The Golden Age of the Streaming Wars is Over

[Rumpy]

Ok, that one channel is oddly specific.

[gbasden]

Who wants to watch all these things with irritating ads? I'll pass on the FAST, thanks.

[Jeff V]

The words “improv” and “comedy” should never be used together.

Just because it does doesn't mean it always has to describe your sex life...

[hepcat]

[Smoove_B]

They did not yet specify what content will disappear.

That has been updated:

Disney is starting to pull content from streaming, with dozens of series and specials slated to leave Disney+ and Hulu on May 26, Deadline has learned.

...

(long list spoilered)

Spoiler:

Big Shot [Disney+]
Turner & Hooch [Disney+]
The Mysterious Benedict Society [Disney+]
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers [Disney+]
Willow [Disney+]
The Making Of Willow [Disney+]
Diary of a Future President [Disney+]
Just Beyond [Disney+]
The World According to Jeff Goldblum [Disney+]
Marvel’s Project Hero [Disney+]
Marvel’s MPower [Disney+]
Marvel’s Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever [Disney+]
Y: The Last Man [FX/Hulu]
Pistol [FX/Hulu]
Little Demon [FX/Hulu]
Maggie [Hulu]
Dollface [Hulu]
The Hot Zone [Nat Geo/Hulu]
The Premise [Hulu]
Love in the Time of Corona [Hulu]
Everything’s Trash [Hulu]
Best in Snow [Hulu]
Best in Dough [Hulu]
Darby and the Dead [Hulu]
The Quest [Hulu]
Rosaline [Disney+]
Cheaper by the Dozen remake [Disney+]
The One and Only Ivan [Disney+]
Stargirl [Disney+]
Artemis Fowl [Disney+]
The Princess [Disney+]
Encore! [Disney+]
A Spark Story [Disney+]
Black Beauty [Disney+]
Clouds [Disney+]
America the Beautiful [Disney+]
Better Nate Than Ever [Disney+]
Weird but True! [Disney+]
Timmy Failure [Disney+]
Be Our Chef [Disney+]
Magic Camp [Disney+]
Howard [Disney+]
Earth to Ned [Disney+]
Foodtastic [Disney+]
Stuntman [Disney+]
Disney Fairy Tale Weddings [Disney+]
Wolfgang [Disney+]
It’s a Dog’s Life with Bill Farmer [Disney+]
The Real Right Stuff [Disney+]
The Big Fib [Disney+]
Rogue Trip [Disney+]
More Than Robots [Disney+]
Shop Class [Disney+]
Pick the Litter [Disney+]
Own the Room [Disney+]
Among the Stars [Disney+]
Harmonious Live! [Disney+]
Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays [Disney+]

The suggestion I'm seeing online is that it's a matter of not wanting to pay residuals.

[Hrothgar]

It certainly feels like the Golden Age is over. Some of those are reality shows. When do major movies start going back in the Disney vault? So much for all your favorite content in one place. I'm sure it'll only get worse once the writers have a new agreement.

[Rumpy]

It's not even a matter of being able to watch whatever you want whenever you want anymore.

[Max Peck]

The suggestion I'm seeing online is that it's a matter of not wanting to pay residuals.

Yeah, according to a discussion I saw elsewhere, residuals are calculated based on the platform's subscriber base and how long since the show/film was released. If a title isn't popular enough to be a reason for people to maintain a subscription, then it apparently makes financial sense to drop it in order to avoid paying residuals, then perhaps bring it back eventually once the residual rates have dropped low enough.

It would explain why they're dropping so many of their own titles. When they own all the IP themselves, pretty much the only ongoing expense involved would seem to be the residual payments going to the creative folks who made it for them.

[LordMortis]

The suggestion I'm seeing online is that it's a matter of not wanting to pay residuals.

This was feature on CNBC this morning. So pulling shows is now a big thing I guess. It's interesting HBO is putting Westworld on an ad supported 3rd party free platform where they get paid while pulling it from MAX so they won't have to pay themselves.

[Blackhawk]

FWIW, I am down to only one standalone streaming service (Paramount Plus, because I'm currently watching Trek.) It wasn't that long ago that I kept four or five active at all times.

Them deciding to cull their catalogs, while at the same time cranking their prices until they were as expensive (collectively) as cable is a big part of the reason.

[Rumpy]

Speaking of ad-supported streaming, here's something I've found rather perplexing and offputting. In Canada we have the CBC Network, which is government-funded. For streaming, they have their CBC Gem app, which is ad-supported which itself brings poses a lot of ethical questions, seeing as taxpayers are paying for the network. But on top of that, they have a premium option for removing the ads, which IMHO in a case like this, feels like double-dipping its userbase, but it does show how underfunded they are. Recently the CBC has removed its shows from Netflix for Canadian audiences, preferring they view them on their own app, which is clunky to use. It's not like it's some minor network either, but one of Canada's major networks. I can't even imagine an American parallel to this scenario of a major network having a FAST network as their main source of streaming.

[gilraen]

I can't even imagine an American parallel to this scenario of a major network having a FAST network as their main source of streaming.

It's hard to compare since there are no government-funded networks in the US. But other than that, I don't see it being much different from CBS or NBC having their shows on their own app only (where some stuff is free with ads, some you can see with ads if you are a cable subscriber, and some you have to pay extra to see at all).

[Rumpy]

Right, but in this case, unless you pony up for the premium, even when you're a cable subscriber, you're gonna see ads.

[Jaymon]

Its impossible to predict who will win the streaming wars, but I garauntee the customers will be the losers.

[hitbyambulance]

Its impossible to predict who will win the streaming wars, but I garauntee the customers will be the losers.

<astrangegame.tga>

[malchior]

Its impossible to predict who will win the streaming wars, but I garauntee the customers will be the losers.

Apparently the US treasury as well. I can't fathom how pulling off content while not changing pricing means you can write off a loss.

[Carpet_pissr]

Its impossible to predict who will win the streaming wars, but I garauntee the customers will be the losers.

Apparently the US treasury as well. I can't fathom how pulling off content while not changing pricing means you can write off a loss.

LOL, I don't believe you. You really can't fathom how a highly influential, highly connected (and lobbied) mega-corp, in modern, hyper-capitalistic America which apparently is being run and operated sheerly by the power of the almighty Dollar (or if we MUST define a puppetmaster, fine the nuevo Oligarchy), seems to get a huge pass on "managing" taxes?

[Blackhawk]

With all of the services yanking content (and canceling new content) while keeping prices the same or raising them, I have to wonder how much is an adjustment from the earlier "everything for a buck" approach, how much is related to the end of the pandemic (fewer people at home), how much is in response to the WGA strike and demands for better residuals (likely to be soon followed by the SAG wanting the same), and how much is just a cash-grab.

[hitbyambulance]

Its impossible to predict who will win the streaming wars, but I garauntee the customers will be the losers.

Apparently the US treasury as well. I can't fathom how pulling off content while not changing pricing means you can write off a loss.

LOL, I don't believe you. You really can't fathom how a highly influential, highly connected (and lobbied) mega-corp, in modern, hyper-capitalistic America which apparently is being run and operated sheerly by the power of the almighty Dollar (or if we MUST define a puppetmaster, fine the nuevo Oligarchy), seems to get a huge pass on "managing" taxes?

from the twitter thread:

I'd take that deal, if all the content they were writing off was forced into the Public Domain. And the write off is at cost, not whatever it's "valued" at.

[Rumpy]

I think it's a bunch of things happening all at once. Basically, the streaming bubble has burst and all of them are scrambling to find ways to stay profitable. Streaming services have pushed them to create more content than ever before, leading writers to strike while the companies raise the prices in order to afford to operate the servers. But it's the culling of their own content I don't quite understand. They're essentially giving customers a lesser value. Unless they use the Disney Vault approach to rotating content and bringing it back years later. But the model they've been using has been unsustainable. This was only going to be a matter of time until it happened as there's only so much time and money.

[Blackhawk]

Streaming services have pushed them to create more content than ever before, leading writers to strike

I'd adjust that to '...leading companies to use loopholes from pre-streaming contracts to get around paying their writers (and actors), lading writers to strike.'

But it's the culling of their own content I don't quite understand. They're essentially giving customers a lesser value. Unless they use the Disney Vault approach to rotating content and bringing it back years later. But the model they've been using has been unsustainable. This was only going to be a matter of time until it happened as there's only so much time and money.

Part of it (as I understand it) is that they're having to pay to have content available, based on the number of subscribers, whether or not that content is actually attracting subscribers. Think about it as simple math: X*Y=Z where X is the number of subscribers and Y is every writer and actor on every show they have. By removing shows that, according to whatever data they have, don't attract enough customers, they're reducing what they pay. And by passing those shows on to ad-run networks (IE - that are in a slightly different market), they make money off of them directly, and since they're on channels with fewer viewers, they don't have to pay as much.

And this is before the strike gets resolved, as right now the writers (and actors - they'll likely strike next) are getting a tiny fraction per show of what they used to get when shows were syndicated on networks, as the core of the contracts weren't written for a world where streaming is the primary model.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, I think it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario. To attract customers they've got to create content, but as you say, they have to pay to have it available, the shows and the servers. The irony is that by culling their own shows, they have less to show during the strike.

Basically, the way I understand it is, they're making more shows, but paying their staff less, because the models were based on the regular 22-episode network show models. 10 or less episodes are probably not getting them paid well for the time and effort they put into them.

[Blackhawk]

Yeah, I think it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario. To attract customers they've got to create content, but as you say, they have to pay to have it available, the shows and the servers. The irony is that by culling their own shows, they have less to show during the strike.

Basically, the way I understand it is, they're making more shows, but paying their staff less, because the models were based on the regular 22-episode network show models. 10 or less episodes are probably not getting them paid well for the time and effort they put into them.

It isn't just that. When the part of the contract that covered that was written, the writers/actors were paid per episode aired when shows went into syndication. CBS shows an old episode of Quincy, the writers of Quincy got paid $X. They added a few patches to it when streaming began, but at the time it was just a side thing - streaming didn't compete with the networks. Now they're getting many times as many people consuming their work, but are getting paid a fraction of what they would have before. On top of it, the studios have found more 'efficient' ways of writing, involving a smaller number of writers working in seclusion for a few weeks prior to a show instead of being a part of the core staff for the entire production, which has effectively crippled both the de-facto 'apprenticeship' process for writers (less experience writers learning from more experienced writers), but it has also blocked writers' avenues of advancement. Before, they would be working side-by-side with the producers, leading them to gain the experience necessary to become producers themselves. Now they don't even see the actual production, and are usually long gone before it is underway, which is also one of the reasons a lot of shows go sideways toward the end of seasons - they don't have writers on hand to make emergency revisions.)

[Rumpy]

I guess they need to rethink the way writers and actors get paid, as I think it's only going to get worse before they do. The fact that the writers have been paid less via streaming-tailored shows only reinforces just how unsustainable the model really is. It really makes them sound like cheap labor.

[Blackhawk]

They feel the same way.

[Hrothgar]

More stuff disappearing.

[Blackhawk]

The Golden Age of the Streaming Wars is Over

And thus the Second Golden Age of Piracy has come. The last time it was a 'thing' was before streaming was an option, before widespread broadband, and before the simple workarounds for avoiding ISP/copyright monitoring.

[Blackhawk]

Warner Bros Discovery looking to sell off movie and music rights

Warner Bros. Discovery is negotiating to sell around half of the storied Warner studio’s film and TV music-publishing assets for approximately $500 million, three sources confirm to Variety. The news was first reported by Hits.

While it is unclear exactly which assets are on the table, one source says that the rights to “slightly less than half” of the catalog, with a price of around $500 million, are likely to go to a major label, with Sony said to be in the lead. The catalog is believed to include music from such films as “Purple Rain,” “Evita,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Rent” several “Batman” films and many more titles, as well as songs included in films such as “As Time Goes By” from “Casablanca” — iconic titles to be sure, but again, it is unclear exactly which rights are in play. Top attorney Allen Grubman is said to be overseeing the deal for Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

[Carpet_pissr]

Hopefully that will boost the turd of a stock that is WBD that I FOOLISHLY bought many moons ago (or rather didn't sell my previous holding, that merged into WBD).

[Smoove_B]

Just saw this:

‘CRATER’, starring Mckenna Grace and Kid Cudi, has been removed from Disney+ due to cost-cutting reasons.

The film just released on Disney+ on May 12.

So now "streaming" is more like having a limited engagement like being able to go to the movies. These are crazy times.

[Isgrimnur]

If only there were some network of physical stores where one could go and acquire the actual media on which a film might be pressed so that it could be rented or purchased...

Perhaps one day, we'll live in a glorious future such as that.

[Blackhawk]

Even if such things existed, they wouldn't exist around here.

[Isgrimnur]

Perhaps they could mail them to you...

[Carpet_pissr]

What’s “mail”?

[Rumpy]

That's brutal. Any of the stars doing media tours will likely not be finished before it's pulled. I feel for the cast and crew of shows that get so quickly pulled.

[Blackhawk]

Perhaps they could mail them to you...

Or they could email them to me! I'd turn on my computer, click 'play' and just watch them right there!

Seriously, though, that's decent for films if you can plan ahead, but it was horrible for series, which make up the bulk of my viewing.

[hepcat]

What’s “mail”?

The opposite of femail

[gilraen]

One odd aspect of streamers taking down shows that never got a physical media release is that it almost feels like we’re returning to an era before home video; an era I wasn’t around to see. Missed something on broadcast TV in the 1960s? Tough luck. It’s gone.

[Sudy]

My greatest concern with this is not accessibility (there's always a usable underground streaming site around, just strap in with ad blockers), but that these shows will disappear from public consciousness to a degree, meaning the good sleeper/less popular shows are less likely to be heard about or recommended.

[Blackhawk]

1960s. That's funny. VCRs might have come out in the 70s, but they were expensive luxuries for a long, long time, and even when they were affordable, the tapes weren't, and even when the tapes started to become reasonable, most series weren't on them.