Streaming Archives

Who’s Thriving and Who’s Struggling: Annual Streaming Scorecard Part Five

April 23, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

It’s difficult to overstate the disastrous few years Warner Bros. has experienced under inept leadership. Boosting one of the most desirable film and television catalogs, the company has stumbled over every vital decision since 2020. WBD’s financials reflect the industry’s broader issues.

Navigating the Siren Song of Streaming as Studios Get Caught in the Undertow

April 21, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Hollywood’s approach to thriving in streaming has taken a sharply negative turn in the past few years. Initially, the strategy involved pouring resources into content to lure subscribers and ending profitable licensing agreements with aggregators like Netflix, banking on eventual profitability.

Cracking the Code: Inside the Intricate World of Content Licensing Deals and Slate Programming

April 9, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

As streaming platforms vie to capture marketshare in a view-from-home environment, the recent deal between A24 and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) brings A24’s eclectic catalog exclusively to HBO and Max after their theatrical runs illustrating the need for studios to look elsewhere for interesting films.

Netflix Will Spend More on International Markets Than Stateside for the First Time

March 18, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Netflix is projected to spend more than half its annual content allocation on titles produced outside of Canada and the United States. This year, Netflix will spend $8 billion of its $15.5 billion allocation on international content, a first for the streaming giant.

Who’s Thriving and Who’s Struggling: Annual Streaming Scorecard Part Three

March 14, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Before unprecedented disruptions during 2020-21, streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon invested heavily in original films, but their investments have since fallen sharply. Likewise, the head of motion pictures departed after Netflix failed to deliver meaningful film releases.

Distributors Retreat to Syndication to Avoid Financial Streaming Iceberg

March 6, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

The prodigious investments required by major media companies to launch new streaming services while simultaneously pulling valuable content from dozens of global distributors have impacted all key players, resulting in substantial declines in market value over the past two years.

Not All Streaming Services Will Survive the Year in Their Current Form

February 25, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Mounting losses at Paramount and NBCUniversal, particularly, have put into doubt the survival of Paramount+ and Peacock in their current iteration. Paramount’s situation reflects the broader challenges of balancing growth, content spending, and subscriber retention with profitability.

The Future of Streaming Will End in Tiers

February 21, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Breaking News: Freevee Will Shutdown After Amazon Adamantly Denies Claims. Recently, on Prime Video, ads started popping up on scripted series and films. Over 167 million existing Amazon Prime members in the U.S. are now required to pay an additional $3 per month to enjoy the same service they signed up for to avoid ads.

Netflix’s Licensing Surge: Resuming Role as Hollywood’s Content Aggregator

February 13, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

With the most significant content distributors reversing their plans to make content exclusive on their in-house platforms and Netflix originals falling flat, Netflix will again lead the way in third-party licensing and once again become Hollywood’s aggregator.

Who’s Thriving and Who’s Struggling: Annual Streaming Scorecard Part Two

January 28, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

As Disney+ charts its course in 2024, the challenges are palpable, mainly finding freshness in a sea of familiar content. And the biggest question is how the Disney+ one-app integration with Hulu, set to exit beta in March, will fortify the service and retain its subscribers.

The Media Conundrum: A Complex Interplay of Consolidation, Mergers, and Streaming Misfortunes

January 23, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Unstoppable declines in linear television subscribers coupled with challenges in achieving profits in freshly minted streaming services have led most media companies on the road to consolidation. Over the next 12 months, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, and NBCUniversal will likely be impacted by consolidation.

Who’s Thriving and Who’s Struggling: Annual Streaming Scorecard Part One

January 4, 2024 FilmTake Comments Off

Apple TV+ made significant strides in expanding its film offerings in 2023 despite facing challenges such as inflation-driven price increases and the need to refine its user experience. The quest for a marquee series remains a prominent concern as the streaming service enters 2024.

Studios Revamp Licensing Strategy: Exclusive Distribution Era Ends

November 28, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

Warner Bros. Discovery has lost 2.5 million subscribers in its direct-to-consumer (DTC) division, encompassing HBO cable subscriptions and the Max and Discovery+ streaming services. The company also experienced a massive loss in advertising revenue for linear television, which still keeps the lights on at many studios.

The Reel Revolution: Film & TV Industry at a Crossroads Post SAG Strike

November 14, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

After an arduous 118-day standoff, the SAG-AFTRA has finally brokered a provisional three-year contract with major studios, potentially concluding the extensive actors’ strike of 2023. The recent end to both the writer’s and actor’s strikes marks a pivotal moment in the industry.

Europe Battles US Streaming Giants with a Labyrinth of Regulatory Actions

October 10, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

Market preeminence by US streamers in Europe has raised the ire of several European governments, the EU Commission, industry regulators, and industry organizations. Thus far, 17 EU countries have imposed financial obligations on streamers to force more significant investment in Europe.

Peak Streaming: Navigating the Changing Tides of Streaming Feature Films

October 5, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

In the ever-evolving landscape of streaming content, one thing has become increasingly clear to film professionals: the era of unabated growth in streaming, both feature films and series content, is ending. Before 2020, like Netflix and Amazon invested heavily in original films.

Declining Distributor Minimum Guarantees Threaten Viability of Independent Films

October 3, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

In recent years, the state of independent films has been marked by a troubling trend: the decline of minimum guarantees paid by all-rights distributors.

Unraveling the Netflix Effect: A Deep Dive into the Latest Film Festival Deals

September 25, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

The TIFF marketplace, and indeed the entirety of 2023, has seen a surplus of promising films and a scarcity of willing buyers. This trend indicates a broader shift in the indie film market, characterized by a more cautious approach from buyers.

The Evolution of FAST: A Game-Changer for the Film and Television Industry

September 14, 2023 FilmTake Comments Off

In a world where change is the only constant, the film and television industry has been undergoing a seismic shift over the past decade. The rise of streaming services has transformed how we consume content, challenging the traditional cable and broadcast models.