☀️ Indie Horror Rules Box Office Again with 'Terrifier'
ABC reverses course on 'MNF' / Summer theatrical exclusivity shrinks / Sports ratings boom except NHL
Evenin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on SUNDAY, October 13, 2024.
Where it’s nice to still have the sense of optimism on an NFL Sunday in October as I hit send on this newsletter!
What’s that? BENGALS QB Joe Burrow ran 47 yards for a touchdown and the GIANTS are already losing? Yeah, that tracks.
THEN: The MLB League Championship Series begin tonight, and gotta say — kinda odd to have the METS playing on FOX here in mid-October next to the GIANTS 🏈 game tonight. And . . . they’re also already losing. Fun night in NYC.
BUT: At least the NY LIBERTY beat the LYNX to tie up the WNBA Finals this afternoon on ESPN, 1-1. Game 3 is Wednesday night — get the full update on how the WNBA regular season TV ratings momentum is carrying over to the playoffs and finals below in the SPORTS MEDIA section.
AND: Summer 2024 Films are coming to PVOD / digital home rental nearly a week sooner than summer 2023 films. According to IndieWire, the average span between opening day and the PVOD release date was 35 days (5 weeks) for summer releases vs. 41 days last summer.
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
Terrifier 3 🤡 took care of the bears in what I’m sure was a very nasty fashion this weekend . . . as my fellow $13M+ bulls take the trophy. Which I really hope is not a body part from one of the bears.
IN THIS EDITION
While studio horror offerings have had a mixed year at best, indie folks have taken up the mantle, while the entire genre continues to be theatrical business-heavy vs. streaming — and doing so by over-indexing in very desirable demos — as conversely, Americans are showing little appetite for paying to see anything political at the box office.
Take a dive into all the numbers to know this weekend, including an active weekend in specialty where A24 got a hot start on a new pic . . . as its most-recent release fades quickly.
PLUS: ABC makes a big fall schedule change, DISNEY slots more 2025 films, SEARCHLIGHT and UNI look to fire up some sequels, the latest big sports TV audiences roundup from the end of last week and much more.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
Indie Horror Strikes Again
Gotta say at the box office this year — the indies are showing the studios how it’s done: