Thread by @willmckinley

In praise of THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB and THE ADVENTURES OF SPIN AND MARTY on #DisneyPlus

latimes.com/entertainment-…

CBS and Viacom reunite in a $25 billion deal that further consolidates the media.

Next step: $500 million in "cost savings" = layoffs.

nytimes.com/2019/12/04/bus…

Classic films beat #StarWars and #Marvel as the most-watched content on #DisneyPlus. 🎞️🎞️🎞️

hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-su…

Prevailing wisdom: "Young people won't watch old movies."

Fact: "Among Millennials, 25% cited Disney classics as their most viewed category, as opposed to Star Wars (19%), Marvel (14%) or Pixar (13%)"
#DisneyPlus

62% of Millennial #DisneyPlus subscribers and 52% of Gen Z said classics were a "major reason" for subscribing.

That's more than Baby Boomers (44%)!

"[W]hat has been lost as broadcasting has given way to interest-specific narrowcasting?

"[T]he likelihood of...chance encounters that might alert one...to the existence of other options"

theguardian.com/commentisfree/… #FilmTwitter

This is why I don't judge younger viewers for not watching old movies, or even knowing about them.

Streaming is designed to marginalize the old and discourage discovery of the obscure, in favor of the current and the familiar.

As a kid, if I had had 10 channels programmed entirely for children 24/7, would I have watched old movies? Or soaps? Or obscure '50s reruns? Variety shows, cooking shows, talk shows?

The limited options of '70s TV shaped me as a person in ways that still enrich my life today.

With the addition of Fox, #Disney accounted for nearly 40% of the U.S. box office in 2019.

Their nearest competitor — Warner Bros. — was 13.8%

cnbc.com/2019/12/29/dis…

To be successful in #streaming in 2020 "you have to be either really, really big or really, really niche"

digiday.com/media/tough-20…

#DisneyPlus blames "pre-existing legacy agreements" for films like HOME ALONE leaving the platform temporarily.

gizmodo.com/heres-why-some…

Ad-supported streaming service @PlutoTV has increased active users by 70% since acquisition by @ViacomCBS

deadline.com/2020/01/pluto-…

In March, Disney-controlled @hulu will become the exclusive streaming home for current and former shows from Disney-controlled @FXNetworks.

deadline.com/2020/01/fx-on-…

The number of scripted TV shows has jumped 153% in the last decade.

Our available time to watch them has not.

nytimes.com/2020/01/09/bus… #PeakTV

Warner Bros. + Universal merge home video operations to ensure the "strength and sustainability" of physical media

deadline.com/2020/01/univer… #FilmTwitter

Reminder:

Universal controls the Universal library AND the Pre-1948 Paramount library.

In @WarnerArchive, Warner Bros. has a thriving MOD DVD label that has proved that old movies are still marketable commodities on home video.

wsj.com/articles/warne…

IF a j.v. between Warner Bros. + Universal gives WB access to the back catalog of both Universal + Paramount (pre-1948) for DVD, it would be the most transformative thing to happen to classic film since the launch of @tcm.

This article is a reminder why
latimes.com/business/hiltz…

History lesson

more history

97-year-old groundbreaker @TheNormanLear producing a new comedy about a trans woman for NBC's @peacockTV starring @Lavernecox.

hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/peac… #PeacockTV #LaverneCox

THE TONIGHT SHOW and LATE NIGHT will no longer premiere on TV.

They will stream at 8p and 9p ET on @peacockTV - NBC's new streaming service

vulture.com/2020/01/tonigh… #FallonTonight #LateNightSeth

NBC's streaming service @peacockTV launches nationwide July 15 — will be free (with ads) or $5 for "premium" content

collider.com/nbc-streaming-…

"Fox" as a motion picture brand name (1915–2020)

Disney kills the iconic studio name.

screencrush.com/20th-century-f…

"Twentieth Century" only existed as a standalone film brand for 23 months more than 80 years ago.

But Disney choose *that* over a 105-year-old iconic film brand that has become synonymous with ignorance and hate thanks to @FoxNews.

#Disney #Fox #FoxNews

Imagine paying $71.3 billion for an iconic brand.

And then changing the name to remove the iconic part.

#20thcenturyfox

The physical media ownership model always benefitted the consumer. But we surrendered our advantage.

nytimes.com/2020/01/20/opi… h/t @alanhait