Entertainment Industry Insights: May. 17 2023

Happy Wednesday, UTD!

This week is off to the races with several UpFront presentations going forward over the past two days despite the ongoing WGA strike. We held this week's email so that we could cover more of the UpFront commentary in one place.

Just a reminder if you are feeling nervous or lost during the WGA strike, don't freak out! Join Annie and me at our next free workshop where we will help you create a "strike-proof" plan. Learn about how you can focus your time and move your career forward in this production pause. Register today!

• May 30, 2023 @ 3:00 PM EST "” Strike-Proof: How to Take Advantage of this Industry Redirect & Stay Active During the WGA Strike with Actors Connection

We'll be taking next week off from the weekly email. Look for our return in your mailbox the following week.

There is a lot to cover from the WGA Strike, other looming contract negotiations (SAG-AFTRA & DGA), the fate of the Tony awards and so much more. Let's dig right in!

WGA

Details

• WGA Strike Leads To Plunge In L.A. Permit Requests For On-Location Scripted TV
• Writers Strike Costing California Economy $30M A Day In Lost Output, WGA Says
• Writers Strike: Netflix Also Suspending Overall & First-Look Deals
• Unscripted TV Community Fears Strike Impact
• Writers Strike: Supported By Ukrainian Screenwriters Guild
• Writers Strike: WGA Raises $1.7M To Help Industry Members Impacted By Walkout
• WGA Launches Scab-Reporting Site For Strike: "You Must Inform The Guild"
• WGA Strike: Broadcast Fights For Survival, AMPTP Faces Splintering
• Writers Fear 'Gig Economy': WGA Strike Fueled by Changing Landscape
• Writers Strike 2023 Explained: How It Will Affect Movies and TV

Picketing

• WGA To Picket David Zaslav"™s Commencement Speech At Boston University
• Ted Sarandos To Skip PEN America Gala Honoring Him Amid WGA Strike

Commentary / Opinions

• Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne and 'Platonic' Cast Sound Off on WGA Strike
• Fran Drescher Follows Up Comments Made On Picket Line
• WGA Showrunner Meeting: "There Is No Non-Writing Aspect Of What We Do"
• Rep. Katie Porter Joins Picket Line During Ongoing WGA Strike
• George R.R. Martin: Mini Rooms Are Most Important Issue of WGA Strike
• Ari Emanuel Says Endeavor Totally "Supports Our Clients" In WGA Strike
• Tom Hanks On WGA Strike: "Entire Industry Is At A Crossroads And We All Know It"
• Elizabeth Banks On Writers Strike: "We Have To Hold The Line As A Community"
• Writers Strike: WGA Negotiating Committee Member David Simon On AI

Looming Contract Negotiations

SAG-AFTRA

• SAG-AFTRA Leaders Present United Front Ahead Of Contract Talks At L.A. Local"™s Annual Membership Meeting

DGA

• DGA & AMPTP Agree To Media Blackout As Contract Talks Begin
• Bernie Sanders & Adam Schiff Express Solidarity With DGA As Contract Talks Begin
• DGA Begins Contract Negotiations, Is 'Ready To Fight'
• DGA Talks Open Second Front in Hollywood Labor Battle

Content & Programming

• ABC Leans Into Unscripted For Strike Contingent Fall Schedule
• NBCU Taps VideoAmp to Launch Shows Like 'Night Court,' 'Quantum Leap'
• "˜American Auto"™, "˜Grand Crew"™ & "˜Young Rock"™ Remain On The Bubble NBC
• NBC Fall 2023 Schedule: "˜Night Court"™, "˜Law & Order: Organized Crime"™ "˜La Brea"™
• Fox Delivers Strong Ratings In Delayed Viewing For 2022-23 TV Season,
• CBS To Finish 2022-23 TV Season As Most-Watched Broadcast Network

Upfronts

• The Upfront Show Must Go On: Media Companies Fine-Tune Their Pitches While Navigating Through WGA Strike, Murky Economic Climate And Streaming Shift
• Netflix Scraps Live Upfront Event, Will Go Virtual

Disney

• Highlights From Disney Upfront; Serena Williams & Damar Hamlin Promote ESPN; Samurai Warriors Battle On Stage
• As Florida Standoff Continues, Disney Ad Chief Rita Ferro Calls On Upfront Buyers In New York To "Lean Into All Aspects Of Diversity"

Fox

• Fox Won't Force Portfolio Packaging in TV Upfront
• Highlights From Fox Upfront; Gordon Ramsay Drops The F-Bombs

NBCU

• NBCUniversal Addresses Writers Strike At Upfronts Presentation
• Highlights From NBCUniversal Upfront; News Personalities Introduce Programming, Showrunners Appear Via Video & Ariana Madix Gets Her Moment
• NBCUniversal"™s Film Slate Steps Into Spotlight During Company"™s Upfronts Pitch

Profits

• Fox Q3 Profit Wiped Out By Dominion Defamation Lawsuit Costs
• Disney Stock Falls on Uncertainty Over Streaming Profit, Ad Weakness
• Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholders Slam CEO David Zaslav Pay In Vote
• AMC Networks Earnings Q1: Streaming Subscribers Fall, Ad Sales Down

Streaming

• Disney Pulling Content Off Streaming In Strategic Rethink
• BET+ Will Launch Lower-Cost Ad-Supported Tier Timed to BET Awards
• Disney Plus Subscribers Fall in Q2, Down 4 Million
• Disney Plus to Add Hulu Content in 'One-App' Experience Later in 2023
• Disney+ And Hulu To Combine Into One App By Year"™s End, Bob Iger Says

Business

• IATSE To Study AI, Compares Changes It Will Bring To The Advent Of Talkies
• Disney CEO Bob Iger Calls AI Disruptive From An "IP Perspective"
• Media Stocks Mixed Amid Writers Strike, Fed Interest Rate Hike
• MTV News Shuts Down, Paramount Lays Off 25% of Networks, Studios Group

Production

• Hollywood"™s Covid Protocols Cost Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars; They End Today

Global

• Is China Making A Comeback? Chinese Buyers & Sellers Talk Cannes
• Australian Increases Location Offset For Inbound Production To 30%
• Hot Spots: Why Turin & Piedmont Is Hot Destination For Productions
• India"™s Tulsea On Scripting Better Deals For Writers In Growth Markets
• Spain Tax Incentives Entice 'House of the Dragon,' 'Vampire Academy'
• Spain Sees Digital Transformation as Government Funds Future
• Morning Show Host Rosario Fiorello Shakes Up Italian TV

Awards & Festivals

Awards

• BAFTA TV Awards Winners List "“ Updating Live
• GLAAD Media Awards 2023 Winners List
• Outer Critics Circle Announces 2023 Awards
• The Tony Awards Will Not Be Televised: WGA Denies Strike Waiver
• Writers Guild of America Will Not Picket Tony Awards After Promises of Alterations, Clearing Possible Path to June 11 Ceremony
• Daytime Emmys Postpones June Awards Due To WGA Strike
• Peabody Awards In-Person Ceremony Canceled Amid Writers Strike
• SAG Awards 2024 Date Set; Netflix Will Livestream Show
• Film Independent Spirit Awards Set Date For 39th Annual Event

Festivals

• Sundance Film Festival 2024 Dates Set By Sundance Institute
• Cannes Public Demonstrations Ban Put In Place For Duration Of Festival

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

• BAFTA Chair Krishnendu Majumdar Wants "Collective" Diversity Approach
• BAFTA Unveils Membership Data
• Academy Town Hall Clarifies New Oscar Inclusion Standards Initiative For Members
• Oklahoma Governor Moves To Eliminate Funding For Public Television Outlet

Quick Bites

• Shonda Rhimes On The Differences Between Working On ABC Versus Netflix; Reveals If Fans Affect Storytelling
• Shonda Rhimes Is "˜Very Strongly"™ for Intimacy Coordinators
• Tom Holland & Dwayne Johnson Open Up About Their Experiences With Mental Health
• Kevin Smith Opens Up About Mental Health Treatment Over Childhood Trauma
• Elle Fanning Talks About The Time Her Social Media Numbers Cost Her A Franchise Role
• Emma Thompson Defends Rom-Com Genre Against "˜Formulaic"™ Claims
• John Leguizamo Helps Launch Latino Streamer mituTV
• Cillian Murphy Says 'Peaky Blinders' Fame Ruins Experiences