Hulupalooza
Disney CEO Bob Chapek indicates he’d like to buy out Comcast’s Hulu stake sooner rather than later.
Streaming
Membership Has Its Privileges
Those of a certain age will recall American Express’ famous advertising campaign that touted the value of “membership.” You’re not a customer. You’re a “member” and part of an elite Illuminati with access to travel discounts and a personal concierge you’ll never use but like having on call just in case. Of course, membership doesn’t …
Shifting Sports
It’s no secret that sports TV rights are slowly melting into the streaming universe as well-funded companies like Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet’s Google bid for everything from NFL’s Thursday Night Football to much larger prizes like the NFL Sunday Ticket package. But this week’s college football deal around the Big Ten illustrates why any migration …
It’s Not TV, It’s…
We’re probably only about two months (or less) away from Warner Bros. Discovery finally combining HBO Max and discovery+ into one hulking streaming service. WBD’s streaming chief JB Perrette has promised a seamless transition, which is why it has been taking a while to figure it out. But it’s not just a technology and UI …
Can’t Get No Satisfaction?
Sometimes it’s fun to mash together data from different sources just to see whether any correlations exist. And while we acknowledge the ancient wisdom that one shouldn’t assume causation when comparing said values, Whip Media’s “Streaming Satisfaction Report” released this week gave us a little bit of pause. Over the last several years, Netflix, Amazon, …
Weighing the Sports Anchor
This week, Sinclair launched its long-awaited regional sports streaming service Bally Sports Plus, adding it to a long list of direct-to-consumer services that RSNs, leagues, and teams are cooking up to further monetize America’s insatiable sports appetite. But while sports fans may revel in their newfound viewing flexibility, every new DTC sports option is a …
DTCs and Legacies
The recent streaming turmoil raises big questions about where the direct-to-consumer business sits relative to a legacy TV business that remains a cashflow cow, despite persistent cord cutting, rising inflation, and a looming recession. With Wall Street’s Netflix freakout infecting the entire sector in recent weeks, the benefits of the legacy video business become more …
Netflix’s Next Chapter
“I know I’ve been here for more than 20 years and have been through a couple of these. And yes, they don’t feel great in the moment. But man, it feels great to come out on the other side of it… and we’ll come out the other side of it.”– Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos Netflix’s …
The FAST and the Curious
The explosion of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST)-live channels has only accelerated in recent months as hundreds of new players enter this nascent and chaotic market. And it’s not just startups and indies. Major entertainment companies have all thrown their hats in the rings as well, which is why in January we added FAST-live coverage …
Riding the Wave
We often hear about big streamers dominating the market and crushing smaller players, but is it possible the majors actually help niche streaming services grow? That was one intriguing thought offered by BritBox SVP, Marketing Nada Arnot at Questex’s virtual Stream TV Growth Summit this week. Whether it’s Netflix sparking a global phenomenon with “The …