Disney convened its fourth annual Tech and Data Showcase for advertisers at CES in Las Vegas on Wednesday, kicking it off with affirmation from CEO Bob Iger.
22.12.2023 - 15:45 / deadline.com
After last year’s Great Netflix Correction, the streaming sector in 2023 entered a decidedly more pragmatic phase.
As viewers continued to cut the pay-TV cord and increasingly look to streaming as their primary source of entertainment, subscriber levels stabilized and Netflix returned to its leadership perch after last year’s scare. Profitability for all players has become the new North Star. Top-line growth is always welcome, but Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke for many last February when he said the company had become “intoxicated” by the early gains by Disney+ and had therefore mismanaged its streaming business.
This year, the priority for many players (especially those outside of the fuzzy-math realm of Big Tech) became declaring that “peak losses” had been achieved and a path to success had been identified. One way for companies to relieve pressure on subscription revenue turned out to be as old as the living-room box itself: selling time to sponsors. Advertising-supported services, initially on the periphery of the business and seen as a somewhat down-market form of streaming, got a boost with Netflix and Disney rolling out ad tiers introduced at the end of 2022. Prime Video is set to join the ad ranks in 2024 and rumors persist about Apple TV+ possibly following suit, especially now that it has nearly doubled its monthly subscription price to $10 a month.
Bundling fever also gripped the streaming world, prompting ever-more-arch references to the cable bundle replicating itself via the internet. In-house bundles like those deployed by Disney and Paramount have been proven winners. The next chapter could see frenemies joining forces in the name of simplifying the experience for consumers while also reining in costs.
Disney convened its fourth annual Tech and Data Showcase for advertisers at CES in Las Vegas on Wednesday, kicking it off with affirmation from CEO Bob Iger.
“Morning Show” costars Reese Witherspoon and Billy Crudup and smiled for the cameras alongside Jennifer Lawrence. Aniston even checked in with Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw. She sported a sleek black Dolce & Gabbana gown for the occasion and debuted a shorter hairstyle reminiscent of “The Rachel.” “The Morning Show” was up for Best Television Series – Drama at the Globes, which ultimately went to “Succession.” Aniston already has one Golden Globe to her name.
Pat McAfee is standing firm on his claims that an ESPN executive was “trying to sabotage” his show.
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Samuel Theis, who played the husband of Sandra Hüller’s character in Justine Triet’s Golden Globe-winning film “Anatomy of a Fall,” was ousted from the shoot of his third directorial outing, “Je te jure,” after being accused of rape by a crew member, Variety has confirmed. For the remainder of production, Theis remained on location but directed the film remotely. The alleged sexual assault took place halfway through the shoot, in the aftermath of a party held at an apartment with the cast and crew on July 1, according to the French newspaper Liberation.
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Taraji P. Henson said in a recent interview with The New York Times that her co-stars on “The Color Purple” got a lot of stuff on set because she fought for it behind the scenes. One such example was rides and security to the film’s Atlanta set, as the production allegedly offered the cast rental cars at first and expected the actors to drive themselves to set.
Cynthia Littleton Business Editor From Hollywood strikes to the ascent of AI to sinking stock prices, 2023 was a topsy-turvy year for media and entertainment. Cynthia Littleton and Andrew Wallenstein, hosts of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” discuss the highs and lows of the past year on the latest episode.
Matthew Lawrence and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas are sharing their love in the new year!
EXCLUSIVE: With the 10th edition of the College Football Playoff set to cap off a high-rated season starting on New Year’s Day, Disney says advertising inventory is nearly sold out for the semifinals and championship.
Candice King and Steven Krueger are dating in real life, over five years after their show The Originals ended on The CW.
Jennifer Aniston isn’t taking anything for granted this holiday season.The “Friends” alum, 54, posted an inspirational message on Christmas Day, two months after the death of her longtime friend and co-star Matthew Perry.“Have you ever sat with yourself and thought about the concept of life? Time goes by FAST,” the reshared message read on Monday. “You don’t get that back. Please go live.
Netflix is offering another first look from Bridgerton‘s “steamy” Season 3, which returns for two parts in 2024.
Joe Keery addressed the rumor that he was going to be the next Stranger Things star who worked with Taylor Swift.
James Gorman, CEO of Morgan Stanley and soon to be a member of Disney‘s board of directors, is not fazed by the possibility of the media giant going through a proxy fight.
With Disney already in the midst of its “one-app” streamlining of Hulu and Disney+ in the U.S., it is also making a similar move in Latin America with Star+.
EXCLUSIVE: Two months after Julia Ormond sued CAA, Disney and Harvey Weinstein for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, battery and more over a 1995 sexual assault by the now incarcerated Pulp Fiction EP, the uberagency and the Bob Iger-led corporation say they shouldn’t be a part of the suit and want out.
Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Avatar: The Last Airbender” creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino spent two years developing a live-action adaptation of the animated classic for Netflix before they shocked fans by announcing their exit from the project due to creative differences. The decision left Albert Kim, best known as a writer on “Pantheon” and an executive producer on “Sleepy Hollow,” as the live-action series’ showrunner without the support of the franchise’s original visionaries.
Vishniac,” which tells the story of the prominent 20th century photographer Roman Vishniac, known for capturing Jewish life in Eastern Europe for the American Joint Distribution Committee in the 1930s. Abramorama starts off the theatrical release on Jan. 19 with a week-long run at New York City’s Quad Cinema, before screening in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Town Center and Laemmle Royal beginning Feb.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will be available to watch at home from December.Directed by Sam Wrench, the concert film documents Swift’s latest tour which runs through her biggest hits and rarities across all ten of her studio albums.After it was released in cinemas in October, the film has become the highest-grossing concert movie ever, earning $249million at the worldwide box office. It also landed a nomination at the 2024 Golden Globes for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.In the US, Canada, UK and Ireland, the film will be available to rent digitally from December 13 (to coincide with Swift’s birthday).Other confirmed territories include Australia and New Zealand from December 14, and Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Mexico and Brazil from December 21.As listed on Swift’s website, the film will be available from Apple TV+, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Xfinity, YouTube and Sky.The extended version on streaming services will include songs which were cut from the cinematic release, including ‘Wildest Dreams’, ‘The Archer’ and ‘Long Live’.In a four-star review of the film, NME wrote: “It’s a staggering feat.
EXCLUSIVE: The combined Hulu and Disney+ app for bundle subscribers will launch in March with a big new attraction — the Grey’s Anatomy library, which will be offered on a Disney streaming platform for the first time.
Thousands and thousands of past and present female Disney employees can sue the Mouse House for paying them less than men/