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'Game of Thrones' teaser trailer hypes up the final season
Following some subtle teasers and brief clips, HBO has at least revealed the release date and a substantial teaser for Games of Thrones' final season. The minute-and-a-half long clip shows the remaining Stark children meeting up in the family crypt and receiving ghostly council from Ned Stark and other deceased family members. The description states that "Game of Thrones returns for its final season on April 14."
AT&T, Dish point fingers after HBO blackout
It's been less than six months since HBO (and the rest of what is now called WarnerMedia) joined AT&T, and now we have our first bonafide carriage dispute. Both AT&T and Dish blamed the other for HBO and Cinemax going dark on the Dish Network and Sling TV services, in the first such tiff of HBO's 40-year history.
Netflix will raise $2 billion to pay for more original content
It's hard to deny that Netflix is a powerhouse when it comes to original content. The company wants to ensure it remains on top, though, and to do that it's willing to go into debt. Netflix announced today that it plans to raise $2 billion in debt (rather than offering equity in the company) to fund "general corporate purposes, which may include content acquisitions, production and development, capital expenditures, investments, working capital and potential acquisitions and strategic transactions," according to a release.
After Math: Paying more for less
The rent is too damn high unless you're living in a van down by the river, medical care routinely puts people into bankruptcy, gas prices are still floating around $3 a gallon nationwide and Senator Ted "Zodiac Killer" Cruz is worried that his six figure salary won't enable him to buy a second house anytime soon. Times are tough for everybody so one has to wonder why the companies below are seemingly trying to make things actively worse.
Canelo Álvarez signs $365 million contract with streaming service DAZN
Multiple world champion Canelo Álvarez has signed a staggering 11-fight, five year, $365 million contract with DAZN, a streaming service dedicated to sports. This beats out the previous record holder, Giancarlo Stanton, who signed a 13-year contract with the Miami Marlins for $325 million.
AT&T's WarnerMedia will launch streaming TV service in late 2019
Add AT&T to the list of media giants launching streaming services that revolve solely around their own content. The company's WarnerMedia is launching a streaming offering in the fourth quarter of 2019 with access to the group's collection of movies and TV shows. Most details are under wraps, but CNN has obtained an internal memo from CEO John Stankey showing that it would "start with HBO" and "package" Turner and Warner Bros. content. And while it would be a stand-alone service, Stankey stressed that it would "complement" the company's conventional TV distribution. It's trying to avoid a fight with cable and satellite giants worried they'll lose customers, in other words.
Can British comedy make a killing online?
For such a benign business, the language of comedy is violent, with acts describing their efforts to kill their audience on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, unless they're an A-list act with a huge following, that's likely to be the only killing that they make on a regular basis. In the UK, comedy is a lucrative gig for the winners and a grossly underpaid one for everyone else. And it's even worse in the digital sphere, as acts struggle to convince people to pay for their jokes.
What we're watching: 'Mandy,' 'Succession' and 'Great News'
This month, Reporter Timothy J. Seppala checks out the latest Nicolas Cage joint and explains why you should too, while Senior Editor Daniel Cooper returns from a break with impressions of some binge-worthy television.
The 2018 Emmys were a watershed moment for streaming TV
"The goal is to become HBO before HBO can become us." That's what Netflix's Ted Sarandos told GQ back in 2013, and it subsequently became a corporate mantra. Back then, it was hard to see how this upstart could supplant the bluest chip in TV's firmament. It had money, sure, but nobody could have expected it to execute the change from being a DVD rental business to a ubiquitous TV platform. Just five years after launching its first original, House of Cards, Netflix has won.
'Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' leads the pack of streaming Emmy winners
Just a few years ago it was still novel to see Emmy winners coming from internet services instead of cable or network TV, but now it's just a part of the landscape. Netflix notably edged out HBO this year when it came to nominations, but now that all the trophies have been handed out they ended up tied with 23 wins each.
Media giants invest $1 billion in former Dreamworks exec’s ‘NewTV’
Former Dreamworks executive Jeffrey Katzenberg first touted his video startup idea, NewTV, a year ago, citing ambitious plans to secure as much as $2 billion in funding to get the idea off the ground. Just over 12 months later and he's halfway there, with the company confirming it's closed on a billion in a new funding round, thanks to heavyweight investors such as Disney, 21st Century Fox and Warner Bros.
Joss Whedon returns to TV with HBO’s sci-fi drama, 'The Nevers'
Joss Whedon's next show has been ordered by HBO, which reportedly beat out other bidders including Netflix, per The Hollywood Reporter. The Nevers is a science fiction drama about a group of Victorian women with unusual abilities who have to fight enemies and complete their world-changing mission -- in other words, typical Whedon fare. He will write, direct, executive produce and serve as showrunner. At this point, there's no release date.
HBO's new owner needs to learn that 'more' doesn't mean 'better'
After AT&T bought Time Warner, the business was handed over to AT&T veteran John Stankey. Last month, the new boss told The New York Times that he would be hands-off, especially toward HBO, Warner's quirky, ultra-premium network. Stankey said AT&T lacked the ability to do a better job, and it would be business as usual at the home of blockbusters like Westworld. Sadly, it appears that Stankey has failed to heed his own advice.
HBO must 'change direction' to flourish, says its new boss
With 42 million US subscribers, almost six billion dollars in profit over the past three years, and 29 Primetime Emmy Awards in 2017 alone, it goes without saying HBO is doing something right. But according to AT&T executive and newly enthroned WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey, the network must broaden its focus if it wants to maintain proper competitive footing in the fluctuating media landscape.
HBO's website is apparently blocked in China thanks to John Oliver
According to a report from The New York Times, the HBO website has been blocked in China. The crackdown apparently came in response to John Oliver mocking president Xi Jinping on Last Week Tonight. Originally noticed by internet watchdog Greatfire.org, the block went into effect on June 22nd and currently appears to be at 83 percent across the country.
'Westworld: The Maze' is a choose-your-own-adventure Alexa game
Consider yourself a Westworld superfan? Now you can prove it. Ahead of the season finale, HBO is launching its first full-scale Alexa voice skill with Westworld: The Maze, an immersive voice experience that challenges fans to demonstrate their knowledge of the sci-fi western through a choose-your-own-adventure game.
'Westworld' mobile game puts you in control June 21st
HBO and Warner Bros. have been teasing their Westworld mobile game for nigh-on half a year. Now, though, they finally have something to show. The Behaviour Interactive-built game is slated to arrive on June 21st -- Apple provided the date for iOS, but we've since confirmed that it's coming to Android that day as well. Whichever platform you use, the premise is the same: you're a Delos trainee running a simulation that grants ever-increasing responsibility over Westworld, requiring you to both satisfy guests and keep the robotic hosts in line.
Expect AT&T's 'WarnerMedia' to expand HBO's budget
Now that Time Warner is officially a part of AT&T, it's getting a new game. Unveiled in an internal memo, brands like HBO, Turner and Warner Bros. will call WarnerMedia home. We're not in love with the name either, but as-is, you will probably interact with the various channels and studios under it in the same way as usual and it's easier to remember that Time Warner Cable hasn't been connected to the business in years. AT&T exec John Stankey is taking over WarnerMedia (with CNN's Jeff Zucker, HBO's Richard Plepler and Warner Bros.' Kevin Tsujihara reporting to him), and revealed a bit about his plans in a series of interviews. Bloomberg has the impression that Stankey plans for HBO to have a bigger library and more content ready for viewing on-demand. Going forward, it sounds like he's proposing a push that will enhance direct-to-customer options like HBO Now, but we'll have to see how it shakes out and if HBO's $2.5 billion budget expands to take on Netflix (which is spending $8 billion this year) Amazon and the rest. Talking to the New York Times he was less definitive, saying "at the end of the day, we want our technology and we want our content to drive more customer engagement. If we have the opportunity to do that by investing we are going to invest to make that happen." While we wait for that to develop, one thing that's first up is the "$15" TV streaming package that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson mentioned in his testimony. According to Bloomberg, the low-cost service will launch "in a few days" with Turner programming anchoring it, and a distinct lack of sports. There's also going to be a Netflix-esque use of data to inform programming decisions, not to mention the advertising and analytics business AT&T is building up based on "customer insights" from TV, mobile and internet subscribers.
AT&T's $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner is complete
After a judge ruled in favor of the acquisition, AT&T has officially swallowed up Time Warner. Now Warner Bros., HBO and Turner are a part of the company's as-yet-unnamed media business, which is one of four segments: AT&T Communications provides mobile, broadband, video and other communications services to U.S.-based consumers and nearly 3.5 million companies – from the smallest business to nearly all the Fortune 1000 – with highly secure, smart solutions. Revenues from these services totaled more than $150 billion in 2017. AT&T's media business consists of HBO, Turner and Warner Bros. Together, these businesses had revenues of more than $31 billion in 2017. A new name for this business will be announced later. AT&T International provides mobile services in Mexico to consumers and businesses, plus pay-TV service across 11 countries in South America and the Caribbean. It had revenues of more than $8 billion in 2017. AT&T's advertising and analytics business provides marketers with advanced advertising solutions using valuable customer insights from AT&T's TV, mobile and broadband services, combined with extensive ad inventory from Turner and AT&T's pay-TV services. A name for this company will be announced in the future. Another part of the deal, as mentioned above, is the combination of ad inventory and analytics that will stretch across screens from TV to mobile. That business doesn't have a name yet either, but the ability to track and target audiences is a big part of recent media consolidation efforts. The Department of Justice said it hadn't yet decided whether or not to appeal the decision, but did not file to delay the deal's closing. The Wall Street Journal reports that in a letter to the DoJ, AT&T said it would create a "firewall" between Turner and AT&T to remove any competitive advantage.
HBO readies documentary on 'Serial' podcast subject Adnan Syed
The Serial podcast continues to have an effect years after its debut. HBO and Sky are producing a documentary series, The Case Against Adnan Syed, that will cover the allegations against the subject of Serial's first season. The four-hour project will cover the circumstances leading up to Hae Min Lee's murder in 1999, the original trial and, crucially, the decision in the wake of the podcast to vacate his original conviction and grant a retrial.
