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☆ Disney, Hulu and Max Streaming Bundle Will Soon Become Available
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a rare moment of solidarity, two entertainment giants are teaming up to try to get consumers to stop canceling their streaming services so frequently. Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Wednesday that they would start offering a bundle of their Disney+, Hulu and Max streaming services this summer, a sign of how rivals have become more willing to join forces in order to confront an ever-changing media landscape. The companies said that the bundle would be available to buy on any of the three streaming platform’s websites (Disney owns Disney+ and Hulu; Warner Bros. Discovery owns Max), and that there would be a commercial-free version as well as one featuring ads.

Organizations: Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Max

Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, told employees on Sunday night that she was retiring, capping a tumultuous tenure marked by infighting, damaging leaks and a major shake-up of the news division’s leadership ranks. In an email to employees, Ms. Godwin said that she reached her decision to leave after a period of “considerable reflection.” In a separate note to employees, Debra O’Connell, a longtime Disney executive, said she would be overseeing ABC News. “Anyone who’s passionate about what we do knows there’s no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision,” Ms. Godwin said in her note. “I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family,” she added. Ms. Godwin, the first Black woman to run a broadcast news division, has had a rocky tenure atop ABC News.

Persons: Kim Godwin, Godwin, Debra O’Connell, ” Ms, “ Organizations: ABC News, Disney, ABC

The Ronna McDaniel era at NBC News has come to an abrupt and chaotic end. Ms. McDaniel’s appointment, announced with fanfare on Friday, was immediately criticized by reporters at the network and viewers on social media. The backlash at NBC has already created other problems for Ms. McDaniel. Ms. McDaniel was negotiating on Tuesday with lawyers to engage with NBC on her behalf. Leaders in the NBC newsroom, convinced that election year audiences deserved to hear a perspective from conservatives like Ms. McDaniel, believed the hubbub would fizzle out.

Persons: McDaniel, McDaniel’s, NBC’s, Donald J, Trump Organizations: NBC News, Republican National Committee, NBC, MSNBC, Republican Party, Creative Artists Agency, Hollywood

☆ CBS Signs 5-Year Deal for Golden Globes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Golden Globe Awards once again have a long-term broadcast home. CBS announced on Monday that it had signed a five-year deal to broadcast the Globes, providing a much-needed shot in the arm for a program that was on life support not long ago. “CBS’s collaboration with the Globes for this year’s broadcast was a big win for both of us and established strong momentum for awards shows in 2024,” George Cheeks, the president of CBS, said in a statement. NBC, the longtime broadcaster of the Globes, gave up the event after several ethics and diversity scandals imperiled the award show. In 2021, The Los Angeles Times reported that the organization that administers the Globes had no Black members, setting off a significant backlash in Hollywood.

Persons: “, ” George Cheeks Organizations: Globe, CBS, Globes, NBC, Los Angeles Times Locations: Hollywood

☆ Debra OConnell to Oversee News at Disney
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Walt Disney Company announced on Wednesday that a longtime executive at the company, Debra OConnell, would become the president of a newly created division that will include ABC News and the company’s local stations. Image Debra OConnell will become the president of a newly created division that will include ABC News and the company’s local stations. Credit... Randy Shropshire/Variety, via Getty ImagesThe reorganization mirrors what has taken place at other network news divisions. Several executives at NBC News report to Cesar Conde, the chairman of the so-called NBCUniversal news group, a division that includes local news and cable networks like MSNBC. Wendy McMahon, the president of CBS News, also oversees local stations.

Persons: Debra OConnell, OConnell, ” Kim Godwin, Debra, ” Dana Walden, Randy Shropshire, Cesar Conde, Wendy McMahon Organizations: Walt Disney Company, ABC, America, ABC News, Disney Entertainment, Variety, Getty, NBC, MSNBC, CBS News

☆ Hollywood Made 14% Fewer Shows in 2023, Marking the End of Peak TV
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s official: Peak TV has peaked. Last year, 516 scripted television series aired or streamed in the United States, a 14 percent decline from 2022, the FX cable network said on Friday. That was only the second drop in at least 15 years, and the biggest, according to FX’s research. The total is the most definitive evidence of a slowdown that executives have been predicting for at least a year. The strikes wiped out the entire fall lineup for scripted network TV, and the fallout is likely to be felt throughout 2024.

Persons: — Organizations: FX Locations: United States

☆ Netflix Is Said to License ‘Sex and the City’ From HBO
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

HBO is renting out one of its most valuable series to Netflix. Every season of “Sex and the City,” the HBO comedy that aired from 1998 to 2004, will begin streaming on Netflix for the first time in early April, according to three people familiar with the deal. Now “Sex and the City,” which had been licensed to cable networks, will be offered on Netflix as well. Unlike the other series HBO has licensed to Netflix, “Sex and the City” is part of an ongoing franchise for the company. The “Sex and the City” spinoff series, “And Just Like That,” streams on HBO’s streaming service and is preparing production for a third season.

Persons: ” Organizations: HBO, Netflix, City, Brothers Locations: ”

☆ 4.3 Million Watched the Emmys, a New Low
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Emmy Awards ratings collapse continues. An audience of 4.3 million people watched the Emmys on Fox on Monday night, the lowest viewership since records have been kept, according to preliminary Nielsen data. In 2022, the Emmys garnered 5.9 million viewers, the previous low. The ratings have put the Emmys dangerously close to the Tony Awards, which for decades has drawn a significantly smaller audience. But in June, 4.3 million people tuned into the Tonys, an increase from its previous ceremony.

Persons: Tony Organizations: Fox, Nielsen

☆ A Few Words About Netflix’s Success: Vivid. Snappy. Tags.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Imagine magazines that have no cover lines, and there were just photographs on them,” said Allan Donald, a director of product at Netflix. Most rival streaming services don’t bother displaying tags, or don’t have the same financial resources to support a group of employees to do all the work behind them. It commands 247 million subscribers worldwide, more than double many other streaming services. One of the reasons Netflix’s engagement is so high is that it deploys numerous tools to coax a viewer to watch. There are more than 10,000 titles on Netflix and thousands more on other streaming services.

Persons: ”, Allan Donald, Eunice Kim Organizations: Netflix, Nielsen, Prime, Disney Locations: United States, Hulu

☆ What to Know About OpenAI’s Chaotic Weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Friday, Mr. Altman was abruptly dismissed as OpenAI’s chief executive. Details for his surprise departure are still emerging but a dispute with a fellow founder of OpenAI appears to have played a role. Mr. Sutskever also objected to what he perceived as his own diminished role inside the company. “It doesn’t seem at all implausible that we will have computers — data centers — that are much smarter than people,” Mr. Sutskever said recently on a podcast. I don’t know.”Two other OpenAI board members, Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner, have ties to the Rationalist and Effective Altruist movements, who have been concerned that A.I.

Persons: Altman, Steve Jobs, OpenAI, Ilya Sutskever, Sutskever, Mr, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Altman “, ”, Brad Lightcap, Sam Organizations: Apple, Rationalist

☆ CBS Says New Scripted Shows Will Return in February
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

CBS announced on Monday that new episodes of scripted series would return in mid-February, making it the first network to lay out scheduling plans since a tentative agreement was reached last week to end the longest labor crisis in Hollywood in decades. Several returning series, including “Young Sheldon,” “NCIS,” “Ghosts,” the Tom Selleck drama “Blue Bloods” and “FBI,” will premiere later that week. Because of dual screenwriter and actor strikes, Hollywood scripted production has been severely disrupted since May and effectively shut down since July. The writers reached a deal with the studios first, in late September, allowing writers rooms to open up again and new episodes of late-night shows like “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” to air. The actors reached a tentative agreement last week, which will allow cameras to begin rolling soon.

Persons: Justin Hartley, “ Young Sheldon, ”, Tom Selleck, Stephen Colbert ” Organizations: CBS, FBI, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood

One of the longest labor crises in Hollywood history is finally coming to an end. Upset about streaming-service pay and fearful of fast-developing artificial intelligence technology, actors joined screenwriters on picket lines in July. The writers had walked out in May over similar concerns. It was the first time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was the head of the actors’ union and Marilyn Monroe was still starring in films, that actors and writers were both on strike. Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling reported from Los Angeles and John Koblin from New York.

Persons: —, Ronald Reagan, Marilyn Monroe, Brooks Barnes, Nicole Sperling, John Koblin Organizations: SAG Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Rangers-Diamondbacks World Series Ratings Are Lowest Ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The World Series wrapped up on Wednesday night with the Texas Rangers storming the field to celebrate the team’s first-ever championship. The five games averaged 9.1 million viewers, displacing the 2020 World Series, which averaged 9.8 million after a pandemic-shortened season. Also, the 2020 World Series was played at a neutral stadium, depriving the telecasts of the crowd energy that fuels a championship broadcast. Monday night’s Game 3 had just 8.12 million viewers, making it the least-watched World Series game since records were kept. The previous low was Game 3 of the 2020 World Series — played between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays — which was watched by 8.34 million.

Persons: — Organizations: Texas Rangers, Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Nielsen, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays

☆ HBO Chief Calls His Effort to Attack Critics a ‘Very, Very Dumb Idea’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Casey Bloys, the chairman of HBO, enjoys a reputation in the entertainment industry as an effective programmer and an easygoing executive who stays above the fray. All of which made his appearance at a news conference on Thursday, addressing his role at the center of a media tempest, quite striking. Mr. Bloys acknowledged his involvement in an effort to create fake Twitter accounts to respond to television critics who had unfavorable views of HBO’s programs. The article caught the attention of much of the entertainment industry, with several rival executives privately musing how the HBO executive could be so thin-skinned. New York Magazine described it as a “mini-scandal” that “is perhaps the funniest thing to happen in media in years.”

Persons: Casey Bloys, Bloys, Rolling Stone, ” Organizations: HBO, Twitter, New York Magazine

☆ Reaction to Matthew Perry’s Death Shows Enduring Popularity of ‘Friends’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But like other classic sitcoms, including “Seinfeld” and “The Big Bang Theory,” it continues to dazzle television executives with its enduring popularity, even among younger viewers. The next day, “Friends” was the most-watched series or movie on the Max streaming service, according to a spokesman for the company. “Friends” airs on more than 100 local television stations and provides a backbone to both the TBS and the Nickelodeon cable networks. On Monday, for instance, “Friends” aired 12 times on TBS, for a total of six hours. For context: There were 236 episodes of “Friends” in total.

Persons: ”, Seinfeld, Matthew Perry, HBO Max Organizations: Max, HBO, TBS, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros

Jon Stewart’s show on Apple’s streaming service is abruptly coming to an end, according to several people with knowledge of the decision, the result of creative differences between the tech giant and the former “Daily Show” host. Mr. Stewart and Apple executives decided to part ways in recent days, two of the people said. The Apple show, “The Problem With Jon Stewart,” debuted to some fanfare two years ago as Mr. Stewart’s return to the talk show format after a six-year hiatus. But Mr. Stewart and Apple executives had disagreements over some of the topics and guests on “The Problem,” two of the people said. Mr. Stewart told members of his staff on Thursday that potential show topics related to China and artificial intelligence were causing concern among Apple executives, a person with knowledge of the meeting said.

Persons: Jon Stewart’s, Stewart, Jon Stewart, ”, Stewart’s Organizations: Apple, Comedy Locations: China

After a five-month hiatus, most late night shows will return with new episodes next week now that the 148-day screenwriter strike has been resolved, the hosts announced on social media on Wednesday morning. Late night shows hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers will return to the air on Monday, the hosts said. Late night shows were the first casualty of the writers’ strike, and they have been dark since early May. Board members of the Writers Guild approved of the deal on Tuesday, and announced that the strike would end early Wednesday morning. Over the past few weeks, the five late night hosts began a podcast, “Strike Force Five,” donating all proceeds to out-of-work staff members on their shows.

Persons: Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver Organizations: HBO, Guild of America, Writers Guild, “, Force

The actors’ union offered congratulations to the Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,000 screenwriters, in a statement on Sunday night, adding that it was eager to review the tentative agreement with the studios. Neither SAG-AFTRA nor the studio alliance immediately responded to requests for comment on Monday. “The deal that the Writers Guild and the studios struck economically could have been worked out in May, June. Discovery said this month that the impact from the labor disputes would reduce its adjusted earnings for the year by $300 million to $500 million. Additionally, share prices for other major media companies like Disney and Paramount have taken a hit in recent months.

Persons: “, ”, Bobby Schwartz, Quinn Emanuel, we’ve, —, Gavin Newsom Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood, Writers Guild, SAG, Gov, Warner Bros, Discovery, Disney, Paramount

Hollywood’s bitter, monthslong labor dispute has taken a big first step toward a resolution. The Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,000 screenwriters, reached a tentative deal on a new contract with entertainment companies on Sunday night, all but ending a 146-day strike that has contributed to a shutdown of television and film production. Conspicuously not doing a victory lap was the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of studios. “The W.G.A. have reached a tentative agreement” was its only comment.

Persons: Hollywood’s, Guild’s Organizations: Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers

☆ TV Networks’ Last Best Hope: Boomers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This coming week, as the network fall television season gets underway, ABC will begin airing “The Golden Bachelor,” a spinoff of “The Bachelor” that centers on an offbeat twist: The main contestant is a 72-year-old man, and the 22 women vying for his affection range in age from 60 to 75. On Sunday nights, the network will carve out three hours for “The Wonderful World of Disney,” a television tradition that dates back to the 1950s. On Tuesdays, there’s “Dancing With the Stars.” On Wednesdays, there will be special prime-time episodes of decades-old standbys like “Wheel of Fortune" and “Jeopardy!”It’s no secret that network television ratings have plummeted in recent years as viewers have fled prime-time lineups in favor of stream-at-your-leisure outlets like Netflix and Hulu. But there’s one notable exception, a segment of the audience that has effectively become the broadcast networks’ core constituency: people over 60.

Persons: ” Organizations: ABC, Disney, Netflix, Hulu

A third straight day of marathon negotiations between Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters ended on Friday night without a deal. But the sides made substantial progress, according to three people briefed on the talks. The sides plan to reconvene on Saturday. For the third day in a row, several Hollywood moguls directly participated in the negotiations, which ended a little after 8 p.m.Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive; Donna Langley, NBCUniversal’s chief content officer of Universal Pictures; Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive of Netflix; and David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. During the Thursday negotiations, the sides had narrowed their differences, for instance, on the topic of minimum staffing for television show writers’ rooms, a point that studios had been unwilling to engage on before the guild called a strike in early May.

Persons: Robert A, Donna Langley, Ted Sarandos, David Zaslav Organizations: Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers, Universal Pictures, Netflix, Warner Bros, Discovery Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Max to Stream Pro Sports Starting in October
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Discovery announced on Tuesday that it would begin adding live sporting events from the company’s cable networks to the Max streaming service in October. For several months, the sporting events will be free for all Max subscribers. Media companies are racing to figure out how to fold in live sporting events with their popular but still cash-bleeding streaming services. Recently, Charter Communications subscribers temporarily lost access to Disney’s cable networks, including ESPN, in a highly publicized dispute. Charter executives argued that Disney sought too much additional money for its cable networks even though its priority was its streaming business.

Persons: —, Max, Disney Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Max, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Media, Warner Bros, Discovery, Turner, Charter Communications, ESPN

☆ Bill Maher Says Show Will Return Despite Writers’ Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns,” he wrote. Tens of thousands of actors have been on strike for two months as well, the first time writers and actors have walked out at the same time since 1960. But over the past three weeks, bargaining has again stalled out, frustrating some big-name Hollywood showrunners in the process. More than 11,000 writers walked out in early May, arguing that their compensation levels and working conditions have deteriorated in the streaming era. The strike caused many talk shows to go dark, including “The Tonight Show,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Persons: ”, “, Stephen Colbert ” Organizations: Labor, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America

The Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,000 television and film writers, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains for studios, have not held talks for three weeks. “This was the companies’ plan from the beginning — not to bargain, but to jam us,” guild leaders said shortly afterward. The studios have rejected that demand, but it is a position supported by many Writers Guild members, including numerous showrunners. “We’re just always trying to see if there are any ways anybody can help.”Behind the scenes, however, frustration among elite Writers Guild members has been mounting. Mr. Murphy set up a financial assistance fund for idled workers on his shows and committed $500,000 as a starting amount.

Persons: ”, Alexi Hawley, Scott Gimple, ” Steve Levitan, “, “ We’re, Ryan Murphy, Chris Keyser, Murphy Organizations: Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Union, Writers Guild, Fox Studios, Guild Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Alibaba’s Boss Steps Aside
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Daniel Zhang, the departing chief executive and chairman of the Chinese tech giant Alibaba, has stepped down as head of the tech company’s cloud division, a position he held for mere months. The company announced in June that Mr. Zhang would give up the chairman role this month to Joseph Tsai, a co-founder of Alibaba, and that Eddie Yongming Wu, another founder, would became the chief executive. But Mr. Zhang had been widely expected to continue to lead Alibaba’s cloud computing division, a position he assumed in March as part of a broad restructuring that he unveiled for the company that month. The news that Mr. Zhang would also step down from the company’s cloud division was earlier reported by both Bloomberg and Reuters. Mr. Zhang’s standing at Alibaba became uncertain after the company announcement in June that he would be replaced by two key members of the tech giant’s old guard.

Persons: Daniel Zhang, Zhang, Joseph Tsai, Eddie Yongming Wu, Zhang’s Organizations: Bloomberg, Reuters Locations: Alibaba

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