Erik Gruenwedel
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Despite Indifference, Netflix Reigns Supreme in By-Mail Disc Rental
Netflix has all the luck. The erstwhile by-mail disc rental pioneer’s brand name ushered in the ability for consumers to rent DVD or Blu-ray Disc movies online and receive the disc by mail 24 hours later. Disc rental has been an unrelenting cash cow for Netflix, generating operating income and crazy margins most companies would … Continue reading “Despite Indifference, Netflix Reigns Supreme in By-Mail Disc Rental”
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Did Netflix’s ‘El Camino’ Run Out of Gas?
Netflix’s big-budget “Breaking Bad” movie sequel (El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie) from creator Vince Gilligan offers a lengthy tale of morality and redemption through the gritty eyes of Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) — the meth-cooking partner-in-crime to high school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston), whose character perished in the 2013 series finale. El … Continue reading “Did Netflix’s ‘El Camino’ Run Out of Gas?”
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Despite Indifference, Netflix Reigns Supreme in By-Mail Disc Rental
Netflix has all the luck. The erstwhile by-mail disc rental pioneer’s brand name ushered in the ability for consumers to rent DVD or Blu-ray Disc movies online and receive the disc by mail 24 hours later. Disc rental has been an unrelenting cash cow for Netflix, generating operating income and crazy margins most companies would … Continue reading “Despite Indifference, Netflix Reigns Supreme in By-Mail Disc Rental”
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Did Netflix’s ‘El Camino’ Run Out of Gas?
Netflix’s big-budget “Breaking Bad” movie sequel (El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie) from creator Vince Gilligan offers a lengthy tale of morality and redemption through the gritty eyes of Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) — the meth-cooking partner-in-crime to high school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston), whose character perished in the 2013 series finale. El … Continue reading “Did Netflix’s ‘El Camino’ Run Out of Gas?”
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Roku’s Rough Week
In an era of fake news allegations, manipulation of the media for market purposes can be just as insidious. Take Roku, the streaming media device manufacturer and platform that invented the subscription video-on-demand market ecosystem with Netflix more than 11 years ago. Last week after Comcast announced it would begin rolling out a free streaming … Continue reading “Roku’s Rough Week”
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Bob Iger: ‘If Steve (Jobs) Were Alive,’ (Disney, Apple) Would be Combined Companies
Pending retirement and 20/20 hindsight can do wonders for the printed page. With his departure from The Walt Disney Co. set for 2021, CEO Bob Iger has already authored a memoir on his long-running stint heading the world famous brand. The book, “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of … Continue reading “Bob Iger: ‘If Steve (Jobs) Were Alive,’ (Disney, Apple) Would be Combined Companies”
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‘Sports Illustrated’ Sold to Marketing Group
Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform. And now the further demise of print journalism. Under the cloak of a national holiday, Meredith Corp. May 27 quietly sold the venerable Sports Illustrated brand to Authentic Brands Group, which describes itself as a “global brand development, marketing … Continue reading “‘Sports Illustrated’ Sold to Marketing Group”
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Circling the OTT Wagons With Hyperbole
Ever since Disney announced it would launch a branded subscription streaming video service featuring original content and box office movies previously licensed exclusively to Netflix, a cottage industry has emerged projecting pending gloom for the SVOD pioneer. While Disney CEO Bob Iger promises lower-priced Disney+ isn’t targeting Netflix, some pundits contend the handwriting is on … Continue reading “Circling the OTT Wagons With Hyperbole”
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It’s a Netflix World. Hollywood is Just Living in It
Netflix added almost 10 million new subscribers in its most-recent fiscal period, nearly topping 150 million subscribers globally. The SVOD pioneer added 31 million subs in 2018. The sub growth ended — for the moment — naysayer illusions the SVOD giant had become a cash cow — economic shorthand for a business generating plenty of … Continue reading “It’s a Netflix World. Hollywood is Just Living in It”
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Kevin Tsujihara: A Misplaced Asset at WarnerMedia
As the dust settles from WarnerMedia’s management shuffle, with former NBC Universal executive Bob Greenblatt assuming chairmanship of the media company’s entertainment unit, including budding over-the-top video – Kevin Tsujihara, chairman/CEO of Warner Bros., expanded his duties to include – consumer products? It’s an odd career move for Tsujihara, whose long history in digital content … Continue reading “Kevin Tsujihara: A Misplaced Asset at WarnerMedia”
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UltraViolet: A Lost Opportunity
I, like millions of registered UltraViolet users, received the Jan. 31 email informing me that the digital content storage locker is shuttering July 31. My reaction: Indifference. I, like possibly millions of other UV users, had forgotten I was even registered to the platform launched in 2011 by studios seeking to enhance ownership of packaged … Continue reading “UltraViolet: A Lost Opportunity”
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Wither HBO Now?
With WarnerMedia launching a branded subscription streaming video platform next year that will incorporate original and catalog content from HBO, Warner Bros. and Turner, in addition to third-party providers, the question arises: What will become of standalone SVOD service HBO Now? Launched in 2014, HBO Now topped 5 million subscribers earlier this year. WarnerMedia is … Continue reading “Wither HBO Now?”