Showbiz Sandbox 627: Linear TV Drops Below 50% In U.S. For First Time
August 22, 2023
The number of households in the United States subscribing to traditional pay television services has dropped below 50% for the first time in the two years Nielsen has been tracking such metrics. And it’s not that viewers are cutting the cable cord, they’re just watching their favorite television shows and movies on streaming services more than they are on broadcast and cable.
Meanwhile, the writers and actors’ strikes show no sign of ending. One of the big sticking points is over the use of artificial intelligence in future productions. Now a new court ruling sided with the Copyright Office and said works solely generated by AI cannot be copyrighted.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Disney is being sued by one of its finance partners, why an Iranian filmmaker is being thrown in prison and some box office shenanigans taking place in Korea.
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‘Oppenheimer’ Rises To $718M Global, ‘Barbie’ Basks In $1.28B, ‘Meg 2’ Chomps Past $300M; ‘Blue Beetle’ Scurries To $18M Overseas Start
https://deadline.com/2023/08/oppenheimer-barbie-blue-beetle-meg-2-global-international-box-office-1235523488/
Box Office: ‘Blue Beetle’ Beats ‘Barbie’ With $25.4M Debut, ‘Strays’ Gets Lost
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blue-beetle-box-office-barbie-strays-1235570507/
The Cinema Foundation Announces the Second Annual National Cinema Day, America’s Day at the Movies on Aug. 27th
https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/the-cinema-foundation-announces-the-second-annual-national-cinema-day-americas-day-at-the-movies-on-aug-27th/
Billy Bragg Releases Pro-Unionisation Response Song to Viral Country hit Rich Men North of Richmond
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/21/billy-bragg-releases-response-song-to-oliver-anthony-rich-men-north-of-richmond
The 40(ish) Most Important People in Podcasting in 2023
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/most-powerful-people-in-podcasting-2023-1235567134/
South Korean Police Uncover Box Office Inflation Scandal Involving Major Industry Players
https://celluloidjunkie.com/digest/south-korean-police-uncover-box-office-inflation-scandal-involving-major-industry-players/
SAG-AFTRA Modifies Interim Agreement Policy To Exclude WGA-Covered Projects Shot In The U.S.
https://deadline.com/2023/08/actors-strike-waivers-writers-guild-1235519273/
WGA Slams Netflix, Amazon and Disney as ‘New Gatekeepers’ in Antitrust Report
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-08-17/wga-writers-strike-disney-amazon-netflix-sag-aftra-antitrust-report
AI-Created Art Isn’t Copyrightable, Judge Says in Ruling That Could Give Hollywood Studios Pause
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/ai-works-not-copyrightable-studios-1235570316/
Reality TV Stars and Crew Want Out of “Draconian” NBCUniversal NDAs
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/reality-tv-stars-ndas-nbcuniversal-1235571196/
Iranian Director Saeed Roustaee Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Showing ‘Leila’s Brothers’ at Cannes
https://variety.com/2023/film/global/leilas-brothers-director-saeed-roustaee-prison-iran-1235697739/
Michael Oher, NFL star Who Inspired ‘The Blind Side,’ Alleges Tuohy Family Never Adopted Him
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-08-14/michael-oher-blind-side-adoption-conservatorship-petition-nfl
Michael Lewis on ‘Blind Side’ Lawsuit: “Studio System” At Fault For Paltry Movie Profits
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/michael-lewis-blind-side-lawsuit-1235569446/
SoundExchange Suing Sirius XM Over Payments
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/soundexchange-sues-siriusxm-over-150m-in-alleged-unpaid-royalties-owed-to-artists-and-copyright-owners12/
Soundexchange Sues Siriusxm Over Alleged $150M in Unpaid Royalties Owed to Artists and Rightsholders
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/92975-judge-approves-final-injunction-in-publishers-internet-archive-copyright-case.html
AI-Generated Works Aren’t Protected By Copyrights, Federal Judge Rules
https://www.billboard.com/pro/ai-generated-creative-works-cant-be-copyrighted-judge-rules/
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Financier Accuses Disney of Self-dealing in New Lawsuit
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-08-15/disney-accused-by-film-financing-firm-of-duplicitous-hollywood-accounting-in-new-lawsuit
Disney Sued By Film Finance Partner TSG, Which Claims Media Giant Used “Every Trick In The Hollywood Accounting Book” To Hoard Slate Profits
https://deadline.com/2023/08/disney-lawsuit-film-finance-partner-tsg-hollywood-accounting-fox-streaming-1235520089
Linear TV Falls Below 50 Percent of Viewing for First Time
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/broadcast-cable-lows-july-2023-tv-platform-rankings-1235566545/
Why Is Everybody Watching ‘Suits’?
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/suits-netflix-meghan-markle-streaming-tv-show-of-summer-1234804673/
Ron Cephas Jones Dies: ‘This Is Us’ & ‘Truth Be Told’ Actor Was 66
https://deadline.com/2023/08/ron-cephas-jones-dead-this-is-us-truth-be-told-actor-1235523376/
Jerry Moss, the ‘M’ of A&M Records, Is Dead at 88
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/arts/music/jerry-moss-dead.html
RIP Abe Somer, 85, Lawyer At the Center of Every Important Record Deal of the 60s and 70s, Got the Rolling Stones Their Biggest Contract
https://www.showbiz411.com/2023/08/17/rip-abe-somer-85-lawyer-at-the-center-of-every-important-record-deal-of-the-60s-and-70s-got-the-rolling-stones-their-biggest-contract
Michael Parkinson, Legendary British Talk Show Host, Dies at 88
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/michael-parkinson-dead-legendary-british-talk-show-host-88-1235568708/
Renata Scotto, Opera Diva Who Inhabited Roles, Dies at 89
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/16/arts/music/renata-scotto-dead.html
The Metropolitan Opera Guild Will Wind Down Amid Financial Woes
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/15/arts/music/metropolitan-opera-guild-opera-news.html
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