Downstream

We're sifting through the fallout of Netflix's trying times, pondering the future of ads on streaming services and trying to identify which shows benefit from binge-watching--and which don't.

Emergency podcast! Julia and Jason reconvene for a second time in a week to discuss Netflix's very bad quarterly results (and how, if at all, the company will change its behavior and strategy as a result) and the rapid but not entirely surprising death of CNN+.

Julia has some advice for David Zaslav as he takes the reins of Warner Bros. Discovery--mostly about the fates of CNN+ and the Harry Potter franchise. Plus, the rise of streaming sports.

Apple TV+ wins Best Picture, "Our Flag Means Death" is... a hit?, why being the fan of a baseball team is going to bring you pain, "Obi-Wan" takes on "Stranger Things" directly, and Jason subscribed to CNN+... for science!

Is Wall Street souring on the streaming wars? Is Netflix coming for your shared passwords? Both issues are way more complicated than they might seem. We also discuss TikTok marketing, Discovery+ and HBO Max getting folded together, and Netflix's cancellation of "The Babysitters' Club."

Disney inevitably embraces advertising, NBC inevitably takes its ball and goes home, and The Batman inevitably forces a discussion about the future of theatrical releases.

ViacomCBS changes its name, Peacock weathers the Super Bowl storm, the Disney brand continues to evolve, the culture of binge-dropping begins to fade away, Netflix is Doing Just Fine, and your letters!

The future of CNN+ is called into question, the Oscars recognize streaming services of all kinds, and did Peacock finally get the Olympics right?

Netflix's latest quarterly report makes us wonder: Is it a tech company or an entertainment company? Julia experiences live sports streaming success--and failure. HBO Max takes a victory lap. And why does Showtime still exist? Plus, your letters!

It's a new year! Disney has moved another Pixar movie out of theaters and onto Disney+. Why "Don't Look Up" was the perfect movie for Netflix. "Yellowstone" is a legitimate hit and yet nobody is truly happy about it. And we've got a Spider-Man box office check-in, HBO Max is doing all right by us, and we've got letters from listeners!

Jason and Julia are off for the holiday, but before they left, they took time to record this special episode featuring answers to listener letters! (Only two-thirds of the letters are from people named David.) We discuss ways that streaming interfaces could be more delightful and serendipitous, explain why the end of 22-episode TV seasons might be a good thing, and lament the death of collectible DVDs.

We dig into why CNN+ has to exist, even though it doesn't make a lot of sense. Also, the strange divisions between what's on HBO and what's on HBO Max, we talk a surprising amount about The CW (again), and Netflix has... a blog?

Diving into Netflix's brand new global and regional top 10 lists, and what they tell us about Netflix's self-promotional powers, its use of South Korean content, the drive to program for kids, and the potential fate of the binge drop. Also, ViacomCBS corrects its Star Trek mistakes, and your letters allow us to grouse about bad interfaces, skipping the credits, and why Netflix is bad at movies.

Disney+ came out of the gate strong, but its growth is waning. What does it need to do to reach a broader audience? It's all about the 'Hamiltons.' Also, we discuss ViacomCBS pulling the rug out from underneath international Star Trek fans, the obsessive search for more streaming franchises, Jason hasn't read "The Wheel of Time," and we make our plans to go see "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

What happens when a TV network has a potential big hit, but doesn't have a streaming strategy to find an audience? Are sports leagues in the U.S. finally going to risk their fat cable contracts in order to build a local streaming service? And what the heck is going on in Australia? All this, and Julia tries to envision Netflix's final form--or at least, what it will charge you to see its final form.

There's a lot going on right now at Netflix, which is trying to manage growth, changing how it reports viewership, and facing internal criticism for some of its programming. We also delight in how easy it is to cancel (and return to) a streaming service, answer your questions about service price increases and the true value of franchises, and consider what streaming services are the most desired by the people who make TV.

"Squid Game's" viral success makes us consider Netflix's international programming strategy and the difference between a hit and a franchise. And no conversation about "Squid Game" is complete without a conversation about "Law & Order," right? So Julia and Jason discuss the value of TV franchises and how their owners balance the desire to grow streaming revenue with the linear TV networks that pay the bills. Also: "Venom" proves the movies are back (at least for the Marvel adjacent), "Many Saints of Newark" proves that not everything is a franchise, and Julia makes a list of the best streaming services for scary movies.

Downstream is a new podcast about the future of streaming media. Tech and entertainment companies are vying for our attention and money, all to see who will become the media giants of the 21st century. Julia and Jason tell you a little about their background and what they'll be covering on this podcast. And as a preview of what is to come, this episode also includes our entire test show from August.