Thursday, July 18, 2019

Does Netflix Really Need Friends?

As of 2020, Friends won’t be there for Netflix; WarnerMedia will regain control of the incredibly valuable sitcom, using it as one of the cornerstones of its new streaming service, HBO Max. One year later another beloved, obsessively rewatched NBC sitcom will also depart the streaming giant: The Office, which is decamping for NBCUniversal’s yet-unnamed streaming service. So: how worried should Netflix be about this coming drought? According to Laura Bradley’s sources, the threat level is well below midnight. “Honestly, it feels like ‘Chicken Little,’” said Rich Greenfield, a media analyst for the research firm BTIG. “Netflix is the new cure for boredom at home—if The Office isn’t available, you’ll watch something else.” Then again, according to Nielsen data compiled for the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, 40% of user time on Netflix in 2018 was spent watching licensed programs belonging to Disney, NBCUniversal, and WarnerMedia. Those three companies are all launching their own competitor services—meaning a lot of Netflix’s most popular content is probably on its way out.

Elsewhere in HWD, Sonia Saraiya chats with Bill Haderabout Barry’s Emmy haul and notes nomination day’s biggest snubs and surprises; Bradley wonders just what Seth Meyers has to do to be recognized by the Television Academy himself; and Yohana Desta previews Jennifer Lopez’s next film, a popcorn flick about scammer strippers called Hustlers.