Cordkillers 419 - Draft Princesses
People are unsubscribing more because they're subscribing more! Are add-on channels the new cordcutting trend? Plus, Duffers say no new Stranger Things characters and Wanda Sykes is hosting a Ring doorbell home video show. Really. All that and more on Cordkillers!
This week on It's Spoilerin' Time: Better Call Saul (612), What We Do in the Shadows (406), Westworld (408)
Next week: Better Call Saul (613), She-Hulk (101), What We Do in the Shadows (407)
CordKillers: 419 - Draft Princesses
Recorded: August 15 2022
Guest: None
Intro Video
I Used to be Famous
Primary Target
Streaming Services Deal With More Subscribers Who ‘Watch, Cancel and Go’
- Data from Antenna shows that 19% of subscribers to SVOD services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, etc., canceled three or more subscriptions in a two-year period ending in June. In 2020 that number was 6%. Monthly customer cancellation of SVOD rose from to 5.46% a month from 4.46% a year ago. It's not that people are cutting down on services. The average number of subscriptions is rising, there are just more services to choose from. One method of fighting this is to bundle up services like Disney does with Hulu and ESPN+, or merge services like Warner is doing with HBO Max and Discovery+. Another way is to get subscribers through a channel store.
YouTube Advances Plans for Streaming Video Marketplace
- The Wall Street Journal's sources say YouTube plans to launch a channel store as early as this autumn.
- Right now if you subscribe to YouTube TV you can add services like HBO Max and Showtime, but you have to subscribe tot he $64 a month service first.
- This new offering would allow you to add services without having to subscribe to YouTube TV, or, presumably, YouTube Premium. YouTube has more than 2 billion monthly logged-in users, so becomes a compelling choice for services looking to gain adoption. YouTube could show trailers for shows that lead to an easy subscription.
- The WSJ reports that Peacock is considering offering add-ons to the Peacock service, the way Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and Roku operate. Verizon has something called Plus Play which lets you subscribe to service through them, including Netflix, and get one bill.
- And Wal-mart announced it will add Paramount Plus essential service to WalMart+ subscriptions at no extra cost. Parmount +Essential is ad-supported and doesn't have live local CBS channels. Walmart Plus costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month. The Paramount Plus Essential Plan subscription is $5 a month or $50 a year by itself.
YouTube plans to launch streaming video service, WSJ reports
Channel stores are officially the hottest new thing in streaming
Walmart Plus Has a New Perk: Paramount Plus at No Extra Cost
- It looks clear that the next big wave in cord-cutting, a and the evolution of TV is channel stores. This addresses some of the complaints around cord-cutting, where you have to keep track of too many subscriptions and get charged by multiple outlets. You can easily add and remove channels when they're all in one platform, and you only pay one bill.
- This can also benefit service providers by making it easier to subscribe. And services added in channel stores tend to be removed less frequently.
- The downside for consumers is the relationship and sometimes the interface, now has an intermediary. That intermediary and the cut of revenue it takes is also a downside for the service providers.
How to Watch
Disney+ soars to 152.1 million subscribers after adding 14.4 million in Q3- Last week we covered Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramounts earnings numbers, now it's time for Disney. Disney's streaming subscribers rose to 221.1 million subscriptions worldwide last quarter. While this technically puts it just ahead of Netflix's 220.67 million, it also includes Hulu and ESPN+ numbers, not just Disney+.
- Broken out into each service, Disney+ has 152.1 million, Hulu has 46.2 million. Disney did lower its 2024 forecast or Disney+ from 230-260 million to a range of 215-145 million. n and ESPN+ has 22.8 million.
- Still, those are nice numbers and steady growth. So Disney is taking advantage.
Disney-owned streaming trifecta unveils price hikes, ad-supported Disney+Disney Plus and Hulu are getting steep price hikes
- Disney+ is adding an ad-supported tier and raising the price of the ad-free tier. Starting in December the current price of $7.99 a month will apply to a package that includes Disney+ with ads. If you want to get rid of the ads, you have to pay the new higher price.
- On December 8, the ad-free tier will go up to $10.99 a month or $109.99 a year.
- Disney is also raising the prices on its other services and its bundles.
- In December, the base Hulu tier with ads goes up $1 to $7.99 a month and the ad-free version goes up $2 to $14.99.
- A bundle of Disney+ with ads, ESPN+ and Hulu with ads will cost $12.99 a month. A dollar cheaper than the current bundle That bundle, which includes the Disney+ without ads goes up $1 to $14.99 a month. And if you want a bundle without ads on Hulu as well as Disney+ it becomes $19.99 a month.
- And Hulu Live TV will now include ESPN+ and Disney+ and start at $69.99 a month, maxing out at $82.99 a month with the fewest possible ads.
What to Watch
George R.R. Martin Kept ‘Out of the Loop’ on Four ‘Game of Thrones’ Seasons and Doesn’t Know Why: ‘Ask’ the Showrunners
'House of the Dragon' Will Be 'Succession' With Dragons, Says Showrunner
- House of the Dragon premieres on HBO Max on August 21st, and the company seems to know it has to convince skeptical fans to try the Game of Thrones prequel.
- Here's some examples of their attempts.
- George R.R. Martin, creator of the books upon which these shows are based, and an EP on the shows told the New York Times that he was kept “out of the loop” during the last four seasons of Game of Thrones. Supposedly Martin wrote and read scripts in the early seasons but over time stepped back from the show. Why did Benioff and Weiss leave him out? Martin said “I don’t know — you have to ask Dan and David.” Martin also disagreed with their decision to cut the show short, saying he felt there was enough material for 10 seasons and
- So what's this series going to be like? Co-showrunner Ryan Condal, who worked closely with Martin on the prep told SFX Magazine that Succession with dragons was a "great metaphor." He also mentioned The Crown.
‘Stranger Things’ Final Season Will Not Muddy The Waters With New Characters
- The Duffer Brothers say they will not be adding new characters to the final season of Stranger Things. Ross Duffer told IndieWire, “Whenever we introduce a new character, we want to make sure that they’re going to be an integral part of the narrative. But every time we do that, we’re nervous, because you go, ‘We’ve got a great cast of characters here, and actors, and any moment we’re spending with a new character, we’re taking time away from one of the other actors.’
- Matt Duffer said “I just like shaking it up, so we shake it up by changing the plot or adding in a new monster. We’re doing our best to resist [adding new characters] for Season 5. We’re trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess.”
Wanda Sykes To Host Syndicated Viral Video Show Featuring Ring Doorbell Technology From MGM
- Amazon-owned MGM will launch a show on September 26th hosted by Wanda Sykes called "Ring Nation." It will feature funny videos captured by people's Ring Doorbell cameras. So think neighbors, marriage proposals, military reunions and silly animals. The show will be available in syndication. Like.. old fashioned broadcast TV syndication.
There's a trailer out for Rick and Morty season 6 which comes to Adult Swim September 4th.
Eyes On:
Brian: ALL OF WESTWORLD S4
Tom: For All Mankind
On the Lookout: Better Call Saul
Front Lines
Nexstar to Acquire 75% Stake in the CW Network From Paramount Global, Warner Bros. Discovery
- Nexstar Media Group, which owns Tribune Media and NewsNation (the former WGN) has bought a 75% stake in the CW Network. Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount will each keep 12.5% of the company. The CW was formed 16 years ago by merging UPN and The WB. Nexstar owns a good number of CW's affiliate TV stations.
Amazon Tests Welcome Screen Ads on Fire TV App
- Nexstar Media Group, which owns Tribune Media and NewsNation (the former WGN) has bought a 75% stake in the CW Network. Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount will each keep 12.5% of the company. The CW was formed 16 years ago by merging UPN and The WB. Nexstar owns a good number of CW's affiliate TV stations.
Redbox Is Now Officially Part of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment After $370 Million Deal Closes
- Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, aka CSSE, has closed its acquisition of Redbox which it announced back in May. The combined company operates more than 145 free ad-supported streaming TV or FAST channels. CSSE also operates Crackle and Popcornflix.
Plex introduces a social experience to its streaming app with launch of ‘Discover Together’
- Plex launched a feature called "Discover Together." It lets you add friends so you can see what each other are watching, bookmarking and rating. You can hide certain activities from being shared if you want, and hide individual items as well. Plex hopes to expand the feature to include discussions about content as well.
‘Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet Of Curiosities’ Gets Trailer And Premiere Date At Netflix
‘Rogue One’ will return to IMAX theaters before the Disney+ debut of ‘Andor’
‘Love, Death, and Robots’ Renewed for Season 4 at Netflix
Jon Hamm Joins ‘The Morning Show’
NBC to Bring Back the Golden Globes
Rhea Seehorn’s Emmy-Nominated Short-Form Series ‘Cooper’s Bar’ Lands Second Season at AMC Networks
- Here are a few more items of interest
- Netflix released a trailer for Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities debuting October 25th.
- Disney will release rogue One in Max theaters September 21st if you want to watch it on the same day that Andor premieres.
- Netflix renewed Love, Death and Robots for a 4th season.
- Jon Hamm will join the next season of The Morning Show, playing a corporate titan who wants to acquire the UBA network.
- If you are the person who missed the Golden Globes, NBC announced it will resume broadcasting the awards show in 2023.
- And if you want more Rhea Seehorn after the end of Better Call Saul, AMC has renewed "Cooper's Bar" which Seehorn stars in and directs. You can find it on AMC's YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels as well as on AMC.com and AMC+.
Dispatches from the Front
The year and a half of two HBO's
THANK YOU, Brian, for making my point!! hahahahahahahaha
Thanks!
- Michael
P.S. I'm back in the fold for bossing you guys around! hahahaha
P.S.S. Thanks for the laugh! :)
Good morning valued employees. Wanted to ask your thoughts on Spoilers via thumbnails, backgrounds, etc on streaming services. I have been a Stranger Things holdout but decided to jump in now that I could binge most of the series. However one thing I’m running into is that the thumbnails for the show then the background when I go to the show page is showing recent pictures from current seasons. This is allowing me to see certain characters as they have aged so although not much of a spoiler I can assume they haven’t died. Netflix can see in my history what series I am on, I would think they could program it to only show artwork from the seasons I have seen or am currently in. Minor thing but it is bother me every time I have to click on the show.
Thanks for the great work
- Ian
Links
patreon.com/cordkillers
doghousesystems.com/v/rogue
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