The all-new Hollywood Reporter offers unprecedented access to the people, studios, networks and agencies that create the magic in Hollywood. Published weekly, the oversized format includes exceptional photography and rich features.
On Jan. 15, Netflix unveiled a 13 percent to 18 percent price hike across its various plans to $9, $13 and $16 — the largest increase in its two-decade history. The move raises the question: How much are subscribers willing to pay each month before they jump ship to cheaper options? As Disney and WarnerMedia launch their streaming competitors in 2019 and NBCUniversal preps its own for 2020, even a slight change in price could cause consumers to reconsider where they’re spending entertainment dollars. And Netflix competitors already are making moves. Hulu, which surpassed 25 million U.S. subscribers this year, announced its own new prices Jan. 23. The service reduced its cheapest, ad-supported option to $6 but kept its ad-free offering at $12, a dollar cheaper than Netflix’s comparable plan.…
Television Primary Goals Networks race for 2020 Dem debates p. 18 ↑ Film Sony Reboot Tom Rothman’s franchise turnaround p. 20 Sean McManus The CBS Sports chairman sees NFL conference championship ratings jump 27 percent year-over-year to 53 million viewers, boding well for the network’s Super Bowl telecast. Bryan Singer The ousted Bohemian Rhapsody director is hit with a long-awaited exposé in The Atlantic featuring new accusers speaking out about alleged sexual abuse. Greg Berlanti After premiering to lackluster ratings on Lifetime, the producer’s thriller You moves to Netflix and reaches 40 million households worldwide in a month, according to the streamer. Guru Gowrappan The Verizon Media CEO presides over 800 layoffs in a division that includes AOL and Yahoo after the company takes a $4.6 billion write-down on the…
The past five years in Hollywood have been defined by a Netflix-driven infatuation with the subscription video business, but a series of moves suggests that ad-supported viewing is poised for a comeback. On Jan. 22, Viacom agreed to pay $340 million for Pluto TV, the free streaming startup that mimics the lean-back experience of television. Also this month, Amazon launched the no-cost Freedive as a complement to its Prime Video subscription, and NBCUniversal detailed plans for a primarily ad-supported direct-to-consumer offering. YouTube also has added free movies and TV shows to its lineup. Meanwhile, sources tell THR that Sony Crackle, which has been looking to sell a stake, has held talks with potential strategic partners including Pop, the cable network jointly owned by CBS and Lionsgate. With U.S. video ad…
For decades, John Lasseter relied on two attorneys to handle his business deals: Los Angeles-based Nancy Newhouse Porter, who negotiated his contracts with Disney, and Santa Rosa-based Phillip Kalsched, who handled matters related to his Sonoma County estate and winery. But last fall, as the former chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney Animation faced the unfamiliar dilemma of joblessness, he began taking meetings with a new lawyer by his side, Hollywood dealmaker Skip Brittenham. “People under attack want a bulldog,” says one person who has worked with Lasseter, explaining the exec’s new confidant. Having left Disney following an admission that he committed unspecified “missteps,” Lasseter, 62, faced challenges finding a new role in a post-#MeToo entertainment industry, and Brittenham, it seems, was uniquely positioned to help him. Brittenham has…
Leading Democratic presidential hopefuls Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand are not the only ones jostling for position: The country’s major broadcast and cable news networks are facing off behind the scenes to host and televise the first two primary debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee, in June and July. “Everyone’s actively fighting for it,” says one broadcast executive involved in the planning process. “Everyone just gives their best pitch.” On Dec. 20, the DNC formally unveiled plans for 12 primary debates, double what was originally announced for the 2016 party primary. “For the cable networks, it is an all-hands-on-deck battle to win not only the most debates but, more importantly, the ‘best’ debates,” says a veteran cable news executive. CNN is off to a quick start, unveiling…
Late last year, Sony’s leadership team of chairman Tom Rothman and Columbia Pictures chairman Sanford Panitch was under the blade of He-Man’s Power Sword. After having ceded the big-brand IP of Barbie to Warner Bros., Sony was facing the loss of a second Mattel property, Masters of the Universe. Despite spending what insiders say was about $15 million since 2007 developing a much-needed franchise, the studio had nothing to show for it. Mattel was ready to take the rights elsewhere before intense talks ended, with Sony keeping He-Man at the studio. The battle served to underscore Sony’s reenergized commitment to building branded franchises. Facing a dearth of IP to call its own, the studio has managed to manufacture its own franchises to grow its theatrical division revenue 50 percent in…
