Downstream

Netflix's latest quarterly report makes us wonder: Is it a tech company or an entertainment company? Julia experiences live sports streaming success--and failure. HBO Max takes a victory lap. And why does Showtime still exist? Plus, your letters! Links and Show Notes: Edited by Steven Schapansky. Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback What If Netflix Raised Its Prices and Nobody Cared? Why Does Showtime Still Exist? - Puck HBO Max: The New Number 2? - Puck Netflix Earnings, The Competition Question, Netflix’s Long-Term Value – Stratechery by Ben Thompson Julia on Twitter: Is Netflix a tech company? Netflix’s Black Friday - Puck Netflix earnings to set the pace for 2022 streaming wars | Reuters Beat Bobby Flay | Food Network TV Talk Machine - a podcast from The Incomparable Tim Goodman / Bastard Machine | Substack

It's a new year! Disney has moved another Pixar movie out of theaters and onto Disney+. Why "Don't Look Up" was the perfect movie for Netflix. "Yellowstone" is a legitimate hit and yet nobody is truly happy about it. Links and Show Notes: Edited by Steven Schapansky of Castria. Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback Julia digs HBO Max Listener Nathan on the Video Privacy Protection Act Pixar’s Turning Red is ditching theaters to premiere on Disney Plus - The Verge Disney Theatrical Release Strategy: Disney CEO Outlines Plans – The Hollywood Reporter The Triumph and Tragedy of ‘Yellowstone’ - Puck Why Do So Many TV Shows Air on Sundays? | IndieWire Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers by James Andrew Miller

Jason and Julia are off for the holiday, but before they left, they took time to record this special episode featuring answers to listener letters! (Only two-thirds of the letters are from people named David.) Links and Show Notes: Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback

We dig into why CNN+ has to exist, even though it doesn't make a lot of sense. Also, the strange divisions between what's on HBO and what's on HBO Max, we talk a surprising amount about The CW (again), and Netflix has... a blog? Links and Show Notes: Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback When Will The CW Shows Leave Netflix? - What's on Netflix Netflix Tudum - Go behind the streams Chris Wallace leaves Fox News to host weekday show on CNN’s new streaming service - The Verge CNN+: CNN will launch new streaming service in 2022 - CNN Vulture: Did HBO Max Win the Year?

Diving into Netflix's brand new global and regional top 10 lists, and all the things they tell us about the global streaming giant. Also, ViacomCBS corrects its Star Trek mistake, and why Netflix is bad at movies. Links and Show Notes: Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 4 Debuting Internationally On Friday On Pluto TV And Paramount+ – TrekMovie.com Netflix to Reveal 'Top 10' Data Weekly for TV and Films - Variety Netflix Top 10 - Global Netflix Top 10 - By Country: United States Kasey Moore on Twitter Netflix Top 10 Title Search - What's on Netflix I Dug Into the New Netflix “Ratings” Data So You Don’t Have To - Puck

Disney+ came out of the gate strong, but its growth is waning. What does it need to do to reach a broader audience? It's all about the 'Hamiltons.' Also, ViacomCBS pulls the rug out from underneath international Star Trek fans. Links and Show Notes: Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback How to Fix Disney’s Sluggish Streamer: It’s All About the ‘Hamiltons’ - Puck Star Trek Discovery Leaves Netflix; Set To Debut Globally On Paramount+ In 2022 – Deadline Disney CEO stresses Hamilton’s importance to Disney Plus in private all-hands meeting - The Verge

What happens when a TV network has a potential big hit, but doesn't have a streaming strategy to find an audience? Are sports leagues finally going to risk their fat cable contracts in order to build a local streaming service? And what's up in Australia? Links and Show Notes: Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback ‘Harry Potter’ Live-Action TV Series in Early Development at HBO Max (Exclusive) – The Hollywood Reporter "How long til a major streaming service drops an episodic series one episode per day for a week?" Could La Brea Be NBC's Next Manifest | Parrot Analytics Comcast CEO Roberts: NBC's 'La Brea' is 'best performing show on Peacock' Global Demand Measurement | Parrot Analytics MLB in talks to launch nationwide streaming service for home games MLB Versus Sinclair, What Happened to Sinclair, The Problem for Sports Leagues – Stratechery by Ben Thompson Why Gen Z Loves Closed Captioning | by Lance Ulanoff | OneZero Peacock Struggles to Take Flight Amid Low Demand for Its TV Originals - Variety

There's a lot going on right now at Netflix, which is trying to manage growth, changing how it reports viewership, and facing internal criticism for some of its programming. Links and Show Notes: Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback TechScape: From Friends to Squid Game – why Netflix viewing figures matter | Technology | The Guardian Netflix, Disney, Amazon, Apple, HBO, and Hulu Battle for Top TV Shows The IATSE’s strike-averting deal means better pay on streaming - The Verge Ted Sarandos Addresses Dave Chappelle Fallout: 'I Screwed Up' - Variety Netflix’s Ted Sarandos Admits “I Screwed Up” Amid Dave Chappelle Controversy – Deadline Fired Netflix Walkout Organizer Says Co-CEO Apology 'Missed the Point' Netflix Workers Plan a Walkout Over Dave Chappelle - The New York Times Trans employees at Netflix plan walkout even as one activist is reinstated following suspension - The Verge The IATSE’s strike-averting deal means better pay on streaming - The Verge Churn & Return: Gen Z, Millennials Most Likely to Cancel, Renew SVOD - Variety

"Squid Game" and Netflix's international strategy, the difference between a hit and a franchise, "Law & Order" and TV network brand extensions, successes and failures at the box office, and the best streaming services for scary movies. Links and Show Notes: Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback Bob Iger’s Long Disney Exit Amid Bob Chapek Succession – The Hollywood Reporter Scarlett Johansson, Disney Lawsuit Settled Over ‘Black Widow’ – The Hollywood Reporter Apple TV+ is More Than Just Its Disappointing Subscriptions Numbers | Observer Why NBC’s ‘Law & Order’ Revival Isn’t a Peacock Original – The Hollywood Reporter

Downstream is about the future of streaming media. Tech and entertainment companies are vying to see who will become the media giants of the 21st century. Julia and Jason tell you a little about their background and what they'll be covering. Links and Show Notes: Support Downstream with a Relay FM Membership Submit Feedback Parrot Analytics TV Talk Machine Upgrade #364: Content Arms Dealer