Business of Media
‘Black Widow’ stunner: Disney’s streaming revenue reveal may be game-changer
Marvel Studios’ Black Widow may have just changed the rules of Hollywood’s all-consuming streaming wars race, reports The Hollywood Reporter‘s Pamela McClintock.
The Walt Disney Co. stunned rival Hollywood studios and theatre owners Sunday when it included premium video-on-demand numbers in its box office note for the female-led superhero pic starring Scarlett Johansson. It’s the first time any movie studio has revealed such data for an opening weekend, and only the second time for any PVOD title after Trolls: World Tour (several weeks after Trolls 2 opened in spring 2020, NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell said the animated film had earned more than $100 million.)
Otherwise, viewership numbers have been kept in the vault, whether for PVOD titles or studio films opening simultaneously on their sister companies’ streaming services at no extra fee (think HBO Max, or Disney in some instances).
According to Disney’s Sunday note, the big-budget Marvel tentpole grossed more than $60 million on Disney+ Premier Access — subscribers had to pay an extra $30 to watch Black Widow — while debuting to a pandemic-era best $80 million at the domestic box office and $78.8 million overseas for a global theatrical bow of $158.8 million. The Disney+ portion made up a hefty 27 percent of the total $218.8 million opening.
That $60 million from Disney+ would mean that about 2 million of its 103 million global subscribers paid $30 to see Black Widow.
News Brands
Despite outbreaks among unvaccinated, Fox News hosts smear shots
Back in December, before the queen of England and the president-elect of the United States had their turns, the media mogul Rupert Murdoch received a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Afterward, he urged everyone else to get it, too, reports The New York Times‘ Tiffany Hsu.
Since then, a different message has been a repeated refrain on the prime-time shows hosted by Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham on Murdoch’s Fox News Channel — a message at odds with the recommendations of health experts, even as the virus’s Delta variant and other mutations fuel outbreaks in areas where vaccination rates are below the national average.
Carlson, Ingraham and guests on their programs have said on the air that the vaccines could be dangerous; that people are justified in refusing them; and that public authorities have overstepped in their attempts to deliver them.
Carlson and Ingraham last week criticized a plan by the Biden administration to increase vaccinations by having health care workers and volunteers go door to door to try to persuade the reluctant to get shots.
Television
Television ratings overhauled to give better indication of audience numbers
Television ratings will soon include the release of seven-day viewing numbers that show how many viewers are tuning into catch-up TV, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
The official television audience reporting compiled by OzTAM will include two lots of ratings: the first will include linear TV (traditional TV viewing) and Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD) viewing over the previous seven days. They will be released at 9am each day.
The second lot of ratings, already released daily, will continue to include the overnight tables showing linear TV viewing only and they will be released at 10am.
OzTAM, owned by the free-to-air networks, compiles the ratings and the daily reports will likely see audience numbers tuning into the various station’s key prime-time shows significantly increase given the popularity of streaming and catch-up viewing.
TVT Vault: MasterChef-interruptus angers viewers
While MasterChef‘s grand finale is split across two nights this year, a decade ago it was also split into 2 parts …on the same night with another show in the middle, reports TV Tonight.
10 brazenly launched a flashy new property show The Renovators after two courses of its MasterChef grand final, forcing viewers to return later for the third course and results. It certainly didn’t go down well.
Radio
Jim Wilson’s ‘respect’ for Hadley after on-air spray over State of Origin game 3
Ray Hadley’s on-air spray yesterday followed a post from Jim Wilson who tweeted on Saturday : “Now I’m born and raised on the Gold Coast, but why is regional NSW/ Newcastle been penalised for Origin 3? “Really? As Pauline would say #PleaseExplain?” reports News Corp’s Jonathon Moran.
Hadley, who didn’t name Wilson when he let rip, said yesterday: “I’ve got family in Newcastle. I’ve got a six month old granddaughter who was in hospital over the weekend with a bronchial infection, the last thing I need is my family infected by people travelling up from Sydney,” he went on.
“That is the last thing anyone in Newcastle wants. Of course the NRL had to do what they did and of course NSW Health has acted responsibly. Anyone that disagrees is a complete dope, you included
“Wake up to yourself, of course they had to move it,” Hadley said. “To suggest it is a disgrace and the people of Newcastle have been robbed. I’ll tell you what the people of Newcastle have been saved from, a pandemic possibly.”
Speaking on his drive program yesterday, Wilson said he had a “huge amount of respect for Ray” and stated he wasn’t aware Hadley’s granddaughter had been ill.
Entertainment
The Veronicas launch TikTok docuseries Undscvrd to find Australia’s next big indie artists
The Veronicas promise no dodgy edits or scripted drama on the innovative new talent search they are launching on TikTok, reports News Corp’s Kathy McCabe.
And the artists unearthed by UNDSCVRD will retain ownership of the songs they write and record during the TikTok docu-series unlike The Voice, Australian Idol or similar television talent quests.
The five aspiring artists selected to star in the contest are able to release their songs and videos independently because UNDSCVRD is backed by Samsung rather than a television production company or major record label.
The winner will be given a budget to make their debut five-track EP.
Controversial MAFS couple Melissa and Bryce reveal they’re engaged and expecting twins
Controversial Married At First Sight couple Bryce Ruthven and Melissa Rawson have made two shock announcements, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein.
The Melbourne-based couple, who were at the centre of the show’s drama which has led to an official investigation, are legitimately engaged and also expecting twins in December.
“It’s all happened very fast,” Bryce told New Idea.
“It’s been a whirlwind, but we’re so incredibly happy,” added Melissa.
Sport
Channel 7 sorry for ‘disgraceful’ soccer post after players suffer online racial abuse following Euro defeat
7News has come under attack on social media after a Facebook post pointed to the ethnicity of three England soccer players in their failed penalty shootout against Italy, reports News Corp’s Mibenge Nsenduluka and Kelsey Hogan.
The post read “Three Black players failed in the penalty shootout which England lost 3-2 against Italy.”
It came after the Football Association condemned racist online abuse suffered by a number of England players following their Euro final defeat by Italy.