Mornin! It’s THURSDAY February 4th, 2021. Where the SAG Award nominations don’t come out until 11am EST so… well. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Ok fine just go Here. Either way, be thankful this isn’t your car today, 3 days after a storm.

🎧 MUSIC TO READ BY

ARLO PARKS “Too Good” Apple Music / Spotify / YouTube

Yes, I know I recommended her at the top of the week - But I’ve basically been listening to this album non-stop ever since so… If you don’t like this song, I’ll give you your money back. Oh wait right this thing is free.

And 🙏 share this Free Newsletter with any people you like… and even ones you’re kinda mixed about ever since they started dating Steve.

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Email me at Wakeupodcast@gmail.com to say hey or with any feedback to make this email work better for ya.

📽 THE SILVER SCREEN

NETFLIX buys “Passing” as SUNDANCE ends, for $15+ mil (THR)

Directorial debut of Rebecca Hall, stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga as African-American women who can pass as white, but choose to live on different sides of the color line in 1929 NYC.

“Da 5 Bloods”, “I May Destroy You” and “Bridgerton” (🤷‍♂️?) lead most GOLDEN GLOBES snubs list.

Trying to decipher the choices of a group of 90 ish Foreign Journalists can always a bit of a fool’s errand... especially with the pandemic putting the kibosh on the weeks-long free food & booze smorgasbord that is campaign season.

But here are the various industry takes, so pick ‘em: THR VARIETY DEADLINE VANITY FAIR

📺 THE TV SET

Quiet day, just some brief things to know:

• THE CW renews 12 shows for their Fall Schedule. Basically if you’re already airing on THE CW, and an end was not already declared for your show, you’re coming back.

• WGA TV Award nomination list.

• Niecy Nash stepping in as Host of “The Masked Singer” at the start of the new season - Nick Cannon has Covid, will be back when he’s cleared to do so.

• Rob Mills upped to lead all Unscripted + Daytime at ABC, HULU, & DISNEY TV.

The MORGAN WALLEN situation: You may remember the Country Music star as the guy who got booted from SNL this Fall after footage of him partying in Alabama the week he was scheduled to play on the show surfaced.

Now Morgan has been

• “Suspended Indefinitely” from his label Big Loud Records,

• Removed from Playlists on SPOTIFY & APPLE MUSIC, as well as from radio airwaves on SIRIUS XM, iHEART, CUMULUS, and ENTERCOM station groups

• Disqualified from any Award consideration at the ACM’s in April…

All after a video surfaced on TMZ this week of him yelling the N-word while saying goodbye to his friends outside his house after a night of partying (video recorded by a neighbor).

At the time of the October SNL thing, he posted a IG video saying something along the lines of he needed to reflect on his life choices. He’s had the the top selling album in the country for the past 3 weeks.

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

NYT 4Q ‘20 Earnings Call updates (NYT)

+425k digital subscribers for the Main NYT product in 4Q, now has about 5.1 million. Up 50% from end of 2019.

+202k for other digital subscription products (Crossword, Cooking etc) in 4Q.

Print subscribers about the same vs end of 2019, at 833k.

Advertising revenue continues to fall (-19% in 4Q), but digital revenues making up for the decline - operating profit was $80 mil, about the same as 4Q ‘19.

ALSO IN MEDIA

• PARLER CEO fired by his board. App is still dark. Figuratively and Literally.

• TIME & SPORTS ILLUSTRATED put up paywalls. TIME is $3/month, SI is $6/month. Swimsuits still free (online).

🎥 TRAILER HOUSE

AMAZON PRIME, “Coming to America 2” trailer. Rated… PG-13? 🤔. Hits Prime Video in about a month on Fri March 5th.

👩‍💻 TODAY’S WATCHLIST

“Warrior” - both seasons now on HBOMAX. This is CINEMAX’s last Original Series ever 😢 and it’s now on HBOMAX 🥳. Tensions between rival factions in late 1800’s San Francisco Chinatown simmer in between some killer Martial Arts action. It’s from Jonathan Tropper who was behind “Banshee” (which HBOMAX folks really need to also add), and he’s also showrunning Season 2 of “See” at APPLE TV+. I also did a podcast with Jonathan this Fall when “Warrior” premiered on CINEMAX (disclosure: I worked with Jonathan on “Banshee”): Podcast HERE and link to watch “Warrior” Here.

Also SNAPCHAT & NEWS CORP (aka FOX) release their latest user and revenue numbers after 4pm today. And yes… that means various numbers in tomorrow’s newsletter so don’t forget your glasses on your nightstand tonight.

If you like the newsletter, share the newsletter… with friends who dig Pop Culture, vendors you work with - or I mean, if you’re friends with Channing Tatum, even better.

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Have a great day ya’ll, See ya tomorrow.

-Sean McNulty

Follow THE WAKEUP on Instagram and LinkedIn to humor me.

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