Streaming

Retention Over Acquisition: How UK and US Streamers Adapt to Market Saturation

As global streaming markets mature, platforms are shifting focus from acquisition to retention amid near-saturation in regions like the U.S. Strategies include ad-supported tiers and content diversification. While platforms strive to meet changing demands, competition is intensifying, particularly in the ad-supported landscape, emphasizing the need for innovation and strategic partnerships for sustained growth.

Streaming

Super-Bundles and Churn Reduction: Disney’s Vision for Streaming Dominance

Disney’s super-bundling of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ forms a key part of its streaming strategy amidst rising subscription costs that echo traditional cable models. The $30 mega-bundle with Max aims to reduce churn and simplify streaming but raises concerns over overwhelming choices and competitive pricing, challenging Disney to attract new subscribers effectively.

Streaming

Challenging Amazon: Walmart’s Vision for the Future of Subscription Streaming

Walmart is enhancing its streaming presence through the $2.3 billion acquisition of Vizio, aiming to compete with Amazon. By integrating Vizio’s technology into its retail ecosystem and leveraging its advertising capabilities, Walmart seeks to grow its streaming subscriptions and capitalize on the decline of traditional TV, creating a comprehensive media platform.

Distribution

Slow-Motion Collapse: How Nostalgia, Streaming, and Short-Sightedness Undermined Hollywood’s Future


Hollywood’s golden age of innovation and artistry is fading, replaced by an industry stumbling through a self-imposed crisis. The rise of streaming, an overreliance on recycled intellectual property, and dwindling opportunities or audience support for new talent have left the film and television world on precarious ground.

Streaming

Subscriptions to Free Streaming: The Platforms and Formats Redefining Entertainment

Streaming platforms are evolving amid changing viewer preferences and competition. YouTube leads with creator-driven content, while Netflix shifts back to licensed shows to maintain its subscriber base. Growth of ad-supported services like Tubi offers budget-friendly options. The industry’s future relies on innovation, collaboration, and understanding audience needs.

Production

Production is Fleeing Los Angeles: How Poor Policies Push Producers Away

Long hailed as the beating heart of the entertainment industry, Los Angeles is losing its grip on film and TV production. Once the undisputed leader of Hollywood magic, Southern California faces a dismal reality: plummeting production levels, industry layoffs, creative drain, and a mass exodus of viable projects to rival jurisdictions.

Exhibition

From Capes to Clicks: The Fall of Superheroes and the Streaming Shakedown

The superhero genre, once its crown jewel, is fading under the weight of oversaturation and audience fatigue, devolving into a rebellion by the fandom. Yet, in this chaos lies an opportunity. As audiences reject formulaic content and mediocrity, a new wave of creativity can emerge, reshaping the film industry.

Distribution

The FAST Frontier: How Free Ad-Supported Platforms Are Transforming Streaming and Cable Television

As streaming fatigue sets in, consumers increasingly opt for FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television), with traditional cable providers feeling the pinch. Once considered fringe players, FAST platforms capture significant market share with their ad-supported, cost-free models, while SVOD giants drive premium content strategies and global expansion.

Production

AFM 2024: UK’s New Tax Credit Sparks Interest from Global Film Producers

The UK’s new Independent Film Tax Credit is drawing attention at AFM 2024, promising enhanced tax relief for eligible films with a qualifying spend of up to £15 million. The new credit, aimed at supporting independent film production, offers a significant boost with a 53% enhanced credit rate, translating to a net rate of nearly 40% after tax.

Distribution

Betting Big on Genre Films: AFM’s Vegas Move Signals Shift in the Independent Film Market

For the first time in its 45-year history, the American Film Market (AFM) has traded the coastal ambiance of Santa Monica for the glitzy setting of Las Vegas, launching its 2024 event at the Palms Casino Resort. This relocation comes with high hopes for streamlined networking, concentrated events, and fresh energy.

Distribution

AFM 2024: The Films Sparking Major Interest at AFM’s First Las Vegas Edition (Part Three)

The 2024 American Film Market (AFM) marks a transformative moment as it relocates from its long-standing Los Angeles base to Las Vegas. Here’s an overview of films being presented by the leading 78 international sales agencies at the 2024 American Film Market, offering a dynamic blend of genres, including horror, thriller, drama, comedy, and animation.

Distribution

AFM 2024: The Films Sparking Major Interest at AFM’s First Las Vegas Edition (Part Two)

The 2024 American Film Market (AFM) marks a transformative moment as it relocates from its long-standing Los Angeles base to Las Vegas. Here’s an overview of films being presented by the leading 78 international sales agencies at the 2024 American Film Market, offering a dynamic blend of genres, including horror, thriller, drama, comedy, and animation.

Distribution

AFM 2024: The Films Sparking Major Interest at AFM’s First Las Vegas Edition (Part One)

The 2024 American Film Market (AFM) marks a transformative moment as it relocates from its long-standing Los Angeles base to Las Vegas. Here’s an overview of films being presented by the leading 78 international sales agencies at the 2024 American Film Market, offering a dynamic blend of genres, including horror, thriller, drama, comedy, and animation.

Distribution

Breaking Free: Disney Declares Independence from the Apple App Store

In a bold move to reclaim control over streaming revenue, Disney has severed its dependency on Apple’s App Store for new subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. This decision, echoing similar actions from Netflix, signifies a financial strategy and a broader power dynamics shift between content providers and tech platforms.

Distribution

Netflix Faces Off Against YouTube for Viewer Engagement and Audience Loyalty

As the intense battle for subscriber acquisition in the streaming wars begins to calm, Netflix, the leader in subscription-based video on demand (SVOD), now faces a formidable new rival—YouTube. Meanwhile, ad-supported free streaming platforms like Tubi are gaining ground, reshaping the digital entertainment playing field.

Streaming

Is the Max/Hulu/Disney+ Mega-Bundle Worth the Price? A Closer Look at Streaming’s Newest Offering

In a move that shocked many in the entertainment industry, two of the largest legacy media companies, Warner Bros. and Disney have teamed up to offer a cross-company mega-bundle featuring Disney+, Hulu, and Max. Launched in July 2024, this bundle combines three major streaming platforms under one roof.

Distribution

Diverging Fortunes: Disney and Warner Bros. Compete for Streaming’s Silver Medal

As the entertainment industry continues shifting toward streaming and digital content, two of its most prominent players, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), are heading down distinctly different paths. Recent earnings reports underscore the contrasting financial positions and strategic moves of these media giants, setting the stage for what could be a breaking point for their digital transition.

Streaming

Chasing Netflix: How the Major Media Companies Stack Up in Subscribers, Revenue, and Challenges [Part Five]

The following five-part article series looks at how the major streaming services compare in terms of financial performance, subscriber numbers, and the unique strengths and challenges each faces in the ever-evolving streaming industry, concluding with a review of wildcard streamers Prime Video, Apple TV+, and issues facing the streaming industry.