Distribution

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

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.

Distribution

Studios Revamp Licensing Strategy: Exclusive Distribution Era Ends

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.

Distribution

Universal’s Unique Deal Bifurcates Pay-One Rights Between Multiple Streamers

Universal Pictures bifurcates the 18-month Pay-One Film Licensing Window for its streaming service Peacock and Amazon. After four initial months on Peacock, Universal’s live-action films will stream exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video for ten months before returning to Peacock for the final four months.

Streaming

Best Year Yet

In 2020, Netflix gained 37 million subscribers worldwide, breaking its 2018 record of 28 million new additions. Currently, Netflix has 204 million active subscribers.

Exhibition

Coming Soon to a Living Room Near You

Day-and-date and other alternative film releasing models have been around for over a decade. Still, most major studios have avoided a strategy that skips the theater altogether, that is, until now.

Distribution

Lockdowns Reshape Content Distribution

COVID-19 has decimated global content pipelines by halting film production, canceling greenlit projects, and closing cinemas. However, the present disruptions have only accelerated transformations that were well underway.

Streaming

AVOD Market Heats Up

Several media companies are holding discussions to acquire advertising-supported video streaming services. Fox Corp is in talks with Tubi, and NBCUniversal is considering Vudu.

Streaming

Streaming in America

Since first delivering DVDs to homes via the postal service, Netflix has come to dominate the SVOD market. The streamer has 67 million subscribers in North America, which takes its total to nearly 160 million worldwide.

Streaming

Netflix Market Report: Part Two

Part Two: Netflix Trends, International, Feature Films. Through the first six months of 2019, Netflix’s customer acquisition costs have ballooned to $292 per subscriber.

Streaming

Netflix Market Report: Part One

Part One: Netflix Subscribers and Exclusivity. Netflix lost subscribers in the United States for the first time in nearly a decade. The next battleground in streaming will take place over content exclusivity.

Uncharted Waters
Streaming

Uncharted Waters

By reclaiming their content from licensees to launch standalone streaming services, traditional media companies are sailing headlong into uncharted waters.

SVOD Licensing Rates
Streaming

Netflix Faces Slowdown

Beyond ballooning content and acquisition costs, fueled by costly debt, there are five additional obstacles that will challenge Netflix’s streaming dominance.

Distribution

Follow The Leader

NBCUniversal, who competed against Disney for Fox, is planning to follow Disney’s lead in India with the purchase of Zee Entertainment.