☀️NETFLIX Films 2024: What Worked, What Didn’t
❤️ to our L.A. readers on a tough morning / UNI signs Powell deal / MUBI's big indie exec hire
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, January 8, 2025.
Where I’ll start today with my thoughts from NYC going out to those affected by the out-of-control fires happening on the West Coast.
In this digital age we now live in, I’m able to watch a local L.A. news feed on the CBS NEWS app this morning as I finish up this newsletter, and the images are both mindboggling and heartbreaking as dawn breaks in L.A. (the NY Times also has a live-updating page here with good info).
It’s also a good reminder to be appreciative of the people who dedicate their lives every day to helping others in times of need, from first responders of course . . . to those in the news media out there right on the frontlines documenting what’s going on . . . and to fellow neighbors going above and beyond to help those around them.
SO: Turns out the Globes basically had the same audience it had last year . . . as NIELSEN released its numbers putting the show at 9.3M (yesterday’s 10.1M was from VIDEOAMP).
The CBS NFL post-game show lead-in had 14.8M viewers.
AND: Add any of the hardcore “just DISCO+” streaming subs in the SVOD universe to the #pricehike train — WBD is adding $1 so the DISCO+ ad tier is $6 a month and ad-free is $10.
THEN: Here are your DGA TV, Doc and Commercial award nominees.
MAN: Gambling just can’t catch a break! Too much NFL bet winning (this season had the highest amount of “favorites” winning in 20 years) caused FANDUEL parent co. FLUTTER to cut its earnings outlook for 2024. Ah, just wait until AI starts to come for this business too.
ALSO: Look at COWBOYS owner (and future NETFLIX docuseries subject) Jerry Jones delivering some acting chops on Landman . . . huh.
HUH: QUIBI is back! Or at least TIKTOK is giving it a go with the launch of its new app MELOLO in the GOOGLE app store, focused on, yes, short TV dramas and movies.
NOTE: PEACOCK is also testing out some games and shortform video clips in its app. NETFLIX of course has already done both — it’s sticking with gaming of course . . . but I’ve yet to see this “Hey let’s throw together a bunch of short clips from our shows and movies in a TIKTOK-like experience” gambit work anywhere. Anyone using NETFLIX “Moments” much?
OH: In addition to the 4% job cuts at WaPo this month, BUZZFEED’s HuffPo is also laying off around 30 folks.
AH: ANTHROPIC AI is looking to raise another $2B in new funding at a $60B valuation (for the record, so is this newsletter — let’s talk).
HERE’S THE THING TO KEEP IN MIND: Many big AI businesses have been essentially trying to fudge perception of their revenues (always a sign of a healthy market). While this is not illegal, most are saying how much money they’re making in “annualized revenue,” which to a casual reader sounds like “Oh, this is how much money the company made last year.”
HOWEVER: They did not. “Annualized revenue” means we didn’t actually, ya know, make this much money in the past year . . . ahem.
BUT: This is what we would have made if you multiply the amount we made this last month . . . times 12. 🥴
ANTHROPIC is doing the same here, saying it has $875M in “annualized” revenue.
The other thing is, it previously told folks it would have $1B in annualized revenue by this point, according to The Information.
Man, this crash is gonna be fun.
FINALLY: Nothing like going with “The Regular Guy” look for your video saying that you’re likely laying off a bunch of folks ending your fact checking department.
Sure, the loose black t-shirt and gold chain say “Hey man, I’m just like y’all” . . . but uh, that $900k watch that they only make “two or three of a year” — hey, my eyes are up here, buddy.
WAKEUP MOVIEGOING POLL RESULTS
Take what you will from this, Hollywood, but I know I don’t have to explain to this crowd what a “top 2 boxes” result looks like.
I’ll also say the engagement I got on this poll definitely puts it in the Top 5 of all polls I’ve done here.
See you at CINEMACON.
THANKS: To LIONSGATE for the invitation to check out Den of Thieves 2: Pantera in NYC last night, where I also learned that I’m apparently a tastemaker! Sweet.
NETFLIX Films 2024 Top Films
It’s time to look back at the year that was in NETFLIX Films today vs. the usual weekly chart (Spoiler: Carry-On was tops again).
Although briefly — WB pics Horizon Pt. 1 and Furiosa both debuted on NETFLIX last week, about 6 and 7 months respectively after their theatrical debuts . . . and just 4 months after they debuted on MAX. 👀
There is no formal output deal between WB and NETFLIX (like SONY and UNI ANIMATION have).
Neither pic had a large viewing number — the debut of the 2014 UNI Liam Neeson pic Non-Stop beat them both.
Moving on — if you’ve read this newsletter in the past month . . . you certainly know that Carry-On is the top film of 2024. Or 2023. Or 2022.
But bigger picture — what movies worked, and what didn’t on NETFLIX last year? Where is the biggest momentum in international films? What kind of docs does the NETFLIX audience like most?
SO: Here’s your dive into the NETFLIX 2024 movie numbers, big and . . . not so big:
NETFLIX Films domestic & international
Docs
Studio movies
Animated movies
SONY Pay1 movies — and yeah, somebody stop me here.