☀️'Shrek' Revived at UNI Amid Streaming Animation Boom
PAR+ hikes price again / AMAZON doubles down on AI / New RSN biz warning flare in Florida
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, June 25, 2024.
Where it’s time to pour out one final RED DOG 🍻 for MTV NEWS, as MTV has apparently completely pulled down the site, and its, uh, entire story archive.
500+ FAST channels out there . . . and yet no one has figured out one for the MTV News video archive? (fyi there is an MTV PLUTO channel, and yes in looking at it today — it’s mostly Jersey Shore reruns).
But I mean, hey — who needs GenX’s entire cultural history anyway?
PLUS: Your new NHL Stanley Cup champion is the FLORIDA PANTHERS, a state where it’s basically never possible to have outdoor ice, as Canada now remains without a Stanley Cup for more than 30 years.
BTW: More people watched game 6 of the series in Canada than the U.S. (5.5M to 4.2M).
THEN: First get the hit movie, now time for the music angle — Will Smith will perform a new song at the BET Awards on Sunday night.
YES: NETFLIX updated its employee culture deck. No, this won’t affect the stock price.
AND: It’s PARAMOUNT employee town hall day — don’t hog all the crullers. Employee culture deck pending.
ALSO: Add PAR+ to the “two prices hikes in about a year” club. As of August 20:
PAR+ w/ads: $8 (+$2)
ALTHOUGH: This is just for new subs only, existing subs will still pay $6. For now.
PAR+ w/SHO: $13 (+$1)
COMPS (without ads / ads):
NETFLIX: $15.50 / $7
MAX: $17 / $10
AMAZON: $18 / $12 (APV-only/no shipping), or $15 / $9
HULU: $18 / $8
DIS+: $14 / $8
Combo: $20 / $10
PAR+: $13 / $8
PEACOCK: $12 / $6
APPLE TV+: $10
COMBINED:
$99.50 a month for no ads
$60 with ads (this uses the DIS+/HULU combo pricing)
Compared to $73 a month for the YOUTUBE TV bundle (which . . . also has a lot of ads).
And . . . just wait for the ESPN D2C price next year, when NETFLIX will also likely be more expensive.
OTHERS: STARZ is $10, MGM+ is $7, ESPN+ is $11 and AMC+ is $9 / $5.
KUDOS: Let’s round out with the next generation, and a huzzah to Mindy Kaling, who announced she had her 3rd kid earlier this year.
IN THIS EDITION
A slew of AI-related stuff from a significant drop in job openings, an evolution of sports coverage, the music biz showing its muscle where publishing has not and studios continuing to try and ride the line.
Another day, another AMAZON MGM project buy — and yet another new AI product at the parent company. One of these is gonna be the lycos.com of this era, right? Plus new movie & TV casting news at UNI, DISNEYFOX, PAR+ and more.
CBS drops rights to a college conference, as the local sports business model hits a new sign of desperation and much more.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
