul pushed to November, and more

Inside Streaming For June 07, 2024

Thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming brief! Are we sick of hearing about "Baby Reindeer" and the lady who claims it's about her at this point? I'm going to start covering this less, I think, as the stories are getting a bit repetitive, and by now we all get the gist of it. (I'll still keep you updated on MAJOR goings-on, like when this court case gets resolved.) Obviously, I don't know the real story or how accurate the show is or anything like that, but I will say one more thing. If Fiona Harvey's goal is legitimately to make this all go away and move on with her life, going on Piers Morgan and then filing a blockbuster lawsuit against Netflix and the show's creator are the worst possible things she could do. It's a classic Streisand Effect: actively trying to scrub information or content from the internet always generates more attention then simply keeping quiet and waiting for the story to die down organically. The cover up is ALWAYS worse than the crime. Always. Lon p/lon-harris

1 In its first full week online, Netflix's Tom Brady Roast soared to the top of the Nielsen streaming charts. The roast was viewed for 1.67 billion minutes over the week of May 6-12, which came just after its live streaming debut on May 5. More: That's the largest single-week viewership for any Netflix special event in history, topping 2023's Chris Rock stand-up special "Selective Outrage," which was viewed for 798 million minutes in Week 1. Horror procedural "Evil" -- which streams its back catalog on Netflix and has a new season currently premeiring on Paramount+ -- came in second place for the week with 788 million minutes streamed. Amazon's "Fallout" dipped below 1 billion minutes viewed for the first time since its debut; it spent a fifth week in Nielsen charts, with 593 million minutes viewed. After being added to Netflix on May 6, the '00s WB sitcom "Reba" (which also streams on Hulu) made its Nielsen debut; it was streamed for 615 million minutes.

2 According to Disney's internal data, the new "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte" was viewed around 4.8 million times on its premiere day. That makes it the most-viewed Disney+ series premiere of 2024 to date. More: Disney did not report a comparable stat for its previous "Star Wars" series, "Ahsoka." That show took five days to hit 14 million views, or an average of around 2.8 million viewers per day. The series stars "Squid Game" vet Lee Jung-jae as a Jedi Master investigating a dark conspiracy with help from his former padawan (Amandla Stenberg), long before the events of the main "Star Wars" series. "Russian Doll" vet Leslye Headland created the series.

3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, JUNE 7 HIT MAN: 2024 action comedy feature, inspired by a true story, starring Glen Powell as a college professor who occasionally poses as a contract killer to help the police with sting operations. His work gets complicated when he tries to help a desperate and charming potential client (Adria Arjona). Richard Linklater co-wrote the script with Powell and directed; they previously collaborated on 2016's "Everybody Wants Some!!" [Netflix] PERFECT MATCH: Unscripted dating series in which Netflix reality veterans pair up and compete in "compatability challenges" as couples, with the winners getting the power to "break up" their opponents. Nick Lachey hosts. It's back for a second season. [Netflix] HIERARCHY: Debut YA romantic thriller series from Korea, about a new scholarship student (Lee Chae-min) bent on revenge who interrupts the comfortably privileged world of top students at rank-obsessed Jooshin High School. Roh Jeong-eui, Kim Jae-won, Chi Hae-won, and Lee Won-jeong co-star. [Netflix] FANTASMAS: Debut HBO comedy series from creator, director, writer, and star Julio Torres ("Los Espookys"). He plays a fictionalized version of himself, who searches through a surreal version of New York City for a golden oyster earring. Martine Gutierrez, Tomas Matos, and Joe Rumrill co-star; Emma Stone executive produced. [Max] QUEENIE: Debut drama series from the UK, based on the novel by Candice Carty-Williams. Dionne Brown stars as 25-year-old South Londoner Queenie Jenkins, who re-evaluates her life and confronts her past following a messy break-up. [Hulu] BECOMING KARL LAGERFELD: Six-episode biographical drama series from France, chronicling the rise of designer Karl Lagerfeld (Daniel Brühl) in the competitive world of 1970s Parisian high fashion, with a particular focus on his rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois). Théodore Pallerin, Alex Lutz, and Agnès Jaoui co-star. [Hulu] BEAUTIFUL WEDDING: 2024 romantic comedy feature, based on the novel by Jamie McGuire, and serving as a direct sequel to the 2023 film "Beautiful Disaster." After a whirlwind night in Vegas, which included an impromptu marriage, dazed newlyweds Travis (Dylan Sprouse) and Abby (Virginia Gardner) embark on a wild honeymoon in Mexico. [Hulu] WHAT COMES AROUND: 2023 thriller, based on Scott Organ's play "The Thing with Feathers," which he adapted himself. Grace Van Dien stars as a teenager who's seduced online by an older man (Kyle Gallner), leading to a conflict with her concerned mother (Summer Phoenix). Amy Redford (Robert's daughter) directed. [Hulu] THE 51st ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS: The award ceremony honors the best in daytime television, including soap operas, courtroom shows, and chat series. "Entertainment Tonight" anchors Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner co-host. It airs and streams on CBS and Paramount+ from the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles on Friday night starting at 8 pm ET/PT. [Paramount+] TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK: The animated sci-fi action series, inspired by the iconic Hasbro toy line, returns this week for a second season. It centers on a new breed of Transformer, known as Terrans, who bond with a pair of human teenagers. [Paramount+] BIG CITY GREENS THE MOVIE: SPACECATION: Animated sci-fi musical comedy feature, based on the Disney Channel series. The Green Family take a road trip to outer space, where they must prevent an asteroid from colliding with their hometown. In addition to the show's usual cast, the film features new characters played by Renée Elise Goldsberry, Cheri Oteri, Joe Lo Truglio, Jack McBrayer, and Raven-Symoné. [Disney+] OF AN AGE: 2023 period romantic drama feature from Australia, starring Elias Anton as a Serbian immigrant and ballroom dancer who embarks on an intense romance with the brother (Thom Green) of his dancing partner (Hattie Hook) during the Summer of 1999. Goren Stolevski wrote and driected. [Peacock] SUMMER QAMP: 2023 Canadian documentary feature about Camp fYrefly, a summer camp program in Alberta specifically for LGBTQ youth. Jen Markowitz directed. [Peacock] SATURDAY, JUNE 8 LOVE ISLAND USA: The reality dating series -- based on a British original concept -- returns this week for its sixth season. Contestants live in a tropical villa under constant surveillance and form strategic and romantic partnerships for a shot at $100,000. Ariana Madix joins this year as host, replacing Sarah Hyland. [Peacock] LOVE ISLAND UK: The original British "Love Island" returns to ITV2 in the UK for its new season this weekend as well; those episodes stream on Hulu in the US. Maya Jama hosts. [Hulu] PROTECTING PARADISE: THE STORY OF NIUE: National Geographic TV special, updating viewers on the progress of a large protected marine reserve off the coast of the island nation of Niue. Nat Geo's "Pristine Seas" team of scientists, conservationists, and filmmakers use advanced tech to explore the health of the area's coral islands. [Hulu and Disney+] CANDIS CAYNE'S SECRET GARDEN: Scripted comedy series, produced for the Advocate Channel, parodying home renovation and gardening shows. Actor and performance artist Cayne plays a variation of herself, helping her celebrity pals to create their own "secret gardens." [Hulu] SUNDAY, JUNE 9 2024 LA PRIDE PARADE: This year's event features Grand Marshals George Takei, lucha libre wrestler Cassandro, and the LA Fire Department's first woman and openly gay chief, Kristin Crowley. Hulu will stream ABC7 Los Angeles' coverage live on Sunday, starting at 11 am PT. [Hulu] DONALD DUCK'S 90th ANNIVERSARY: Three Donald Duck shorts come to Disney+ on Sunday for the first time, to commemorate the character's 90th birthday. They include 1950s "Crazy Over Daisy" and "Out on a Limb," along with a new title called "DIY Duck." [Disney+]

4 Scottish attorney Fiona Harvey, who claims she was the inspiration for the stalker character in Netflix's "Baby Reindeer," filed a lawsuit against the streamer and series star/creator Richard Gadd. Harvey is seeking $170 million in damages for "mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of business." More: The UK drama "Baby Reindeer" -- an autobiographical series inspired by Gadd's life -- became a surprise Netflix hit after debuting in April; Harvey claims she was quickly identified by internet sleuths searching for the real personalities behind the show. Last month, Harvey appeared on Piers Morgan's YouTube show and alleged that the show is inaccurate, purposefully designed to "viciously destroy" her, and has ruined her life. Gadd first presented the story as a one-man show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, before Netflix comissioned a series adaptation; he has described the show as "very emotionally true." Jessica Gunning portrays the stalker character, named Martha Scott, in the series. Netflix plans to contest the suit.

5 According to a report in Variety, Warner Bros. Discovery is negotiating with the NBA for a new kind of licensing deal, that would keep some basketball games on the company's cable networks. Variety suggests that the league has already completed its negotiations with Disney, Amazon, and NBCUniversal. More: Currently, NBA rights are held by WBD and Disney, but that deal ends at the close of the 2024-2025 basketball season. Variety reports that WBD is seeking what's being called a "fourth package" of NBA rights, providing them with a chance to match rival bids for games that it currently airs and streams. Carving out any additional games for WBD would likely take them away from one of the NBA's other partners, making this a potentially controversial arrangement. During the first game of the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver noted that cable remains an important outlet for the NBA, even as viewership decreases.

6 Netflix previewed its upcoming slate of animated shows and films at a promotional event in New York. The announcements included a new "Wallace & Gromit" movie from Britain's Aardman Animation, featuring the return of classic "The Wrong Trousers" villain Feathers McGraw. More: Timothy Olyphant will voice a homicidal robot in the animated spinoff series "Terminator Zero," arriving in August. Zack and Deborah Snyder previewed their Greek mythology-inspired epic "Twilight of the Gods," saying that Netflix gave them "no guardrails, no limitations" on their expansive vision for the series. The Roald Dahl adaptation "The Twits" will feature voice work from Natalie Portman, Emilia Clarke, and Margot Martindale; it's being helmed by "Ralph Breaks the Internet" vet Phil Johnston. Sony Pictures Animation is developing a new series based on the iconic "Ghostbusters" franchise; "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and "Frozen Empire" helmer Jason Reitman will produce. Power hungry "SpongeBob" antagonist Plankton is also getting his own original film, arriving next year.

7 Engadget reports that Amazon's Twitch signed a new agreement with major record labels. DJs with monetized streams will now be required to pay for any music they play during live sets. More: The specifics of the deal, including the actual percentage of earnings that DJs will be expected to pay, have not been revealed, though Twitch did note that it will split the fees with performers 50-50. Twitch also plans to offer a one-year subsidy to help DJs begin covering the cost of these payments. The move only applies to DJs with monetized streams; performers who don't earn revenue from their Twitch streams will have their payments entirely covered by the platform (via ads). Twitch suggests that the previous policy, in which DJs did not have to compensate artists or labels to play their music, was "not sustainable," as performers had to deal with takedown notices and copyright penalties independently.

8 QUICK HITS Netflix's live boxing event featuring influencer Jake Paul taking on former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson has been pushed to November 15; the fight will stream live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Apple renewed the period comedy series "Palm Royale" for a second season; Kristen Wiig stars as a woman who's determined to break into Palm Beach's high society in the late 1960s. Netflix is beta testing out a new homepage redesign, which expands titles, trailers, and information for a show or movie whenever a user hovers over them. At Variety's TV Fest, "White Collar" creator Jeff Eastin revealed that he's working on a reboot series with lead actor Matt Bomer; the police procedural series aired on NBCUniversal's USA Network from 2009-2014, and has found a new audience on streaming services. Netflix renewed Wanda Sykes' comedy series "The Upshaws" for a 12-episode final season; this will be "Part 7" of the series, based on Netflix's accounting. Hulu announced the three-part true-crime docuseries "Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini"; in 2016, Papini feigned a kidnapping while spending a few weeks at an ex-boyfriend's house. The BBC apologized and removed a gaffe from the historical program "D-Day 80: Tribute to the Fallen" after briefly pulling it from the iPlayer; while cutting away to a military band at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Bayeaux, someone in studio could be heard making a disparaging comment about the French. Peacock announced "Love Island Aftersun," a new "Love Island USA" companion series featuring in-depth discussions about the latest episode; "Love Island UK" vet Maura Higgins will host. Social media users discovered that Amazon Freevee is featuring a low-quality AI-generated thumbnail on its copy of the classic 1957 film "12 Angry Men"; the version of the movie streaming on Amazon Prime Video uses an authorized promotional image. A new Netflix marketing campaign for Richard Linklater's action comedy "Hit Man" spoofs ads for personal injury lawyers.

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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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