☀️NETFLIX, DIS, WBD, PAR Earnings: What to Watch for
LGF, UNI new big pic deals / Stuber sets leader for NewCo / DIS+, AMAZON see streaming gains
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 15, 2024.
Where the NYT has sent Bezos-backed PERPLEXITY AI a cease-and-desist letter, essentially telling it to stop using our stuff to train your AI bot, bro.🫷
PERPLEXITY had previously told the Times that it wouldn’t “crawl” its data — a term that couldn’t be more appropriately creepy. However, apparently that isn’t the case . . . but that can’t possibly be true — I mean, AI companies wouldn’t lie to people, would they? 😧
BUT: The promises of an awesome AI-based future for humanity are finally coming to fruition . . . as GATORADE is using ADOBE’s new text-to-image AI tool to allow you to create whatever image you’d like for your own water bottle! Man, it’s like we’re living in Blade Runner.
More meaningfully — ADOBE also introduced public beta tools that allow you to extend the end of footage clips for a few more AI-generated frames/seconds in PREMIERE, and generate video from images.
AND: This was an entertaining NYT read about how an indie film starring Lucy Liu called Rosemead ended up shooting in NYC . . . even though it’s based on a true story from SoCal — yes, because of NY’s tax credits. It applied for a CA one, but was denied because the project was too small.
ALSO: Here is your September Gauge from NIELSEN, with:
AMAZON tying its highest percentage ever at 3.6% #ThanksTNF🏈!
DIS+ hitting its highest share ever at 2.5% (partially due to HULU content being available on it)
YOUTUBE staying above a 10% share yet again
The ROKU CHANNEL was the biggest gainer YoY in viewership, +42%.
Cable TV had its smallest share of viewership to date.
PLUS: It’s #GetAJobTuesdays! A lotta new job openings down below today, ranging from exec jobs at AMAZON MGM and AMC NETS to SHONDALAND’S directing mentorship program for women.
OH: Just when you thought NYC mayor Eric Adams couldn’t get any worse . . . are we sure there isn’t any way to slide in a new mayor vote on the ballot in a few weeks?
BUT: Those jokes about Caitlin Clark playing golf may need a revision . . . pretty close to a hole in one here.
IN TODAY’S EDITION: Q3 EARNINGS SEASON PREVIEW
With NETFLIX kicking off the Q3 cavalcade of actual data that we get every 3 months from the studios and streamers (er, not you APPLE and AMAZON . . . thanks for playing) — get a preview of what to expect across NETFLIX, WBD, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, NBCU and SONY Q3 earnings reports (if you read this newsletter, I’m pretty sure you know what was up at LIONSGATE in Q3).
PLUS: A refresher on where we left things in Q2 — remember that time Hollywood erased $15B of its value 2 days? Ah, good times.
So, let’s also dive into the programming highlights (yes NBCU, we know you had The Olympics), global business factors and other things to keep in mind, plus the calendar of what’s ahead.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
