LEAD STORY
Netflix’s Good And Bad Week
This past week was earnings week, and Netflix decided to use its time to brag about how the success of its Squid Game series managed to bring in an additional 4.4 million subscribers, beating out estimates which had it adding 3.5 million subscribers.
The streaming service now has 214 million global subscribers and says there is still room for growth, particularly in the Asian-Pacific region, where most of its new subscribers originated. Netflix expects a strong fourth quarter as more regions recover from the pandemic and its content production slate returns to full capacity.
That was the good news coming out of Netflix; unfortunately, the week also contained bad news as the streaming service is still dealing with the fallout from its Dave Chappelle special.
Earlier this week, employees at the streaming service staged a walkout as they protested how the controversy had been handled. They are upset that Netflix has continued to stand by Chappelle despite his comments against the trans community.
Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that he mishandled the entire situation and should have recognized that their employees’ pain was real. Instead of offering rationale for the company’s business decision, he should have acknowledged what they felt. He said his e-mails lacked humanity.
Despite saying all of that, Sarandos still stands by his decision to stream the comedy special. He believes that artists should have the right to “artistic expression” when it comes to their content and that there will be content on Netflix that will upset a portion of its employees and subscriber base.
He added that “But we are trying to entertain a world with varying tastes and varying sensibilities and various beliefs, and I think this special was consistent with that.”
As Netflix searches for avenues of growth, it needs to realize that it also needs to be better at handling controversial content that will continue to appear on its platform.
Have they learned their lesson, and will they start to handle such issues showing some humanity? The next crisis will reveal the answer.
(Alex Sherman/Twitter, AdWeek, What’s On Netflix, New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN Business)
QUICK RECAP
Fox Weather Launches This Week
It has disrupted the news business, sports business, broadcast TV business, and now Fox is looking to disrupt the weather business with the launch of Fox Weather this week. Looking to challenge the dominance of the Weather Channel, Fox Weather will be a free 24/7 streaming service and app consisting of original reporting from its meteorologists and regional reports being provided by Fox’s regional affiliates. Fox Weather will originate out of New York, with its studio space being the former home of Fox News’ Shepard Smith. Fox Weather’s president, Sharri Berg, says that they want to make the weather more than just a utility and will introduce innovations like 3-D radar to its coverage and game-day weather data for sporting events. (Bloomberg)
Disney Expects To Sell Out All Of Its NHL Ad Inventory
Two weeks into the NHL season and things are looking great for Disney and its media properties. The House of Mickey is now saying that it will be selling out nearly all of its NHL ad inventory for the 2021-22 season. Disney, which paid $2.8 billion for its seven-year package, expects to make over $100 million in ad revenue this year. According to Rita Ferro, president of Disney advertising sales, the only available slots are reserved for the playoffs and finals. The NHL airs on ESPN, ESPN Plus, ABC, and Hulu, and advertisers that have jumped on board this season include Apple, EA Sports, and New Amsterdam Vodka. (Front Office Sports)
Fox Sports Set To Take The European Championship Away From ESPN
There was a time when Fox Sports was the place for soccer through its Fox Soccer channel as it had the rights to the popular leagues like the English Premier League and tournaments from UEFA and CONCACAF. It was the go-to network for soccer enthusiasts, but when Fox Sports lost the EPL contract and shifted its attention to beefing up Fox Sports 1, soccer fell by the wayside. But that didn’t last for two long as Fox Sports won the FIFA World Cup rights, and now it might be beefing up its soccer coverage as it looks to welcome back the UEFA European Championship, taking it away from ESPN. Nothing is official yet, but it looks like Fox Sports will have the rights through 2028, which would include Euro 2024 and Euro 2028, as well as the UEFA Nations League and European qualifiers. (Wikipedia and Sports Business Journal)
QUICK RECAP
Fox News’ Neil Cavuto revealed he has COVID-19. (Mediaite)
ESPN’s Dick Vitale revealed that he has cancer and hopes to call games while undergoing treatment. (Awful Announcing)
CNN’s John King revealed he has multiple sclerosis. (CNN)
Trey Yingst signs a multi-year extension with Fox News. (TVNewser)
Vera Peltekian joins HBO Max as VP and commissioning editor of original programming for France. (Variety)
CBS News is still interested in making additional on-air changes. (New York Post)
Why did ABC News fire Michael Corn the producer for Good Morning America? (Wall Street Journal)
ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption celebrated its 20th year this past week. (Awful Announcing)
Tour Turner Sports’ MLB studio. (NewscastStudio)
Former ESPN sideline reporter Allison Williams joins the Daily Wire. (Front Office Sports/Twitter)
WarnerMedia has a strong third quarter. (MediaPost)
NBC News’s Lester Holt accepts the National Press Club’s Fourth Estate Award. (TVNewser)
What’s in-store for WarnerMedia’s Jason Kilar after the merger with Discovery Inc. closes? (Variety)
After the Kamala Harris interview debacle, ABC News’ The View lets go of its “Hero Nurse.” (The Daily Beast)
What the media missed when reporting on Afghanistan. (The New York Review)
ESPN’s NBA Countdown’s premier was not so smooth. (Awful Announcing)
CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell defines what news should be. (Broadcasting+Cable)
The BBC has a new logo. (NewscastStudio)
Will HBO Max go through a name change? (CNBC)
Katy Tur is set to return to MSNBC in November. (TVNewser)
HBO Max to receive Warner Bros. movies after a 45-day theatrical window. (The Streamable)
Black Audiences are using streaming services that represent them. (The Streamable)
NAACP met with AT&T executives to discuss their support of OAN. (CNN Business)
HBO Max has almost 70 million global subscribers. (Broadcasting+Cable)
CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell receives the Freedom of Speech Award from The Media Institute. (CBS News PR/Twitter)
What happens when TV reporters refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine. (Washington Post)
How streaming has become a big component of NBC News. (DigiDay)
Live sports streaming expects to pass $87 billion in 2028. (The Streamable)
Pluto TV launches new channels and Halloween programming. (The Streamable)
BBC’s diversity hiring practices come to light. (The Times)
Sports betting giants may also bid for NBA broadcast rights. (Front Office Sports)
Danica Patrick joined Sky Sports’ US Formula 1 broadcast. (Awful Announcing)
Younger viewers are “churning and returning” when it comes to streaming. (The Streamable)
Former NBC News Today host Katie Couric has a new book. (Washington Post)
A Black executive who was denied a job met with his BBC bosses. (The Guardian)
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A MarkHenry Media LLC publication - Issue #67 - 2021