Blog: d2c

Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

The engagement dilemma means that film has to embrace the future

Cover image for The engagement dilemma means that film has to embrace the future
Tim Mulligan
Hollywood is in flux right now, with producers such as Jason Blum taking to social media andexpressing their frustrations: “Gotta get out to those movie theatres folks. We don’t want to be streamed to death!” Agents representing film talent (both acting and production) are busy lobbying the leading direct-to-consumer (D2C) services to prioritise theatrical releases over straight-to-streaming releases for significant productions.
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Disney’s latest results means the media major is now at an inflection point

Cover image for Disney’s latest results means the media major is now at an inflection point
Tim Mulligan
Last week’s Q3 22 (calendar Q2 22) earnings represented a high point in Disney’s transition to streaming juggernaut. With its number of global direct-to-consumer (D2C) subscribers now higher than Netflix, the media major is way ahead of its April 2019 pre-Disney+ launch commitment of achieving 60-90 million Disney+ subscribers by FY 2024.
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Why the markets are wrong about Paramount

Cover image for Why the markets are wrong about Paramount
Tim Mulligan
Last Tuesday’s investor’s day presentation by Sheri Redstone, the chair of ViacomCBS and the president of National Amusements, should have been a milestone for the future of the media major. The event was held to announce the rebranding of the company to Paramount (the iconic name of its flagship production business) and a reiteration of the entity’s determination to focus on its streaming-first future.
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The next evolution of direct-to-fan will be fan-to-fan

Cover image for The next evolution of direct-to-fan will be fan-to-fan
Tatiana Cirisano
Last month, we wrote about creator burnout and the need for more sustainable paths toward financial stability for artists. The abundance of creator platforms has opened the door for anyone to share their music, but it has also turned artists (and other creators) into 24/7 content creation machines who are racing against the ever-rising pace of consumption and whittling attention spans.
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What YouTube TV’s stand-off with NBCU reveals about phase 2 of D2C disruption

Cover image for What YouTube TV’s stand-off with NBCU reveals about phase 2 of D2C disruption
Tim Mulligan
YouTube TV’s stand-off with NBCU is approaching decision-making time, as tomorrow, September 30th, is the cut-off point for the streaming platform to meet the distribution terms of NBCU. If no agreement is reached, then YouTube TV subscribers will lose access to a wide range of NBCU channels, from regional sports networks to NBC, SyFy, USA, and Bravo, among others.
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Could HBO Max disrupt Europe?

Cover image for Could HBO Max disrupt Europe?
Tim Mulligan
On October 26th, HBO Max will establish its European beachhead, which is launching inSweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain and Andorra. The D2C video service will then roll out in 2022 into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
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Netflix versus Amazon Prime Video – depth versus breadth

Cover image for Netflix versus Amazon Prime Video – depth versus breadth
Tim Mulligan
The first half of 2021 has been a year of continued change and disruption for subscription video. The global incumbent subscription video on demand (SVOD) leaders, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, have been busy signalling to the financial markets how they intend to entrench their market dominance in light of the ongoing market acquisition pushes unleashed by the D2C disruptors following the D2C ‘big bang’ moment of Q4 2019 – Q2 2021.
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Why video streaming needs to stop fighting the last consumer war

Cover image for Why video streaming needs to stop fighting the last consumer war
Tim Mulligan
Video streaming services have achieved mainstream engagement, with binge viewing now eclipsing linear TV viewing as the leading form of TV show consumption. While the digital disruptors may revel in their newfound status as the masters of TV consumption, and the TV and film industry are forced to adapt to this new reality, a subtler shift in mindset needs to occur.
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Why Netflix is now the canary in the peak streaming coal mine

Cover image for Why Netflix is now the canary in the peak streaming coal mine
Tim Mulligan
After 10 years of uninterrupted growth, culminating in the entertainment bonanza of the great lockdown of 2020, Netflix is now post-growth after missing Q1 subscriber targets. Cue a 10% fall in Netflix’s share price, and angst-ridden analytical pieces about how Netflix is now losing market share, both in absolute growth (the streaming service missed its Q1 2021 subscriber target), and in engagement time.
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