☀️NETFLIX Indie Film Viewing Troubles Continue
Movie project buying spree continues / More MLB official RSN departures / Weekend sports TV audience roundup
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on WEDNESDAY, October 9, 2024.
Where in the “Now we’ve seen everything” category — APPLE TV+ is putting season 1 of Severance out on . . . DVD in December. Okay, we really need to take that strategy dartboard out of APPLE TV’s headquarters — folks, that was a joke gift!
ALSO: Keith Urban will co-host the CBS New Year’s Eve Country music show this year.
YES: AI is coming for legal jobs too . . . meet AI for personal injury lawyers! But don’t worry, one of the product’s PE backers says the big benefit is “Lawyers can focus on clients, not paperwork.” You can just smell the “efficiency” in the air there, no? Don’t worry, I’m sure those folks doing that paperwork weren’t learning how to do the job properly or anything. #BrokenFarmSystem
OH: DISNEY is raising DISNEYLAND prices again. Josh, how could you! Get ready to pay $206 for one day at a theme park (for the highest ticket prices, typically on weekends/holidays). That’s of course before you, ya know, eat or drink anything. Tickets on most days are also going +6%. Look — profit margins don’t hit themselves, folks.
And . . . the lowest-cost annual pass in SoCal is going +20% to $599 (the bougiest pass is +6% to $1,749). Lightning lane passes are also going +7%.
But hey — still enjoy those 15+ days in Jan. & Feb. when tix are staying at $104 a day.
THEN: HEARST is the latest publisher to set a deal to let OPENAI harvest access the archives of its 20+ magazines and 40+ newspapers. OPENAI will, of course, “show its work” and include citations/links to the source material. Perfect for a voice-driven AI bot. No word on a price tag here.
PLUS: Congrats to the MINNESOTA LYNX for moving onto the WNBA Finals to face the NEW YORK LIBERTY, as Napheesa Collier sank 27 points last night in the LYNX’s 88-77 win over the SUN. The Finals begin tomorrow night at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
AND: TIKTOK is being sued by 14 state attorneys general for harming the mental health of children, by claiming the app is safe for their use.
IN THIS EDITION
4 big movie project buys in one day, on top of 2 the day before — it’s a real shame the movie business doesn’t work anymore.
‘Indie’ films at NETFLIX may get headlines for sales deals, but they’re pretty challenged in getting views of late. A look at the numbers, and pros and cons here in the context of what works with NETFLIX subscribers, and what doesn’t.
The DIAMOND SPORTS bankruptcy saga writes another chapter with the MLB — but keep in mind the $$ being lost in the process. Plus a re-brand is now on the near-term horizon.
The big weekend sports TV audience roundup! All things football, WNBA, NASCAR, MLB Playoffs and more — see just how big the audiences compare.
NETFLIX doubles down on Nate Bargatze and much more.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
