Cordkillers 580: YouTube Gets the Gold Statue

Summary

YouTube makes two major power moves, ditching Billboard’s charts while locking down exclusive rights to the Oscars, as Hollywood and streaming continue their slow-motion reshuffle. Meanwhile, Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery keep playing financial chess, and Peacock experiments with pushing ads even earlier into the viewing experience.

Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com

Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers

YouTube: https://youtu.be/rs3FcdX16FY

Supply Run

YouTube announced it will stop sharing U.S. chart data with Billboard starting January 16, objecting to how ad-supported streams are weighted compared to paid streams. At the same time, YouTube scored a major win by securing exclusive global broadcast rights to the Oscars from 2029 through 2033, underscoring its growing dominance in long-form viewing, including more than 700 million hours of podcast viewing in October.

• YouTube Will Stop Submitting Data to Billboard Charts

• Academy Partners With YouTube for Exclusive Global Oscars Rights

• People Watched 700 Million Hours of YouTube Podcasts on TV in October

Search Party

A teaser for Avengers: Doomsday reveals Chris Evans returning as Captain America, with a kid-focused twist.

• Chris Evans Returns as Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday Teaser

A Muppet Show revival special lands on Disney+ February 4, 2026, with a simultaneous ABC airing and Sabrina Carpenter as guest star.

• Muppet Show Revival Special Gets Release Date

Stranger Things 5 confirmed runtimes for its final four episodes, with the series finale clocking in at over two hours.

• Stranger Things 5 Confirms Final Episode Runtimes

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey debuted its first trailer as the film reportedly sold out tens of millions of IMAX tickets ahead of its July 17, 2026 release.

• The Odyssey Trailer Debuts as IMAX Tickets Sell Out

Several James Bond films, along with select Rocky, Creed, and Legally Blonde titles, will stream on Netflix for a limited window starting January 15.

• James Bond Movies Head to Netflix in January

A Labubu movie is in development with Wonka and Paddington director Paul King attached.

• Labubu Movie Taps Wonka Director Paul King

Heated Rivalry became the most-watched original series ever on Crave in Canada and a surprise breakout hit on HBO Max in the U.S.

• Heated Rivalry Becomes Major Streaming Hit

Hikaru Sulu and Leonard “Bones” McCoy will appear for the first time in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds during its fifth and final season.

• Sulu and Bones Join Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender will skip theaters and debut directly on Paramount+ next fall.

• Legend of Aang Skips Theaters for Paramount+

Buried Treasure

Brian: Fallout

Tom: Fallout

Scanning the Horizon

Paramount added a personal financing guarantee from Larry Ellison in an effort to sway Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders, though some investors say the revised bid still falls short of Netflix’s offer.

• Paramount Adds Larry Ellison Guarantee to WBD Bid

• Major Investor Says Paramount Offer Still Not Sufficient

Netflix refinanced part of the massive bridge loan tied to its Warner deal as it prepares for closing.

• Netflix Refinances Bridge Loan for Warner Deal

Peacock began testing ads on its profile selection screen unless subscribers pay for the ad-free tier.

• Peacock Starts Showing Ads on Launch Screen

Google is once again supported by Movies Anywhere, though users must reconnect their accounts.

• Google Is Back on Movies Anywhere

Netflix acquired avatar-creation company Ready Player Me as part of its growing push into games.

• Netflix Acquires Ready Player Me

Chatter

Randy Ward shared that he watches Cordkillers on his living room TV during breakfast or in bed in the evening.

Scott Snider wrote in praising Brian’s enthusiasm for Pluribus and suggested revisiting episode seven, citing the likely cost of extensive music licensing.