🎬 Seizing the Moment

👋 Good morning! Disney is leveraging its $71.3B Fox acquisition yet again, transforming Monday Night Football into a Simpsons-themed broadcast for Disney+ and ESPN+. The Dec. 9 game will stream in three versions: the traditional broadcast, the Manning brothers' commentary, and this new animated Springfield edition. D'oh-n't be surprised if this becomes a new streaming tradition.

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🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Share Your Netflix “Moments”

• Netflix Eyes IMAX

• YouTube Earnings TL;DR

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

CLOSEUP
🤳 Netflix is seizing the moment…

Netflix is rolling out its new “Moments” feature—a scene-sharing system that allows ad-free subscribers to bookmark and share specific moments from any show or movie in their vast library, whether it's Netflix original content or licensed titles.

The feature creates precise timestamps that direct other Netflix members to exact scenes through social media platforms and messaging apps. When viewers discover a scene they want to share—whether it's Wednesday Addams' viral dance or a pivotal plot twist in ‘Stranger Things’—they can now do so officially and seamlessly within the Netflix ecosystem.

Strategic implications

• 🤳 User-generated marketing: Netflix is effectively turning its entire user base into a marketing army. Rather than relying on traditional advertising, the platform empowers viewers to promote content organically through social sharing. This peer-to-peer approach resonates particularly well with younger audiences who value authentic recommendations over traditional marketing.

• 📊 Data & analytics: The feature provides unprecedented insight into viewer behavior beyond basic metrics like watch time. By tracking which moments users find share-worthy, Netflix gains valuable data about audience preferences and engagement patterns.

• 🎬 Content strategy: Writers and directors might now optimize for shareable moments, influencing everything from scene structure to narrative pacing. The goal isn't just to make binge-worthy content anymore—it's about crafting moments that viewers actively want to share with their networks.

The bigger picture: The timing is telling. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ recently demonstrated the explosive potential of social clip-sharing, with fans flooding TikTok and other platforms with key scenes that helped drive the film toward record-breaking box office numbers. While that sharing wasn't officially sanctioned, it revealed a clear appetite for bite-sized, shareable content from premium entertainment.

Looking ahead… Netflix is already doubling down on this strategy with its new global ‘It's So Good’ campaign, featuring Cardi B, Simone Biles, and Giancarlo Esposito celebrating memorable Netflix moments. As streaming platforms continue to evolve, the next war might not be fought over who has the most content, but rather who can create the most engaging social ecosystem around it.

Want to try it out? The feature's available now for ad-free subscribers on iOS. Android users, your turn's coming soon! 👀

WIDESHOT
🎬 Netflix eyes IMAX, and YouTube earnings recap…

🎬🔄 Netflix might finally be ready to play nice with theaters...but is this about box office or keeping filmmakers happy? The streaming giant is eyeing IMAX theaters for its upcoming 'Narnia' adaptation, with Greta Gerwig at the helm—though details about the length of the theatrical window remain under wraps. Netflix has a history of consistently brushing off pressure from filmmakers to give theatrical runs to hits like 'The Gray Man' and 'Glass Onion,' claiming they can deliver massive audiences at home.

The pressure's been mounting:

• Daniel Craig confronted CEO Ted Sarandos about 'Glass Onion's' limited one-week release, reportedly telling him "Your model is f***ed"—joining a chorus of industry voices arguing Netflix is passing up hundreds of millions in potential ticket sales.

• Netflix just lost Margot Robbie's 'Wuthering Heights' to Warner Bros., despite throwing $150M at the project (versus WB's $80M), all because they wouldn't budge on theatrical release.

Looking ahead: With just 410 IMAX screens in the U.S. and about 500-600 internationally (excluding China), plus a presumably hefty marketing spend, this isn't about making bank—it's about making a statement. The play appears to be a way to extend an olive branch and placate Netflix’s theatrical-loving A-listers. The question is whether this IMAX experiment will be enough to keep Hollywood's heavy hitters from walking out the door.

📊📺 YouTube's Q3 earnings dropped yesterday, and one thing's clear: this isn't just a video platform anymore—it's a full-blown entertainment giant gunning for Netflix and traditional TV's throne. Here’s the tl;dr:

• Money talks: YouTube raked in $8.92B in advertising money this quarter (up 12.2% from last year), while its combined ad and subscription revenue hit a record-breaking $50B over the past year.

• YouTube's becoming your new cable box: The platform now organizes shows like Netflix does, while its TV service YouTube TV reached 8M+ paying subscribers. Even Olympic viewers are switching over, with 35% watching YouTube on their TV screens instead of traditional broadcasts.

• Short videos are getting longer: YouTube's TikTok competitor, Shorts, now allows 3-minute videos instead of just 60 seconds, giving creators more room to work with.

• Advertisers are switching teams: While traditional TV struggles, YouTube's advance ad commitments jumped 20%, showing that major brands are betting big on digital.

• AI is changing the game: YouTube's rolling out new AI tools from Google DeepMind that could revolutionize how creators make short videos.

• It's not just about ads anymore: By combining advertising, subscriptions, and premium content like NFL Sunday Ticket, YouTube's built itself into a modern media empire.

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LAST LOOKS
Development 🗒️

• Uma Thurman, Phoebe Dynevor, and Anthony Hopkins will star in ‘The Housekeeper.’ (more)

• David Fincher is reportedly developing an English-language ‘Squid Game’ series for Netflix. (more)

• Penélope Cruz joins Johnny Depp in Lionsgate’s ‘Day Drinker,’ a crime thriller directed by Marc Webb. (more)

• Margaret Qualley is set to star as a psychopathic governess in ‘Victorian Psycho,’ a psychological horror directed by Zachary Wigon. (more)

• Jon Stewart will continue hosting ‘The Daily Show’ once a week through Dec. 2025, extending his return due to strong ratings and positive reception. (more)

• Amber Midthunder and Alan Ritchson are set to star in ‘Painter,’ a potential action franchise by ‘John Wick’ writer Derek Kolstad. (more)

• William H. Macy joins the cast of Edgar Wright’s ‘The Running Man’ for Paramount, alongside Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, and Emilia Jones. (more)

• Channing Tatum, Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, and Riley Keough join Cate Blanchett in ‘Alpha Gang.’ (more)

• Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser, and Bryan Cranston join Al Pacino in ‘Assassination,’ a Barry Levinson-directed thriller that revisits the JFK conspiracy. (more)

• The Wayans brothers are reuniting with Miramax and Paramount to reboot ‘Scary Movie’ with a new screenplay. (more)

• Ke Huy Quan will star in Lionsgate’s action thriller ‘Fairytale in New York.’ (more)

• Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega are in talks to star in ‘The Gallerist,’ directed by Cathy Yan. (more)

• Guy Pearce, Hannah Waddingham, and Daniel Ings will star in crime-thriller ‘Mr. Sunny Sky.’ (more)

Business 🤝

• Netflix, Disney, Comcast, Google, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Paramount are set to spend a record-breaking $126B on content in 2024, with $40B earmarked for streaming. (more)

• Starz and YouTube have extended their multi-year bundling deal. (more)

• David Ellison will assume 100% control of Paramount Global’s voting interests once Skydance’s $8B merger with the media giant closes in 2025. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Samsung TV Plus reaches 88M monthly active users, marking a 50% viewership increase. (more)

• ‘Saturday Night Live’ VFX workers have unionized with IATSE, marking a significant win for VFX labor organization in Hollywood. (more)

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
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MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest trends & viral moments