"Content can only briefly be king. In the long term, distribution advantages enable you to get paid for both your shitty content as well as your hits. Content-first companies are only as good as their next amazing product. Ellison does recognize this dynamic. In a podcast interview he conducted after the deal was announced, he said, “We live in a world where an A- is failing. You have to have a creative culture that believes quality is the best business plan.” This is a noble sentiment and theoretically possible, but it is much harder to produce A+ quality content for years than simply owning the distribution during that time. The original Paramount knew this. For nearly 100 years, it rode each technological wave by capturing unique, defensible distribution. There has never, ever, in the history of media, been a company to reach that size without some kind of distribution engine. Even if Paramount had been permitted to keep its studio system through the present day, the internet would render it moot. The attention economy is simply too ferocious." https://lnkd.in/ga4rMd3N
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Tomorrow is Yesterday… A TV-Biz Overview: Historically, production companies licensed series made for one distributor (i.e., networks: ABC/CBS/NBC) to other distributors (i.e., local stations) in a system called syndication. At least 80 episodes were needed to make syndication-economics work. This “ancillary” income made studios money, and — from the 1960s/70s on, with the advent of broad-based residuals — was how most writers, actors & directors maintained middle-class lives. Series that aired a *lot* in syndication, all from Desilu (later acquired by Paramount): “I Love Lucy,” “Star Trek” & “Mission: Impossible.” Since widely watched shows of the 50s/60s were produced prior to those residuals, their syndicated boons accrued to production companies, allowing some cash to go into new shows. However, we should note that the pioneering writers, actors & directors of “I Love Lucy” & Classic “Trek” didn’t share in the ‘70s money-spigot, while Paramount was awash. Anyway, in theory, ancillary income from series like “Cheers” & the original “Frasier” (both produced by Paramount for NBC) could help make “niche” shows like “Fellow Travelers” (Paramount+) possible — providing work for today’s writers, actors, directors & crews (who also benefit from syndication, though differently than WGA, SAG-AFTRA & DGA). Circulating syndie-money became a system-feature, making licensing libraries a solid business, even when shows air on competitors’ services. What appears to be competition, can be mutual support. Again historically, from the mid-80s on (when Financial Interest & Syndication Rules ended), studios often licensed series to competitors. E.g., Columbia Pictures TV made “Married with Children” (1987-1997) for the nascent Fox network. Fox gave a negotiated license-fee to Columbia to produce eps for initial broadcasts, and Fox got all the ad-revenue when the show first aired. Columbia may have deficit-financed some overages that weren’t covered by Fox’s fees, especially in later, more expensive seasons, but Columbia banked all the syndication-licensing fees — minus residuals. This business model was highly functional, though disruption by the ever-evolving streaming model is taking the entire biz on quite a ride! Now, with the licensing of extant shows gaining momentum, some of TV’s best series will find new viewers. This is in addition to newer shows people just might’ve missed — e.g., “Suits” (produced by Universal for “sister” cabler USA), though I’d add “Hill Street Blues” (MTM/NBC), “China Beach” (Warner/ABC) & “thirtysomething” (MGM/ABC) to any TV-lovers “must watch” list. So many awesome shows are out there. Getting them onto screens can be a win-win — for everyone — with some smart visibility-support (a la “Suits”). Note: the narrative-styles of older shows are… different than streaming series, but that’s a whole ‘nother TV-Biz History. Thanks for reading this one! #entertainment #tv #television #streaming #syndication #residuals #netflix
After ‘Suits’ Effect, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos Urges Studios To License Streamer More Titles
https://deadline.com
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New Content! Truth is better than creativity. That's how Chris was able to write this very successful commercial in less than 10 minutes. If he's famous for anything that, is it. #advertising #broadcast #sales
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‘Bargain’, ‘The Continental’ & ‘Until I Kill You’ — The Hot Ones – Deadline (Exportain.com) https://ift.tt/no6bxtB Welcome to Deadline’s The Hot Ones, our information to a number of the greatest tv being bought at Mipcom subsequent week. Our editorial group has performed in depth analysis within the run-up to the 2023 market and handpicked what we predict are certain to be the exhibits that will probably be huge speaking factors at this 12 months’s occasion in Cannes. In between conferences and cocktail events, you’re certain to listen to whispers concerning the subsequent potential world hit and The Hot Ones is right here to information you. Here’s our decide of prime scripted titles headed for the Croisette. Bargain From left: Jeon Jong-Seo and Jin Sun-kyu in Bargain. TVING Co/Paramount+/Hyong-soo Distributor: Paramount Global Content Distribution Length: 6×35 minutes Producers: SLL, Climax Studio Bargain’s star has been ascending all 12 months, following the Korean drama’s Best Screenplay win at Canneseries in April and the Critics’ Choice gong at Germany’s Seriencamp in Cologne a couple of months later. “This show is one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time,” says Dan Cohen, Chief Content Licensing Officer at Paramount Global Content Distribution. “For my team, it’s really exciting given the popularity of Korean content.” The collection was born out of a wide-ranging strategic deal Paramount struck with South Korean powerhouse CJ ENM for movie and tv, one aspect of which might see Paramount co-finance and licence CJ exhibits for its world steaming service Paramount+. “Part of the appeal for us on Bargain and the CJ deal was because we really feel Korean content has cut through,” says Cohen. “We’ve not done other deals like this.” As such, Bargain launches on Paramount+ providers in quite a few territories, together with the U.S., UK and Germany. Cohen says the explanation for showcasing the collection at Mipcom now could be as a result of there are “plenty of markets that are unspoken for.” He provides that his group will probably be entertaining second window enquiries within the Paramount+ territories. Based on a 2015 brief movie, Bargain has an excessive premise. Noh Hyung Soo (Jin Seon-kyu) pays Park Joo Young (Jeon Jong-seo) for a sexual service, solely to search out she’s in cahoots with an unlawful human organ trafficking public sale home and he has been tricked. As folks combat over the value of his physique components, an earthquake hits and collapses the constructing. Hyung Soo and a bunch of survivors should make their approach by a endless highway to security. Cohen factors to director and co-creator Woo Sung-jeon’s beautiful lengthy takes, typically working for greater than 10 minutes. “It is wild to watch as the camera just moves with the action,” he says. “It almost feels like you’re watching in real time.” Cohen notes that whereas the drama is eye-catching, the award-winni...
‘Bargain’, ‘The Continental’ & ‘Until I Kill You’ — The Hot Ones – Deadline (Exportain.com) https://ift.tt/no6bxtB Welcome to Deadline’s The Hot Ones, our information to a number of the greatest tv being bought at Mipcom subsequent week. Our editorial group has performed in depth analysis within the run-up to the 2023 market and handpicked what we predict are certain to be the exhibits th...
https://usctnews.com
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“Entertainment executives argue that that offering writers historic raises. The thing is, even a 100% increase on a $259.71 check doesn’t come close to paying most people’s rent.” This Op-Ed from the Los Angeles Times that is published by Ethan Drogin, provides some behind the scenes intel in the writer’s room to create the hit show Suits. Currently streaming on Netflix, Ethan goes on “Whether you’re an airport baggage handler or a schoolteacher or a television writer, you rely on a whole team to get the job done well. Aaron Korsh, the creator of ‘Suits,’ worked for two years to craft a compelling pilot and made all the big decisions that guided everything we did. But a mock trial episode that truly elevated the series came from Erica Lipez, the sixth writer hired. Without Lipez’s contributions, there would still be a show. Without any three of us, there would still be a show. But it wouldn’t be ‘Suits.’ You can’t subtract Sean Jablonski’s subversive edge, Jon Cowan’s storytelling know-how or Rick Muirragui’s laugh-out-loud dialogue and have a Season 1 that lays the foundation for another eight.” As a realtor who assisted on selling multi-million dollar homes in the past with very little compensation, I can empathize. Just like the writers on “Suits” who “participated in every step of their episodes” to ensure a high quality series, I recalled working with photographers at 9:30 PM to make sure we got the perfect dusk shot of the pool, forcing our clients to wait another hour inside the property in order to get my boss’s approval before the perfect house goes under contract to another buyer, or getting a condo under contract within 30 days by restrategizing the marketing plan from scratch after the unit sat stale for over two years. #writersstrike #MeghanMarkle #ethicalbusiness #economicfairness #sweatequity #fairwages #wagegap https://lnkd.in/gsratR8v
Opinion: I helped write the surprise Netflix sensation 'Suits.' My reward? $259.71
latimes.com
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If you are interested in the entertainment business and content in the streaming era, I highly recommend this podcast about the writer's deal. Some key takeaways: 1️⃣ The studios made significant concessions to the writers, who secured a deal that included a commitment to not use artificial intelligence for rewriting any material. This move ensured their survival at one point. 2️⃣ However, this deal will increase production costs, which may lead to fewer shows being produced in the future. The question arises: do we need more content or less content with higher quality? 3️⃣ It is highly likely that we will see an increase in streaming service prices soon. As we transition from the era of free content on the internet to the one where we have to pay for what it's worth, consumers will have to adjust to the fact that consuming quality content comes at a cost. Eventually, will streaming services become just as costly as cable TV? https://lnkd.in/eZPGqVT8
Did Hollywood Writers Get Their Happy Ending?
https://www.nytimes.com
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Consumer Insights & Analytics | Brand Strategy & Content Development | OTT | Media Research & Measurement | Data Storytelling | ex-head Insights Viacom Music nets & NBCu Entertainment nets
Oh boy, proposing access to viewer data. Careful what you wish for. This will be extremely interesting if these data go public. Having spent a career analyzing TV viewing patterns, I would bet a large sum that most will be shocked at how little viewing the average series gets. Remember an old-school 1.0 rating in Nielsen is 3 million viewers (1% of 300MM P2+ total viewers) on average every minute. Think about that multiplied by the duration of a show, multiplied by the number of episodes in the series when you read these “millions of minutes” claims (or even Bs) for the limited published streaming ranks you’ll see. And those are just the Top 20 out of thousands of streaming series. Odds are the audience ROI on your average streaming scripted series at $5-10MM per ep will be revealed to be quite grim. But this is why we’ve been hiding this data all along, of course…
Hollywood studios offer new concessions to striking screenwriters - Bloomberg News
reuters.com
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When it comes to distribution, knowing your markets and their buyers is essential. As Sharon Levi, recent guest on Inside Content, put it, you should know every outlet. Knowing the ins and outs of a market, how it operates, who's buying what, and where, is vital if you want to successfully distribute your content, no matter what your strategy is - whether it's selling to a local player or global streamer. Catch up on our most recent episode of #InsideContent to hear how Sharon Levi, Managing Director of yes Studios approaches international sales of Israeli IP. Listen now! ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q0245h-z0 #TVPodcast #DistributionStrategy #TVIndustry
Inside Content: yes Studios on strategic selling, deal-making and regional vs. global distribution of Israeli IP | 3Vision
3vision.tv
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Can movie theaters still "reel" in advertisers? The answer is a resounding, YES. Hear the latest episode of the Association of National Advertisers's #championofgrowth podcast featuring NCM's Mike Rosen and ANA's Matthew Schwartz as they discuss the evolution and enduring power of cinema as the most valuable media platform when it comes to delivering return on ad spend. #cinemaadvertising #premiumvideo #brandformance
Can Movie Theaters Still Reel in Advertisers?
ana.net
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NOUVA had the opportunity to discuss a very important topic for many content creators—the content landscape is a feeding frenzy. Platforms compete for eyeballs with endless streams of content, however, right now there is a huge gap in what will be the new normal inside the entertainment industry. Leaders face a crucial question: is investing in more original content a surefire win, or a risky gamble? However, there is still light! Today we have Nathan Varni, an experienced television executive who started in television production & brings with him a keen understanding of all things production/post-production, schedules, realistic expectations, and a champion of writers/producers and carrying through their creative vision. Inside the podcast, we will learn so much about Nathan's incredible story, why is important to have an agent/entertainment lawyer, what are the layers that creators need to get to have an original series ongoing, what is happening inside the industry right now, and much more. Come and join us on this new episode and share it with other colleagues who might need to hear this! #television #series #contentcreator #programming #disney #creator https://lnkd.in/e7myxTw3
Who Holds the Keys: Why Targeting Matters in Entertainment - Nathan Varni ABC Disney Television
https://www.youtube.com/
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How we "watch TV" continues to evolve. This article from TVREV highlights some insightful thinking regarding news and syndicated content. Thanks Alan Wolk. https://lnkd.in/eHT_8JW6
CNN To Launch On Max, Syndication Market In Flux — TVREV
tvrev.com
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