☀️APPLE TV+ joins price hike train, 40% increase in November
WBD's up to $4.3 Bil in restructure costs / ADDIDAS's up to $250 Mil YE loss / Will Smith's EMANCIPATION screening #2 / TSWIFT's massive sales weekend
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY October 25, 2022.
Where I’m back home visiting mom this week (👋 mom) which also means a return to the Cable TV bundle, and while I know I’m in the minority ratings wise (and definitely with this newsletter’s audience) - Manningcast is truly the best way to watch Monday Night Football (except for the inexplicable bad audio mix & tech glitches),
No frills, or $30+ Million a year just for the broadcasters in the booth deal. It’s just a fun way to watch a regular season game on a Monday night - especially if your team isn’t playing.
And the guest stars (granted, I have no idea if it’s usually like this) - Pres. Obama joined Peyton & Eli for the 1st qtr, then Bill Burr for the 3rd, followed by Vince Vaughn for the 4th.
AMAZON - I’m loving the Thursday Night Football production this year (And lack of political Ads 👏), but The Try Guys feed ain’t cutting it. This is where Sports streaming can really differentiate itself - and I’m sure you’d do better at solving the annoying tech glitches that ESPN has seemingly chosen not to address since Covid onset-era TV tech restraints ended #GetOffZoomForGuests!
SO: It looks like I wasn’t the only one making my $140+ TSWIFT album cover clock this weekend - “Midnights” has already sold over 500k copies in just 3 days… on vinyl. Who needs the 7 extra songs?
It also moved 455k on CD & digital (no breakdown between the 2 from LUMINATE, which is now the company that tracks all of this). It also had 245k “album equivalents” which is that math derived from streams that I’m… definitely not getting into ever again.
PLUS: “Life of Pi” is coming to BROADWAY in March as a play (tix on sale next Thurs)
THEN: ENDEAVOR, UTA… and now CAA has chimed in on the YE situation, cutting professional ties with him.
MRC has also understandably shelved a completed docu on him as well.
And last night ADDIDAS finally cut ties as well, saying they will take up to a $250 Mil hit for ceasing the Yeezy business, but noted they do own “all design rights to existing products”.
ALSO: Henry Cavill dropped a video of the news that “Black Adam” fans saw this weekend… that he’ll be returning as Superman.
IN TODAY’S EDITION:
Will Smith hosts a star-attended (not gonna go quite star-studded) private LA “Emancipation” screening.
NETFLIX cancels new Mike Judge / Greg Daniels produced animation series… in mid-production.
WBTV dismisses EPs from CBS’s “East New York” after claims of inappropriate behavior.
A breakdown of WBD’s up to $4.3 Billion in company assimilation costs (ie write-offs) over the next 2 years.
A look at how the APPLE TV+ price hike math works out practically (as best as possible)
“GOT: HOTD” finale numbers are in and more…