🎬 A Win for Streaming

👋 Good morning! Disney+ has a new solution to your "what should I watch?" woes... and it looks suspiciously like... regular TV. Starting Sept. 4, the streaming giant is launching "continuous playlists"—curated content that keeps playing without you lifting a finger. These playlists will serve up everything from 24/7 news to a lineup of preschool favorites. Later this fall, expect themed playlists for seasonal content, epic stories (think ‘Marvel’ and ‘Star Wars’), throwback classics, and documentaries.

Welcome aboard the Dailies. As you sip your morning brew, we’ll get you caught up with the fast-paced world of Hollywood - no need to chase down a newsstand, we’ve got everything you need right here.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Mattel Wins Legal Showdown

• Fox's Cable-Streaming Tug-of-War

• Olympics Streaming Smashes Records

• Last Looks: 👀 Bite-sized scoops on developing stories/projects

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

Mattel just dodged a $46M bullet in a courtroom showdown over alleged idea theft. In 2014, producer Norton Herrick pitched Mattel a show called ‘Playmakers’—think ‘Shark Tank’ meets ‘Toys 'R' Us.’ Fast forward to 2017, and Mattel drops ‘The Toy Box’ on ABC, a show similar to Herrick's brainchild. Cue the lawsuit: Herrick cried foul and sued for $46M. It exemplifies why entertainment execs treat unsolicited pitches like radioactive material—they fear lawsuits if they ever make something similar. Mattel's defense? The concept was generic, with multiple similar pitches floating around that year. The jury sided with Mattel, finding no breach of contract or trade secret theft. In the future, this verdict could discourage other creators from suing over idea theft, especially for broad concepts.

Fox just dropped its Q4 fiscal year numbers, and it's like watching a tug-of-war between old-school cable and the streaming revolution. The report reflects the struggle that traditional media companies face in the era of cord cutting. Let’s take a look:

• Revenue u-turn: Fox's 2024 fiscal year revenue was 6% from 2023—their first annual revenue loss since splitting from the larger Fox empire. They're still making money, but it’s a step backwards in terms of growth. Meanwhile, their Q4 ad revenue is flat compared to Q4 2023.

• The subscriber shuffle: Fox is losing cable subscribers to cord-cutting. Their solution? Jack up prices for cable companies, who ultimately pass the cost on to their subscribers. But there’s a ceiling to how high the price hikes can go before subscribers start jumping ship.

• NFL price tag: Adding to the financial pressure, NFL costs are increasing for Fox as new deal rates kick in. This includes a higher price for its upcoming Super Bowl, potentially squeezing profits.

• Lifelines: Fox is clinging to election coverage, next year’s Super Bowl, and the 2026 World Cup like they're the last life rafts on the Titanic. But 2027 looms like an iceberg on the horizon—no Super Bowl, no election buzz. It's gonna be a real "prove it" year.

• Silver lining alert: On the bright side, Tubi, Fox's streaming platform, is growing rapidly. It's attracting new viewers and becoming a key part of Fox's digital strategy.

The big question is whether Fox will cash out (à la Paramount) while they’re still a catch, or whether they’ll HODL until they’re the last guest at the cable party. The bottom line: This isn't just Fox's story - it's a snapshot of the entire TV industry as it grapples with the era of cord-cutting.

The 2024 Paris Olympics have sprinted past viewership records, leaving previous Games in the dust. NBCUniversal's multi-platform strategy is paying off big time: on the streaming front, viewers have streamed an impressive 17B minutes of content—more than all previous Games combined. Peacock is flexing hard, offering coverage of all 329 medal events. Meanwhile, NBC maintains its stronghold in primetime ratings, positioning itself to win the Adults 18-49 demographic for the season. NBCUniversal's scoring an average of 32.6M viewers across combined live broadcast and primetime coverage—a 79% leap from Tokyo. Looks like NBCUniversal has couch potatoes and cord-cutters alike going for the gold in binge-watching.

Development 🗒️

• MSNBC acquires Rachel Maddow’s first documentary, ‘From Russia With Lev.’ (more)

• Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris, and J.K. Simmons will star in the Cold War drama ‘Reykjavik,’ directed by Michael Russell Gunn for SK Global. (more)

• Dakota Fanning and Abby Elliott join Sarah Snook in Peacock’s upcoming series ‘All Her Fault,’ adapted from Andrea Mara’s novel. (more)

• Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Artists Equity is developing the film ‘Killing Gawker,’ about Hulk Hogan’s legal battle against Gawker. (more)

• Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are in early talks to star in A24’s ‘The Drama,’ directed by Kristoffer Borgli. (more)

• Zachary Levi and Naya Desir-Johnson lead the cast of Amazon MGM’s drama ‘Sarah’s Oil.’ (more)

• Jenna Ortega is in final talks to join J.J. Abrams’ secret Glen Powell movie at Warner Bros. (more)

• Netflix acquires the legal thriller spec ‘Hurt People’ from ‘Monarch’ creator Melissa London Hilfers, with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter set to produce. (more)

• CBS orders a pilot for ‘Einstein,’ a new crime drama from ‘Monk’ creator Andy Breckman. (more)

• CBS orders a pilot for Dana Klein’s comedy ‘DMV’ and develops a vampire family comedy ‘Eternally Yours’ from the showrunners of ‘Ghosts.’ (more)

• ‘House of the Dragon’ will conclude with S4, as confirmed by showrunner Ryan Condal. (more)

• Quinta Brunson will star in, produce, and co-write the Universal comedy ‘Par for the Course’ alongside Stephanie Hsu. (more)

• Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski expand the ‘John Wick’ universe with the new action series ‘John Wick: Under The High Table.’ (more)

Business 🤝

• ‘Arrival’ writer Eric Heisserer signs a first-look deal with Sony Pictures to develop elevated genre films through his Chronology banner. (more)

• Axios is laying off 50 staffers to adapt to the shifting media landscape and focus on core growth areas, according to CEO Jim VandeHei. (more)

• S&P raises AMC Theatres’ credit rating to ‘CCC+’ but warns its debt load remains “unsustainable” despite recent refinancing efforts. (more)

• CBS News and Stations appoints Adrienne Roark and Jennifer Mitchell to expanded leadership roles as part of a new organizational structure. (more)

• Media veterans Jeff Bewkes, Howard Stringer, and Jeremy Fox launch Thoroughbred Studios, partnering with iHeartPodcasts to create drama podcasts based on significant U.S. historical events. (more)

• Fubo beat Wall Street Q2 expectations with a loss of 8 cents per share and $382.7 million in revenue, ahead of a key antitrust lawsuit hearing against Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. (more)

• UTA signs European production powerhouse Banijay to represent its branded content arm. (more)

Other News 🚨

• New York Film Festival reveals their main slate. (more)

• Eugene and Dan Levy are in talks to host the 2024 Emmy Awards on ABC. (more)

• Apple TV visual effects workers unanimously vote to join IATSE, marking another unionization success in the VFX industry. (more)