Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, November 20th, 2024:
WHEN IT COMES TO ORIGINAL CONTENT SPENDING, SIZE MATTERS
I suspect that on some level, every top streaming executive knows that the ideal streaming business model is to have a lot of original content. Study after study of consumer behavior has shown that the most important factor in lessening subscriber churn and lowering the cost of new subscriber acquisition is whether or not users feel as if there is always something new they can watch.
But as I have mentioned before, streaming spending is a zero sum calculation. Every streamer starts with a budget and every bit of their programming costs come out of that. So the more a streamer spends on sports or licensing, the less is available for original content.
And because executives realize this, when they don't have a lot of money to spend on originals, they claim they are focusing on making "fewer projects, but better ones." A claim that is just as unlikely as it sounds.
I was reminded of this centerpiece of streaming economics today when many of the major streamers began sending out their "What's New In December" releases.
Netflix has at least 45 new titles coming in December - series premieres, new seasons and original films.
As a comparison, here is the list of originals coming to Paramount+ in December:
12/2 SpongeBob SquarePants, "SpongeBob & Sandy's Country Christmas" special
In this new SpongeBob SquarePants holiday special, one of Sandy’s experiments goes awry and the Cheeks family must team up to save Christmas in Bikini Bottom.
12/3 as1one: The Israeli-Palestinian Pop Music Journey docuseries premiere
A compelling coming-of-age series based on the lives of six young men - the world's first mixed Israeli-Palestinian pop group - that came together to form the next global hit pop group, as1one.
12/13 Dexter: Original Sin* series premiere
Set in 1991 Miami, the 10-episode drama series follows Dexter (Patrick Gibson) as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. When his bloodthirsty urges can’t be ignored any longer, Dexter must learn to channel his inner darkness with the guidance of his father, Harry (Christian Slater).
Yes, Paramount+ has more some months, including the various Taylor Sheridan shows. But this is an extraordinary difference in the amount of original content. Some of it is due to the streamer's decision to spend a substantial portion of its budget on live sports rights. But it's also a reflection of the decision by Paramount Global executives to cut content spending to help boost the bottom line. Unfortunately, that decision has proved in the past to be a bad one when other streamers have attempted it.
THE WEEK IN PENSKEONOMICS
I missed this yesterday, but The Ankler's Richard Rushfield found another mysterious Golden Globe event in the Middle East, this one in Egypt. And like an earlier one in Turkey, the event is mysteriously not receiving any coverage in the Penske Media trade outlets, even though they share a common ownership:
Enigma Magazine is thrilled to partner with the official Golden Globes from Hollywood, for an unprecedented tribute event for the first time in the Middle East. The event will take place in Cairo, Egypt, the heart of the Arabic Film and Television industry, and will honour two icons of Arab cinema.
And Rushfield notes that Enigma Magazine is owned by a PR and marketing firm:
A PR firm that puts out a magazine! Exactly who you’d want to partner with to create a new trophy when you are a totally serious, free-from-influence Major Prestigious Awards show! And there is absolutely no reason why the fact that it’s partnering with PR firms to create mysterious new awards in other countries should make anyone take the Golden Globes one iota less seriously. None at all!
Everyone's got to make a buck, but PMC seems to be focusing most of its energy on creating various new awards and events in an effort to suck up as much random entertainment PR money as possible. Which I suppose is one way to run a entertainment news empire.
TWEET OF THE DAY
ODDS AND SODS
* The new animated series Wonder Pets: In The City premieres Friday, December 13th on Apple TV+. Here is a first look at the show.
* Disney+ and Hulu have ordered a second season of the Australian drama The Artful Dodger.
* Netflix's A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has been renewed for a second season, and the streamer will premiere the series globally excluding UK/Ireland, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. It will premiere in the UK and Ireland on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
* Season two of The Flipping El-Moussa's premieres Thursday, December 26th on HGTV.
* Netflix has picked up the YouTube longform reality series Inside, which was produced by The Sidemen. The series featured ten influencers and reality stars confined to a house for a week, vying for a prize of up to £1 million Netflix will produce a 2nd season of the UK version as well as a US version. Both shows will premiere in 2025, along with season one of the UK version, which is currently available on YouTube.
* Disney, ESPN and the NBA are teaming up to present Dunk the Halls – the first real-time animated NBA game using Sony’s Beyond Sports technology – on Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25th, at noon ET when the New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs.. Dunk the Halls will be presented on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+.
* The Robert DeNiro limited series Zero Day premieres Thursday, February 20th, 2025 on Netflix. According to the streamer, DeNiro plays "respected former U.S. President George Mullen, who, as head of the Zero Day Commission, is charged with finding the perpetrators of a devastating cyber attack that has caused chaos around the country and thousands of fatalities. As disinformation runs rampant and the personal ambition of power brokers in technology, Wall Street, and government collide, Mullen’s unwavering search for the truth forces him to confront his own dark secrets while risking all he holds dear."
* The Ridley Scott series Dope Thief premieres Friday, March 14th, 2025 on Apple TV+. Here is the official logline: "Based on Dennis Tafoya’s book of the same name, the series follows long-time Philly friends and delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to have their small-time grift become a life-and-death enterprise, as they unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern seaboard."
WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024:
Adoration (Netflix)
Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy (Netflix)
58th Annual CMA Awards (ABC)
GTMAX (Netflix)
Midnight Family Season Finale (Apple TV+)
Mystery At Blind Frog Ranch Season Premiere (Discovery)
Nothing To See Here (Netflix)
Our Oceans (Netflix)
Rhythm + Flow Season Two Premiere (Netflix)
Surveilled (HBO)
The Merry Gentlemen (Netflix)
Wild West Chronicles Season Finale (INSP)
Wish List Games Series Premiere (Prime Video)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024:
A Man On The Inside Series Premiere (Netflix)
A Novel Noel (Hallmark Movie Channel)
A Wesley South African Christmas (BET+)
Based On A True Story Season Premiere (Peacock)
Cruel Intentions Series Premiere (Prime Video)
Dinner Club (Prime Video)
Human Vs. Hamster Series Premiere (Max) - [first look video]
Maybe Baby 2 (Netflix)
My Mother Stole My Life (LMN)
Nugget Is Dead: A Christmas Story (CBS)
Press Start Series Premiere (Peacock)
Saudi Pro League: Kickoff Series Premiere (Netflix)
The Sex Lives Of College Girls Season Three Premiere (Max)
Thomas & Friends: The Christmas Letter Express (Netflix)
Tokyo Override Series Premiere (Netflix)
SEE YOU ON THURSDAY!