#streaming-wars

#streaming-wars

It is significant that the new Paramount regime's first move was to prise Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer away from Netflix. And Netflix, of course, have made their billions by upending the traditional pitch-session-to-cinema pipeline that had sustained the film industry for decades. They have signed up legions of the classiest directors, hogged nearly all the audience-friendly documentaries and premiered one water-cooler series after another.

Warner Bros Discovery has entered exclusive talks to sell its streaming and Hollywood studio business to Netflix, a move that would dramatically change the established film and TV landscape. Netflix is in competition with Paramount Skydance and Comcast, which owns assets including Universal Studios and Sky, to buy the owner of the Hollywood studio Warner Bros, HBO and the HBO Max streaming service.

Execs have insisted Netflix is superior to YouTube while also making it clear they're open to deals with its stars. "We're looking for the next generation of great creators, and we're looking everywhere," co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in April. It's not just talk. Netflix has done deals with star creators, including kids entertainer Ms. Rachel, The Sidemen, and, most recently, science educator Mark Rober.

This year's Limited Series race underscores ongoing competition with Netflix, HBO, and FX contending for supremacy, having dominated the category for 13 consecutive years.

Movies used to be explicitly funny, with audiences expecting to pay for laughter. Now, humor has become a tone diluted across various genres, failing to deliver true comedy.

The cost of acquiring [intellectual property], attaching talent, and producing quality content has surged due to the streaming wars, making it unaffordable for many.