☀️WB Tops NETFLIX in Bidding War, SKYDANCE Gets ex-NETFLIX Advisor
SISTER shuts U.S. biz / WB's Clint pic campaign MIA / HULU + Maniscalco
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKED-IN if ya like or email me seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY, October 25, 2024.
Where let’s start the day with a pop quiz (Elaine, try and hide your excitement): what is the #1 preferred pastime of 10-to-24 year-olds according to a new UCLA study?
Moviegoing! Take that, poetry readings! Okay, granted, that was their answer when “cost, transportation and other barriers” were removed from the picture — when you factor those in . . . uh, video games takes the prize (although note that scrolling social media was only #3 👀).
Of course, if you read my Sunday box office breakdowns — you already know how heavily younger demos repeatedly figure into the box office take 💰 of many films, despite the ill-informed narrative that is still out there to the contrary.
So, something to think about movie business . . . and perhaps seize the opportunity to “exhibit” some greater creativity toward devising even more theater experiences for the demo — like puns, obviously. I’m told the kids love those.
BUT: Here’s a reminder that what people tell you in surveys . . . and what they actually do are often 2 different things — in a simulation in a new study, 18- to 34-year-old viewers were as much as 7X more likely to under-report viewing than over-report when measured through an active meter panel.
THEN: Jon Stewart will host a special hour-long Daily Show on Election Night (Nov. 5). It’ll also simulcast on MTV, TV LAND, PAR NET, CMT, POP and LOGO, although PAR+ streaming won’t be until next day as per usual policy, ya know — in case you’d like to relive Election Night again.
ALTHOUGH: If you’d rather watch a webcam of Steve Kornacki — PEACOCK has you covered 🙏, while also offering a news desk feed with Lester Holt and Savannah Guthrie and a “decision desk” feed as well.
PEACOCK’s ‘multiview’ feature will also hit the PREMIER LEAGUE on Dec. 4.
OH: Turns out one business that may see some significant job cuts from AI is . . . consultants! I’ll pause while you break out your 🎻.
First, MCKINSEY trimmed 3% of its staff earlier this year due to a slowdown in demand in some sectors.
Now, IBM reported sluggish Q3 revenue growth due to decreased demand for its consulting services (which make up 1/3 of its business 😳) from increased use of generative AI software “reprioritizing” IT budgets for its clients.
AND: NY/LA, enjoy your World Series start tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX (oh and uh, of course the start of the MLS playoffs on APPLE) — given that the ticket prices are similar to what it costs a father & son to skip the lines at Disneyland for one day and have a couple of bites to eat, I’m guessing it’ll be mostly a “SVP and above” salaried crowd in attendance.
Game 2 is tomorrow night (LSU at TEXAS A&M is the . . . not terribly formidable ABC SEC 🏈 competition).
Game 3 is on Monday night facing off against MNF 🏈 on ABC/ESPN . . . which features the GIANTS.
So yeah — FOX should do pretty good here.
Best of all — every sports media column will finally end their week-long breathless & meaningless speculation about “just how big” the series will be! 👏
PLUS: Meet the LACES, MIST, PHANTOM, ROSE, VINYL and . . . PHANTOM OWLS! Those were the 6 team names chosen for the UNRIVALED 3-on-3 women’s 🏀 league that’ll be on TNT come January. Logos here for my branding folks — LUNAR OWLS rule.
AH: Add PAYPAL to the list of trusted companies that are now . . . selling you out. Et tu, PAYPAL? 🥺 It’ll now start sharing your data with advertisers by default (yeah, you have to opt-out yourself) based on what you’ve bought using PAYPAL, and including info such your pants size from that last jeans order 📏 — going up to a 38 there, Jimbo? Everything okay at home? LULULEMON said it’s here for you if you need to talk.
CLARIFICATION FROM YESTERDAY: ENDEAVOR’s EUROLEAGUE basketball league is indeed also being brought into TKO. It was not mentioned as one of the primary assets in yesterday’s announcement.
FOLLOW UP: ENDEAVOR also announced that it has enlisted THE RAINE GROUP to explore a sale of some IMG events including the Miami Open and Madrid Open 🎾, and the Frieze art fair/platform.
WAKEUP POLL RESULTS
Wow! I can’t remember a poll this close . . . got a real barnburner on our hands with Venom 3. Count me in with the 34%. 😁 Okay, fine, the “$64M to $69M” 34%.
NEW ANKLER PODCAST EPISODE
From AMAZON calling folks back to the office 5 days a week in about 2 months, to things like ad firm PUBLICIS MEDIA firing dozens for not coming into the office at least 3 days a week — RTO is still a very hot topic
More importantly — it’s having profound effects on the next generation of Hollywood execs coming up. Nicole Laporte joins the pod this week to share all the intel on her reporting for her new piece. Plus take a dive into what’s up at DISNEY from the TV development offices to the bewilderment at the Pope selection CEO succession process, which just got worse this week.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
