Can MoviePass sustain $10 a month all-you-can-eat theater movies? Plus, Apple and Comcast team up to put theater movies in your home anyway.
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 183
Rick and Morty (304), Preacher (208), Game of Thrones (705), Firefly (“Safe”).
00:47 – Summer Movie Draft
03:54 – Triage (Your emails to cordkillers@gmail.com)
06:31 – Rick and Morty (304)
13:33 – Preacher (208)
20:55 – Game of Thrones (705)
34:23 – Firefly – “Safe”
Cordkillers 183 – Hi-Ho SeeSo (w/ Andy Beach)
Is Disney now at war with Netflix? Is Facebook video relevant? What happened with SeeSo? With special guest Andy Beach.
CordKillers: Ep. 183 – Hi-Ho SeeSo
Recorded: August 14 2017
Guest: Andy Beach
Intro Video
Primary Target
- The Walt Disney Company to Acquire Majority Ownership of BAMTech
– Disney announced it is buying a majority stake in BAMTech, the streaming-video company founded by Major League Baseball that powers services like the NHL, MLB, and HBO now. Disney also announced it plans to launch an ESPN-branded streaming service in early 2018, with broadcasts not aired on other ESPN channels, and a new Disney and Pixar streaming service in 2019. Disney will end its agreement with Netflix for Disney and Pixar movies at the end of 2018, though Netflix is still negotiating to renew a deal for Marvel and Lucasfilm content. - Disney won’t renew Netflix deal
- Disney has a streaming service called Disney Life in the UK
- Disney wants to make a huge shift in its business model — but it’s not ready to do it yet
- Your favorite Disney movies will be leaving Netflix. This is where (some of them) are going.
- Netflix doesn’t want to be a better streaming service — it wants to be Disney
- Marvel and Star Wars streaming services still being considered.
- Star Wars and Iron Man may not disappear from Netflix in 2019 after all
- Netflix signs Shonda Rhimes away from ABC in huge coup
– Shonda Rhimes’ production company Shondaland signed a multi-year deal to produce new content for Netflix. Rhimes told the Wall Street Journal, “I’m thrilled by the idea of a world where I’m not caught in the necessary grind of network television.” - David Letterman is joining forces with Netflix for a new show
– David Letterman has agreed to host 6 episodes of a talk show for Netflix to arrive in 2018. Each episode would be an hour long with a longform interview with one guest as well as segments shot outside the studio. In a statement Letterman said, “Here’s what I have learned, if you retire to spend more time with your family, check with your family first. Thanks for watching, drive safely.” - Netflix lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV series
– The Coen Brothers will produce, write and direct their first television show called “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” for Netflix. It will be a western anthology with six stories centered around Scruggs. The cast includes Tim Blake Nelson as Buster Scruggs, as well as Ryne Daley, James Franco, Zoe Kazan. - Netflix snags an Alan Arkin, Michael Douglas comedy series
– Netflix announced a project called The Kominsky Method starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. The series will be written and produced by Big Bang Theory co-creator Chuck Lorre. Chuck Lorre’s series Disjointed starring Kathy Bates premieres August 25th.
How to Watch
- Facebook launches Watch tab of original video shows
– Facebook is rolling out a new version of its video section, renamed Watch, to select users in the US. Some videos are episodic and broken down into categories like “Most Talked About” or “What’s Making People Laugh”. Users can subscribe to updates from favorite shows, chat with other viewers while watching, and connect with creators through Groups. Facebook has funded some of the shows, but anyone can create one and get 55% of the revenue generated. Shows come from places like Tastemade, Major League Baseball, Mike Rowe, Billboard Magazine, National Geographic and more. - Seeso shutting down
– NBC will shut down its Seeso comedy streaming service later this year. The service launched in January 2016, but laid off staff in June. Seeso originals “HarmonQuest,” “My Brother, My Brother and Me,” “Hidden America With Jonah Ray,” and “The Cyanide and Happiness Show” will move to the VRV streaming service.
What to Watch
- Netflix renewed GLOW for a second season, no word on when it will arrive.
- Netflix takes on JFK in ‘The Crown’ season two December 8th
– The Crown returns to Netflix December 8. It will be the last season with Claire Foy playing Queen Elizabeth II. Michael C. Hall and Jodi Balfour will play John F. Kennedy and wife Jackie. - Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff Silver and Black will hit theaters in 2019
– Sony announced that Silver and Black, a Spider-man cinematic universe film featuring Black Cat and Silver Sable will arrive February 8th, 2019. Venom arrives October 5th, 2018. - Comedians Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson are bringing their hit podcast 2 Dope Queens to HBO as four one-hour comedy specials in 2018.
What We’re Watching
- Brian: Preacher, Firefly, Rick and Morty, Game of Thrones, Last Week Tonight
- Tom: Preacher, Firefly, Twin Peaks, Dunkirk, Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty
- Andy: Rick & Morty, Difficult People, Ozark (just finished), Pure, The Sinner, Detroit
- On the Lookout: VRV
Front Lines
- Pandora names Sling TV founding CEO Roger Lynch as new CEO and president
– Pandora announced Sling TV founder Roger Lynch will become the new Pandora CEO. Former head of Sony Pictures, Michael Lynton also joined the Pandora board. Pandora founder Tim Westegren told the Verge in March that video was on Pandora’s list. - Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman signs deal to develop TV for Amazon
– Robert Kirkman’s Skybound has a new deal to create TV projects for Amazon Prime Video. Kirkman has Walking Dead on AMC, has Outcast on Cinemax and film version of Invincible headed to Universal, so we’re not sure yet what Kirkman might bring to Amazon. - Michael Sheen, David Tennant to Star in Neil Gaiman’s ‘Good Omens’ at Amazon
– Variety reports Michael Sheen and David Tennant have been cast in the lead roles for an Amazon/BBC co-produced 6-episode series based on the book Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It will premier first on Amazon Prim then on BBC and be distributed by the BBC in all markets where Amazon does not offer service. - Amazon is shutting down its DVD by mail service LoveFilm on October 31st. Subscribers will get a discount on an Amazon Fire TV stick.
- The latest no-frills Roku TVs start at $250
– Roku and RCA announced a new lineup of Roku-enabled HDTVS. A 32-inch model costs $249.99, a 43-inch model is $379.99, and the top-end 50-inch model is $499, available now. - Vizio added the Google Play Movies & TV app to its VIA+ and D-series Smart TVs. It recently added apps like Netflix and Amazon.
Dispatches from the Front
What do you think will happen with Star Trek Discovery if the first episode is a huge hit on CBS television, but the subsequent streaming only episodes are a bomb? Does it move to CBS television? Will they let if fail as a streaming only show? If they move it to television, what will this do for future streaming only series? Will people buy in to CBS All Access if they think there is a chance that streaming only shows will eventually show up on CBS television for free?
– Ken
Morning Tom and Brian,
Last show, Mickey Neumann made a great point I wish would have moved into discussion. His comment was following the conversation of how CBS moves it’s properties around like pawns — Mickey said he didn’t feel “it respects the creator of the art”.
Particularly from Brian, who’s produced shows (and even reneged his cable cutting tacit agreement so he could watch himself on cable tv)… and no longer controls the distribution of them. I’ve heard Brian mention in passing he doesn’t know where the shows are or how to get them.. so it sounds like he’s just let go. I’d love to hear more about that end of the deal process to letting go of your art
– Joe
Is there a way to request a company to start streaming some of their back catalog? HBO GO/HBO Now does not have some major pieces of their library:
The Tom Hanks produced From the Earth to the Moon mini series…
The Golden Globe winning Don King: Only in America movie…
The classic David Mamet directed magic special Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants…
And all of the past Young Comedian Specials…
Is it because these things were all filmed and produced for 4×3 television screens that they remain mothballed and not available to stream?
Thanks for any guidance…
– Shannon
Links
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 182
The Dark Tower, Rick and Morty (303), Preacher (207), Game of Thrones (704), Firefly (“Shindig”).
01:00 – Summer Movie Draft
03:25 – The Dark Tower
13:44 – Rick and Morty (303)
17:12 – Preacher (207)
22:17 – Game of Thrones (704)
37:04 – Firefly – “Shindig”
Cordkillers 182 – Traceable Hot Sausage
Netflix buys a comic publisher, CBS goes international with its streaming service, and we have Khan-concerns. With special guest Mikey Neumann.
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 181
Rick and Morty (301-302), Preacher (206), Game of Thrones (703), Firefly – Bushwhacked, Summer Movie Draft. With special guest Chris Cox.
01:09 – Summer Movie Draft
04:02 – Rick and Morty (301-302)
10:07 – Preacher (206)
14:58 – Game of Thrones (703)
26:36 – Firefly – Bushwhacked
Cordkillers 181 – Everything Is Great!
Pay TV experiences a half-million subscriber drop, Roku: top of the set-top box, and why you want to watch Ozark. With special guest Chris Cox.
CordKillers: Ep. 181 – Everything Is Great!
Recorded: July 31 2017
Guest: Chris Cox
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Cord Cutting: Subscribers Abandon AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon Cable
- Comcast Earnings Fueled by Universal Studios, Fate of the Furious
- Comcast’s ‘Instant TV’ service for cord cutters could launch by year-end
– 5 largest US pay TV providers lost 527K subscribers in Q2
– Comcast -34K
– ATT -351K DirectTV and U-Vers (+152K DirecTV Now)
– Charter -90K
– Verizon -15K
– Altice USA -37K
– Comcast
– added 175K broadband (220K year ago)
– Filmed entertainment revenue rose 59.6% on the strength of movies such as The Fate of the Furious while theme parks revenue increased 15.6%.
– Said internet-only service Xfinity Instant TV launching later this year (cost in flux) only in markets with Comcast Internet
How to Watch
- Roku Pulls Ahead of Google Chromcast, Apple TV in Streaming VIdeo
– emarketer – number of people using at least once in July
– Roku – 39mm 23%
– Chromecast 37mm 22%
– Fire TV 36 mm
– Apple TV 21mm
What to Watch
- Hulu is getting every episode of classic TGIF lineup: Full House, Family Matters, and more
– Hulu struck a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic TV to become the exclusive home of Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, Perfect Strangers, and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, starting September 29. - Jon Stewart performed his first stand-up comedy special in more than 20 years for HBO July 26. His first special since 1996.
- AMC is developing a sci-fi show from the writers behind Arrival
– AMC announced another Ted Chiang story, Liking What You see, is being developed by Eric Heisserer who was the screenwriter on Arrival. The story is about people who undergo surgery to prevent them from perceiving beauty. - Netflix has ordered 20 episodes of a new show from Matt Groening called Disenchantment. It’s about a crumbling medieval kingdom.
- Wonder Woman 2 set for release in December 13, 2019
What We’re Watching
- Brian: Firefly, Preacher, Rick and Morty, Game of Thrones, Ozark (4 episodes), The Big Sick
- Tom: Friefly (Bushwhacked), Preacher, Rick and Morty, Game of Thrones, Twin Peaks
- Chris: Twin Peaks, The Mist, Dark Matter, Wynona Earp
- On the Lookout: Last Chance U
Front Lines
- Cord cutting pressures lead to Discovery Communications’ acquisition of Scripps Networks for $14.6B
– Discovery Communications announced it plans to acquire Scripps Networks Interactive which operates networks like HGTV and Food Network. The combination will give the combined company more leverage when seeking distribution deals on traditional and online pay TV services. - HBO says data hacked, media says ‘Game of Thrones’ targeted
– HBO said Monday that attackers had stolen data including upcoming programming. Entertainment Weekly reports the theft includes a script for an upcoming episode of Game of Thrones. - Amazon Moves Into Self-Distribution With Woody Allen’s ‘Wonder Wheel’
– Variety reports Amazon will act as its own distributor for Woody Allen’s movie, Wonder Wheel, set for release in December. This gives Amazon control over marketing, screenings and theater rollout. Amazon previously worked with indie studios like Lionsgate for distribution. - Nielsen’s TV ratings now include Hulu and YouTube TV
– Nielsen has begun adding YouTube and Hulu to its C3 and C7 numbers which have previously been used to include streaming views from traditional broadcast networks. - PlayStation Vue is luring sports fans away from cable
– PlayStation Vue has added a sports package for $10 a month that includes NFL Redzone, MLB Strike Zone, ESPN Classic and 11 other channels. - Cycflix lets you watch Netflix, but only if you keep up the pace
– Dublin Institute of Technology student Ronan Byrne has started a project called Cycflix. It’s basically an Arduino hooked up to a stationary bike that only lets you watch Netflix if your peddling hard enough. You set the levels. It can also work with other streaming services like Hulu.
Dispatches from the Front
Could The Dark Tower, at 95 minutes, be a good movie? Sure. It just won’t be The Dark Tower.
So don’t call it The Dark Tower.
Just toss me a colon for god’s sake. The Dark Tower: Face of My Father. Or call it The Dark Tower and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Whatever. Anything that admits you’re not trying to do the whole series.
Though I’m not sure what portion of the story they can tell well in 95 minutes–that’s barely longer than each Game of Thrones episode is supposed to be next season.
Of course, Game of Thrones is an epic adventure that you could hardly expect to be told in shorter form, whereas The Dark Tower is–oh, wait…
Anyhow, sub-$20 million opening weekend.
But I’m not promising ten bucks of it won’t be mine.
–Mike
MovieLeagueMike
On Cordkillers episode 180, Brian mentioned that Wonder Woman had overtaken Guardians of the Galaxy 2 at the box office. Consider that the current top two movies of the year are Wonder Woman and live action Beauty and the Beast, with The Last Jedi likely to join them. If that comes to pass then the top three movies of 2017 will feature female leads. I enjoy watching the Hollywood suits get reality checked. Kudos to the fans for serving that check: women can star in and open blockbusters.
– Roy
Links
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 180
Preacher (204-205), Game of Thrones (702), Firefly (The Train Job), Summer Movie Draft.
00:46 – Summer Movie Draft
05:21 – Preacher (204-205)
16:13 – Game of Thrones (702)
26:34 – Firefly – The Train Job
Cordkillers 180 – Cautiably Anarchistic
Our thoughts on the hot trailers from Comic-Con, how we fell about Internet cable replacements, and broadcasting baseball in VR. With special guest Nicole Lee.
CordKillers: Ep. 180 – Cautiably Anarchistic
Recorded: July 24 2017
Guest: Nicole Lee
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Defenders: Netflix August 18
- Orville comes to Fox September 10
- Star Trek Discovery Coming to CBS All Access September 24 (15 episodes)
- Stranger Things returns to Netflix October 27
- Thor: Ragnarok in theaters November 3
- Justice League in theaters November 17
- Bright, starring Will Smith coming to Netflix December 22
- Westworld: Returning sometime in 2018.
- Ready Player One opens March 30
How to Watch
- Hulu’s Live TV service arrives on Amazon Fire TV
- YouTube TV triples its footprint with launches in 10 more U.S. markets
What to Watch
What We’re Watching
- Brian: Preacher (all caught up!), Game of Thrones, Firefly, GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
- Tom: Preacher, Game of Thrones, Twin Peaks, Firefly
- Nicole: Glow
- On the Lookout: Ozark
Front Lines
- Netflix was the top grossing app in Q2, with mobile revenue up 233% since last year
– Analytics company Sensor Tower reports Netflix was the top earning app in Q2, up 233% year over year to $153 million. The average revenue growth across the app stores is 56%. Hulu revenue grew 22% in the quarter according to the report. - Hulu is adding a ton of new TV shows, including Glee, How I Met Your Mother, and MASH
– As part of its deal with 20th Century Fox Television, Hulu is getting all episodes of How I Met Your Mother, MASH, NYPD Blue, and Glee. How I Met Your Mother remains available on Netflix too. - Stargate is coming back as a digital-only prequel series
– MGM announced a series of 10-minute shows called “Stargate Origins” coming to a new site called stargatecommand.com The site will be a home to all things Stargate. There seems to be some confusion over whether this will be a new streaming service you might have to pay for. No release date was announced. - Amazon orders two seasons of Mr. Robot creator’s podcast adaptation
– Amazon has ordered two seasons of Homecoming, an adaptation of the psychological thriller podcast. The TV series will be directed and produced by Sam Esmail of Mr. Robot fame.
Dispatches from the Front
I was about to sign up for my free hbo pass to start game of thrones season 7, but google Play notified me I could purchase a season pass early. I assume the other stores (apple/amazon) also have it posted … I haven’t seen any news if HBO plans to post episode by episode this year to the stores week in week out.
Even if it was delayed 7 days … better than last season when it was delayed a fully ear to the stores. Have either of you heard what HBO’s plans are for episode releases?
– Joe
Tom, Brian, and Hammond,
I have four daughters and I still help with car insurance, health insurance, and Netflix. It is no longer the days of getting a job and your parent dropping you off to sink or swim. So they run off my Netflix I actually had one daughter say she’d rather lose health insurance than Netflix, oh to be young. Love the the show although I can’t quite the cord cut yet. If Netflix gets pissy, well, we’ll see.
– Allen
Adult Swim has stopped livestreaming Space Ghost Coast To Coast episodes (unfortunately), but it’s replaced it with a full-on stream of Rick & Morty! And even better, it streams the episodes in order! Check it out here:
www.adultswim.com/videos/streams/rick-and-morty/
From,
– Amar
Hey guys,
On the latest Cordkillers Susanna wrote in about a cord cutting question for her mother. She mentioned keeping her internet connection and land line.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard you guys go into detail about cutting the phone cord so I wanted to mention a land line alternative.
I got rid of my land line years ago and signed up for a free Google Voice number that I forwarded to my mobile phone. That way I had a home phone number I could give out to people and keep my mobile number a little more private.
My youngest son is now at the age where we are able to leave him home alone but he doesn’t have a mobile phone. I bought an Obi200 voip adapter for $50 and a good old fashioned corded phone. I can connect it to the Google voice service and now I have an absolutely free phone connection at home.
It doesn’t include 911 services but that can be added for a small monthly fee.
Thanks,
– Scott
Links
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 179
Baby Driver, War for the Planet of the Apes, Game of Thrones (701), Firefly (101, “Serenity”), Summer Movie Draft.
00:42 – Summer Movie Draft
03:38 – Baby Driver
13:53 – War for the Planet of the Apes
19:28 – Game of Thrones (701)
32:08 – Firefly (101, “Serenity”)