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☆ Warner Bros. Discovery reports big overall loss even as streaming turns a profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. WATCH: Warner Bros.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery's surprise loss clouds strong streaming unit show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The exterior of the Warner Bros. Warner Bros Discovery reported a per-share loss of 44 cents, while analysts had expected a profit of 1 cent, according to Refinitiv data. Warner Bros Discovery's new streaming service, christened "Max," is set to launch on May 23, combining HBO Max's scripted entertainment with Discovery's reality shows. Warner Bros Discovery reported revenue of $10.70 billion for the first three months of 2023, compared with analysts' estimates of $10.78 billion, according to Refinitiv data. The Warner Bros studio segment missed on its revenue forecasts, as its big March release "Shazam!

☆ How will TV shows be affected by the Hollywood writers strike?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike BlakeLOS ANGELES, May 1 (Reuters) - Thousands of Hollywood film and television writers will go on strike starting Tuesday, an action that will disrupt TV production. How will the walkout by the Writers Guild of America's affect viewers' favorite TV shows and movies? Which shows will feel the first impact of the strike? A protracted strike could delay the start of the fall television season, when networks debut new scripted shows and fresh seasons of their hits. Netflix (NFLX.O), which makes shows around the world, has said it can feed its service with shows produced outside the United States.

☆ To Binge or Not to Binge? Netflix, HBO Max Debate How to Release Your Favorite Shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Sarah Krouse | Nate Rattner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ever since Netflix shook the entertainment world by releasing the entire first season of “House of Cards” in one fell swoop a decade ago, a debate has raged over whether that approach made any sense. Why, some wondered, would a streaming service pay top dollar for a show that users could consume in its entirety in a matter of days? Advocates of that approach, meanwhile, asked why streamers would stick to the weekly release format that defined legacy cable television when they had the flexibility to mix it up and give customers a more immediate payoff.

☆ Amazon plans to reboot its struggling Alexa business by working on its own ChatGPT-like technology, leaked document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One of its ideas is to add entertainment features for Prime Video search and recommendations. "It feels like Alexa is thinking vs. fetching from a database," the document, titled "Alexa LLM Entertainment Use Cases," said. The document focused on new entertainment features for Alexa, including more conversational video search, personal recommendations, and storytelling and news-reading capabilities. When the user asks about one of the recommended shows — Paramount+'s "Younger" is the example used in the document — Alexa shares a one-line summary. 'World's best personal assistant'Other video search features listed in the document include semantic search and personal recommendations.

☆ How Warner Bros. Discovery plans to take on Disney and Netflix with new streamer Max, according to WBD's top marketing exec
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"HBO had its limits," Patrizio Spagnoletto, Warner Bros. WBD research showed that to attract new subscribers, the HBO brand was too nichePatrizio "Pato" Spagnoletto is Warner Bros. DiscoveryIn dropping "HBO" from the name, WBD is acknowledging HBO Max has a potent but narrow appeal that could turn off a broader audience. The Max logo has the same vibe as the HBO Max logo, however, and incorporates a few elements of HBO's logo. "Right now, we have very limited capabilities" in that regard, he said of the current HBO Max app.

☆ Why the producers of 'Queer Eye' and Peacock's 'Swedish Death Cleaning' show believe they're 'in a really good position' to ride out a Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Queer Eye" creator Scout Productions is betting its time is now, with a Hollywood writers' strike looming. It's working with Kristen Stewart on a "super-gay ghost hunting" reality series, as the star touted it on Instagram. It's also plotting a return to its scripted content roots. "They are very Scout shows in our storytelling process, but they're also shows that fit, that can be international, they can be domestic only. Joel Chiodi, head of documentaries and SVP of strategic development, contended that Scout's content "may not be broad, but we're enough in the mainstream, just pushing a little more."

☆ How a writers’ strike might affect your favorite TV shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

If production does come to a halt due to a writers’ strike, here’s where audiences may see an impact. Likewise, for variety shows such as “Saturday Night Live.”If past is precedent, you will see reruns in place of live shows. Programs like “Big Brother,” and “Celebrity Apprentice” helped to fill the gap of scripted shows whose productions paused during the strike. Andrew Cooper/NetflixMany shows on both linear and streaming platforms work far enough ahead that new episodes are already written. Some platforms, like Netflix, have promised they’ll be able to offer new TV shows and movies for quite some time.

☆ Why Apple TV+ could be hit harder than Netflix, Disney+, and other streamers by a looming Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But ahead of a potential Hollywood writers' strike, the streamer faces two key vulnerabilities. Hollywood is bracing for a possible writers' strike that could begin at midnight PT, following an overwhelming strike authorization by members of the Writers' Guild of America West and East last month. But, by comparison, Prime Video, Netflix, and Discovery+ offer viewers thousands of TV series, according to ReelGood data from the end of 2022. "They're building a long-term brand of Apple TV+, which is something apart from all their devices and their cool software. It would not damage the perception that people have of Apple TV+."

☆ 'Queer Eye' producers are diving into the world of professional mermaiding for new Netflix doc series
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The producers of "Queer Eye" explore underwater performers in a new docu-series, "MerPeople." Scout Productions executive-produced it; Oscar-winning Cynthia Wade directed. The creators of "Queer Eye" are turning their lens on the world of underwater performers for a new docu-series on Netflix, "MerPeople." Executive producers were Scout Productions' Michael Williams, David Collins, Joel Chiodi, and Rob Eric, along with photographer Andréanna Seymore; Roland Ballester, known for "Halston" and "30 for 30"; and Wade. Scout Productions has become known for richly shot, inclusivity-themed unscripted TV projects like ballroom competition series "Legendary" and streetwear design contest "The Hype" on HBO Max, in addition to "Queer Eye."

☆ Apple TV+ has 2 big disadvantages compared to Netflix, Disney+, and other streamers as a Hollywood writers' strike looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But ahead of a potential Hollywood writers' strike, the streamer faces two key vulnerabilities. Hollywood is bracing for a possible writers' strike that could begin on May 1, following an overwhelming strike authorization by members of the Writers' Guild of America West and East earlier this month. But, by comparison, Prime Video, Netflix, and Discovery+ offer viewers thousands of TV series, according to ReelGood data from the end of 2022. "They're building a long-term brand of Apple TV+, which is something apart from all their devices and their cool software. It would not damage the perception that people have of Apple TV+."

☆ A new Netflix docu-series from the producers of 'Queer Eye' dives into the world of professional mermaiding
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

☆ ‘Love & Death’ and the Feminine Urge to Commit Murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Alexis Soloski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That killing and Montgomery’s eventual acquittal (she claimed self-defense; the jury believed her) have inspired two series more than 40 years later: “Candy,” which debuted on Hulu last May, and “Love & Death,” which premieres on HBO Max on Thursday, with new episodes following weekly. But in most true-crime narratives, these mothers, daughters and wives are the victims. This grants these series, which typically attract a majority female audience, a unique appeal and horror. “It is scary!” Jessica Biel, who played the title role in “Candy,” agreed in a recent phone conversation. Biel spoke of Montgomery’s service within her community, her care for her children.

☆ How HBO survived merger after merger and changed television forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Darren Geeter | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The network has survived merger after merger with one of the mergers, AOL Time Warner, considered the worst deal in modern American corporate history. The birth of HBO coincided with the modernization of television across the United States with the emergence of cable in the 1960s and 70s. HBO debuted on November 8, 1972, and it was one of the first paid television networks with 344 total subscribers in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. We're going to have to do original series," Bewkes told CNBC. The Time Warner era ushered in a multiplex model for HBO to reduce churn and debuted original programming "Dream On" and "The Larry Sanders Show."

☆ How HBO and Netflix have evolved away from each other in the past decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Discovery decided to remove HBO from the name of its flagship Max streaming service to protect the HBO brand from becoming ... Netflix. "HBO is HBO. In a not-so-subtle shot at Netflix, HBO CEO Casey Bloys touted Max by highlighting its brand strength. Under the ownership of AT&T, then-WarnerMedia CEO (and now AT&T CEO) John Stankey appeared comfortable leaning on the HBO brand to challenge Netflix. This was the driving force behind making HBO Max — combining HBO's programming with other original content and library programming from the WarnerMedia catalog.

☆ 'Lilo & Stitch' live-action remake raises concerns about colorism
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Disney’s animated hit “Lilo & Stitch” is getting the live-action treatment, but a reported casting decision has set off a new conversation about colorism in Hollywood. Why some feel Nani’s skin color is relevantThe new “Lilo & Stitch” is based on an animated film and Nani is a fictional, animated character. But unlike “The Little Mermaid,” which is rooted in mythology despite receiving racist backlash over Halle Bailey’s casting in the live-action remake, “Lilo & Stitch” draws from a very real culture and people. The live-action “Lilo & Stitch” is only the latest in a long line of projects that have faced accusations of colorism. Though Connor is disappointed, she hopes the “Lilo & Stitch” remake will otherwise stay true to the original, which she loved so much growing up.

☆ Paramount fires back at Warner Bros. Discovery in 'South Park' streaming lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery in a lawsuit over the streaming rights for the comedic cartoon, and is seeking more than $50 million in unpaid fees. Warner alleged Paramount withheld specials and other related "South Park" content as its own fledgling streaming service, Paramount+, was lifting off. Discovery's argument that Paramount Global was required to deliver additional South Park content is baseless and wholly unsupported by the parties' agreement. Warner said in the earlier filing that during the bidding process for the streaming rights Paramount had allegedly asked if they could share the rights for Paramount+. The company added that Warner's HBO Max – which is being relaunched as Max – continues to feature the entire "South Park" library.

☆ We mapped out the 113 most powerful people at Warner Bros. Discovery after a blockbuster merger and a tumultuous year of layoffs and cuts under CEO David Zaslav
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | Taylor Tyson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav is focused on rebuilding but faces economic headwinds and an advertising slump. Insider mapped out the 112 most powerful people under Zaslav leading WBD film and TV studios, HBO, CNN, and more. One year after the merger that created Warner Bros. While Kathleen Finch has joined the mix with her portfolio of Discovery channels, top TV execs from the WarnerMedia regime — HBO's Casey Bloys and Warner Bros. TV studios chief Channing Dungey — are still in place.

LOS ANGELES, April 19 (Reuters) - "Evil Dead," the popular zombie film franchise, is back for a fifth installment with a mother possessed by a parasitic demon that talks, taunts and devours souls. This twist in "Evil Dead Rise," from traditional mute zombies, is something that director Lee Cronin enjoys. The film follows Ellie, played by Alyssa Sutherland, and her three young children in their Los Angeles apartment. In a dark comedic turn, an evil spirit possesses Ellie and turns her against her family. Reporting by Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway; Editing by Mary Milliken and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Marilyn Minter's 'Elder Sex' depicts radical images of intimacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“There’s so much contempt for elder sex. Marilyn Minter/Courtesy Marilyn Minter & LGDRA handful of the ensuing images were originally published in the New York Times Magazine, accompanying a candid editorial feature about seniors’ sex lives. Minter is now publishing the series in full in the forthcoming book “Elder Sex,” and exhibiting them at New York gallery LGDR. Marilyn Minter/Courtesy of JBE Books & LGDR“We wanted to (include) all races, all types of sex,” Minter explained. What?”Minter hopes "Elder Sex" will serve as a radical body of work and will help normalize sex at older ages.

☆ From 'Queer Eye' to gay ghost hunters, Scout Productions execs reveal how they built a reality TV powerhouse that's well armed for a Hollywood writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Reality TV powerhouse Scout Productions is betting its time is now, with a Hollywood writers' strike looming. It's working with Kristen Stewart on a "super-gay ghost hunting" reality series, as the star touted it on Instagram. The company also revealed to Insider that it's developing an unscripted series with Janelle Monáe and her production company, Wondaland. It's also plotting a return to its scripted content roots. "They are very Scout shows in our storytelling process, but they're also shows that fit, that can be international, they can be domestic only.

☆ Top Warner Bros. Discovery marketing exec reveals the launch strategy for mega-streamer Max, the challenges ahead, and why HBO was dropped from the name: 'HBO had its limits'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Spagnoletto, who goes by Pato, was referring to the market research WBD conducted before settling on the name Max — dropping the HBO from its existing service, HBO Max — for the company's long-awaited mega-streamer that will combine content from HBO Max and Discovery+. WBD research showed that to attract new subscribers, the HBO brand was too nichePatrizio "Pato" Spagnoletto Warner Bros. DiscoveryIn dropping "HBO" from the name, WBD is acknowledging HBO Max has a potent but narrow appeal that could turn off a broader audience. The Max logo has the same vibe as the HBO Max logo, however, and incorporates a few elements of HBO's logo. "Right now, we have very limited capabilities" in that regard, he said of the current HBO Max app.

☆ Will Netflix price cuts, ad-supported plan help add more users?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Yuvraj Malik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Smartphone with Netflix logo is seen in front of a descending stock graph in this illustration taken April 19, 2022. Netflix is expected to add 3.43 million subscribers in the April-June period, according to 16 analysts polled by Refinitiv, compared with 970,000 subscriber losses in the year-ago quarter. Amazon knocked Netflix off the top spot in the United States last year, according to consulting firm Parks Associate. Netflix in November introduced a streaming plan with advertising for $6.99 per month in 12 countries, after resisting commercials for years. "In 2020, only one in five new sign-ups were to ad-supported plans; last year, it was nearly one in three."

☆ In renaming 'HBO Max,' Warner Bros. Discovery hedges its bets in streaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled its new streaming service Wednesday, featuring a combination of programming from HBO Max and Discovery+. Discovery logo is displayed on a smartphone screen and in the background, the HBO Max and Discovery Plus logos. Those who want HBO already know where to find it, and HBO Max will simply morph into Max on most platforms. Warner Bros.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery reengineers the traditional TV bundle for the streaming era
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In effect, WBD announced that it is recreating the bundle, erecting the pillars of a one-stop shop for scripted and unscripted television, movies, news and sports at a flat monthly rate. Insider Intelligence analyst Paul Verna noted to me that the WBD competitor has “resisted the temptation” to combine Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Instead, Verna observed that Disney is “leaning into each brand’s core strength,” though Disney does offer the ability to purchase the individual services in a bundle. But it goes without saying that Max — the product of the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery — represents the future for WBD, which has been entrenched in the declining traditional TV business. The Max service launches May 23.

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