☀️ Huge PAR Q1 1000-ish layoffs under discussion, per new report
DISNEY-NETFLIX deal continues the Great Streaming Detox / NETFLIX sets Lena Dunham series / REDBIRD IMI rumored for new deal
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY December 12, 2023.
Where… Tommy DeVito has won 3 straight games for the NY GIANTS. Yeah, who had that headline a month ago? 🤌 DISNEY also won with 2 very close 🏈 games going on at the same time last night on ABC and ESPN.
Oh and 49ERS, you’re welcome - with the PACKERS loss, you’re now guaranteed a playoff slot.
AND: Nicki Minaj is going on tour next year starting March 1, tix go on sale starting Friday at 9 a.m.
ALSO: Did you have a great intern this fall semester? Instead of giving them that Haunting In Venice t-shirt you were planning as a thank you… you can give me! Richard says he’ll also happily come speak at their graduation in May as well. The parents will love him.
But seriously - an Ankler subscription enables them to keep learning about our fine business the whole year long (or hey even just for a month), and bonus - you look smart for giving it to them!
Which they’re sure to remember when they’re your boss at WBDU in six years (yes, by 2030 media conglomerates will go back to sounding like radio stations).
OK FELLOW DEAL NERDS: These Shohei Otani deal points are pretty fascinating. He’s ‘only’ getting $2 Million a year for his 10-year DODGERS contract…
BUT: When it’s over, he’ll get $68 Million a year from the DODGERS starting in 2034 for 10 years, no matter what happens during his 10 years on the team.
This basically allows the DODGERS more money now to build a better team around him (which helps everyone), to make interest $$ on that money for 10 years, and for accounting purposes, tabulate his “annual” salary at $46 Million instead of $70 Million.
Shohei gets guaranteed income when he’s not playing, and starting when he doesn’t have to pay CALIFORNIA taxes anymore if he leaves the state.
ALSO: He can certainly make up any ‘gaps’ in his income from huge brand/marketing deals while he’s playing.
AND YES: METS fans - this is pretty similar to the Bobby Bonilla deal and why your team is still paying him millions, years after his run on the team. Pretty fascinating read here.
PLUS: SHOWTIME’s linear channel rebrand to PAR+wSHO will take place on Jan. 8, and I’m still definitely not jealous of the graphic design department that has to work with that new logo/design package.
Some PAR+ shows like Halo, Mayor of Kingstown and Star Trek: Discovery will now also air on the linear channel #amortization.
Here’s the pitch:
AND: Well, while not medically recommended… Late Night with Seth Meyers’ “Day Drinking” segment usually is comedically recommended - here’s this year’s, with Dua Lipa.
IN THIS EDITION
DISNEY & NETFLIX increase their business - a look at the big new tactics Studios will lean further into in 2024 to recover from the Streaming bubble.
LIONSGATE orders another, Why NETFLIX is leaning into live sports, REDBIRD IMI in another potential deal, GOOGLE gets App store legal blow in EPIC fight, VICE loses another C-suite exec, Looming deadlines for PARAMOUNT, NETFLIX splits Bridgerton in 2 and much more…
📺 THE TV SET
NETFLIX sets Lena Dunham comedy series
She co-created it with her husband Luis Felber (who will also do music for the project), and it’ll star Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe.
Too Much will center on an NYC workaholic reeling from a broken relationship who decides to take a change of scenery in London, where she finds an unexpected connection with a guy who’s “less Hugh Grant in Notting Hill, and more Hugh Grant’s drunken roommate.”
10 episodes, from NBCU’s WORKING TITLE and Lena’s company. /Variety
DISNEY is the latest to make NETFLIX library licensing deal
DISNEY+ and HULU will be getting all 19 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy starting in March when HULU gets an ‘official’ home on DIS+ (moves out of current ‘Beta’ form)… but the show will also continue to stream on NETFLIX, where the show is consistently among NIELSEN’s Top 10 streaming TV series in minutes-streamed.
New episodes from season 20 will continue to be HULU-only when the show returns in 2024.
AND: DISNEY is also licensing 14 library shows to NETFLIX for an 18-month window on a non-exclusive basis as a part of this transaction:
How I Met Your Mother
This is Us
Lost
Archer
Prison Break
The Resident
ESPN’s 30 for 30
White Collar (👋 Suits!)
The Wonder Years reboot, and some old sitcoms: Home Improvement, My Wife & Kids, The Bernie Mac Show, Reba and The Hughleys.
AND YES: This is basically what WBD has already poured gas 🔥 on itself with NETFLIX… as once again other studios follow WBD’s lead (thankfully this time it’s not in massive layoffs and billions 💰 in content-write downs from the streaming bubble era). /Deadline
AND…
Lest more of “This is another sign of NETFLIX winning!” hot takes proliferate on this one - there is nothing wrong with this!
In fact, it’s emblematic of the many new tactics studios will be doing more of in 2024.
After the era of write-offs, layoffs and talent deal cutting… here’s a look at the things you’ll likely see studios doing more of in 2024, and few new things they hopefully will begin leaning into.
For those inclined - here’s a deep dive looking at how the Streaming Bubble-era detox has progressed, from layoffs, write-offs, strikes and budget cuts… to what tactics to likely expect from studios ahead in 2024.
☀️Streaming Detox Playbook Tactics, 2024 edition
First, how did we get here again? A fond look back at the evolution from the Streaming bubble, to the Streaming bust… APRIL 2022:
And SUBSCRIBE to The Ankler to continue reading today’s edition of The Wakeup, and get access to the full archives and suite of newsletters & podcasts.
