☀️ WB's Grim Q4: Strikes, Cord Cutting & "Underperforming" Studio
VICE's last gasp / WB setting Tom Cruise pic / HULU gets Glen Powell football show
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKED-IN if ya like) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY Feb 23, 2023.
Where If the future is video games . . . don’t tell college athletes that — ELECTRONIC ARTS is paying college football players $600 each to use them in the return of EA Sports College Football game, with zero cut of the sales either.
But hey, we’ll give ya a free copy of the game (#truestory) and ya know, think of the exposure! And how much money we’ll make as a result! Wait — ignore that last part.
AND: AMAZON will do an Upfront on Tuesday, May 14 at Pier 36 in NYC, and FREEVEE is on the list of things to be included (although I’m thinking NFL will go first).
THEN: Tyler Perry has put on hold a planned $800 Million, 12 soundstage expansion to his Atlanta facilities due to concerns over AI’s rapid development, and said he’s used AI on two of his recent films that saved him hours in makeup (and hours of paid work for those makeup artists).
“I am very, very concerned that in the near future, a lot of jobs are going to be lost. I really, really feel that very strongly.”
BUT: Good news for live theater! Folks still love a live experience, as LIVE NATION’s 2023 revenue was +36% to nearly $23 Billion, attendance +20% (# of events was also +15%) and profitability +32% to $1.86 Billion . . . so all of your TICKETMASTER fees went to a good cause (60% of its profitability came from this business).
PLUS: ABC is looking for $1.7 Mil to $2.2 Mil for Oscars 30-second ad slots this year, up +$100k from last year (and about 1/4 of what the Super Bowl got, although the audience will be nowhere near that equivalent size). Slots are still avail for the show.
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL RESULTS
Looks like y’all are figuring tracking has the “non-coastal” audience dialed in pretty well for Ordinary Angels this weekend. I’m thinking positive and going over $7 Mil.
IN THIS EDITION
WBD Q4 breakdown — and it is mostly down, as the strikes decimated the Studio business and advertising was about as bad as you might imagine (although who knows how bad you’re imagining.
VICE is pretty much over as we know it. A look at what’s left.
Project news at WB, HULU, PAR, APPLE TV+ and more, plus a look at the new things to stream and watch this weekend, and more.
NEW ANKLER PODCAST EPISODE
Coming shortly! Elaine and I will dive into all things WBD, plus Richard shares his insights from his Field Guide into the mindsets of Hollywood folk and more.
Subscribe here on APPLE, SPOTIFY or wherever you listen (just search “the ankler”)!
WBD Q4 — A Tale with Two Tales
Okay, so financially . . . WBD is achieving many of its goals.
But in terms of WBD’s actual, ya know, businesses . . . Q4 was a pretty terrible quarter — and there are some serious big-picture issues WBD has to solve for that are really starting to impact their numbers (yes, again, mainly related to the cable bundle).