Cordkillers 613: Free Samples
Disney looks to free streaming and fan-made vertical video as new ways to funnel viewers toward its paid services, while insisting it has no intention of abandoning streaming for licensing. Plus, Love Island USA sets a Peacock record, Warner Bros. feels the loss of the NBA, Roku surges ahead of its Fox acquisition, and YouTube raises the bar for monetization. This week on The FULL Experience: Remington Steele (505 - "Steeled with a Kiss (Parts 1 and 2)") Next week: Get Smart (101 - "Mr. Big") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at
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Supply Run
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro says the company is considering launching free, ad-supported streaming channels that could expand Disney’s advertising inventory while serving as a funnel to Disney+, Hulu and other subscriptions. D’Amaro also pushed back on suggestions that Disney should abandon direct-to-consumer streaming and rely exclusively on licensing, arguing that doing so would leave the company in a worse strategic and financial position.
https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/disney-free-streaming-channels-launch-josh-damaro-1236828249/
Disney and TikTok are launching a U.S. pilot that will bring fan-created Disney content into Disney+. Participating creators will get access to material from Disney properties, with selected videos eventually appearing alongside Disney shorts in the service’s Verts section.
https://www.engadget.com/2230726/disney-partners-with-tiktok-fan-made-shorts-disney/
Search Party
Disney+ ordered a pilot for Spaceship Earth , a series inspired by the EPCOT attraction, with It: Welcome to Derry and Wonder Woman writer Jason Fuchs set to serve as showrunner.
https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/spaceship-earth-tv-series-epcot-disney-plus-pilot-1236829315/
Love Island USA Season 8 generated nearly 19 billion minutes viewed, becoming Peacock’s most-watched series ever and the summer’s most-watched streaming series. About 30% of viewing came from phones and tablets.
https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/love-island-usa-season-8-ratings-record-1236828613/
Danny Boyle’s Ink will open in theaters December 11 before arriving on Netflix January 8 in the U.S. and Latin America, with its international Netflix rollout beginning earlier that week.
https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/ink-netflix-release-date-guy-pearce-rupert-murdoch-1236830133/
Disney licensed six iHeartMedia podcasts for Disney+ and/or Hulu, beginning with the Jonas Brothers’ recently launched Hey Jonas!
https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/jonas-brothers-podcast-disney-plus-hulu-iheartmedia-1236830393/
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder will bring Deborah Vance & Friends & Enemies Live! to The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, with additional Hacks cast members promised as surprise guests.
https://deadline.com/2026/08/jean-smart-hannah-einbinder-hacks-live-deborah-ava-spinoffs-1237031337/
Buried Treasure
Brian: The Pitt — President Curtis
Tom: Silo
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Scanning the Horizon
UK regulators approved the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger with conditions intended to preserve distinctions between linear and on-demand services, maintain separate identities and editorial staffs for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, and protect Channel 5 News’ editorial independence.
https://variety.com/2026/biz/global/paramount-uk-concessions-block-the-merger-1236830054/
Warner Bros. reported that streaming growth was outweighed by declining cable revenue and weaker box office performance. TV advertising fell 22% following the loss of NBA games, while streaming revenue rose 10% as HBO Max expanded into additional markets.
Starz said subscribers increased during the second quarter despite a price increase, although the company did not disclose actual subscriber numbers.
https://deadline.com/2026/08/starz-q2-earnings-subscriber-gain-price-increase-1237028412/
Roku reported quarterly revenue of $1.35 billion, up 22%, while diluted earnings reached $1.08 per share compared with 7 cents a year earlier. Fox’s acquisition of Roku is expected to close during the first half of 2027.
https://deadline.com/2026/08/roku-q2-2026-earnings-fox-deal-platform-revenue-1237028085/
The FCC voted 2–1 on its approach to the congressionally mandated 39% television ownership cap, setting up expected legal challenges over the agency’s authority.
Versant reported a 4% revenue decline in its second quarter since separating from Comcast, while earnings per share fell from $2.09 to $1.49.
https://deadline.com/2026/08/versant-q2-2026-earnings-advertising-1237027547/
Beginning February 1, YouTube will reportedly double the annual watch-time requirement for monetization from 4,000 to 8,000 hours while retaining the 1,000-subscriber requirement. Shorts creators will need 10 million views over 90 days to earn through the Shorts Creators Pool.
Chatter
Listeners recommend SeriesGuide, Scrob and Sofa as alternatives for tracking TV and movies, and point out that not everybody knows Patreon CEO Jack Conte by name.
The audience also explains why comments are disabled on the G.I. Joe 24/7 YouTube stream, while debating whether its real “kids” audience might actually be 50-year-old men.
Finally, a listener fills in the Pierce Brosnan history behind Remington Steele : the show’s surprise renewal kept Brosnan from becoming James Bond immediately after Roger Moore, opening the door for Timothy Dalton.