☀️ NETFLIX's Curious Bet on More Sports Docs
Obamas set DISNEYFOX pic / WBD blurs divisions in exec moves / New LEGENDARY, NEON pickups
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, December 19, 2024.
Where #BigTech has really outdone itself and showing us dummies in Hollywood how #Innovation and new ways of thinking about business for the digital world really work — meet 1-800-CHATGPT.
Yes, you can now call an AI bot on a landline (rotary phone optional) and it’s free 👌 — so you don’t need a parent’s permission (you can also text it via WHATSAPP).
Although uh . . . just like your high school crush — it’ll also hang up on you after 15 minutes (that’s actually the total OPENAI is giving you monthly), which should still be plenty of time to help it “learn” what a prank call is.
THEN: For my NYC folks — TCM is doing a “pop up” of its Classic Film Festival at the 92NY on Saturday, Jan. 25 with Scorsese, Drew Barrymore (accompanied by a screening of Twentieth Century starring grandad John) and Meryl Streep (accompanied by a 40th anniversary Out of Africa screening). Tix avail here.
SERIOUSLY BRO: After making a huge stink about everyone needing to come back to the office 5 days a week starting next month — AMAZON now doesn’t have enough office space or desks for everybody according to Business Insider . . . and is thus delaying the process for numerous employees around the country.
I mean, for a company that prides itself on being “logistics experts” — you’re getting a D on the fall semester report card.
Let’s hope AT&T has a better plan for its newly announced 5-days-a-week RTO plan.
PLUS: George Stephanopoulos renewed his contract at ABC NEWS, no word on the 💰 (yet).
ALSO: The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the TIKTOK ban on Jan. 10, nine days before the ban is set to go into effect. So, know that anything you read between now and Jan. 10 is pure #HotTake — use your time accordingly over the holidays.
OH: If you or your kid is a NIKE fanatic — it sounds like now is the time to stock up, and be sure to check out NIKE.com vs. retail stores. The new CEO’s first mandate seems to be get rid of the glut of existing merch due to the last guy’s tenure and the markdowns are legit according to the WSJ.
AND: I hope Richard remembered to make his year-end stock sales for tax and gift/estate-planning purposes in time 😳, just as Zaz did with his $30M WBD stock sale this week at about $11.73 a share. How convenient that it timed out with the 15% stock rise this month . . . and before its subsequent drop back down to $10.63 as of market closing yesterday.
He now has about 3.4M shares, with options on 20M+ more.
Iger also sold $42M worth, and Brian Roberts about $20M worth for the same “planning” purposes. Ugh, taxes, amirite? 🙄
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
Sonic 3 is expected to take the box office throne this weekend over Mufasa, tracking around $55M to $60M.
So, to the (projected) victor goes the poll . . .
FINALLY: Great to see every sports media outlet that so breathlessly covered every possible permutation of an NBA rights deal for several months ad nauseam . . . all suddenly just discover at the same time over the past 2 days that the NBA has a TV ratings problem this year — 2 months into the season.
If you read this newsletter — you’ve known this for about 6 weeks now.
Yes, the fact that the games have become glorified versions of this 👇 every time down the court is a problem — but so is the fact that these games all happen on cable TV networks #cordcutting.
Though keep in mind that WBD doesn’t release any MAX viewership numbers for its NBA games, should any meaningful audience be shifting there — although ESPN has seemingly seen steeper NBA declines and has no significant streaming component.
Although the more interesting sports story this week is at NETFLIX, who seems to be letting it rain on sports docs in 2025 — let’s take a look at what’s afoot, and more importantly what’s on the actual sports rights the horizon next sooner than later that should really be kept an eye on in all of this activity (it’s funny how fast the “2025” horizon creeps up on ya).
📺 THE TV SET
