☀️WBD’s Shrinkage Continues in Q3, Except Streaming Subs

China box office's terrible 2024 / TKO hints at next growth area / WB shifts pic dates

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on THURSDAY, November 7, 2024.

Where OPENAI is coming for your eyes. Granted, that probably won’t be the tagline it goes with (it sounds much more like APPLE these days anyway).

But it just hired META’s former Head of Hardware (although sadly her name is not Cunningham) who led the AR glasses initiative there, and has a mandate “to help bring AI into the physical world.” Just no comments about its hair, mmkay? 🤫 #BePositive

• OPENAI has also already also been working with former APPLE design exec Jony Ive on other device projects.

I mean, what's cooler than looking like Swifty Lazar. Or the dancing SIX FLAGS guy. Via Giphy

AND: Here is your viewership snapshot from Election Night across the 4 broadcast networks and CNN, FOX NEWS and MSNBC:

• 2024: 36.5M

  • 42.3M across 18 networks

  • 58% was 55 and over.

• 2020: 50.7M

  • 57M across 21 networks

Granted, in early November 2020 we were still more than a month away from even having Covid vaccine shots available — so perhaps we were all home in front of our TVs more . . . but still.

Here’s the breakout by network in fast-nationals (final #s still pending):

• FOX NEWS: 9.8M

• ABC: 5.7M

• MSNBC: 5.5M

• NBC: 5.3M

• CNN: 4.7M

• CBS: 3.5M

• FOX: 2.1M (this was FOX NEWS coverage)

  • All networks were down vs. 2020, with CNN taking the biggest hit (roughly -50%), and FOX NEWS -30%.

• Although as I broke down yesterday, YOUTUBE alone had a decent amount of cumulative viewership (especially from right wing outlets) and the above numbers don’t include viewing via the SVOD services which also featured the coverage, nor are video streams on social media platforms accounted for.

AND: In news for Elaine (will someone tell her? I keep telling her she should read this newsletter . . .), SINCLAIR’s TENNIS CHANNEL is going fully D2C streaming on Nov. 12, offering everything it shows on the linear TV channel for $110 a year or $10 a month (if you still get the channel as part of a cable TV bundle, you get free access). U.S. only.

THEN: Kinda surprised we haven’t heard anything more about NETFLIX’s Paris and Amsterdam offices being raided early this week by tax officials in those regions (NETFLIX’s entire EMEA operations are housed in Amsterdam) over suspected tax fraud . . . certainly a big 🧐.

OH: ALASKA AIRLINES is testing the use of generative AI to schedule its planes, so if you end up in Osaka instead of Alaska . . . know that the AI is “hallucinating” again.

WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL

Well, NETFLIX started the streaming Christmas season on Wednesday . . . and LIONSGATE starts the theatrical one later today with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Plus there’s Hugh Grant scaring the crap of us with A24’s Heretic — enjoy that double feature, folks.

Heretic is officially tracking around $8M in 3,200 locations, and Christmas around $7M in 3,000 . . . but exhibitors think both of these forecasts are low.

Let’s just do a pick 'em as to which one over-performs more on a % basis . . . or neither.

IN THIS EDITION

• WBD does a real #TBT with Q3 global streaming subscriber news . . . but it’s very important to note where it is 👀, and the overall 💰 narrative going on at WBD over the past 2 years.

  • Dive into the numbers to know in:

    • Linear TV business losses (and how much that still matters to WBD, despite all of the streaming excitement)

    • The quarter that was at the Studio division

    • The streaming business comps

  • As for what’s ahead:

    • Doesn’t sound like MAX is anywhere near done with price hikes

    • The WBD library licensing department should probably cancel any 2025 vacation plans

    • There’s a lot riding on the 2025 movie slate, as TV seems to be fully back up and running post-strikes. Although not quite to 2022 streaming boom levels.

• PLUS: A breakdown of the numbers to know from the latest quarter at TKO, where it may be looking to expand and more.

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WBD hits with Q3 streaming subs (kinda), as TV biz ice cube keeps melting

Edward was always strong on the comms. Via Giphy

Well, pick your headlines here really . . . depending on how generous you’re feeling: