Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, January 30th, 2024.
MORE THAN A RUMOR, BUT STILL NOT CONFIRMED
If you're not a tennis fan, you might not realize that talks are apparently intensifying between the ATP and the WTA - the two major international tennis associations - on an effort to create new premium tennis league that would include all four Grand Slams and other top men’s and women’s tournaments. Think of it as the same approach taken by Formula 1. Talks have been going on for several years and as you might expect, there are a lot of complications. There has to be buy-in from major players, some current tournaments will be downgraded and the number of moving parts required to make the idea a reality is staggering.
But there are huge upsides. It prevents the chance of a split in the sport similar to the one that is currently taking place in golf. And it gives Tennis the chance to essentially reboot the media rights for the sport. A combined tournament would also provide real parity between the men's and women's leagues.
Which is where today's interesting "more than a rumor but not officially confirmed" story comes into play. A premiere tour working group is set to report to tennis leaders at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in March. And two different sources have told me that Netflix has made an informal presentation to leaders pitching its interest in global rights to the new tour and its matches.
As is the case with everything else, there are a lot of unanswered questions. Including how the current media deals the ATP and WTA have in place globally would be resolved. Apparently one plan would be for rights to be split between separate digital and linear packages. Although that split rights deal is not something Netflix has apparently been previously interested in pursuing in other negotiations.
It's worth noting that Netflix reportedly made a play for U.S. Formula 1 rights in 2022, but they lost out to ESPN. Part of it was the cost, but also Netflix preferred to acquire media rights that covered multiple territories. I suspect the possibility of making a global or near-global rights deal for a Tennis Championship Tour would be quite attractive to the streamer. And combined with the recent WWE deal, Netflix would vault into the ranks of important sports platforms.
READER FEEDBACK
In yesterday's newsletter, I referred to people who decided to cancel the Amazon Prime account because Prime is now adding commercials as "idiots," which I admit is a bit harsh. In retrospect, "misguided and overreacting" might be a kinder approach.
WJ took me to task in the comments section over my piece and while this is a bit long, I wanted to post their feedback here in full because I think it's an interesting perspective:
I have to take issue with the suggestion that dropping Amazon Prime because of commercials is “just idiotic”. I think it is a rational response.
Unlike cable television, which as you note was built on an advertising/monthly subscription charge system, Amazon (and many of the other streaming services) explicitly made it a selling point that there were no commercials. They sold that as a benefit. That was why you should cut the cord, they said. Pay us a straight monthly fee and will give you content without annoying ads. To now tell people you have to pay extra for that is galling. The viewer shouldn't be blamed for being upset when the product they were sold is not the one they receive. It does have a bait and switch feel.
If Amazon can’t afford to spend billions on destroying IP properties such as the Lord of the Rings without forcing the less than 50% of people who stuck it through the entire first season to also watch ads for the Kevin James standup and or the latest Judge Judy show, then perhaps, as you intimate, Amazon should not be in the business.
Finally, you note, “Amazon has never released any clear indication of how many Prime members actually regularly use Prime Video,” but then go on to mention how overall ad revenue, aside from those you term ‘malcontents’, should more than make up for those who drop the service. But if there is no data to show how many people use the service, then no one, outside a few execs, knows what that number is. If Amazon claims to need the ad revenue to keep things afloat, every person who drops the service completely (or stops watching Prime), is another set of eyeballs not watching which will require additional ads to be shown in order to meet the target. The more ads shown will probably result in more ‘malcontents’ dropping the streaming service, requiring more ads to meet target levels, etc. That suggests Amazon is in danger of a death spiral.
(And I seriously doubt Amazon will keep the ad load low. If the Freevee model is any indication, it will make a lot of shows virtually unwatchable. Try to watch an early episode of an old show such as Columbo. There are ads every 5-7 minutes, completely destroying the flow).
Lots to unpack here, much more than I have space for. I'll agree that the ad load on Freevee can seem heavy, although I think it's in part because they've decided to run shorter ad breaks more frequently. As opposed to linear TV, which runs 4+ minute commercial breaks instead of 2-3 shorter ones.
My overall point is that adding commercials might have a noticeable impact on subscription numbers if Prime Video was a stand-alone service. That concern is one reason why Netflix opted to keep its base service ad-free (at least for now). But for most people, the ads might be annoying. But it's not enough to convince them to give up Amazon Prime completely because there are too many other benefits they would lose along with Prime Video.
NOT TV-ORIENTED, BUT A SUBSTACK WORTH FOLLOWING
If you are someone who pays a lot of attention to politics, you are probably familiar on some level with Chris Cillizza. He's been a fixture on the national political reporting scene for close to twenty years and his last high-profile job was at CNN, which laid him off last year.
Cillizza launched a Substack a few months ago and it has turned into one of my favorites. Yes, he writes about politics and he always has an interesting perspective. But what really resonates with me is the amount of time he's spent writing about his life since he was laid off. The mixture of shame and fear that immediately followed, the unexpected positive impacts it had on his family. But he also just writes about his experiences navigating getting older and slowly unpacking how to deal with those changes.
Today's newsletter is about his decision to finally begin using a CPAP machine and how his fear of aging and becoming his father led him to make some bad decisions:
But, I am — slowly — coming to realize that age doesn’t have to mean decline. I think I am writing some of the best stuff of my career at this point, largely because I have seen a lot and, generally speaking, know a lot about politics. I am more confident that my future will be bright because I know my value better. I am an improved dad and husband because the years have taught me some hard lessons.
I have age to thank for all of those things.
A lot of this is about getting out of your own way. Just allowing yourself to be ok with what comes at you on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Knowing that a) life will throw up roadblocks in front of you and b) you will be able to make your way through or over them somehow.
These feelings really resonate with me. I feel as if I am doing the best writing of my life and my varied life experiences give me a perspective of the industry that even the wisest 30-year-old reporter can't match. But as I am planning for the upcoming TCAs, I'm also having to accept that I am no longer 30 and blasting through ten 12-15 hour days without a break isn't the smartest move.
THE ANKLER PARTNERS WITH LAist
I don't generally mention distribution deals cut by other digital media outlets, but I find this one from The Ankler interesting:
Today we’ve announced a new partnership with LAist, Southern California Public Radio’s flagship radio station and digital news site, to provide Hollywood news and analysis across multiple platforms including LAist 89.3, LAist.com, newsletters and social media, reaching a combined audience of 10 million.
First, this is a great idea and it works well for both sides. LAist gets a steady source of Hollywood and entertainment industry coverage and The Ankler builds its brand and the profile of its reporters. These deals are difficult to navigate. I've tried to do similar smaller partnerships in the past and they can quickly go sideways.
Secondly, I think it's fascinating The Ankler opted to give the story to Axios, rather than breaking it on its own site.
ODDS AND SODS
* The embargo for reviews of Apple's new VR-ish Vision Pro have lifted and this video from the Wall Street Journal does an excellent job of walking you through what to expect.
But for all of the future uses of this very early technology, I was struck by this description from CNET's Scott Stein, which makes the Vision Pro experience sound more lonely and dystopian than anything I'd want to experience:
Is the isolation too perfect sometimes, though? I watch movies with AirPods Pro buds in, turning my living room into a movie theater. After a while my son taps me on the shoulder and asks if I'm asleep. I say of course not. But my wife says she doesn't like this, that I'm so removed from everything. My son calls it a phone for my face. They have a point. My wife also says she's concerned about me getting lost in digital memories. Part of me thinks this is very real, and another part of me thinks this is an extension of what's already happened on our phones. While the Vision Pro creates presence by showing the real world through its passthrough cameras, or even replicas of my eyes, it also allows me to close these off, even sealing my audio world completely with AirPods. I can be in my own world, inches from my own family.
* The 2000-2004 Showtime series Soul Food is coming to Hulu on February 1st. It starred Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica A. Fox and Tia Long as sisters who struggle to adjust to the family matriarch's sudden absence.
* NBC's The Weakest Link returns with new episodes on Tuesday, April 2nd.
* Production is officially underway in Toronto on Star Trek: Section 31. Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh plays Emperor Philippa Georgiou, the character Yeoh first introduced in Star Trek: Discovery. Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, she also must face the sins of her past.
* The Disney Channel has canceled Secrets Of Sulphur Springs after three seasons.
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND THIS WEEKEND
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30TH:
Germinal Series Premiere (MHz Choice)
Jack Whitehall: Settle Down (Netflix)
NASCAR: Full Speed (Netflix) - [photo gallery]
Quantum Leap Season 2B Premiere (NBC)
Professor T Season Four Premiere (MHz Choice)
Vanderpump Rules Season Premiere (Bravo)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31ST:
Alexander: The Making Of A God (Netflix) - [photo gallery]
Assembled: The Making Of Echo (Disney+)
Baby Bandito Series Premiere (Netflix)
Choir Series Premiere (Disney+)
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans (FX)
Shattered Glass: A WNBPA Story (Tubi)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights Of The Apocalypse Season Premiere (Netflix)
The Unbreakable Tatiana Suarez (HBO)
Will (Netflix)
SEE YOU WEDNESDAY!