Streaming Services (business / market / service, not content-focused)

[mormont]

Yeah, it's active in those three countries precisely because they're trialling it for use everywhere. And I'd be willing to bet those three countries have lots of households that don't conform to the 'one physical location' model: itinerant workers, for example, internal migrants, split families. So the idea was clearly to test this idea in a low stakes environment -low profile, poor (by international standards) customers, small markets - before moving it on to all of us. And they clearly like the results, but not the backlash this got.

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

Not exactly streaming related but,

Yeah, no shit. What does a company do when they're asset rich and cash poor? Figure out how to turn one into the other.

For reference, Disney's net income:

• 2022: $3.2 Billion
• 2021: $2.0 Billion 
• 2020: -$2.9 Billion 
• 2019: $11.0 Billion 

You have go back to before 2006 to find annual net income in the $2-3 billion range for that company, not adjusted for inflation; and they are a much bigger company than they were back then. Covid really did a number on these guys. 

[RumHam]

I don't understand how you can make $3.2 billion dollars in a year and be any kind of poor. 

[Myrddin]

Monogrammed solid gold Mickey Mouse ears for all the share holders don't come cheap, you know! Do you seriously expect them to visit the parks like peasants?? 

 

Edited February 3 by Myrddin

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

59 minutes ago, RumHam said:

I don't understand how you can make $3.2 billion dollars in a year and be any kind of poor. 

Debt. 

[SpaceChampion]

Warner Bros. Discovery to Keep Discovery+, in Strategy Shift

Quote

Instead of combining HBO Max and Discovery+ in their entirety, the new platform will feature HBO Max content and most Discovery+ content, with Discovery+ remaining available as a stand-alone option, some of the people said.

The decision to keep Discovery+ is part of an effort to avoid risking losing a significant chunk of the app’s 20 million subscribers who might not want to pay the higher price to access that content, according to the people familiar with the matter.

 

[Zorral]

This isn't regarding streaming per se, it is about watching movies in a movie theater:

How Much to See a Movie at AMC? It Will Soon Depend Where You Sit.
By the end of 2023, the movie theater chain will offer tickets at three different price tiers, with middle seats costing the most. You’ll pay less if you like the front row.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/business/amc-movie-ticket-prices.html

Quote

 

Some middle seats at AMC movie theaters will be more expensive than others as part of the company’s new ticket-pricing strategy, announced this week.

AMC Entertainment, the world’s largest cinema chain, said in a news release on Monday that this new pricing system, known as Sightline at AMC, would be in place at all of its United States theaters by the end of the year.

The seats in the front row of the theater will be the least expensive and seats in the middle of the theater will be the most expensive, the company said. However, new prices will not affect showings before 4 p.m. or tickets sold at a special discount on Tuesdays, AMC said.

AMC’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Eliot Hamlisch, said in the news release that the tiered system “more closely aligns” with the reserved seats and pricing models of other types of ticketed events, such as sporting events and concerts. ....

 

 

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/disney-q1-2023-earnings-bob-iger-disney-plus-loses-subscribers-1235517007/

[The Anti-Targ]

On 2/4/2023 at 12:42 PM, Deadlines? What Deadlines? said:

Debt. 

Only the rich can afford to have huge debt.

Anyway, Netflix is pulling the plug here on account sharing. As of 22 Feb all account holders are going to have to nominate their primary device for Netflix. Nothing not connected to the same network will be able to access that account. I dunno the full details since the device we piggy back on is never going to be in the same city as the person we're piggy backing off. So here endeth our Netflix free ride. I pay for two streaming services and that's enough for me, so bye-bye Netflix I suppose. Though I think I will implement my rotating door streaming service jumping plan, so at some point I'll drop one service and pick up Netflix for a time then drop Netflix and pick something else up, or go back to the original. We'll see I guess.

I think Netflix should adopt a freemium model rather than just ditching the freeloaders. We are still eyeballs they want watching their stuff, but we are obviously too cheap to be arsed paying. So, offer us an advertising supported free service.

[Heartofice]

7 hours ago, Deadlines? What Deadlines? said:

https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/disney-q1-2023-earnings-bob-iger-disney-plus-loses-subscribers-1235517007/

This seems to be the most signification part of that article:

 

Quote

The drop in Disney+ subscribers — which was bigger than analysts expected — was entirely driven by a 3.8 million sequential decline Disney+ Hotstar, the version of the service offered in India and parts of Southeast Asia, to stand at 161.8 million at the end of 2022. Last year, Disney lost streaming rights to Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches, which prompted it to lower growth targets for Disney+ Hotstar in India.

Which is a shame because I think Disney deserve a bit of a bashing. 

[The Anti-Targ]

There is some good stuff on D+, but it's largely where I watch Marvel stuff and that's about it. We're piggy backing off family for that. If they pulled a Netflix I'm not sure I'd pick it up.

[SpaceChampion]

7 hours ago, The Anti-Targ said:

 As of 22 Feb all account holders are going to have to nominate their primary device for Netflix.

Was suppose to start yesterday in Canada and a few other countries according to a post on their website but I haven't been prompted yet.

[Corvinus85]

I bundle Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+. I hardly use the latter, but the option is there if I want to watch an international event that ESPN has. I did cut Hulu Live because the price has gone up quite a lot in the last couple of years.

[Zorral]

8 hours ago, The Anti-Targ said:

Netflix should adopt a freemium mode

I disagree strongly.  I'm one of those who never owned a television because of commercials.  I will drop a service if it goes to that model.

[RumHam]

Not having kids of my own Disney+ is very much a "subscribe every few months when something big comes out" service. I like the Bad Batch but I can wait to catch up on that. 

Canceling Netflix was very satisfying after all the shit they've canceled. 

[The Anti-Targ]

6 hours ago, Zorral said:

I disagree strongly.  I'm one of those who never owned a television because of commercials.  I will drop a service if it goes to that model.

What I meant was to have a 2-tier system. Pay monthly subs and you get Netflix as it is now, or take the freemium option where most of the content is free but with ads and there is some PPV premium content.

There would also be a bit of cost-of-living crisis PR to be had with this. "Hey, look, we hear that people are feeling to pinch financially, so here is a way for you to enjoy [almost] all of your favourite Netflix content for FREE*"

*caveats and exceptions blah blah.

 

[Zorral]

17 minutes ago, The Anti-Targ said:

PPV premium content.

What in the world would that be, to make it worth it to me to pay more to avoid commercials?

Honestly, since Netflix still does dvds via mail, I'd sign up for that again and drop the streaming.

[The Anti-Targ]

1 hour ago, Zorral said:

What in the world would that be, to make it worth it to me to pay more to avoid commercials?

Honestly, since Netflix still does dvds via mail, I'd sign up for that again and drop the streaming.

In the model I'm suggesting the PPV content would be for the freemium users. As I said, for people paying monthly subs it would be Netflix as you currently know it.

[Heartofice]

17 hours ago, RumHam said:

Not having kids of my own Disney+ is very much a "subscribe every few months when something big comes out" service. 

 

I'm definitely in this camp too. Disney last year was doing a decent job keeping me on board by promising new stuff which I thought might be interesting. However they have disappointed me with pretty much everything they have done. Except for Andor it's hard to think of a single show or movie I was anticipating that was close to the hype. 

I think they might end up with similar problems to something like Netflix, where there is just nothing much of value to watch on there. I can spend hours scrolling through the Netflix libraries and struggle to find anything I really want to watch. Almost all of it is a 7/10 kinda show... at best. 

Do I really want to pay to watch pretty mediocre content?

[Rhom]

1 hour ago, Heartofice said:

I'm definitely in this camp too. Disney last year was doing a decent job keeping me on board by promising new stuff which I thought might be interesting. However they have disappointed me with pretty much everything they have done. Except for Andor it's hard to think of a single show or movie I was anticipating that was close to the hype. 

I think they might end up with similar problems to something like Netflix, where there is just nothing much of value to watch on there. I can spend hours scrolling through the Netflix libraries and struggle to find anything I really want to watch. Almost all of it is a 7/10 kinda show... at best. 

Do I really want to pay to watch pretty mediocre content?

I always said that I watched more TV when I had four channels than I do with essentially limitless content.  Would I have watched Night Court and Cheers at 10 years of age if I'd had all of today's options?  Reruns of Barney Miller at ten o'clock?  Heck no.

In contrast, now I will spend ten to fifteen minutes flipping through things before giving up and just sticking it on HGTV or a random basketball game.