☀️CHARTER Believes in Video Bundle Again! Here's Why
NETFLIX makes Sundance buy / SIRIUS turns a corner, sorta / LGF, MIRAMAX new pic orders
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKED-IN if ya like or email me seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY, January 31, 2025.
Where Richard’s complaints have finally been heard!
AMC THEATERS has restored showing the Nicole Kidman spot before Babygirl screenings after many hardcore AMC stans began complaining that it had been removed per a company policy of . . . unknown origin, according to AMC CEO Adam Aron, thus depriving them a double dose of Kidman for their $20.
Always nice when the people use their power for good.
AND: SNL is now doing a concert special at RADIO CITY on Fri., Feb. 14 that’ll stream on PEACOCK featuring musicians who have been on the show. Personally, I’m waiting for the 2-hour doc featuring people who have been in the audience at some point in the 50 years.
OR: Just watch the excellent job Questlove did putting together the SNL 50 music doc that aired on Monday night — watch it as ya like on PEACOCK here.
THEN: As hinted at by the WSJ last week, the NYT confirmed that PARAMOUNT is indeed in settlement talks with the Trump camp over his 60 Minutes lawsuit.
PLUS: Chuck Todd is leaving NBC NEWS after 18 years.
OH: Good news! Brand Safety RIP, 2025. Ya had a good run. AMAZON is now back to ramping up spending on X (always nice to see Jeff and Elon getting along so well), and APPLE is looking at returning some ad dollars as well, according to the WSJ.
Digiday also reports that several agencies indicated that most advertiser clients have resigned themselves to the fact that brand safety is a myth and perhaps overrated, and that in the end — shocker — they don’t really care as long as you’re delivering impressions.
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
Pretty wide spread on Dog Man . . . given how many millennial parents have told me their kids are psyched for this over the past week — I’m going to take the anecdotal bias and go with the 30% on $25M to $30M, with a small wisp of hope for over $30M given the ‘Let’s get the kids out of the house in dead of winter!’ factor.
NEW ANKLER PODCAST EPISODE
IN THIS EDITION:
Usually #cordcutting news is pretty status quo. Not in Q4 2024 — dive into the numbers and trends to know at the 2 largest TV bundle providers in the U.S. this week, and the big push underfoot at one of them in 2025.
Busy day in the executive suite and in new project deals at MIRAMAX, NETFLIX, LGF, PEACOCK, CINEVERSE and . . . well, more below.
A few curious things to note in the big NETFLIX PR dump from yesterday about its Films slate, where Red One vs. Carry-On is netting out in the U.S., the weekend preview for streaming and TV and more.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
