Cordkillers 412 - Not Sponsored by DraftKings (w/ Merrill Barr)
AppleTV app snags MLS soccer for the next decade. Is your TV running ads that it's not even showing? And who cares! Taika Waititi wants to do new stuff with Star Wars. All that and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Merrill Barr ( https://twitter.com/merrillbarr ).
This week on It's Spoilerin' Time: Obi-Wan (105), The Boys (305)
Next week: Westworld (401), Obi-Wan (106), The Boys (306)
Download video http://archive.org/download/cordkillers-ep-412/CordkillersEp412.mp4
Download audio http://archive.org/download/cordkillers-ep-412/CordkillersEp412.mp3
CordKillers: 412 - Not Sponsored by DraftKings
Recorded: June 20 2022
Guest: Merrill Barr
Intro Video
Leave No trace
Primary Target
Apple and Major League Soccer to present all MLS matches around the world for 10 years, beginning in 2023
Apple, Major League Soccer Strike 10-Year Streaming Deal for All MLS Games
- Apple TV app gets MLS, Leagues Cup,1 and select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches
- No local blackouts, no need for pay TV
- MLS streaming service (as channel add-on) all matches plus whip-around show to highlight goals and saves, original programming, highlights and analysis (included in season ticket packages)
- AppleTV+ subscribers - broad selection of MLS and Leagues Cup matche
- Apple TV users without a subscription - limited number of free matches
- MLS will also strike deals to simulcast some matches on linear TV.
- Early 2023 through 2032
How to Watch
Some Ads Play on Streaming Services Even When the TV Is Off, Study Finds
- We often hear about ad companies targeting you based on an inordinate amount of personal data they can call upon. We also occasionally joke about how this seems to end up with you seeing ads on every website for a product you just bought, and therefore no longer are shopping for. I bought the dog brush already, why do you keep showing me ads for the dog brush! But the Wall Street Journal has another story about ineffective ads. What's the story here?
$1-2 Billion In Streaming Ads A Year Aren’t Being Watched Because The TV Is Off
- A study by ad-buying company Group M, and ad-measurement firm iSpot.tv found that about 17% of ads shown on televisions connected to a streaming device - Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, etc.-- are playing while the TV screen is off. It happens most often when viewers are watching free streaming channels like Pluto TV. And it's estimated to result in a couple billion dollars worth of ads unseen by human eyes.
- Sometimes when you turn off the TV, the device gets the message through HDMI and turns itself off too. But not always. This pretty much doesn't happen if you use smart TV apps since the apps stop running when you turn the TV off.
- And it sounds like we're going to see a lot of work to detect if your television is off and stop playing ads. And you'd definitely will see more attempts by apps to put a "Are you still watching?" Prompt up after a certain amount of time has passed without you taking any action in an app.
What to Watch
Taika Waititi talks his Star Wars movie: "I would like to take something new and create some new characters"
- Taika Waititi told Total Film "Look, I think for the Star Wars universe to expand, it has to expand. I don't think that I'm any use in the Star Wars universe making a film where everyone's like, 'Oh great, well that's the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon, ah that's Chewbacca's grandmother.' That all stands alone, that's great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it's a very small story."
‘Squid Game’ Reality Series Gets Green Light At Netflix
- Netflix is doing the thoroughly unsurprising thing of making a Squid Game reality show. Without the killing. 456 players will compete in "squid-game-inspired" games for $4.56 million cash prize. Points off for not giving the prize in won. Squid Game: The Challenge will have ten episodes.
Westworld returns Sunday June 26. A final trailer is out. Is Brian still out?
'Game of Thrones': HBO Developing Jon Snow Sequel Series
- HBO has some seven Game of Thrones spinoffs in development. The only one for sure hitting the air is House of the Dragon coming August 21st. But the Hollywood Reporter says there's another one in development with Kit Harrington reprising his role as Jon Snow. That would be the only one of the shows in development to be set after the events of Game of Thrones.
Eyes On
Merrill: Reign of Fire
Brian: Nothing
Tom: Ms. Marvel
On the Lookout: The Man Who Fell to Earth
Front Lines
Roku and Walmart partner up to bring shoppable ads to streaming
As Roku becomes more like TV, some partners say it’s abusing its power
- Thursday, Roku announced a partnership with Walmart. Viewers will be able to use their remote device during a shoppable TV commercial to choose a product and then checkout using Roku Pay. Products will be fulfilled by Walmart. Roku also changed its terms requiring FAST channel providers like Pluto to use some of Roku's in house tech. Roku is also reducing rev share with FAST channels from 50% to 45%. Roku of course operates its own FAST service, the Roku Channel.
FuboTV now integrates gambling into live sporting events
- Starting June 19th, FuboTV viewers will be able to place bets on live games. Most users will be able to bet points for chances at a shot at the leaderboard. But users in Iowa and Arizona can use actual cash. Fubo has offered betting through a separate app but the new system will let you scan a QR code from the live stream before the game starts in order to place the bet. Fubo joins DAZN and Sling in intergrating betting into heir TV service.
Chinese Streamer iQiyi Reportedly Offered for Sale at $7 Billion
- iQiyi is China's second largest streaming platform and one of the ways people can get dramas from all over Asia worldwide. It has close to 100 million subscribers. Reuters reports that its parent company, Baidu is putting its 53% stake in the company up for sale.
Korean Content Streamer Kocowa Brings K-pop, K-drama To Amazon Prime Video
- Amazon Prime video is adding Kocowa to its stable of add-on channels. Kocowa is part of joint venture from he top three Korean broadcasters and already supplies some content to Viki and other platforms.
Lady Gaga Reportedly Set to Play Harley Quinn in Joker Sequel
Lord of the Rings Anime Prequel to Star Succession's Brian Cox
New AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER animated projects expand to three movies and a TV show
Uncharted will fly out of a plane screaming and onto Netflix in July
Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short Try to Clear Their Names in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 2 Trailer
‘Hacks’ Renewed for Season 3 at HBO Max
- And here are a few other items to round up
- Several outlets report that Lady Gaga has been cast to play Harley Quinn alongside Joaquin Phoenix in a new Joker movie and that it will be musical.
- An anime movie called The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim, set 183 years before the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, has cast Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, of Helm's Deep fame.
- Nickelodeon is working on three new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated films and TV series.
- The Uncharted movie will arrive on Netflix July 15
- A trailer is out for Season 2 of Only Muders in the Building, coming to Hulu June 28th.
- And HBO Max officially approved a third season of Hacks.
Dispatches from the Front
Brian, really?
As an owner of both a Roku TV and of old parents, I can guarantee you that whoever buys who, Netflix is not giving up their name. Netflix is an app everyone opens that is in everything, Roku is a box people sometimes forget the name of.
Netflix wants to sell ads. Roku sells ads. Giving people a free/ cheap option of Netflix with ads is a whole lot less work than a whole rebranding.
-Andrew
If roku stock has dropped 80% Then a friendly merger might be better than a hostile takeover keep up the good work
- Ron
Hi Team - I just wanted to get your thoughts on how for casual fans like me WWE is an easy pick when it comes to Pro Wrestling. I jumped back on to Pro Wrestling when I randomly found both their weekly shows on Hulu. From there I was back into the storylines and was subscribing to their WWE Network on and off based on the PPV. But then once the WWE network moved to Peacock, I have no problems as I have both subscriptions and can watch all my WWE content without having to pay for another service. I know AEW is the new upstart but it is only on Cable on TNT and they still charge $60 for their PPVs on BleacherReport's website. I really want to watch AEW but they are not making it easy. Given their Warner connection do you expect they will come to HBO Max?
Thanks,
- Josh
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