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Television

Business Entertainment Streaming Tech Television

Disney to spend $33 billion on developing content

Disney said it will spend $33 billion in developing new content for the company’s streaming services.

Disney has Disney+, ESPN+, and owns a majority stake in Hulu. The $33 billion is an increase of $8 billion from the 2021 fiscal year. Disney is also outspending Netflix in developing new content by $13 billion, according to the New York Post.

Last Fiscal year, Disney spent $25 billion on new films and shows for their streaming platforms. Disney is investing heavily on growing their already massive subscribers count.

As an example, Netflix has 214 million global subscribers while Disney+ only has 118 million subscribers. Netflix also reported a recent decline in new subscribers, the LA Times reports. According to that report, Netflix added over 60% fewer subscribers in July the second quarter of 2021 than it did in quarter one. However, Netflix is riding the wave of the popular Squid Game film gaining 4.4 million in the third quarter of 2021.

“The increase is driven by higher spend to support our DTC [direct-to-consumer or streaming] expansion and generally assumes no significant disruptions to production due to COVID-19,” the company wrote in the annual report.

Disney+ is currently the fastest growing subscription service around. The company will see big competition soon as HBO MAX’s parent company WarnerMedia is currently in the process of merging with Discovery to combine the two companies streaming services. The new company will include HBO, Discovery, Warner Bros., and TLC and the Food Network under one umbrella.

Disney+ added 2 million paid subscribers in the third quarter of 2021.

27 November, 2021 0 comment

Entertainment Streaming Television

Hillary Duff’s ‘How I Met Your Father’ gets premier date on Hulu

written by Ruben Jay

Hillary Duff’s How I Met Your Mother spin-off How I Met Your Father is coming to Hulu in January.

Hulu announced this week that How I Met Your Father will premiere on Tuesday, January 18, 2021 with two episodes. Following the premiere, HIMYF will release one episode a week for the next 8 week.

In addition to Duff, the cast is made up of hris Lowell, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran and Suraj Sharma.

Yahoo! Entertainment reports that HIMYF “takes place in the near future, as Sophie (Duff) tells her son the story of how she met his father. The retelling “catapults us back to the year 2021, where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends — Jesse (Lowell), Valentina (Raisa), Charlie (Ainsley), Ellen (Tran) and Sid (Sharma) — are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options,” according to the official logline.”

Josh Peck will also making recurring roles as well.

20 November, 2021 0 comment

ABC Entertainment Television

Derek Hough tests positive for Covid, will be taking time away from ‘Dancing with the Stars’

written by Ruben Jay

Derek Hough has tested positive for Covid. The Dancing with the Stars judge announced the news on social media Tuesday.

“even though I’ve been fully vaccinated, I’ve just been diagnosed with a breakthrough case of COVID,” he said in a video. “I just found out, and I feel OK. I feel strong. I’m currently taking advice from medical professionals, doing everything I can to get better as fast as I can. I’m currently in quarantine. I’ll make sure to keep you guys all updated with what’s going on, but I just want to send a lot of love out there to all. Stay safe.”

Hough has also announced that his Vegas shows will be rescheduled. It is likely that Hough will miss the entire DWTS finale on November 22.

17 November, 2021 0 comment

Entertainment Netflix Streaming

A Jonas Brother’s roast is coming to Netflix

written by Ruben Jay

The Jonas Brothers are being roasted in a new Netflix comedy special.

In a Youtube video, Netflix and the boyband announced the roast coming to the platform on November 23.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind comedy special that celebrates the universal truth that no one can get under your skin quite like your family,” Nick said in the Youtube announcement.

“You’ll see the multi-platinum global superstars the Jonas Brothers like you’ve never seen them before through sketches, songs, games, and special guests – all to give them a roasting they’ll never forget,” reads the press release.

Along with music and this roast, the Jonas Brothers are also working on memoir.

“It’s an unencumbered look at the ranks of fame and stardom, and a story of learning to find individuality within the blood ties of band and family,” the book’s official description reads. ” ‘Blood’ is a deeply personal portrait of one family’s survival in the high-stakes world of pop music as well as a feat of brother-to-brother storytelling.”

25 October, 2021 0 comment

CBS Entertainment Music Television

CBS to air ‘Adele: One Night Only’ featuring performances and an interview with Oprah

written by Ruben Jay

Adele is going to be performing on national television and get interviewed by Oprah.

CBS announced Adele: One Night Only to air on November 14 and it will also stream live on Paramount+. The special comes five days before Adele releases her album, 30.

The singer will also sit down with Oprah between performances and discuss the new record and hew life since her last record came out. The interview will come from Oprah’s rose garden.

The announcement says “in Adele’s first televised wide-ranging conversation about her new album, the stories behind the songs, life after divorce, weight loss and raising her son.”

Adele: One Night Only is produced Fulwell 73 Productions and Onward Productions in association with Harpo Productions; executive producers are “Late Late Show With James Corden” producer Ben Winston, Adele, her manager Jonathan Dickins and Raj Kapoor.

Adele released her first single, “East On Me,” on Friday.

18 October, 2021 0 comment

Entertainment Television

HBO touts 1.4 million views for ‘Succession’

written by Staff Writer

Succession had 1.4 million views on their season 3 premier!

HBO touts the viewership over their traditional cable platform as well HBO GO and MAX. TheWrap states that this is the largest premier audience for the franchise.

According to TheWrap, 1.4 million views is 214% larger than the season 2 start.

Succession episodes air at 9 p.m. Sundays on HBO. Watch the season 3 trailer here.

18 October, 2021 0 comment

Entertainment Film Music Streaming

Watch the trailer for The Beatles: Get Back coming out Disney+

written by Ruben Jay

The official trailer for #TheBeatlesGetBack is here! The Disney+ original docuseries, directed by Peter Jackson, will be arriving on Disney+ just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Made entirely from never-before-seen, restored footage, it provides the most intimate and honest glimpse into the creative process and relationship between John, Paul, George, and Ringo ever filmed. Be sure to check them both out, and don’t forget to watch “The Beatles: Get Back” when it rolls out over three days, November 25, 26, and 27, 2021, exclusively on Disney+.

Watch the trailer for The Beatles: Get Back coming out Disney+

13 October, 2021 0 comment

Apple TV Business Streaming Tech

Apple claims their streaming service has less than 20 million subscribers

written by Ruben Jay

Apple TV+ may be in trouble.

It was revealed by the New York Post that Apple TV+ has less than 20 million subscribers. The news comes from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, a union in the entertainment business.

To compare, Netflix had 209 million subscribers in Q1 of 2021 and Disney+ has 116 million subscribers. According to the report, streaming services with less than 20 million subscribers can pay union members less money. The report says the pay difference is “meaningful.”

Apple doesn’t currently offer any major cult-favorite shows like The Office or Friends. In fact, Apple’s streaming offerings are all original shows and productions. Apple has spent billions of dollars to build up their Apple TV+ roster.

Commentary: I have said since day one, Apple’s streaming service should be an additional offering to Apple users. Currently, you can get Apple TV+ for free with the purchase of a new phone, tablet, or computer from Apple. I think it might be a good idea for Apple to make it free for all Apple users and offer good enough shows that may be able to catch onto larger audiences that non-Apple users may pay the $4.99 fee.

27 September, 2021 0 comment

Apple TV Entertainment Streaming

Apple TV+’s The Morning Show is back and amazing

written by Ruben Jay

The Morning Show is one of Apple TV+’s most anticipated and successful shows to date. The show stars Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carrell, and others as the stars of a famed network television morning news show (think Good Morning America or Today).

Episode One Recap:

In episode one, we learn that Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston’s character) has left the Morning Show and Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) is left to co-host with Eric (Hasan Minhaj). The show picks up in the final days of 2019 as the network is planning their big New Year’s Eve special.

We also learn that Bradley is not happy on the Morning Show and wants to do more hard news. The network’s nightly news show is surrounded by abusive behaviour and is looking for a new host. Bradley wants to take that job, but the network President Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) has different plans.

Cory is busy trying to get Alex back on the morning show (While she is living in the woods and writing a book) while the company’s new News President Stella Bak (Greta Lee) wants to hire and outside host to come in and take over the Morning Show with Bradley so Eric can become the host of the nightly news.

Bradley pitches herself has the replacement for the nightly news Cory says no, and ultimately Bradley finds out that Eric (who had become her closest friend) was selected to take over the nightly news slot.

At the end of the episode, Eric admits to Bradley that he is moving to the nightly news and Bradley feels betrayed by the news. Bradley confronts Cory and says she is sick.

Thoughts: The Morning Show premiere sets the foundation for better storytelling, a big build to big foundational shift for the show as a whole. I feel like a lot was accomplished while also raising many questions.

Some of my questions include: How did Alex leave the network in the middle of a contract? It was revealed that Cory had been fired and Bradley saved his job… how did she do so? Who is Eric and where did he come from? None of these questions have been answered (yet).

EPISODE TWO RECAP and Thoughts:

Episode one ended on such an interesting note and episode two started out on such a weird on in my opinion.

We find out that Bradley has missed three weeks of TV and somehow isnt in breach of contract. We also find out that Alex has accepted terms to come back to the show. She is coming back to fill in for a year or so before launching her own Primetime show on UBA.

Cory is promising her the world while trying to keep Bradley on the show as well. It seems like Bradley is trying to get herself out of the deal she is in. She doesn’t seem happy with the network at all.

Cory works on bringing Bradley back on the show while also breaking the news to her that Alex is coming back. Cory decides to have Alex and Bradley over to his place for dinner. The dinner turns into a giant cast party with all the hosts of the Morning Show.

Thoughts: This show seemed more like filler than anything. We saw Bradley and Alex in the same room for the first time.

26 September, 2021 0 comment

CBS Entertainment Television

Akbar Gbajabiamila is joining CBS’s ‘The Talk’

written by Ruben Jay

CBS’s The Talk is getting another male co-host, Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Gbajabiamila is currently the host of American Ninja Warrior on NBC. He joins Jerry O’Connell on the only other male host on the historically female panel.

According to The Wrap, Gbajabiamila is replacing Elaine Welteroth. Welteroth stepped down from the show on Tuesday of this week. Gbajabiamila will join Sheryl Underwood and Amanda Kloots on the show.

“It’s a new day in daytime for Season 12 of ‘The Talk’ and we are thrilled to welcome Akbar to the family. His engaging personality, openness and quick wit really impressed us when he appeared as a guest co-host last season,” Heather Gray, one of the two showrunners of “The Talk,” said in a statement on Thursday.

“Akbar’s candor and humor come with ease and are great additions to the conversation. Also, his relatability as a husband and father creates a special connection with the viewers that is invaluable,” Kristin Matthews, the other showrunner, added.

“It is an absolute honor to be joining ‘The Talk’ as a host! I am so excited for this new generation of such a long-standing establishment,” Gbajabiamila said. “To be a part of this diverse group, is truly a dream and a new statement for ‘The Talk.’ In a world as divided as ours, I look forward to showing up as my fun and authentic self everyday and advocating for conversation over confrontation.”

2 September, 2021 0 comment