☀️ ROKU stock jumps +20% on Q2 Revenue increase

CHARTER piles on Q2 Cable TV Bundle melt / EMMYS postponed / TV Upfronts finish with underwhelming headline

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKED-IN if ya like) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY July 28, 2023.

Where… I dunno? Think CBS is starting to scrape the bottom of the programming barrel here at the end of July? 🤔

Primetime holiday cheer on my TV last night

PLUS: The EMMYS will not be in September - vendors have begun to be notified that their services won’t be needed on Sept 18 according to Variety. The LA Times has it moving to January.

THEN: If SPOTIFY CEO Daniel Ek owes you money 🙋‍♂️ (I told him never bet against a guy named Carlos Alcaraz…), he’s good for it - Ek just sold $100 Million worth of SPOTIFY stock. Don’t worry - he still has about $4.6 Billion left. 😅

ALSO: NEON’s Michael Mann pic Ferrari will close the NYFF on Oct 13.

GRANTED: The amount of “minutes” available for Suits is far more massive than The Witcher… and it’s on 2 services instead of one… but still 😳:

1. Suits (NFLX/PEACOCK): 3.14 Bil minutes viewed

2. The Witcher (NETFLIX): 1.31 Bil

   1. new season premiere week

3. The Bear (HULU): 1.01 Bil

   1. This is even more impressive considering:

      1. HULU only has about 75% of the subs that NETFLIX US does

      2. The Bear’s episode length and volume are far lower than The Witcher.

         1. wk of June 25-July 2, US NIELSEN viewing, TV only/no Mobile

WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL Results

Speaking of bears… lot of ‘em out there for the $150 Million Haunted Mansion this weekend, as DISNEY’s “Summer to Remember” finishes up on-brand.

BTW: Barbie is now over $500 Mil worldwide, and Oppenheimer over $300 Million going into weekend 2. How do you think the Movie Theaters with Barbie PLF screens committed to going over to Haunted Mansion today feel? 🤦‍♂️

IN TODAY’S EDITION:

• A look at what made ROKU’s stock pop this morning, and the strike-induced headwinds still potentially on the horizon.

• CHARTER has more bad news for the Cable TV bundle, as they pivot to a XUMO future.

  • Telco FWA Broadband subs make huge progress again in Q2.

• FOX throws in towel on Sept EMMYS.

• TV Upfronts finishing up with… yeah about as ‘good’ as expected.

• US Women’s Soccer sets new TV ratings record, a look at the new things to watch/stream this weekend, and much more.

NEW PODCAST

New Ankler Contributing Editor Claire Atkinson joins Elaine, Richard and I for a new Ankler pod, where we try and figure out why so many were trying to knock the massive Barbenheimer success #haters🙄… COMCAST’s lack of a financial plan for Streaming… and a look at the effects of the staredown escalation between the Guilds and the AMPTP.

(you can decide which one is which below - listen here or search “The Ankler” on your podcast listening app of choice).

🪧🪧 STRIKE FORCE

IATSE is hosting a 3-hour food bank today for affected unionized entertainment workers in the industry and their families starting at 10a PT at their offices in Burbank.

The WORLD HARVEST FOOD BANK is also offering a free grocery program to writers & actors in need in LA.

AND: Elaine reports on what a massive group of striking Stunt Performers looks like over at Strikegeist, and the deal improvements they’re seeking within the SAG-AFTRA deal.

'Zero Residuals From Streaming': Stunt Performers Speak Out

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📺 THE TV SET

I didn’t know Upfronts reports came in a print book… which actually tracks now that I think about it. via Giphy