The Streaming Wars -- August 16, 2022

Link here. Hulu original:

After more than 60 years in the business, the comedy legend was ready to wind it down. Then came 'Only Murders in the Building' and his three Emmy nominations. And a new stage show. And a new book. And a new doc. But after that, it's over. He's pretty sure…

Amazon, sports: link here.

• Nielson will provide ratings for Amazon's live NFL streams.

Amazon and data measurement firm Nielsen have sealed a three-year deal for measuring the ratings of Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” (TNF). Nielsen said that this would be the first time that the firm will include a streaming service and its live streaming program in its National TV measurement service. The firm will begin measuring next Thursday, August 25, during the “Thursday Night Football” preseason game, when the San Francisco 49ers face off against the Houston Texans.

Apple TV+:

• "Big Sisters": fun, but empty.
• Apple TV+ strategy is working: Forbes, August 4, 2022.

On Sunday, August 4, 2022, Apple was recognized by the Hollywood Critics Association as the most winning streaming service scoring seven wins, including best drama, "Severance" and Best Comedy, "Ted Lasso."

WBD: everyone thought it was dead. WBD is up almost 5% today. No dividend. Trading at $13.75. 

Roku: some time ago I mentioned that the "moat" in "streaming" was deep pockets. From The Motley Fool:

Following Roku's Q2 earnings, the company's stock fell more than 20%. It's easy to imagine shareholders reacting in a similar manner should Google get into the FAST space anytime soon. Again, Roku's platform makes up the lion's share of its revenue. Google, on the other hand, has lots of other operations to help see it through an economic downturn.

Despite the challenges, Roku still has a significant user base, thanks to its operating system appearing on tens of millions of TVs and streaming sticks. It's reasonable to consider it will still hold its own no matter which other entrants get into the FAST space. But at a time when advertisers are spending less, competition from anywhere is going to test Roku. Stakeholders may want to take note of the possibility that its next challenge may come from an advertising behemoth (Google).

FAST: streaming. Link here. 

FAST continues to defy expectations. A linear viewing format that’s growing? In 2022? Yet the number of available FAST channels in the U.S. is over 1,400, with 22 major providers including Pluto TV, Tubi and Roku Channel. FAST also saw considerable attention in this year’s NewFronts, with the likes of AMC Networks and A+E Networks unveiling plans for a slew of new channels set to release in 2022.

With the FAST environment rapidly evolving, VIP+ is proud to present the third incarnation of its “Life in the FAST Lane” report, following earlier reports in October 2021 and July 2020. This update takes into consideration the changes in the market, utilizing VIP+’s unique data-driven approach to assessment.

For those not yet aware of FAST, the format is essentially no different from watching a TV network. Unlike the other free streaming format — AVOD, which sees viewers select a title on demand and start at the beginning — FAST is a linear stream. This means that a FAST channel is selected via an electronic programming grid, with the title on a channel joined in progress by the viewer.