Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, August 6th, 2024:
DISNEY RAISES PRICES ON MOST STREAMING PACKAGES
Disney reports earnings tomorrow morning and so of course, the company announced another round of price hikes for most of its streaming packages.
The cost of Disney+ with ads will rise to $9.99 from $7.99 a month. Ad-free will cost $15.99, from $13.99. The Duo Basic with Disney+ and Hulu goes up $1 to $10.99. The Duo Premium plan will stay the same, at $19.99.
The trio package with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, will increase by $2 for both the basic and premium plans to $16.99 and $26.99 a month, respectively.
Hulu with ads rises from $7.99 to $9.99. The ad-free version goes up a dollar to $18.99.
ESPN+ with ads also rises by $1 to $11.99.
Hulu + Live TV with adds rises from $76.99 to $82.99. No ads will cost $95.99, up from $89.99.
The cost of Hulu+ Live TV is in the range of other vMVPD rivals, such as YouTube TV. But at that price point, it's reaching the point where I'm hearing from viewers looking to cut the virtual cable bundle.
The problem is that thanks to favored nations clause in carriage agreements and the unwillingness of the major media companies to unbundle their large cable channel assets, everyone pays the same price and there's no real opportunity to create custom packages.
In fact, that is the core of the ongoing Fubo lawsuit against Fox, Disney and Warner Bros Discovery. Fubo claims it has tried in the past to create a sports-centric streamer and those media companies forced Fubo to also license all of their other entertainment and news channels as well. Given that their new sports-specific streamer doesn't have those constraints, Fubo is demanding the same ability to pick and choose networks.
And that is the only way the cost of virtual cable bundles will decrease. Allowing upstarts to license channels ala carte will allow platforms to create smaller, topic-specific platforms focused on news, entertainment, etc. Another healthy change would be to allow vMVPDs to opt out of carrying local network affiliates, which could save consumers $10 per month or more. But the media companies are loathe to do that, because the value of the network affiliates is built around having as many possible viewers as possible. So they currently force the vMVPDs to carry (and pay for) the local affiliates as part of their "take it or leave it" package of cable channels.
TWEET OF THE DAY
A CONVERSATION WITH EILI HARBOE
There are some scripted shows that feel as if their stories were ripped out of today's headlines, even though that turns out not to be the case. That's certainly what you feel when you watch The Fortress, a new series that recently premiered in the United States on the Nordic streamer Viaplay.
I interviewed Eili Harboe (Succession’s final season, The Architect) about her role in the series and I wanted to highlight this piece because it was originally lost a bit during my TCA coverage.
What did you think when you read the script the first time? Because even though it's set a little bit in the future, a lot of the issues that are part of the premise - the pandemics, the wrangling over immigration - feel very true to what's happening today.
Yes, definitely. And the funny thing was that this script was actually written way before the Corona pandemic hit. So it was almost like a foreshadowing of what we've already been through. And, of course, they had to adjust some of the dialogue and I think that the series actually was postponed because of the pandemic. So that was kind of ironic also, and just gave a second layer to it.
I was very intrigued by the script, I was very intrigued by the portrayal of the different characters involved, and especially when you talk about the immigration and what Norway is facing now especially, which is a current discussion in our society about the agricultural heritage and how we used to be more like a traditional farmers country, and pretty self sufficient. Whereas nowadays, we're completely relying on imported goods, and especially fresh produce. So I think that part of the story is also very interesting.
ODDS AND SODS
* Out There: Crimes Of The Paranormal is premiering Tuesday, September 24th on Hulu. Here's the official logline: the series "takes you inside eight true crime cases with shocking encounters with the paranormal world - through eyewitness accounts, expert interviews, and all-new investigations. In each case, amidst an agonizing search for answers, one rumor emerges from the pack: something inhuman is afoot. These in-depth investigations transport us to towns and cities across North America where we speak to individuals with eyewitness accounts and first-person details about the extraordinary, supernatural events that changed their lives forever. A six-year-old boy in the Smoky Mountains disappears forever after being snatched by a mysterious ape-like beast. A UFO crash in Long Island sparks an assassination attempt and illuminates a massive political conspiracy. An occult coven of Satanic witches is implicated in a decades-old New Jersey murder. Lonely ghosts in San Francisco’s Chinatown threaten to steal the lives of the unmarried. In these stories and more, “Out There” tracks down fresh leads and uncovers new evidence amid a labyrinth of twists and turns. At the end of the road, the investigations unearth new truths – about the power of mythology, the allure of the paranormal, and the monsters among us."
* Lifetime has acquired the psychological thriller Held Hostage in My House, formerly known as Blunt, which will premiere on September 7th. Starring Amy Smart (Starship Troopers), Matt Davis (Legally Blonde), Billy Zane (Devil On Campus: The Larry Ray Story), Ne-Yo (The Wiz! Live) and Greer Grammer (Awkward), the film is the story of a single mother who was entrapped at her vacation rental and must piece together clues to find out who was her assailant.
* The culinary special Unbelievably Vegan With Chef Charity premieres Thursday, August 22nd on Max.
* The fourth and final season of My Brilliant Friend premieres Monday, September 9th on HBO.
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6TH:
* At Witt's End - The Hunt For A Killer (Hulu)
* Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Chicago Bears (HBO)
* PD True Series Premiere (Paramount+)
* Rising Impact (Netflix)
* The Eagle Season Two Premiere (MHz Choice)
* The Influencer Series Premiere (Netflix)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7TH:
* Dance Moms: A New Era Series Premiere (Hulu)
* Delico's Nursery Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
* Finding Amelia (Discovery)
* Let's Make A Deal Season Premiere (CBS)
* Lolo And The Kid (Netflix)
* Love Is Blind: UK Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Mission Cross (Netflix)
* Murder At The Truck Stop (Investigation Discovery)
* No Way Out: The Roulette Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Sea Change: The Gulf Of Maine Finale (PBS)
* See No Evil Season Premiere (Investigation Discovery)
* The Zone: Survival Mission III (Hulu)
* True Beauty Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY