☀️ PAR Leak: Who's In/Out, Where Layoffs Are Coming
Lohan’s huge NETFLIX numbers / The NFL and . . . Mexican soccer / NETFLIX snags #BookTok hit
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, December 4, 2024.
Where it’s nice to wake up over in London today! Very glad to see there’s no whiplash policy on, uh, martial law here. 🙄
But a final thanks to my people of Ireland for the world-class landscapes and hospitality over the weekend, and for also making this New Yorker feel at home as he left for the U.K.
THEN: Disneyland is offering discount tickets to SoCal residents in zip codes between 90000 and 93599 — get 3-day park passes from $199 to $389 (depending on which access ya like), for use from Jan. 1 to May 15. Uh, Bob — no Igers allowed, nice try bud.
BTW: No Central Park or Prospect Park fireworks for New Years Eve this year due to . . . oh right, the trees are dry as a bone.
AND: Oprah has started a video podcast for her book club (Small Things Like These author Claire Keegan is up first).
PLUS: You know things are getting real when the U.S. Senate adopts AMAZON’s work policies — Senate Majority Leader John Thune pulled an Andy Jassy in telling the gang to expect to be in the office 5 days a week once Trump is in office (well, until Easter break — I mean, let’s be real, people).
ALTHOUGH: Let’s hope the heat at the Capitol is better than it is at ABC NEWS — apparently things are getting kinda dire at the old building, with heat and Wi-Fi outages according to Page Six, as the building is about to be condemned once staffers leave for the new headquarters downtown in Feb. So I guess keep those coats handy for the . . . two months until then. 😳
OH: For any PREMIER LEAGUE ⚽️ fans — PEACOCK is bringing its multi-cam “Gold Zone”-ish approach to these games today. You’ll be able to watch all 4 games at 2:30 p.m. together in split-screen fashion. Obviously U.S.-only.
NOTE: ESPN+ is now available to watch within the DISNEY+ app as of today.
PLUS: ABC will conclude its hugely popular college football regular season this Saturday with a tripleheader:
Noon BIG12 Championship
4 p.m. SEC Championship (also on ESPN)
8 p.m. ACC Championship (likely a “winner makes the CFP” scenario)
YUP: The latest obnoxious rich folk accessory? Fossils. SOTHEBY’S says it’s one of its fastest-growing categories — “We’re crushing it.” I hear the folks at NO KID HUNGRY are saying the same thing.
UNRELATED BUT RELATED: Nice to see Hollywood isn’t the only place with the finest quality Golden Parachutes — INTEL’s now former CEO Pat Gelsinger is getting at least $7M (up to $10M) for leaving the company as a total has-been in a field it once dominated.
I’m sure the 15,000 people the company is laying off cheer the announcement.
INTEL lost $17B in Q3 alone.
SPEAKING OF: $1M for dinner with Mr. & Mrs. JD Vance anyone?
SWEET: You can now really impress folks when you get into town by telling them you flew in first class — just maybe leave out the “on FRONTIER Airlines” part.
GOTTA SAY: Kinda surprised to see California as one of the 4 white states on this map.
COMPARE & CONTRAST: SPOTIFY’s 2024 Most Streamed songs in the U.S. with YOUTUBE’s U.S. list.
To note:
Only 5 songs are on both lists. 🧐
The #1 song on YT U.S. (Kendrick) isn’t on SPOTIFY’s Top 10 global list.
The #1 song on SPOTIFY’s U.S. list (Sabrina) did not make YT’s U.S. list.
Taylor Swift did not make either U.S. song list (she is on the SPOTIFY global list).
Basically — take all of these lists with a grain of salt.
SPOTIFY U.S. Top 10:
“Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
“Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey
“I Had Some Help (Feat. Morgan Wallen)” by Post Malone
“MILLION DOLLAR BABY” by Tommy Richman
“Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
“Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish
“I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves)” by Zach Bryan
“Stick Season” by Noah Kahan
YOUTUBE’s 2024 Most Streamed list in the U.S. that I included yesterday.
FINALLY: First The Office, now WALMART has come for Gilmore Girls — a company that I gotta think the show’s writers wouldn’t be caught dead inserting into Stars Hollow. I’m sure those paydays 🤑 were pretty nice tho . . .
AND: I don’t even know where to start with Rachel Chu wearing an outfit from WALMART to any Crazy Rich Asians event. #NiceTry
IN THIS EDITION
New intel emerges about what ahead for PARAMOUNT in 2025 from “people familiar” with Ellison’s thinking — areas of consolidation, leadership tea leaves and more, plus some context given what has already happened this year.
Lindsay Lohan is now officially one of NETFLIX’s top stars — take a look at the numbers for her 3rd pic (and final one under her current deal 🤑 👀).
The NFL, Private Equity and . . . Mexican soccer? Well, that’s new.
Plus a breakdown of the weekend’s big TV audiences — and the NBA’s continued troubles.
It was also a very busy day for the sports agency business.
#2 U.S. theater chain REGAL CINEMAS gets a new 💰 lifeline, a new NETFLIX / WWE talent collab and much more.
📽 THE SILVER TV 📺
