☀️PEACOCK Hikes Price, as Streaming ‘saves’ Fall Broadcast TV
SAG Indie Waivers trickle out / Top ALTICE USA execs in corruption scandal / WBD Sports play in UK gets rebrand
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY July 18, 2023.
Where in ‘hope for my dating life’ news, ABC revealed their 71-year-old Golden Bachelor for this Fall, aka guy who lives on a lake in INDIANA and still rides a 4-wheel ATV. 65+ years-old ladies… get ready for the hot tub, though please take it easy on the Champagne.
Also nice to see ABC finally casting people who are near the median age of Broadcast TV viewers. 👏
PLUS: In just kinda bummer news… Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello have split up after 7 years of marriage.
BUT: Lindsay Lohan and guy who most sounds like an 80s Primetime Soap villain, Bader Shammas welcomed their first child - a boy named Laui.
ALSO: THREADS’ honeymoon phase from the bot problem that TWITTER is consistently plagued with seems to be over after… a week.
INSTA/THREADS head Adam Mosseri said they’ll now be limiting the number of Threads users can view in a day in order to combat an already growing “spam” problem, but he did not specify a post-view limit like Elon did (as of yet).
Remember - THREADS had 100 Million+ sign-ups… it still remains to be seen how many Daily Active Users that will translate to by say, the Fall?
🪧 STRIKE FORCE
One of SAG’s initial independent production waivers has been given to Season 4 of hit Jesus TV series/Box Office phenom The Chosen, which will now continue shooting to finish up their last 2 weeks.
As it’s a crowdfunded series (aka the ANGEL STUDIOS model), Season 4 definitely falls in the independent category, produced by an indie TEXAS company.
LIONSGATE only made a deal for the first 3 seasons (so far).
“Hundreds” of productions have applied for the waivers and are awaiting word. /Deadline
Influencers who want to be NETFLIX stars one day (or who may just want to join SAG one day) shouldn’t post anything involving content of struck companies (paid posts or otherwise), as it will put their SAG-AFTRA admission at risk according to the guild. So much for the Haunted Mansion premiere tactic! /VF
THR has a roundup of the work that SAG-AFTRA actors can do during the strike, including corporate “industrial” films not intended for air.
So any companies out there with deep pockets who are looking to get creative for their next sexual harassment training video or Fall sales team off-site intro… I’m sure WME will take your call.
