☀️HULU is over 50% of DISNEY Streaming's 💰 - a look inside the numbers to help understand its future
APPLE TV+ keeps MLB to itself this season / STAR WARS pic gets a new writer / MGM sadly & suddenly loses a top exec
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on THURSDAY March 23, 2023.
Where you know it’s bad out there when INDEED, a company who empowers you to find & apply for jobs… is laying of 15% of their staff, totaling 2200 people.
👀: All eyes are on TIKTOK today to see what dance they get the US Congress to do at the big hearing.
HOOPS: While the Men’s MARCH MADNESS tournament picks up again tonight, I finally found some ratings for the Women’s tourney last weekend - the first two rounds were +28% in audience vs. last year, averaging around 400k.
Granted the Men’s average was around 9 Million for the first two days… although they do have an all-day presence on CBS, while Women’s games are mainly on ESPN channels, and only on ABC in some windows on the weekend.
The Women’s IOWA vs. GEORGIA game on ABC Sunday afternoon set a record for the most-viewed Women’s opening round game ever, with 1.46 Million viewers.
ALSO: All charges of domestic violence have been dropped against Rick & Morty creator Justin Roiland due to lack of evidence. He was accused of the crimes by an ex back in January, at which time ADULT SWIM and HULU severed ties with him (he also co-created Solar Opposites).
PLUS: What do Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, Ne-Yo, Lil Yachty, and adult film star Kendra Lust all have in common? Outside of all never having been in my kitchen (despite my numerous invitations), they all reached settlements with the SEC regarding illegal crypto promotion charges, totaling over $400k in payments.
THEN: Apparently Jamie Foxx was the target of a scam run by a crew member on the London production of his Cameron Diaz NETFLIX Film to steal $40k from him according to The Sun. 🤯
AND: Sending a thought out for Amanda Bynes, who was placed on psychiatric hold after being picked up naked and roaming the streets in downtown LA Sunday night, although she called 911 herself knowing she was coming down from a psychotic episode according to TMZ. Her conservatorship was ended about a year ago, and she had been free of incidents in the time since.
Weekend Wakeup Box Office POLL:
Ok so I’ve come to realize Thursday night preview totals may have been skewing expertise here all this time… so I’m moving the poll to the Thursday newsletter.
And this weekend is all about John Wick 4 of course, which is tracking at $65-$70 Million. Part 3 opened to $57 Million, and this one runs 2hr 49mins.
#FunFact: The Wick franchise has essentially doubled its worldwide gross from one pic to the next in the series thus far.
Keeping my pure #MarchMadness over/under theme going:
IN TODAY’S EDITION:
HULU plays a huge role in DISNEY’s Streaming biz revenues - take a deep look at just how much (with comps to DIS+), and at the fact that HULU really consists of two different businesses… leading to my wildcard notion about how that fact could open a path to a split deal in 2024.
APPLE TV+ to keep Friday night MLB for subscribers only this season.
APPLE is also reportedly joining the $1 Billion in theatrical movie spending initiative club.
Executive moves at LORD MILLER, ANONYMOUS, ESPN, LIONSGATE, and a sudden big loss at MGM.
Star Wars pic gets new writer, Peter Chernin’s NORTH ROAD makes a deal, and more.