☀️NETFLIX + Jon Benét, Nolan + Holland, DISNEY CEO Delay
WNBA players want more of new TV 💰 / TPG builds rep conglomerate / AMAZON gets 'Carrie'
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 TUESDAY, October 22, 2024.
Where ya gotta love this quote from AMAZON AWS CEO Matt Garman in the company’s recent all-hands meeting about coming back to the office 5 days a week in January, which indeed supports the narrative that AMAZON is additionally using this policy as a veiled layoff.
“If there are people who just don’t work well in that environment and don’t want to, that’s okay, there are other companies around. By the way, I don’t mean that in a bad way.”
No no, of course not.
KUDOS: To SAM’S CLUB CTO Cheryl Ainoa for saying #hardpass on WALMART’s similar edict for folks to RTO in . . . Bentonville, AR, and will be saying ✌️ (and perhaps 🖕) in early 2025.
YUP: The WNBA Finals game 4 hit a new high at 1.7M viewers on ESPN Friday night, the biggest Finals game since 2000. Game 5 numbers up next.
Although WNBA league profitability is another thing — a new report breaks out some daunting numbers down in the SPORTS MEDIA section today, plus what to expect in a potential player labor deal stalemate.
OH: 4 leading “GunTuber” channels have (mostly) left YOUTUBE after the platform removed ads from gun videos, blocked users under 18 being able to watch them, and disallowed videos on how to remove gun safety features this summer. Always follow the money, folks (and don’t worry, they’re focusing efforts on other platforms like, uh, RUMBLE).
YEAH: Apparently there’s still some Saudi 💰 sloshing around the sports world — tennis player Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz to win the $6M prize for the Six Kings Slam tournament in Riyadh this week . . . bigger than any Grand Slam tournament purse.
This tournament also featured the final Djokovic vs. Nadal match.
So, a huge 🎾 event with 6 of the world’s biggest names facing off against each other (each got $1.5M for playing) . . . all of which, uh, curiously only streamed on DAZN. Hmmm. 👀
PLUS: Time to make a new addition to our November calendars, as we’ll meet the CHICK-FIL-A PLAY streaming app on Nov. 18 (that was fast, no?).
The theme is to provide things for families to watch while they’re eating
home cooked meals made with loveCHICK-FIL-A . . . waiting at the drive-thru at CHICK-FIL-A (how long are the drive-thru lines there??) or of course, “anywhere in-between.”The launch roster will have a few animated series, scripted podcasts and cooking shows. Because kids love nothing more than . . . scripted podcasts. More content is due in 2025.
OH: Remember that “healthier” kids lunch alternative from MrBeast and Logan Paul called LUNCHLY? Yeah top food YOUTUBER Rosanna Pansino found mold on the cheese in hers, which apparently others have reported as well. #OnBrand Don’t worry MrBeast, you’ll catch a break this year somewhere.
AND: “Sure, let’s rent out our soundstage and partner with Elon Musk on an event — I mean what could go wrong . . .” is something WBD may have said before signing the deal to hold the TESLA taxi event on the WB lot — and now Blade Runner 2049 producer ALCON ENTERTAINMENT is suing TESLA and WBD for using unlicensed imagery from the movie in its AI to sell Elon’s vision of the future that was largely scoffed at earlier this month.
At least MCDONALDS is (trying) to claim it had nothing to do with the big Trump PR appearance this week with seemingly everyday . . . but entirely pre-selected “customers.”
PLUS: Add NEWS CORP to the list of companies suing the Bezos-backed PERPLEXITY AI for illegal use of its copyrighted work. PERPLEXITY is in the midst of a new fundraising round valuing the company around $8 Billion.
OH: Enjoy your 82-degree day in NYC on Oct. 22, folks! Don’t worry, everything’s fine.
THANKS: To PARAMOUNT for the invite to check out Gladiator II last night (Katey Rich tells me I’m an influencer! Wait 'til I tell my nieces 😱).
And folks say Hollywood doesn’t make fun political-intrigue movies anymore . . . this is also exhibit A why you get Denzel for your movie, and a well-done step up to a big studio lead role for Paul Mescal (especially for a guy who was in his first movie just 3 years ago 🤯).
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
