☀️Streaming Films: Q1 Winners & Losers
CHARTER stock hit on Q1 woes / Ari's big TKO '25 payday bump / APPLE enlists Elizabeth Banks
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 Friday, April 24, 2026.
Where, yes, Bob Iger is going back to his old job! Uh, no — not the one in Burbank again — and I’m pretty sure he can do this advisor role at Josh Kushner’s THRIVE CAPITAL from his yacht. 😅
THRIVE, being a firm that he already had a stake in, and a company he had previously (briefly) joined as a venture partner the first time he left DISNEY, before returning to DISNEY in late 2022.
So yes, A24 now has access to Bob Iger’s insights (in theory), given that THRIVE is an A24 investor. Can’t wait for the Hereditary ride to open in Anaheim.
OH: 82% of WBD shareholders voted down Zaz’s pay package in the WARNAMOUNT deal. Again, this is non-binding / doesn’t matter.
AH: Now Air Mail-less, Graydon Carter is still doing a Cannes party next month — alas, Zaz is not footing the bill (those several hundred billions won’t hit the savings account until the keys are officially handed over), but rather Graydon is partnering with AI, naturally, in ANTHROPIC CEO Dario Amodei and CAA’s Bryan Lourd to throw the shindig.
THEN: WGA deal votes are due today.
YES: An American soldier with knowledge of the Maduro raid in Venezuela made over $400k on POLYMARKET bets since the end of December (and subsequently cashed his account out / attempted to close it after the raid) . . . and has now been charged by the DOJ.
#TRUTH: A thanks to The Ringer’s Craig Horlbeck for resurfacing this Bill Burr classic about watching a pro sports draft (particularly, the NFL Draft this week), that is still 100% true.
PLUS: META made the expected 8k global layoffs street-legal yesterday (10% of the workforce), and threw in the closure of 6k open head positions just to keep things spicy.
As foretold by Reuters, May 20 is layoff day.
U.S. employees will get a minimum of 4 months severance, plus 2 additional weeks for every year at the company, and COBRA payments for 18 months . . . plus the option to install AI software that tracks everything they type on their home computer, too, in case they’re feeling nostalgic.
AND: If Ari Emanuel asks you for gas money for the private jet ride, keep these numbers handy. Here are your TKO exec total comp paydays for 2025.
CEO Ari Emanuel: $67.4M, a big bump from his $18M in 2024, but about the same as his 2023 payday ($65M)
Most was in stock ($44M), but a hefty $20M was in essentially cash bonuses.
Plus, $359k of personal use of the TKO PJ 🛩️, even though he was given his own PJ as part of the ENDEAVOR take private event.
Plus $5,769 in company 401(k) matching contributions — though at 65, you definitely wanna be maxing that out. 😳
COO/Prez Mark Shapiro: $42.6M, up from $32M last year.
Stock was the majority at $25.8M, although $12.5M was in cash bonus.
His company personal PJ 🛩️ use was only $281k (alas, ENDEAVOR ran out of jets to hand out after Ari and Patrick . . . but Shapiro is, of course, more of a man of the people anyway), and $8,750 in matching 401(k) contributions.
CFO Andrew Schleimer: $23.1M, up from $7.7M in 2025
Including $14M in stock and $7M in bonus. No personal PJ use for Mr. Schleimer.
Chief Admin Officer Seth Krauss: $10M, roughly even with 2025
Stock and bonus were each about $4M.
#FunFact: At the end of 2025, Vince McMahon still has an 8.6% stake in TKO Class A shares (and a 3.4% voting stake).
YAH: The spring real estate housing market, typically the most active of the annual calendar, is about as robust as you’d think it would be given the Iran war and overall economy’s effect on mortgage rates (currently about 6.25%), the state of and future prospects for gas prices, AI’s threat on employment and . . . yeah, everyone’s totally psyched about their economic outlook.
FINALLY: Senior DISNEY Comms exec Naomi Bulochnikov-Paul will be awarded the Medal of Hope at the Race to Erase MS gala in early June for her leadership, advocacy and example she’s set out for others following an MS diagnosis.
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
I’m gonna go somewhat big on LGF’s Michael, but I did really think about joining the top 21%.
NEW POD
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
The Most Popular Movies On Streaming in Q1
As weekly NIELSEN streaming data has a bit of lag, we just now have the full data set for Q1 (well — through March 29 . . . but close enough).
So, here are the films America was digging most in the first 3 months of this year, along with which streamers got the most traction — accompanied by NETFLIX’s viewing data globally where applicable.
Other streamers are welcome to report their Top 10 movie data each week, just like NETFLIX does! Ahem. #FreePublicity!
I’ll also break down which films did not chart . . . or barely charted.