What's Next: The Real Threat to Richard Plepler: The leaders of Amazon, Netflix and Apple subscribe to a familiar Hollywood theory: The surest path to success is through a blockbuster. One big bet that captures the cultural zeitgeist and generates a large, dedicated fanbase is far more valuable, the thinking goes, than a smattering of niche programs that merely provide a hedge against the main play.
For most of the last decade, HBO has been home to that blockbuster -- "Game of Thrones" -- and that asset has kept HBO and Plepler at the center of the conversation, even as Netflix upended the industry, spent unprecedented sums on talent and content and, last week, unseated HBO's 17-year-hold on the most total Emmy nominations.
But as "Game of Thrones" prepares for its final season, HBO's hold on the zeitgeist is under threat. Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Showtime and even Disney are vying to replace "Game of Thrones" with big budget projects that capture the public's desire for fantasy and adventure in far away worlds.
The Game of "Game of Thrones":
• Amazon's "Lord of the Rings." Amazon spent $250 million on rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy and is expected to spend $10 to $15-million per episode.
• Netflix: "The Witcher," based on the Andrzej Sapkowski fantasy saga.
• Apple: "Foundation," based on the Isaac Asimov series.
• Showtime: "Halo," based on the popular video game, and "The Kingkiller Chronicles," based on the book series by Patrick Rothfuss and executive produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
• Disney: A new "Star Wars" TV series for its streaming service.
HBO's own gamble is the development of "Game of Thrones" spin-offs, one of which has already begun shooting. The advantage there is that HBO's "Thrones" universe is a known quantity. The disadvantage is that it's not new, and zeitgeists have a way of changing.
"HBO is furthest ahead and they have the home field/brand advantage," one Hollywood insider emails, "but the game of thrones rarely plays out as expected."
What's Next: HBO programming president Casey Bloys is on stage at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills now, addressing the recent reports that AT&T wants HBO to scale up so it can compete with Netflix: "No one is asking us to sacrifice quality for volume," he said. | | | PACIFIC
The Agenda Good Morning. The most important metric in Hollywood, and Silicon Valley, and New York, is engagement: Can I get you in the door and can I keep you coming back?
One of the best ways to keep people engaged is through community. The blockbuster theory is that if everyone is talking about "Game of Thrones," or "Black Panther," or "Star Wars," it will create fan bases that feed off their shared love for the enterprise.
As people spend more time on their mobile devices, more time watching movies at home, more time playing video games, etc. technology and media companies are trying to find new ways to recreate group dynamics online.
Remember that the next time you ask yourself why so many people are interested in watching other people play video games ... or why tech companies are investing so heavily in group video features ... | | Game of Friends
Facebook's 'Watch Party'
In the quest to keep its users engaged on its platform, Facebook has launched Watch Party, a service that lets people in Facebook groups watch live or recorded videos together while interacting in real time.
My colleague Kaya Yurieff explains:
• "Anyone in a group can start a Watch Party and designate co-hosts, who control the playlist and playback. Everyone can suggest videos, and a Facebook notification tells them a party is about to start. Users can ask questions, leave comments or add reactions in real time."
• "During testing, Facebook found some groups hosting parties that ran more than 10 hours, with people popping in and out throughout the day. It's also found that live videos generate an average of six times as many interactions as regular clips."
The Verge's Ashley Carmen says Netflix and Spotify need to do the same:
• "This type of feature is one I've heard lots of people request from Netflix and Spotify. People want to enjoy content with friends or family even when they're apart." | | Game of Games
Money floods eSports
Hollywood is continuing to pour cash into professional videogame playing:
• WndrCo's Meg Whitman, the former eBay and Hewlett Packard chief who now heads Jeffrey Katzenberg's "New TV" venture, has invested in the global eSports company Immortals and will join its board.
• ESPN's Jimmy Pitaro has signed a deal with Bobby Kotick's Activision Blizzard for TV rights to the Overwatch eSports league.
• In China, Tencent is investing $150 million a year on eSports and partnering with Under Armour on game apparel and the NBA for a show that features top gamers.
The Big Picture: eSports is growing fast. Goldman Sachs now predicts that eSports revenue will surpass $1 billion next year and hit $3 billion by 2022. | | All The President's Gripes
Trump takes on FCC, CNN
What the President is talking about: "Trump slams his own administration's actions on Sinclair-Tribune deal," by CNN's Hadas Gold:
• "The Federal Communications Commission ... was the source of Trump's ire Tuesday night when he tweeted his dismay over the agency stymieing Sinclair Broadcasting Group's attempt to acquire Tribune Media."
• "'So sad and unfair that the FCC wouldn't approve the Sinclair Broadcast merger with Tribune,' Trump tweeted on Tuesday. 'This would have been a great and much needed Conservative voice for and of the People. Liberal Fake News NBC and Comcast gets approved, much bigger, but not Sinclair. Disgraceful!'"
• "Trump's tweet puts FCC chair Ajit Pai, a Republican appointed by Trump, in the awkward position of having to defend the commission ..."
What everyone else is talking about: "On the first couple's recent trip overseas, Melania Trump's television aboard Air Force One was tuned to CNN," NYT's Katie Rogers and Maggie Haberman report. "President Trump ... raged at his staff for violating a rule that the White House entourage should begin each trip tuned to Fox ... and caused 'a bit of a stir' aboard Air Force One." | | What Hollywood is Reading "President Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was destroyed [again] by a man with a pickax early Wednesday, according to Los Angeles police Officer Ray Brown. Hollywood division officers responded to a call at 3:33 a.m. to the tourist area. Los Angeles police said a man is in custody and is being questioned."
See the photo. | | | Washington Watch
Facebook's top lawyer exits
Top Facebook lawyer Colin Stretch has announced that he will leave the company at the end of the year, even as the company continues to face federal investigations over its mishandling of user data:
• "When my wife Alyse and I made the decision a few years ago to move back to DC from California, we knew it would be difficult for me to remain in this role indefinitely."
• "As Facebook embraces the broader responsibility Mark has discussed in recent months, I've concluded that the company and the Legal team need sustained leadership in Menlo Park."
The Big Picture: Stretch's exit is the third high-profile departure this year, following chief security officer Alex Stamos and chief policy and communications officer Elliot Schrage.
Bonus: BuzzFeed has obtained a note from Stamos, calling on his colleagues "to intentionally not collect data where possible" and listen to people when they say a Facebook feature is "creepy." | | Mea Culpas
NYT sorry for L.A. story
The New York Times Travel desk has apologized for its recent cover story on Los Angeles by novelist Reif Larson, which was widely panned by Angelenos as the latest example of the paper's tone-deafness when it comes to America's second-biggest city:
• "Our Travel cover feature about retreats and sanctuaries in and around Los Angeles has received numerous complaints from readers who found the piece dismissive of Latino culture and clichéd in its portrayal of the city. We want to assure readers that was absolutely not our intention."
• "Your concerns are being heard, and the issues you raise make us aware that we need to do a better job capturing the true Los Angeles, which did not come across in this piece." | | What Next: The Coen Brothers are back in the awards-race conversation with "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," which was originally intended to be a Netflix series and will now be a feature film premiering at the Venice Film Festival.
See you tomorrow. | | | | | |
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