Downstream

Is this phase of the streaming wars reaching an endgame? We discuss the fates of Peacock and Paramount+, and consider Max after a year under its new name. Also, we share more listener streaming suggestions!

Is it time for a Disney pep talk? We discuss what's working and not working, and how Disney's ready for streaming success if it's willing to change. Plus, streaming advice! [For Downstream+ subscribers only: Disney/Apple bundling and Baseball streaming.]

Lots of Disney this time! We talk Disney's big succession question, Taylor Swift's Disney+ numbers, and Disney's deal in India. Also, a quick Sports Corner on NFL streaming rights, Spulu, and ESPN as a streaming aggregator.

Someone new is in charge of Netflix's film output, which lets us ponder the company's past and future film strategy. [Downstream+ members get: Max's new Harry Potter approach, and lessons we could learn from The CW's mid-budget approach to superhero TV.]

Fallout from the "Spulu" announcement from Disney, Fox, and WBD continues; picking apart HBO's "Last Week Tonight" YouTube strategy; and what does Peacock have in common with the New York Jets?

Disney, Fox, and WBD come together to create a sports streaming joint venture, but what does it all mean? [Downstream+ subscribers also get to hear us discuss Disney's Epic investment, Sports Corner updates, and the most streamed originals of last year.]

After some Apple Vision Pro opinions, it's time for a veritable Sports Pentagon of topics, including: Regional sports streaming alliances, the NFL cozying up to ESPN, Amazon cozying up to Diamond Sports, and the value of Peacock's streamed playoff game.

The fate of Paramount Global hangs in the balance, and our favorites of the year. [Downstream+ subscribers get an extra half hour, including RSN collapses and potential streaming solutions, and our predictions for 2024.]

It's finally happened: Netflix has made its viewing data public... via an Excel spreadsheet? Also: Disney+ and Hulu get connected in the U.S., it might be the endgame for Paramount Global, and your letters!

The holiday season is peak streaming season, too! We discuss the seasonal opportunities for streamers, plus: letters! [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Amazon's Black Friday NFL experiment, YouTube & Sunday Ticket, and the coming sports/RSN implosion.]

Disney's going to own all of Hulu. Does this uniquely position them to be the most legitimate challenger to Netflix? We also discuss the power of platforms, Apple's "Napoleon" opportunity, and Disney's Marvel experimentation.

Netflix adapts to selling ads, and your letters! [Downstream+ subscribers also got: Apple TV+ cancelling Jon Stewart and raising prices, YouTube's news challenge and the value of YouTube culture, and Jason Kilar's big idea.]

Netflix (which is still top dog) reports results and makes price hikes. Also: Disney+'s value proposition, the complexity of selling ads for streaming, Marvel discovers TV, and your letters.

The WGA strike is over, so what does it mean? Also, your letters! [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Don't blame the writers for the end of Peak TV, Max gets interesting, Amazon adds ads, and Disney ♥️ Charter.]

We break down the arrival of Mark Thompson as CNN's new boss. Also, there's a mega letters segment! [This episode was recorded September 7. See you in two weeks!]

Does the battle between Disney and Charter augur the end of the cable business model as we know it? Is the entertainment industry going bankrupt slowly, then all at once? It's time for an all-Sports Corner episode of Downstream! (Downstream+ listeners also get to hear about Fox and Comcast's post-linear possibilities, and our predictions about if Netflix will ever consider doing live sports.)

The CNN streaming era re-begins--and we're still trying to figure out how TV news adapts to the streaming era. Also: Netflix makes a franchise bet on Zach Snyder, but is it shooting itself in the foot? And are streaming sports rights worth the high cost?

Disney alters the deal (namely the price of its streaming services)--pray they don't alter it further. But is Disney suffering from franchise fatigue, and is aggressively bunding Hulu with Disney+ the solution? Also: Jason's sad about Apple's failed college football deal. [Downstream+ members also got to hear us discuss Paramount+ changing its programming philosophy, Disney's prodigal princes returning, whether Apple might buy Disney, and Max getting into sports streaming.]

Did Netflix lure the rest of the streaming industry into quicksand? We explore the difference between being an entertainment retailer and wholesaler. Then it's time to talk about the man, the legend, the human topic: Disney's Bob Iger.

In a tale as old as time, we try and fail to understand the Emmy Awards. Also: Breaking down Netflix's new ratings math. (Downstream+ subscribers get an extra 30 minutes about the up and coming world of free ad-supported streaming services and why Prime Video is like CBS.)

CNN rises to the top of the conversation again, Netflix gets the ball back, Paramount sells some crown jewels, Sports Corner travels to Utah, and we answer four listener letters!

The head of CNN is out, but the larger issue is: what's the future of TV news in the age of streaming? (Downstream+ subscribers also heard: YouTube is still top dog, the age of consolidation brings the need for better content discovery, a Bob Iger check-in, and Netflix falls into Sports Corner.)

The Max launch and prioritizing tech stacks; Netflix's ad viewers and the future of ad-free streaming; and in Sports Corner the regional sports network collapse has begun. Also, we announce our own plus--Downstream+!

Julia's back at last, so we blast through discussing HBO Max becoming Max, Hulu going inside the Disney+ app, the WGA's "streaming strike", the NFL's Peacock playoff game, and ESPN plotting its inevitable over-the-top service.

Jason's former co-host from another TV podcast, Tim Goodman, drops by to discuss his decision to be a TV writer at the very end of the Peak TV era, the challenges of TV criticism, and his return to writing about TV on his own terms via Substack.

Sitcoms are one of the most popular genres of television, yet streaming services tend to do better repurposing someone else's catalog rather than creating their own. What's behind this trend, and what will the future hold? Also, College Sports Corner and more letters!

Marvel hits the brakes, Apple embraces theatrical releases, Netflix can make anything a hit, two combat sports combine forces, and Major League Baseball keeps fans confused about when you're allowed to watch a ballgame.

HBO has another hit, Jason Kilar has some advice for Bob Iger about the future of Hulu, and Sports Corner returns to discuss the ongoing saga of regional sports networks bankruptcies and the future of streaming sports.

Jason returns from New Zealand as a better wizard, just in time for Zaz to announce new "Lord of the Rings" films. Has it been done, or can you not keep a good Hobbit down? Also, Netflix explores lower prices in some markets, Sports Corner ponders the Bally Sports bankruptcy, and we answer some of your questions!

Susan Wojcicki steps down as YouTube CEO, what will her legacy be? Ant-Man performs well at the box office, but do reviews indicate 'Marvel Fatigue'? And guest-host Myke Hurley quizzes Julia on why he has to wait for shows to premiere in the UK.

Disney's first financial results of the Iger II era make us consider the future of Hulu and ESPN. Discovery+ pulls a fast one, Showtime can't dodge its fate, Peacock looks surprisingly robust, and everyone's mad about Netflix cracking down on password sharing--but Downstream listeners learned all about it nearly a year ago.

Netflix shows Disney how CEO transitions happen, as Reed Hastings is elevated to chairmanship and Greg Peters becomes co-CEO. Julia has analysis of Netflix's earnings report, we discuss streaming Oscar nominees, there's some Hulu follow-up, and we answer an amazing crop of your letters!

It's a new year, so it's time to consider the lessons of 2022 and make some predictions for streaming trends in 2023. Plus: was "Glass Onion" a success for Netflix? Is your next workout coming from Netflix? And to Julia's delight, Sports Corner is back!

In a very special (and silly) end-of-year episode, Julia and Jason create tier lists for everything with a plus. Happy New Year!

What's the point of HBO Max if it doesn't have all the HBO shows on it? Julia ponders the strange goings on at HBO and WarnerMedia. We also discuss Jason Kilar's predictions for the future of streaming, the BBC, and how studios handle self-dealing.

Bob Chapek is out and Bob Iger is back in! What does this mean for the future of Disney? We don't have the answers, but we have lots of questions! Also discussed: "Strange World" and the future of Disney animation, whether Disney should buy Hulu, and Netflix's strange "Glass Onion"s strategy.

Disney's latest financial results lead us to ponder where we are in the dramatic change from old-school media to the streaming world. We discuss "Hocus Pocus 2" as the ultimate direct-to-streaming movie, and why "Glass Onion" makes sense going to theaters before Netflix. Also, Warner Bros. Discovery claims to have all its franchises in order, but that doesn't seem remotely realistic. (And yeah, this means we have to talk about J.K. Rowling again.)

Peacock pivots, Netflix gets to know itself, "Doctor Who" is on the move, "Andor" teaches some important lessons, and Sports Corner returns!

Is "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" the real winner of the battle between "House of the Dragon" and "Lord of the Rings"? Also: Netflix opens itself up to viewership ratings in the UK, Sports Corner covers Apple's negotiations with the NFL, and we discuss the merits of Paramount's content library and Hulu's overall value as a streaming service. Plus plus plus, your letters!

An accidental Sports Corner, understanding Peacock's slow growth, EPIX becomes MGM+, a "House of the Dragon" / "Rings of Power" check-in, Apple's "Luck", Julia and Parrot provide data to creators, and a listener explains Canadian TV quirks.

Julia's under the weather, so Jason asked our editor, Steven, to join him to talk about Amazon's NFL broadcast, Apple TV+ exclusivity of MLB record-breaking games, the insolvency of Bally Sports, and the mystery of NFL Sunday Ticket. Yep, it's Sports Corner with a little bit of bonus Canadian content.

"The Rings of Power" has arrived, but do Amazon's viewing numbers mean anything? Also: Netflix's weird identity crisis, NBC might give up its 10pm time slots, the difficulty of making sitcom hits, and your letters!

We discuss what the House of the Dragon premiere means for HBO Max, how Netflix judges the success of "The Sandman" and other shows, the business reasons behind Warner Bros. Discovery's cuts, and why Sony is sitting pretty without its own streaming service.

The big story in streaming is Warner Bros. Discovery and David Zaslav's cuts, cancellations, and the merger of HBO Max with Discovery+. Julia and Jason break it all down, including what's upsetting creators and the audience and why those weird PowerPoint slides exist.

Jason and Julia answer your letters. So many questions! We discuss live TV on Apple channels, merger mania, niche streaming, valuable hot-dog streaming rights, "it's just an eight-hour movie", and tactical release times.

How do the creators of TV shows know how well their shows are doing when their streaming services won't share meaningful data? Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe tired, or spending its capital to do some creative experimentation? We discuss, and also look at Vulture's rankings of the hottest (and coldest) streaming services.

We discuss the "Lightyear" box office and the future of Pixar, finding better ways to binge through smart software, and how streaming franchises are constructed. And then, once again, there's Sports Corner, as streaming RSNs multiply and Formula 1 turns up its nose at Amazon and re-signs with ESPN.

With the clash between "Stranger Things" and Star Wars, the summer streaming blockbuster season has begun! And we inaugurate a new segment, Sports Corner, as the path of sports on streaming media sports has begun to change dramatically.

What do "Stranger Things" and "Obi Wan Kenobi" tell us about the present and future of Netflix and Disney+? Also, Netflix's "The Gray Man" makes a very limited visit to theaters, the intellectual-property wanderings of "Daredevil" continue, and we answer your letters about churn, billionaires, and northern European dramas.

After years watching the old Netflix cruise along as the top streamer, things are getting interesting as it shifts gears and engages the realities of today's streaming scene. We discuss reports Netflix might put its films in theaters and its attempts to find hit sitcoms more like what you'd find on a broadcast network. Julia also reviews the Disney financial results and what it means for that media giant's future direction. (If you've gotten the wrong episode, please delete and re-download to get the right one! Sorry about that.)