AT&T buys Time Warner

[Daikun]

If Super Deluxe is shuttering, who's gonna handle that big "Don't Hug Me I'm Scared" project that was teased? Oh wait... it would be [adult swim]/Williams Street!

Conaco is also a co-producer. They can take care of it.

 

[Mandouga]

I think eventually every mini-streaming service is going to be ported into a Warner World streaming service, including all of HBO's content (besides what's in so far in HBO Now). Those people who are scared of HBO's name being destroyed and just staying for HBO Now instead of moving over to this all-in-one service will end up paying more for a lot less. I wouldn't be surprised if some HBO shows are exclusive at the new service before they come to HBO Now or just even made for that platform HBO-style and not even air on the networks.

And people think I look at the negative side of things...

Look, Iowell, you make it sound like it's going to be a sure thing (the individual services shutting down, I mean), but until or unless they say so themselves, we need to assume that all of the individual ones will keep going (yes, even with this new service coming).

 

[lowell]

And people think I look at the negative side of things...

Look, Iowell, you make it sound like it's going to be a sure thing (the individual services shutting down, I mean), but until or unless they say so themselves, we need to assume that all of the individual ones will keep going (yes, even with this new service coming).

I'm not really negative. I just think as a consumer, if the new service has everything on it, that's a positive and I rather have that than paying for each mini service, I can get more on one platform with one price that might be less expensive than all the individual ones' prices combined. While they're not saying they want to be a Netflix, they want to be armed in the streaming wars and the all-in-one style makes them as big as Netflix to compete with them.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Conaco is also a co-producer. They can take care of it.

Of course. All I’m saying is that it would be Blink Industries, Conanco, AND Williams Street/[adult swim] that would co-produce the "Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared" TV series.

 

[lowell]

Because of today's mail incident, do you think the President will tell the DOJ or even the DOJ by itself pulling out of the appeal? This could be a way to apologize to CNN. It is some way his fault that the network and politicians are being targeted since they're not aligned with his thought. I don't like how he said at today's Wisconsin rally that it is the media's own responsibility to end the attack pointed at them. He's the leader of the nation, it's his duty to ensure there is peace and safety all around.

 

[Fone Bone]

Trump does not apologize. It is one of the reasons I hate him.

 

[MegasMilo379]

He also doesn't know what he's talking about on most things but acts like he does to appease his base and himself.
That's one of many reasons I hate him.

 

[Yojimbo]

Keep on topic everyone, please.

 

[LinusFan303]

Film Struck has been struck, as a person who checks out Turner Classic Movies, I heard of this service constantly on there , so now it's cut. https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/327186/warnermedia-shutters-filmstruck-streaming-service.html

 

[Dudley]

Film Struck has been struck, as a person who checks out Turner Classic Movies, I heard of this service constantly on there , so now it's cut. https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/327186/warnermedia-shutters-filmstruck-streaming-service.html

From an article on Variety:

A source familiar with AT&T’s strategy said the telco is looking to eliminate peripheral projects that aren’t major producers of revenue. “They felt Time Warner overall had too many initiatives,” the exec said. “[AT&T] have their hands full. They have no time to think about, ‘What do we do with this growth property?'”

That sucks for classic or indie film fans. I hope the new streaming service they have planned will be the home to a lot of those films.

This definitely doesn’t bode well for DC Universe and Boomerang. Considering how much they invested in promotion for the former, they’ll definitely hold off from shutting it down anytime soon. Boomerang will likely be safe until the new streaming platform launches.


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[lowell]

From an article on Variety:


That sucks for classic or indie film fans. I hope the new streaming service they have planned will be the home to a lot of those films.

This definitely doesn’t bode well for DC Universe and Boomerang. Considering how much they invested in promotion for the former, they’ll definitely hold off from shutting it down anytime soon. Boomerang will likely be safe until the new streaming platform launches.


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Honestly, just moving all content from the different services into the one service sounds cheaper than having add-on choices to be bundled with the main service. AT&T wants to go into giving consumers choices to decide which services they will subscribe to by competing with Disney, Netflix, Amazon Prime and the add-on approach would counter against that because the smaller services will feel more like premium cable subscriptions again. Disney has to do their service-Hulu-ESPN+ bundle because of their audience targeting approach, designating things from kids to teens, adults, and sports fans and there would be some backlash if they instead just put stuff that's more suitable for Hulu in their own service because some parents would say "hey, the service is not good for kids, boycott it". But WarnerMedia can bring it all together since their audience can take on what's ever offered. The weirdest thing is the general people that complain that FilmStruck, DramaFever got shut down keep saying that they won't come back and all is lost, but they don't read up on the announcement that came earlier this month about the main service and think about how there's a chance those programs would could come on to the service and technically AT&T could've still got more revenue if they kept these mini-services running until the new service launches. It's like the same thing with the Marvel Netflix shows, most people kept saying it would be on the main service while not realizing Disney would get 60% of Hulu and therefore the Marvel Netflix shows would move there if needed since they're R-rated programs.

 

[LinusFan303]

From an article on Variety:


That sucks for classic or indie film fans. I hope the new streaming service they have planned will be the home to a lot of those films.

This definitely doesn’t bode well for DC Universe and Boomerang. Considering how much they invested in promotion for the former, they’ll definitely hold off from shutting it down anytime soon. Boomerang will likely be safe until the new streaming platform launches.


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I hope they put the classic stuff on their new streaming service too. Film Struck was heavily promoted on TCM though. Would be smarter if they did kind of just put everything as one streaming service makes it more appetizing to buy.

 

[Dudley]

I guess the (only) good thing about all this media corporate consolidation is that it gives consumers less options for SVODs, because consumers DON’T want to pick and pay for several streaming platforms. That’s what made Netflix great, because it had content from various companies in one place. But, that’s slowly no longer becoming the case, as media companies with the most popular IP are going to make people have to choose which conglomerate to support. Naturally Disney is safe, but this all could’ve been avoided if they abandoned their plans and focus on strengthening Hulu. WarnerMedia, Disney, Fox, and Universal all had stakes in it. All their content could’ve gone there!
But instead of sharing a service, their greed is going to do them in, and the average consumer isn’t smart enough to consider rotating subscriptions between platforms every few months.


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[Mandouga]

No offense, Dudley, but that sounds pretty pessimistic, if not fatalistic.

In any case, choice is important. We actually need more options. After all, we might not agree on how Netflix, Amazon, or in-name-only (long story) Hulu do things...or WarnerMedia. Some people (only) think there needs to be less options because they themselves feel confused about some things (that, or the whole "oversaturated"* idea). Really, I'm trying not to use the "M" word here, but it sounds to me like some of you think that's what should happen, regardless of which company is doing it. It doesn't matter if it's cable TV, satellite TV, U-verse/FiOS/etc., or streaming. In the end, we all need more choice.

As for WarnerMedia's service, I really do hope they leave Boomerang alone. Can you imagine if some people would have to pay like $80, or $90 or more every year just to get only the kind of programming they're interested in? Boomerang lets you pay $40 a year, and offers classic animated shows (and shorts) without having to go through Film Struck or other services just to get to it. So, there's that. It sounds to me like some of you think that this is/may be/could be/should be/will be the "new normal" or something. I mean, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", as some people say (well, I don't think it's "broke" anyway)...

*Another one of those words, that may not mean what some people think it means.

 

[lowell]

No offense, Dudley, but that sounds pretty pessimistic, if not fatalistic.

In any case, choice is important. We actually need more options. After all, we might not agree on how Netflix, Amazon, or in-name-only (long story) Hulu do things...or WarnerMedia. Some people (only) think there needs to be less options because they themselves feel confused about some things (that, or the whole "oversaturated"* idea). Really, I'm trying not to use the "M" word here, but it sounds to me like some of you think that's what should happen, regardless of which company is doing it. It doesn't matter if it's cable TV, satellite TV, U-verse/FiOS/etc., or streaming. In the end, we all need more choice.

As for WarnerMedia's service, I really do hope they leave Boomerang alone. Can you imagine if some people would have to pay like $80, or $90 or more every year just to get only the kind of programming they're interested in? Boomerang lets you pay $40 a year, and offers classic animated shows (and shorts) without having to go through Film Struck or other services just to get to it. So, there's that. It sounds to me like some of you think that this is/may be/could be/should be/will be the "new normal" or something. I mean, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", as some people say (well, I don't think it's "broke" anyway)...

*Another one of those words, that may not mean what some people think it means.

The way AT&T's been signaling is that they can't bear to see many of the mini-services have low numbers and it would be a waste of their budget unless they pile all resources and content from those services into one platform. They kept talking about customer engagement and I'm guessing they want HBO fans to watch Boomerang stuff one hour and FilmStruck stuff another hour. They haven't said anything about this being a Netflix approach but their words kept leading towards that direction. Plus, they're likely fighting that debt down harder than Disney-Fox so they have to shed some redundant stuff, hoping those that were working in those departments could still work at the ones that are kept. Boomerang is originally a channel and still is but it's starting to become another HBO Now and while the fact is both services have loyal fans, the base of subscribers is not enough, with a WarnerWorld platform for all of WarnerMedia's content can unite the fans and bring in more. For pricing, you will get more content for a fair price rather than paying for each individual WarnerMedia service added up. Remember Lionsgate's Comic-Con HQ? It didn't build enough subscribers and then they eventually learned how to work that once they bought Starz. Disney's piling all of their brands into their own service and Hulu and AT&T has to do the same in order to be healthy. There's no Marvel Universe (there is a Marvel Unlimited but that's just for comics) or even a Disney XD service. I see DC Universe and Boomerang being kept for now until next year and the reason they're not ending it now is because AT&T needs more data so they can R&D on their other platform, they're basically the alpha and beta of the new service. Also, I think the new service can be a way for all 4 divisions to create synergy since the previous CEO just kept it floating until there was someone willing to buy the whole thing.

 

[Fone Bone]

In any case, choice is important. We actually need more options.

But more streaming services splitting up content is actually LESS choice and FEWER options because we can't afford all of them. Any niche channel starting up is less content that will stream on Netflix. By definition.

 

[Mandouga]

I see. It sounds to me like you think they should get rid of "niche" services like Boomerang apparently. I hear that word thrown around a lot; "niche". Boomerang and other services are what they are, and there's nothing really wrong with that. Would you have them discontinue it, and add their shows (and movies, and specials) to this new service, and then eventually push it into the background because WarnerMedia thinks "nobody" (or whichever word they might use) is watching it? Or maybe you think they (Boomerang or this new service) should focus less on the classics, and more on recent Cartoon Network originals, or even original programming, so nobody won't think they're so "niche"? Look, that's just another word that might not mean what some people think it means. There really is nothing wrong with specialty services (or cable networks, but anyway...), and I really hope they don't turn Boomerang into another part of the "in-crowd".

(sigh) In any case, "splitting up content" means "less" choice because "we can't afford all of them"? Whoever said you had to get all of them? The companies shouldn't be underestimated, but neither should the viewers. I think people will eventually figure out what "no commitment" means if they haven't already.

 

[Dudley]

Who cares if certain content is pushed to the background if it’s on a streaming service? It won’t change the fact that’s it’s still there for anyone who wants it.


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[Elijah Abrams]

Here's a better idea for keeping Boomerang SVOD and DC Universe alongside the WarnerMedia streaming service. Like Crunchyroll and VRV, there would be a feature that allows you to link your account between said three services.

 

[Fone Bone]

I see. It sounds to me like you think they should get rid of "niche" services like Boomerang apparently. I hear that word thrown around a lot; "niche". Boomerang and other services are what they are, and there's nothing really wrong with that. Would you have them discontinue it, and add their shows (and movies, and specials) to this new service, and then eventually push it into the background because WarnerMedia thinks "nobody" (or whichever word they might use) is watching it?

Yes, I think the Boomerang service should be discontinued. As should DC Universe. All of the shows and movies on those services should be available on Netflix or Hulu instead.

Or maybe you think they (Boomerang or this new service) should focus less on the classics, and more on recent Cartoon Network originals, or even original programming, so nobody won't think they're so "niche"?

There is no FOCUSING on a streaming service, or at least there shouldn't be. The content should be available for the most amount of people to be able to find. Otherwise the concept of streaming is worthless. Streaming used to save you money. If it doesn't do that anymore, the industry could die.

Look, that's just another word that might not mean what some people think it means. There really is nothing wrong with specialty services (or cable networks, but anyway...), and I really hope they don't turn Boomerang into another part of the "in-crowd".

Words mean what they mean. I know what the word "niche" means. If you don't that's nice, but don't tell me the word doesn't have a definition, or that I'm part of a hipster in-crowd for using it because you are too lazy to look it up. What amazes me about you making the "fancy words talkin'" argument is that niche is not really a fancy word. I hear it used much more often than "dentist" or "cellar door" and everyone knows what those two things are.

(sigh) In any case, "splitting up content" means "less" choice because "we can't afford all of them"? Whoever said you had to get all of them? The companies shouldn't be underestimated, but neither should the viewers. I think people will eventually figure out what "no commitment" means if they haven't already.

Why the hell should anybody have to go through all of those freaking hoops you just described to subscribe and unsubscribe to various services? Why can't I see what I want to see in the same place while paying a fair price like people used to be able to? Who does gaming the system with free trial offers and time limited binge opportunities actually help? Why are you advocating for things to be more complicated, expensive, and worse? Because that's exactly what you are doing.

Who cares if certain content is pushed to the background if it’s on a streaming service? It won’t change the fact that’s it’s still there for anyone who wants it.

Is what a sensible person says.