☀️HBO MAX is Back 🤯, DIS Upfront: Scripted Shines
A24's next big movie deal / NETFLIX Films scores huge week / FOCUS grows fall slate
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LINKEDIN here if ya like or email me at seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on WEDNESDAY, May 14, 2025.
Where remember that time AT&T spent hundreds of millions of dollars rebranding its mobile service as CINGULAR for 3 years . . . and then just scrapped the whole thing and went with AT&T?
Well, WBD is having its CINGULAR moment (and alas CINEMAX, you’ve had your last burst of sunlight in the WBD empire) . . . as the company is going from MAX back to HBO MAX this summer.
But, at least it won’t be purple this time — and the likely half of the U.S. population who still call it HBO MAX will finally start being correct again. (and look at HBO with the bigger font size!)
While nowhere near a QWIKSTER situation, certainly one that will go down in Hollywood branding history. But nice to see OG TV brands like ESPN and HBO having a week — the streaming future now lies in 1980s cable, who knew?
PLUS: YOUTUBE will stream the opening weekend Friday night NFL game from Brazil for free, globally (ex. Canada and a few other territories). The game will reportedly feature the CHARGERS and CHIEFS and be produced by NBC. No word on a price tag.
Presumably NIELSEN will be rating this, which I think will be the first time it has done so for something on YOUTUBE?
AND: CNN is launching a D2C streaming service this fall, exact details to come at the WBD Upfront this morning, including how it’ll differ from the current CNN offering on MAX.
NOTE: This fall, the last bastions of the cable TV bundle — CNN, FOX/FOX NEWS and ESPN — will now all be available in D2C streaming, in case you thought #cordcutting trends had any shot.
ALSO: NBCU will be sending the moving trucks for SPINCO VERSANT come August, according to Breaker.
WELL: Kids cereals, the jig is finally up. Texas’ Attorney General is opening an investigation into GENERAL MILLS’ practice of labeling cereals like Trix and Apple Jacks as “healthy.” You mean, Saturday morning TV was lying to me all those years?! 🤬
SO: It looks like the only law our crackerjack Congress is exploring on AI . . . is one that says that states can’t pass their own AI laws, which they are only doing because Congress has its head up its ass wallet. #GreatJobEverybody
DISNEY UPFRONT
Well, DISNEY certainly had sports . . . but it didn’t wear it like a face tattoo like NBCU, AMAZON — and from what I read, at FOX as well on Monday.
Okay yes, Iger chose to have Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley accompany his opening remarks (oh right, yeah — Iger showed up for the 2nd year in a row). Which then led into Peyton & Eli taking the stage.
But the guys weren’t there to subsequently pitch sports for 5-10 minutes . . .
