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One of America's biggest meteor craters is 100 million years younger than we thought — and coincided with a global extinction event
Analysis of tiny zircon crystals buried within the 10-mile-wide Ames crater in northwest Oklahoma suggests that the submerged structure dates back to 370 million years ago, during the Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction event.
HOW I GOT STARTED: Jim Brooker
Owner of Starlight MFG Solutions in Fulton was vice president at Otis Technology in Phoenix — until the company closed locally. He then decided to open his own shop. “We are pretty much doubling in size each year so far,” he says By Stefan Yablonski Q: When did you start this business” A: I started Starlight MFG Solutions LLC while I was working at another government contractor. I was vice president of engineering at Otis Technology at their Phoenix location until they closed that facility due to a shift in business at the end of 2023. While at Otis, I was also working on Starlight on a part-time basis. I gained a lot of exposure to a lot of different equipment. That is the kind of service we provided to Otis when we were a part of them. Now we have spun that whole concept off here. Q: How would you describe it? A: It’s a manufacturing engineering firm specializing in custom automation to serve as an outsourced engineering support for companies that need additional resources. I want to make it a sustainable business that can partner with local manufacturers to help them. Q: What is your background; did you go to college with this in mind? A: I am a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. My B.S. from RIT was in manufacturing engineering technology and my MS from RIT was in manufacturing and mechanical systems integration with a minor in business. Q: Why this type of business? A: I identified a large gap in the market for companies that needed small to medium help with manufacturing projects. Q: What services do you offer? A: We are focusing more on manufacturing. We do a lot of robotics, we do laser marking, we do filling — pretty much anything that the customer needs. Q: Have you seen any growth since you started? A: Yes. We have been growing ever since the company started. Our specialties include robotics, vision inspection and guidance, rotary-indexing workcells, dispense systems, laser marking, machine tending and more. We provide support to companies that need additional resources. We moved to a facility in Fulton about a year and a half ago. We are leasing our space in Fulton — the former NET & Die facility. We bought our own equipment, we are leasing the space. We have been operating here since early 2024. Q: You’re ready to take on bigger jobs? A: We want to stay in the small to medium size market where the large players don’t want to play. That is kind of where we found our niche. We are expanding regionally to take on more of those projects. My customers are relatively small business. They don’t have in-house automation; engineering and development teams are not feasible. Q: Business has been doing well? A: I am pretty satisfied about where we are at. We are definitely growing year to year. We are pretty much doubling in size each year so far. We are self-sustaining. Q: How busy are you on any given day? A: How busy? That’s kind of relative. We average between three and five projects going on in the shop at any time. We have a backlog that is manageable. We have seen a great demand for laser marking. The work is very relationship-driven. Much of it is based on referrals from other customers. Q: So, you must have a pretty big staff? A: No. I have just one other full-time person, a colleague from Otis. I bring in other people as the projects dictate. I handle sales and the overall operation of the manufacturing processes. We use outside sources for some work. We aren’t afraid to take on the other jobs — but we are filling our niche pretty well. Q: Do you get tired? A: I don’t get tired, no not really. Before this I ran a facility in Phoenix for 12 years. I enjoy solving problems and that part of the job is still my favorite. I have a supportive family life at home that definitely helps a lot. I just love the challenge of it. Q: Do you still live in the area? A: Yes. I live in Phoenix, town of Lysander. Q: What is the biggest job you’ve done? A: We have done some that were pretty good size. I don’t want to get into dollar amounts, don’t want to share gross revenue. We try to use locally sourced components. It is just amazing the components you can find that are locally produced.
Are Bank Lobbies Still Relevant?
Local banking leaders say technology is changing the way customers use their banks — and their lobbies By Deborah Jeanne Post [caption id=attachment_11109 align=alignright width=300] Steve Gorczynski is M&T Bank Central New York regional president.[/caption] When was the last time you entered the lobby of your bank? If it’s been a while, you’re part of a trend of eschewing the lobby in favor of ATMs, drive-thrus, online banking and remote deposit. A 2025 study performed by the American Bankers Association revealed that only 9% of consumers use bank branches as their preferred way to do banking and 76% prefer mobile banking. The trend away from the lobby reflects consumer behavior in other areas of doing business, including online shopping instead of perusing the mall, ordering fast food at a kiosk, not at the counter and selecting curbside pick-up rather than walking into the restaurant. Consumers want convenience and going in the lobby adds another layer to the task. It also places consumers face to face with one or more representatives of the business, something less favorable to people feeling burned out from interpersonal interactions. Nixing or at least minimizing the size of the lobby isn’t necessarily negative for banks. Fewer people passing through their doors reduces overhead for building maintenance, staffing and furnishing. Greater reliance on virtual banking can mean closing brick and mortar locations and hiring fewer staffers to cover roles like teller and lending officer. “Our focus is on meeting customers where they are and giving them flexibility in how they bank,” said Steve Gorczynski, M&T Bank Central New York regional president. “While many everyday transactions can be supported digitally and through ATMs, branches remain important for more complex financial needs, offering face-to-face guidance and a more personal banking experience.” Talking with a commercial lender or working on a home mortgage are two examples where meeting face-to-face is more desirable for many people. They can receive immediate feedback to questions and can possibly reach their goals more quickly. But there’s little need to have a large seating area, long counters and numerous tellers for routine banking that’s quicker to handle virtually. Online banking can also help people on the go more readily complete banking tasks such as depositing checks, transferring funds among accounts and checking balances. [caption id=attachment_11135 align=alignright width=300] Tina M. Stephens is the vice president branch administration for Fulton Savings Bank.[/caption] “The traditional bank lobby is certainly being evaluated by most institutions today, as the typical large, open and cavernous spaces do not necessarily meet the needs of today’s customers,” said Tina M. Stephens, vice president branch administration for Fulton Savings Bank. “Traditional lobbies often bisect traditional teller stations and customer service areas, which adds confusion, especially for the demographic who routinely use online banking and only access the lobby for customer service needs.” Despite the rollback in physical locations across the industry, Fulton Savings Bank began modernizing its six branch offices in Oswego and Onondaga counties about three years ago and have finished four offices so far in Baldwinsville, Fulton, Constantia, and Phoenix. “We made the decision to build a new branch across the street from our current office in Brewerton which will be completed by the end of 2026, and we will begin the retrofit of our Central Square office in early 2027,” Stephens said. “Our efforts specifically address where we think customers will be in the next three to five years and have greater flexibility to make changes out into the future.” The bank may be onto something, as numerous reports state that screen-weary Gen Z young adults crave more in-person interactions than virtual ones. If the pendulum continues to swing in that direction, it’s hard to see all physical bank areas disappear, even if they change somewhat. Fulton Savings Bank has also consolidated its teller and customer service representative areas to larger “universal banker” areas, where the bank representative can address all customer retail needs. A one-stop-shop experience appeals to busy banking customers who want to perform a few different banking tasks in one visit. Stephens also said that Fulton Savings Bank made additional technology and security enhancements and created flex spaces to accommodate bank meetings throughout the two-county branch footprint. At Solvay Bank, Elizabeth Lavier, vice president marketing and communications manager, lauded digital and online services as convenient and flexible for managing finances; however, “technology is not meant to replace what matters most: the relationships behind every account that have always been at the heart of community banking,” she said. “Even in today’s digital-first world, people of all ages still value the opportunity to sit down with a trusted banker for personalized guidance. We understand that some of life’s biggest moments call for more than a screen.” Lavier views digital banking as another way for the organization to serve customers rather than a replacement for branches, tellers and lenders, which tend to serve customers better for transactions like buying a first car, purchasing a home, saving for a child’s education, or planning for retirement. “Those conversations, built on understanding, experience and personal guidance, are what community banking is all about,” Lavier said. “At the end of the day, banking is about more than transactions. It’s about helping our customers achieve their goals and being there for them every step of the way. By combining the convenience of digital banking with the care, commitment, and personal service of a local community bank, Solvay Bank offers customers the best of both worlds.” Are Paper Checks Destined to Disappear? With the ubiquity of debit cards, online payments, virtual checks and peer-to-peer payment platforms like Venmo, Zelle and PayPal, will paper checks become passe? “In my view, paper checks are unlikely to disappear in the near future,” said Tina M. Stephens, vice president branch administration for Fulton Savings Bank. “They continue to serve a practical purpose by providing a clear paper trail and tangible proof of payment.” According to the American Banker, a leading trade publication that covers the banking and financial industry, in 2024, checks accounted for 65% of all payment fraud losses. Paper checks should be phased out, according to the publication. “The phrase, ‘The check’s in the mail’ probably sounds strange to younger people because the era of paper checks is rapidly drawing to a close. Put bluntly, checks are an expensive, insecure legacy that is a drag on the U.S. economy. Rather than wait for them to vanish slowly, the pragmatic choice is to strategically accelerate the transition to paperless payments.”
Biggest Surprises From the Pittsburgh Pirates 2026 Season
The Pittsburgh Pirates 2026 season was full of some shocking moments and storylines.
Why Adding LaMelo Ball Gives Timberwolves Dark Horse Edge
The Minnesota Timberwolves have reached the Western Conference Finals twice in the past three seasons, but both runs ended before the NBA Finals. But after being eliminated in the semifinals this past season, the Timberwolves decided to make drastic roster moves to have a chance to compete for a title. Their biggest move was adding …
Scientists discover that some of the universe's biggest explosions may have never happened at all
"All the evidence we see for hypernovae is suddenly gone."
China’s exports surge amid AI-driven demand
Exports grew by 36.3 percent in September, the biggest leap since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secret Source: Industry insiders reveal the truth about bad business
Whistleblowers from the world's biggest industries let us in on dodgy, dangerous and illegal practices
Musk becomes biggest-known donor in midterms, giving $366 million to GOP
Since July, the trillionaire has funneled $276 million into Republican groups.
Centene CEO sees health care’s biggest AI opportunity beyond automation
Sarah London argues that AI’s greatest potential lies not in streamlining billing and paperwork, but in expanding access to care and reducing health care costs.
I was one of the biggest shareholders in this tech stock in the 1990s. I'm bullish again because of AI
Flex plans to spin off Axiom, its AI infrastructure business, in 2027. Paul Meeks sees upside as data center power demand grows.
Prominent NBA Writer Places Lofty Expectations on Boston Celtics
The new-look Celtics enter the regular season as one of the NBA’s biggest wild cards.
In Minnesota's Senate race, the friendliest microphones can come with the biggest headaches.
As Peggy Flanagan and Michele Tafoya navigate podcasts and partisan media, their experiences reveal the opportunities — and unexpected liabilities — of campaigning beyond traditional journalism.
Dean of St. Joe’s business school, its biggest college, is retiring
With 27 years at the Erivan K. Haub School of Business and 13 at Widener University, Joseph DiAngelo says he is the longest-serving business school dean in the U.S.
Elon Musk becomes biggest political donor of US midterms cycle with $366m spent
Musk’s midterm donations, mostly for rightwing candidates and causes, surpass his contributions to Trump in 2024
GOP Focuses on Fraud, Seeking To Redirect Voters’ Ire Over Healthcare Costs
By Stephanie Armour | KFF Health News Heading into the midterm elections, high healthcare costs rank among voters’ biggest concerns. But lately, there’s a twist giving the issue new momentum on campaign agendas: a focus on fraud in government health programs. The administration of President Donald ...
SMU agrees to jersey patch deal with Texas Capital
SMU agreed to a jersey patch deal with Texas Capital across all sports, per On The Pony Express’ Bill Embody. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the news. It’s the biggest sponsorship deal in school history and it will debut this weekend when the Mustangs play Virginia. SMU, now ranked No. 24 overall in the latest […]
Is Lack of Running Actually Real Madrid’s Biggest Problem?
The data suggests this isn’t the core issue.
SMU's Best Path to Beating Virginia Starts With Beau Pribula
Virginia relies on Beau Pribula's mobility to power its offense, but SMU has the pass rush to force the Cavaliers into their biggest weakness.
'It was one of my darker secrets': Chuck Lorre looks back on Scientology, ‘Roseanne,’ Charlie Sheen
Former musician, Scientologist and Charlie Sheen punching bag Chuck Lorre created some of the biggest sitcoms in television history. Now he's written a dishy, thoughtful how-I-did-it memoir.
To save democracy, you might want to go to church
The solution to some of American democracy’s biggest problems might be something old and controversial: More religion.
Every Champions League winner and final in history
The Champions League is the pinnacle of European club football, with the continent’s biggest teams competing for the most prestigious trophy in the game.First held as the European Cup in 1955/56 bef...
Biggest waste of money in your home gym may surprise you, fitness expert says
Fitness coach Jacob Zemer reveals the three home gym essentials — bands, dumbbells and a bench — that let you train every muscle group on a budget.
Beyond Buzzwords: How Sutter Leaders Create Healthcare’s Blueprint
By Matthew Murphy, Vitals contributor What does meaningful transformation look like inside a healthcare system, and what lessons can it offer the rest of the industry? In a series of recent podcast conversations, Sutter Health leaders shared how they’re tackling some of healthcare’s biggest challenges, turning new ideas into action and creating a blueprint for […]
Elon Musk gives $276 million to Republican groups, becomes biggest known 2026 midterm donor
Musk’s record midterm election spending comes as the Tesla and SpaceX CEO rebuilds his relationship with Trump and has business ties to the federal government.
VisionQuest’s Biggest Entertainment Factor Remains James Spader’s Ultron
Marvel’s VisionQuest brought back Paul Bettany’s Vision for another chapter as he continues his search for identity The post VisionQuest’s Biggest Entertainment Factor Remains James Spader’s Ultron ap...
VisionQuest’s Biggest Entertainment Factor Remains James Spader’s Ultron
Marvel’s VisionQuest brought back Paul Bettany’s Vision for another chapter as he continues his search for identity
JLL raids rival CBRE for high-powered Chicago brokerage team
The six-person team includes brokers behind Google's landmark Chicago real estate deals, marking a major talent win for JLL over its biggest rival.
Editor’s Note: Must Even the Biggest Booms Go Bust?
The Twin Cities theater scene was once the envy of the nation. Now, like our once-flourishing craft beer movement, it's facing seriously tough times.
Patriots Open Door to A.J. Brown Practice Return This Week
The New England Patriots may be getting closer to seeing their biggest offseason addition back on the field.Head coach Mike Vrabel provided a great update on A.J. Brown on Monday, one day after New England rolled past the Las Vegas Raiders without its star wide receiver.MassLive’s Mark Daniels reported Monday that Vrabel said “there’s a […] The post Patriots Open Door to A.J. Brown Practice Return This Week appeared first on HEAVY.
Michigan’s biggest hospitals won’t say how much they collect in facility fees
Hospitals say they need the fees to stay solvent. Bridge asked the top largest how much they collect. None disclosed the amounts, but some offered partial answers.
‘SNL’ cut ‘Shape of Water’ sketch was makeup vet’s ‘biggest heartbreak’
‘SNL’ makeup vet Louie Zakarian detailed a ‘Shape of Water’ sketch. Pete Davidson ‘somehow broke his arm that week,’ he recalls.
Elon Musk quietly becomes biggest known donor in midterm contests as he tries to save Republicans
Musk, the world's only trillionaire, has doled out more than $276 million since July to try to save Republican majorities in Congress.
Elon Musk quietly becomes biggest known donor in midterm contests as he tries to save Republicans
Trillionaire Elon Musk has quietly become the biggest known spender in this year’s midterm elections, doling out more than $276 million since July to try to save Republican majorities in the House and Senate
Elon Musk quietly becomes biggest known donor in midterm contests as he tries to save Republicans
Trillionaire Elon Musk has quietly become the biggest known spender in this year’s midterm elections, doling out more than $276 million since July to try to save Republican majorities in the House and Senate.
Gears of War: E-Day's Xbox debut tops Halo, can't surpass Forza Horizon 6
Gears of War: E-Day's high Xbox player count makes it the second-biggest game to launch on Xbox in 2026, behind only Forza Horizon 6.
College Football biggest risers after Week 6
Biggest risers in College Football after Week 6.
Tom Cruise film Digger could lose $245m at box office
The film dropped by around 60% in its second weekend, and could become one of Hollywood's biggest flops.
Pedro Pina: YouTube Is Not “Invested In Producing Content”
YouTube is not “invested in producing content.” That was the message today from the platform’s European chief Pedro Pina, as he continues his tour of the biggest TV events in the world convincing trad...
Inside Elon Musk’s $276 Million Midterm Rescue Mission for Republicans
The world’s richest person has quietly become by far the biggest known midterm donor, trying to save Republicans’ Senate majority with some of the largest donations in American political history.
Philly’s biggest health system and biggest insurer are trading jabs over a contract — and your coverage may be at stake
The region's largest health system contends its rates are 40% below the national average. One analyst says the payment rates are typical, and another points to hospital consolidation raising prices.
Could the Tigers’ 11th-Round Pick Be Their Biggest Steal?
High school standout Will Adams bypassed college to bring his elite left-handed swing to Detroit, sparking internal buzz that the 11th-round pick is a massive draft-day heist.
Florida flips nation's No. 1 2027 receiver from Texas
The Gators get one of the biggest recruits in program history.
How Marni von Wilpert went from a frustrated first-term councilmember to a favorite in one of the country’s biggest Congressional races
It wasn't obvious four years ago that Marni von Wilpert would soon be running in a race that could determine Congressional control.
Health insurance rates rise across Colorado, with the biggest increases hitting the Western Slope
Health insurance premiums for Coloradans using the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace are increasing by an average of 10% in 2027, lower than preliminary rates showed in June. Western Slope residents, however, are set to...
‘It’s Going To Solidify as One of the Greatest Games in History’ – Developers, Players, and Analysts Reveal How GTA 5 Took Over the World
Could GTA 6 be as big as its predecessor? We take a look at how GTA 5 became one of the biggest games in history, selling over 230m copies and being played by millions of people every week for over a decade.
We’re finally unlocking the biggest mysteries of the clitoris
From its anatomy to its purpose, there’s a lot we don't know about the female organ
4 Of The Biggest Drawbacks Of Driving A C8 Corvette
At this point, it is safe to say the C8 Corvette is a success, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. Owners and drivers have reported a few common drawbacks.
Schneider Electric Acquires PTC in US$22.6bn AI Deal
Schneider Electric acquires PTC for $22.6bn in its biggest deal to date, accelerating its push into AI and industrial software for smarter manufacturing
Partake Foods founder shares her biggest small business lessons
Inspired by her daughter's allergies, Partake Foods founder, Denise Woodard raised millions, overcoming growth challenges with storytelling skills.
CEO SUNDAY: Denny’s CEO shares the simple rule guiding his turnaround of the iconic diner chain
As Denny’s pursues its turnaround strategy, CEO Christopher Bode says staying focused on the company’s biggest priorities is critical to avoiding “organizational creep."
Photos: British Airways' Airbus A380 with world's biggest business class
British Airways unveiled its cabin designs for its retrofitted Airbus A380s, including 106 business-class suites spanning the upper deck.
Group threatens to leak ‘full’ GTA 6 build if physical plans aren’t reversed
The ‘Cyberleek’ is threatening its biggest Grand Theft Auto 6 leak yet, if its demands aren’t met…
3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following preseason loss to Celtics
Here are the three biggest takeaways for the Philadelphia 76ers following their preseason loss to the Boston Celtics.
NASCAR Driver Calls Out Media in Blunt Social Media Post
Corey LaJoie has a question for some of the biggest names in sports media, and he isn’t keeping it to himself.The NASCAR veteran took to social media Saturday, Oct. 10, to voice his frustration with what he sees as a lack of coverage from major media companies. His comments came as the sport continues to […] The post NASCAR Driver Calls Out Media in Blunt Social Media Post appeared first on HEAVY.
In MLB’s final 4, it’s the sport’s biggest spender and 3 budget-savvy rivals
A comparison of rosters brings into stark relief the vastness of the Dodgers’ financial edge over the Brewers, Guardians and Rays.
Belichick, UNC Score Biggest Win Yet After Rocky Offseason
Belichick’s revamped UNC roster is beginning to show signs of progress.
ESPN 'College GameDay' predictions for Week 6
Week 6 of the 2026 college football season is here, and ESPN's "College GameDay" picked all the biggest games on Saturday.
One Surprising Area Where Georgia Could Have Advantage Over Alabama
The Georgia Bulldogs are headed into their biggest game of the season tonight.
Smart Money Picks For A Stormy College Football Saturday
My college football predictions for today! Picks and analysis for Alabama vs. Georgia, OU vs. Texas, and Indiana vs. Nebraska. Who wins the biggest matchups?
Skull Of An Extinct Crocodile Found In The Rocks Used To Build The Pyramids, Most Distant Fast Radio Burst Yet Discovered, And Much More This Week
All the biggest science news stories of the week.
Memphis Grizzlies Bring Bad Injury News About New Controversial Big
The Memphis Grizzlies brought unfortunate news about their newest center, who was one of the team’s biggest pickups in the offseason. According to the team, center Isaiah Stewart is sidelined for at least two weeks with a moderate left ankle sprain. How Isaiah Stewart Picked Up The Injury Stewart suffered the injury in the first […] The post Memphis Grizzlies Bring Bad Injury News About New Controversial Big appeared first on HEAVY.
High-Usage Scorers Named Memphis Grizzlies' Biggest Roster Hole
Do you agree with this take?
Netflix’s Summer of Bummer
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Today, I’ve got a guest post from longtime friend of the newsletter, Brandon Katz. I’ve been trying to find time all summer to look at Netflix’s straight-to-streaming film slate, but between a pre-planned trip and Nielsen moving up their streaming data timeline, I’ve been swamped. So I reached out to Brandon, one of my favorite fellow analysts, to write about it. And I feel like he captured the tone and data focus of the newsletter perfectly. You can connect with Brandon on LinkedIn and Twitter. Enjoy! Don’t worry, folks. You’re in safe hands with me. To ease any anxieties about an interloper in ESG’s domain, I’ll start by stealing one of his best framing devices: headlines. Box office flops are covered in the same way the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles eye pizza: with cartoonish insatiability. I would know. I’m a former reporter who wrote nearly identical headlines: Yet, intentionally or not, streaming misses get treated with kids gloves, filtered through a rosy lens: In the last six years, U.S. streaming viewership has become nearly as transparent as the box office, but the data often arrives weeks later, in a number of less intuitive metrics, and with nary an official budget to be found. This plays into the Wall Street-whispering narratives major streamers have been cultivating for years. They get a pass in a way that theatrical studios simply don’t. Subscribe Netflix’s Summer Slate Not a single Netflix original film released between May and August this year opened above 20 million U.S. TV hours, per Nielsen. That benchmark usually serves as the EntStrategyGuy’s floor for a streaming hit on Netflix. None of these films enjoyed a hit-cementing single week of 20-plus million hours during their runs. Netflix’s two best films were true crime docs, Maternal Instinct (16.5 million hours) and The Crash (19.7 million), the best overall week for a film this summer. Great for most other streamers, but not necessarily what we’re used to seeing from Netflix. For an overly-dramatic comparison, Happy Gilmore 2 opened last summer to around 47 million hours (celebrity cameos, baby!). Zooming out, the picture looks even worse. In 2026, Netflix’s five biggest scripted summer films posted the lowest average (28.6 million hours) and median (28.8 million hours) eight-week viewership totals of the past four years. Now, it’s unrealistic and unfair to expect Netflix to deliver a _KPop Demon Hunters-_sized hit every year. But it’s also not ideal to see the size of their hits shrinking over the last few summers. Let’s quickly run through some of the notable summer misses. Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein’s perfectly fine romcom, Office Romance, fell off the charts after 20 million hours in its first two weeks. Top films usually last for four-plus weeks. Starry titles ideally don’t decay that fast either. Homegrown star Millie Bobby Brown couldn’t prevent the snappy Enola Holmes franchise from diminishing returns. At 14.3 million U.S. hours, the third film posted roughly half of what the first two films did in their first two weeks. What’s on Netflix calculated that per-day global views were down nearly 60% from the second movie. The Whisper Man did okay with more than 36 million hours over its first four weeks. But I expected a little more juice from a film featuring Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Adam Scott. Kevin Hart’s Ladies First collected just 11.2 million hours total across two weeks. That’s a big miss for one of Netflix’s go-to stars. Plopping into the same bucket are Sunny Sandler’s Don’t Say Good Luck (10.3 million in two weeks) and John Cena’s Little Brother (17.5 million). Meanwhile, English-language originals Color Book (June 19), In the Hand of Dante (June 24) and Heartstopper Forever (July 17) never sniffed Nielsen’s Top 10 at all, despite needing only 2 to 5 million hours to land in the top ten most weeks. (By my count, eleven English-language scripted original films released between May and August did chart). It’s only fair to mention that Swapped (1-May) posted nearly 42 million U.S. hours over five weeks (the longest Netflix original run this summer) and is currently their eighth most-watched English-language film ever worldwide. Remarkably Bright Creatures (37 million, 4 weeks) and Voicemails for Isabelle (27 million, 4 weeks) weren’t bombs either. Still, overall, I think it’s fair to say this was a quieter summer season than we’re used to seeing from the market-leader. You might not realize that given the language commonly used in public analysis. The Twist Despite the starkly black-and-white tone of the coverage, here’s the twist: when many box office bombs arrive on streaming, their viewership looks a whole lot like many of Netflix’s supposedly successful summer releases. Hmm, where have we heard that one before? Masters of the Universe topped out at $65 million stateside against a $170 million budget_._ I’ll admit, Skeletor ripping sleeveless curls as a gym bro and bodyslamming Adam’s co-workers was funny. But, much to the chagrin of my bank account, my laughter doesn’t launch franchises. Yet the He-Man reboot opened to 19.6 million hours (from a Wednesday five-day opening instead of just one weekend), on par with Hoppers on Disney+ (19.4 million). It put up nearly 47 million hours over its first six weeks, bigger than all of Netflix’s summer releases. Pretty darn healthy and likely to land among the 25 most-watched movies on streaming this year. Sticking with Amazon, The Sheep Detectives just barely broke even at the box office with $133 million worldwide (and only $66 million domestic). I never expected cloven-hooved, cud-chewing mammals to be able to bring me to tears. Yet that’s exactly how I found myself at the end of this surprisingly affecting movie (#NoShame). It was likely the unexpected quality in a family-friendly film that powered its streaming over-performance. Sheep Detectives delivered a solid run for Prime video netting 26.2 million hours! How about franchise IP? Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu had the lowest opening ($81 million) and lowest-grossing Disney-era live-action Star Wars film ($178 million domestic). One day before release, its Heat score (19.8%)—audiences who list their interest as a 7/7—fell behind blockbusters Wicked (21%), Superman (23%), Fantastic Four: First Steps (23%), Michael (23%), Toy Story 5 (26%) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (27%), according to Greenlight Analytics. The urgent enthusiasm just wasn’t there. On streaming, Mando opened to weeks of 12.1 million, 6.1 million and 2.7 million hours (21 million total) over its first three frames. Not the numbers Lucasfilm was hoping for nor the numbers of a streaming hit. But they’re in the same vicinity as some Netflix summer releases with $345 million at the global box office to offset a smidgen of the pain. Final Thoughts So why oh why does this nuance gap exist? Four key reasons: Data Literacy: A “$100 million opening” just makes sense. After decades of box office reporting, even casual movie fans are well-versed in the benchmarks of hits and home runs. There’s an immediate shorthand. But “16.5 million” hours doesn’t land nearly as cleanly. Despite leaps of progress, the streaming ratings era is still in its infancy compared to theatrical. The EntStrategyGuy and I met thanks to a late 2010s group chat of data nerds hungry to find a shred of certainty in nebulous streaming performance. I’m not surprised to see “No. 1 on Netflix” still getting misconstrued out in the wild. Timing: By Friday morning, we have the box office’s Thursday night previews totaled, allowing us to better project the weekend’s expectations. From there, ticket sales are reported daily. By Sunday, the film’s fate is usually finalized, at least in terms of public perception. In streaming, Nielsen recently improved its delay to…two weeks. The medium isn’t forced to contend with instant gratification as harshly. Financials: Theatrical film budgets are a mere Google away. Profit and loss is calculated in the cold and unforgiving naked light of day for all to see. But finding the vast majority of streaming exclusive movie budgets requires the forensic investigation skills of a Criminal Minds detective. Also, it’s very difficult to calculate how much revenue/value a straight-to-streaming films provides a streamer. This is why there are so few stories about streaming original movies “losing X amount of money”. On top of that, marketing budgets are far greater for theatrical movies than streaming exclusive movies, which leads to earlier and better awareness. This then translates to a wider pool of potential interest. Narrative Control: Netflix is the only major streaming service to publish weekly first-hand viewership data and annual engagement reports. Naturally, some headlines borrow their first-hand framing**.** Other streamers benefit from their comparative lack of transparency. They may occasionally announce vague performance platitudes such as Apple TV’s Mayday becoming its “biggest film debut on the platform to date over its first 18 days,” and that it ranked No. 1 with left-handed viewers in its first weekend. (Fine, I made up that second one). But, for the most part, they keep first-hand viewership shrouded in mystery to avoid bad press. Especially for outlets that demand multiple articles per day from their writers, it’s an easy (and understandable) way for some reporters to hit their daily article quota by just repeating what the streamers have told them. TL:DR version: Streaming-exclusive movies are asked to do different things than theatrical movies, but that doesn’t mean they should escape judgment. Both still need to draw enough eyeballs to justify their cost within the proper performance contexts. The more cleanly we can inject a little nuance into streaming analysis, the better we’ll understand the audience and content trends that drive this industry. And that’s what all of this is really about: knowing what audiences actually want! Brandon Katz is the Director of Insights & Content Strategy at Greenlight Analytics where he focuses on evaluating the ever-fluid media landscape to unearth understanding, opportunity and value. Greenlight Analytics is the entertainment intelligence consulting company redefining how Hollywood finds, understands, and activates audiences. Prior to joining Greenlight Analytics, he served as the senior entertainment industry strategist at Parrot Analytics, and as a full-time entertainment industry reporter covering the Xs and Os of Hollywood, most notably with TheWrap and the Observer.
NC sues state’s biggest hospital chain, extends enrollment deadline for State Health Plan
North Carolina Treasurer Brad Briner is suing Atrium Health over new payment strategies he says could endanger the financial health of the State Health Plan, which insures 750,000 state workers and others.
Greeny remembers Mike Ditka: He was the 'biggest star in Chicago sports'
Greeny remembers Mike Ditka: He was the 'biggest star in Chicago sports'
The biggest changes Anthropic just made to Claude's rules
Anthropic spelled out a series of new usage provisions about deceptive campaigns, elections, weapons development, and surveillance.
3 Biggest X-Factors For Alabama to Take Down Georgia
The Alabama Crimson Tide has an extremely tough matchup this weekend.
Notre Dame Fans To Team: Just Win (Big), Baby
Welcome back to One Foot Down Reacts, where we ask the most connected Notre Dame football fans to weigh in on a weekly question of our choosing. This week, the biggest question after an 11-point win over a North Carolina team and a beleaguered Stanford on deck was: What does the team most need to […]
New movies to watch this weekend: See 'The Social Reckoning' in theaters, rent or buy 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' stream 'Animals' on Netflix
Our critic's take on the week's biggest movie releases — including Aaron Sorkin's follow-up to "The Social Network."
Regional business leaders share their advice for new team members
This month, we asked: How is artificial intelligence changing the way your organization operates and where do you see the biggest opportunities?
Abdellah Ouazane Reveals 'Biggest Goal' For Ajax Season
Abdellah Ouazane has revealed what he hopes to achieve with Ajax this season.
'Football 301' on 49ers vs. Seahawks: Brock Purdy and his offensive machine face their biggest test
Henderson Is One of Brewers’ Biggest Strengths in NLCS
Fresh off a poised postseason debut, the young right-hander brings elite command and unshakable composure to the mound as Milwaukee battles a powerhouse Dodgers lineup for the pennant.
Florida voters express dissatisfaction with political candidates skipping debates
Political ads are saturating Florida's airwaves, with attack ads like "Byron Donalds is a liar" and "David Jolly wants to tax you more!" playing nonstop, but debate stages remain empty in some of the state's biggest races, leaving voters questioning why candidates won’t face each other.
Ohtani Is One of Dodgers’ Biggest Weaknesses in NLCS
Despite a dominant postseason run, the Los Angeles Dodgers face a looming crisis as Shohei Ohtani’s historic slump threatens to derail their hopes to win another World Series.
BMW’s Greatest Strength Became Its Biggest Weakness. Are You Making the Same Mistake?
BMW’s profit margins are plunging as Tesla and BYD disrupt the EV market. Ask three critical questions to future-proof your business strategy.
Biggest Titans Weaknesses Texans Need to Exploit in Week 5
The Texans can dominate Week 5 by pressuring the Titans’ struggling pass protection and capitalizing on costly offensive mistakes
University of Michigan to host Elevate HER Summit celebrating women in sports
The University of Michigan is bringing together some of the biggest names in women’s sports for an event focused on leadership, mentorship and creating opportunities for the next generation.
Watch live: Trump to honor Elon Musk, tech leaders at science summit
President Trump is set to recognize some of the biggest names in technology Thursday at the “A New Golden Age” summit in Washington. Trump will award the National Medal of Science to Tesla and Spac…
Yamamoto is Dodgers’ Biggest Strength in NLCS Against Brewers
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Concern after Europeans endorse US science agenda
Germany’s biggest research funder has said it is “concerned” after Berlin, plus several other European countries, endorsed a controversial US-led science policy statement. On October 4, the White House announced that 16 countries, including Germany, the UK, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Japan and South Korea had backed the Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of Science.The document, agreed on the margins of the annual Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto, which gathers science ministers from across the world, appears uncontroversial at first sight. It’s a one-page statement, without any concrete measures, that touches on reducing administrative burden on scientists, experimenting with new funding models and the use of “super intelligence” in science, the Trump administration’s preferred term for artificial intelligence. However, what’s controversial is that much of the language in the Kyoto Vision reflects Science: A New Golden Age, a major policy document released by the White House in July.That document attracted criticism for deriding universities as “legacy institutions” and suggesting money be diverted to new research labs. In a speech in Kyoto on October 4, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office for Science and Technology Policy and the report’s author, said that the US was seeking to “diversify the ways that we support research to meet our best scientists where and when they do their best work.” The worry is that the Trump administration may be using genuine dysfunctions in academia as a pretext to defund and disempower universities, which US vice president JD Vance has labelled “the enemy.” Many in Europe also want more experimentation and reform of how science is organised and funded, and agree with criticisms of academia made by Science: A New Golden Age. But some also fear that if the US pushes for reform partially in bad faith, it could politicise and undermine the whole agenda. Washington is currently trying to change federal funding rules so that political appointees can block and cancel scientific grants. It has cut grants mid-project on topics related to diversity and other politically forbidden areas. And last year, it threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless it admitted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create campus “viewpoint diversity.” “Particularly concerned”Because of this wider US political context, the Kyoto Vision’s otherwise innocuous sounding statement that “we encourage experimentation with new institutional models for science that provide varying levels of autonomy, resources and direction” has caused consternation in Europe, particularly from some of Germany’s biggest science organisations. A spokesperson for the German Research Foundation (DFG), the country’s biggest funder, said that it would “closely monitor whether the current US administration uses the Kyoto Vision to restructure research funding to the detriment of research institutions such as universities and their autonomy.” The DFG was “particularly concerned” with the statement’s references to Science: A New Golden Age, they continued. A spokesperson for the German Rectors’ Conference, which represents the country’s universities, said that the reference to “new institutional models” raises “questions on the underlying understanding of academic freedom and autonomy.” Research funding must “guided first and foremost by scientific not political principles,” they went on. Dampen criticismEuropean endorsement of the Kyoto Vision might dampen domestic criticism of the Trump administration’s science policy, some in the US fear, by suggesting international support. “What we saw from Germany, Japan, the UK and other countries, is an impulse that the administration has exploited with our own science reform movement, a belief they can use dialogue to make things better,” said Cole Donovan, director of science policy at the campaigning group Stand Up for Science. “In practice, the administration has done the opposite.” Not a binding statementThere’s been so much concern in Germany that the country’s federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space put out a statement defending its endorsement of the Kyoto Vision, which it has posted on its website. Related articlesIs metascience being co-opted?European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationThe US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know The ministry said that it “should be regarded as a basis for discussion and does not constitute a binding statement.” Backing the statement gives Germany the chance to raise “issues and concerns” with the US during upcoming talks on science and technology scheduled for November. “Although these intentions appear, in principle, to be worthy of support, they will be scrutinised and examined more closely as the process continues,” the statement continues. Super intelligence?A ministry spokesperson confirmed to Science|Business that Germany had broadly endorsed the Kyoto Vision.However, they said Berlin had not agreed to final changes in the statement to refer to AI as super intelligence. In September, facing protests against data centres and polling that suggests US citizens are far more concerned than excited by the technology, Trump issued an executive order that attempts to rebrand AI as super intelligence, following polling on social media.The name change is to “reflect the transformative capabilities of these technologies and the limitless opportunities they create for the American people,” the order says. EU askedThe UK and Italian science ministries did not respond to a request for comment on their endorsement of the Kyoto Vision. Although most EU countries did not endorse the statement, it’s not clear which states the US asked. The White House Office for Science and Technology Policy did not return a request for comment. A European Commission official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that the US had approached the EU, but too late for the EU to quiz all its member states on whether Brussels should endorse the statement.
Republican megadonors dominate 2026 midterm election as crypto and AI money surges, CNBC analysis finds
Fourteen of the 20 biggest donor groups CNBC analyzed are Republican-aligned as crypto, AI and betting money reshapes 2026 midterm spending.
‘Political chameleon’: How Mark Zuckerberg charmed Trump and got his way on AI
It was a triumphant moment for Mark Zuckerberg. He sat at the center of last month’s White House AI meeting, with the CEOs of some of the biggest tech companies in the world signing onto a document he crafted for how to “self-police” and attempt to manage serious AI safety risks. After the meeting, Zuckerberg called it “historic.”
How does one of downtown New Orleans' biggest office space holders see the market?
Lahaksy is at the helm of nearly 1.5 million square feet of downtown office space.
WVU Legend Pat McAfee Nearly Returned to NFL After Retirement
The West Virginia Mountaineers football legend Pat McAfee has become one of the biggest personalities in sports media since retiring from the NFL. However, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians recently revealed that McAfee nearly added another unexpected chapter to his professional football career.McAfee retired in 2017 following eight seasons with the Indianapolis […] The post WVU Legend Pat McAfee Nearly Returned to NFL After Retirement appeared first on HEAVY.
Wake Forest vs NC State Prediction: The Wolfpack Are Back
NC State bounced back from a nightmarish first few weeks with two big wins, but Wake Forest is the biggest test yet. Here's the CFN game preview and prediction.
Firefox and AEG partner at Berlin’s premier entertainment venues
Firefox is teaming up with AEG and taking to the main stage at Berlin’s biggest and best indoor arenas. Starting this October, as the indoor music scene
Ipsos Health Service Report 2026
Since 2018, Ipsos has been tracking perceptions of the quality of healthcare systems, the biggest health issues and the biggest public health problems.
Premier League Gameweek 5 Review: Biggest Talking Points and Takeaways
Gameweek 5 of the English Premier League season delivered another weekend full of talking points, with several results catching the attention of fans across the country. There were big wins, surprise results and some disappointing performances as teams continued to find their rhythm early in the season. Arsenal suffered a heavy defeat away to Brighton […]
Ben Johnson Makes Honest Admission on Packers QB Jordan Love
One of the biggest debates going on between Chicago Bears fans and Green Bay Packers fans is who has the better franchise quarterback. After years of the Packers having the edge, former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams has finally given Chicago something to brag about. However, Bears head coach Ben Johnson made it clear […] The post Ben Johnson Makes Honest Admission on Packers QB Jordan Love appeared first on HEAVY.
Dana Altman's greatest achievement before he retired? Lifting Creighton out of the mud in the '90s
Oregon men's basketball coach Dana Altman won 792 games in his Division I coaching career. He made perhaps his biggest impact at Creighton, in his home state of Nebraska.
Who Won August and September: Original Films or Franchises?
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) I just heard someone say that if you’re reading a pundit or data analyst, and they don’t tell you that they got anything wrong, they’re not a pundit but an “influencer”. I agree with that. You have to tell your audience when you get things wrong, or they won’t (or shouldn’t) trust you as much. Today, we’ve got another edition of “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong”. In general, I’m patting myself on the back (and patting very hard) about a few things like IP at the box office, LIV golf, horror films, crowdfunding movies, superheroes, and old people going to the theaters. That said, I also made a couple of data mistakes on the streaming bubble popping and HBO’s datecdotes, so I’m not perfect. But first, I need your feedback... Subscribe Follow-Ups: What Should We Call Mid-Budget Movies Which Aren’t Cinematic Enough for Theaters But Are Too Expensive to Make Money on Streaming? After I asked for feedback on what we should call straight-to-streaming films that are too big to pencil out on streaming but not really big enough to resonate in theaters, I got some great suggestions from you all, including... “Moldilocks” from John Aboud “Little Big Indie” from Travis Frick1 “Midflicks” from Jonathan Funke. “Extra-Medium” from Jona Nwuke. (Read the explanation in the footnote.) Between these and Brandon Katz—who suggested “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”—we’ve got some excellent suggestions. And they’re better than my suggestion, the “Streaming Budget Dead Zone”, so let’s take a poll! The winning entry becomes the new term. Loading... RIGHT: LIV Golf is Fully Bankrupt…Is Anyone Else Next? A few years ago, I was always a bit perplexed at all the articles I’d read praising LIV Golf and their strategy to disrupt the PGA. LIV Golf, a brand new professional golf league, offered PGA stars ten times what they made on the PGA Tour to join their new league. And folks praised this strategy for its initial “success” in that a lot of big names did indeed leave the PGA. Yeah, of course the players came over. LIV Golf paid them so, so, so much more! But LIV Golf hadn’t discovered a way to increase potential revenue. So think about this in basic business terms… They paid much more in costs… …but had no real way to increase revenue. That’s not a strategy! That’s deficit financing. It won’t work unless you bankrupt the competition (and then turn around and pay those same golfers much, much less). It’s not a sustainable strategy and only lasts as long as the company/person/nation backing it decides they’re cool with losing money. For LIV Golf, that meant Middle East oil wealth, in particular Saudi Arabian money. Clearly, the current Iran War has hurt Middle East finances, so they need to trim their more exorbitant spending. And LIV Golf was part of that trimming. This should be a major warning for others. TGL’s parent company, TMRW Sports, just got a $1 billion valuation, despite TGL’s (the indoor golf league) horrible TV viewership of less than half a million viewers per match. Unrivaled, the women’s basketball league, just secured a $650 valuation, despite its horrible TV viewership and a new rival (Project B) entering the scene next year. To relate this to streaming, Hollywood should ask which streamers may have wealthy patrons funding their losses. (Let’s be clear: Google, Amazon and Apple.) Could those patrons lose their appetite? For Amazon, probably not. But Apple has a new boss, so maybe! WRONG: My Analysis of the Streaming Bubble Was Missing a Week I’m going to be congratulating myself a lot today, but I make mistakes too, like this data goof. When I last compiled the data on the decline in TV shows, I was missing one week at the end of June. If you look at the first image, you can see that one week was mislabelled as “July”. Mainly, this image got updated to show a 27% decline, not 29%: This change doesn’t really impact the overall analysis, but it is two percent better. By the way, through the third quarter, the decline increased and it’s now a 30% decrease since 2022. (I’ll write/visualize this in an upcoming article.) But I want you to trust me and my data. Especially these days, when many people are using LLMs that I know are inserting faulty data into their charts, I want to keep earning my audience’s faith. So that’s the accurate data. RIGHT: IP Remains Very, Very Popular In July, I wrote a giant (and I mean giant) article on Backrooms, Obsession, and the box office, going over what we know, what we don’t know about what works in theaters, looking at YouTubers, IP, the horror genre, comic book movies, and a whole lot more. The month of August really tested a lot of my theses and, being honest, mostly supported my arguments. Let’s start with IP. Looking at 8-Aug (the weekend after Spider-Man: Brand New Day came out) to 18-Sep (the weekend that Resident Evil came out, which I think provides a nice bookend to this time period), there were seven films based on pre-existing IP: Resident Evil (2026) ($126 million) Practical Magic 2 ($65 million) _Insidious: Out of the Furthe_r ($65 million) Coyote Vs. Acme ($59 million) Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie ($53 million) Tony ($15 million) Super Troopers 3 ($7 million) Compare those to the notable original films from the past month—I actually could have included more movies, but here are just thirteen, bringing us to an even twenty films—including.... The End of Oak Street ($54 million) Buddy ($26 million) Mutiny ($15 million) By Any Means ($15 million) The Dog Stars ($14 million) Runner ($14 million) One Night Only ($11 million) Hope ($8 million) Spa Weekend ($7 million) The Uprising ($6 million) Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma ($6 million) Onslaught ($3 million) Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man ($2.8 million) Here’s that in chart form: Five of the top six films in this time period were all based on IP. I made a big chart of films that grossed over $200 million at the box office before Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey hit theaters. Let’s update that chart! By the way, if you want to see how I categorized each film—so another bar chart—here it is: I know that many of my fellow critics/pundits/analysts dislike films based on IP and how Hollywood is making so many of them. And I’m sympathetic to this point of view. As I’ve written many, many times before, you need a balance between existing franchises, new IP, and original films. And Hollywood clearly needs to make more films like Resident Evil (a well-made film from a visionary director) and fewer Practical Magic 2’s (which didn’t get critical or customer buzz). But at some point, critics and pundits need to contend with what audiences are telling them: Movie-goers aren’t showing up to original films. Audiences are speaking with their dollars, telling you they want more IP and franchises. You can try to convince studio heads to make fewer IP-based films and franchises, but the data and numbers aren’t there. Instead, critics need to work harder to convince audiences to show up for original films. Aim your ire/concern at the average person, not studio heads.2 Because they’re just making the films that audiences are telling them to make. WRONG: Original Horror Films Didn’t Break Out I’ll be honest, even though I wrote an article casting some skepticism on the horror genre in July, if you asked me to make a prediction, I would have predicted that, in August, a new, original horror film would have blown up. No, seriously, I just assumed that Obsession and Backrooms presaged a change in audience behavior. But none of the buzzy new original horror films from August—Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Onslaught (not an action film in spite of the ads), The End of Oak Street, Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man, or _Buddy—_broke out. To be clear, exactly one of those films (Buddy) had good “ROI”, but again—I try to be specific in my language—none were “popular” in any broad sense of the word. None of them will be “saving” movies theaters like Backrooms or _Obsession_helped save the summer. The new Insidious film and Resident Evil, both based on IP, were far and away the biggest horror films since July. (We’ll see if this changes in October/Halloween season.) RIGHT: Stay Skeptical about Crowdfunding... I’ve long been skeptical about crowd-investing platforms as one of Hollywood’s saviors, mainly because there’s so much hype/buzz. People need to stay more skeptical about more things, explaining both the potential upside but also the downsides. In particular, the media often hypes crowdfunding at the start and never checks in on the actual results after they’ve come in later. And August gave us our first update! _Ice Cream Man—_directed by Eli Roth—grossed $6 million off of a $5.5 million budget. This is a production of The Horror Section, which was one of the first “crowd investing” studios with 2,400 investors, which means that 2,400 investors probably lost money. They certainly aren’t getting as great of returns as if they had just invested their dollars in the stock market. Hopefully Stiletto (Tagline: “Someone’s Going to Make it Rain Blood!”) does better next month. WRONG: Another Data Goof Here’s another data error. When the first episode of House of the Dragon came out, HBO put out that it had 21.5 million viewers in the first three days, and I read that to mean in the US…but no, it was global. So my US-only datecdotes charts shouldn’t have included it. We never got US-only numbers for the first episode, but for the final episode, HBO put out that it had 11 million US viewers. (And that global dropped to 21 million viewers.) Here’s the updated chart (which I’ve since used in the Streaming Ratings Report): Still, this show is absolutely huge. RIGHT: Superhero Films Remain Very, Very Popular After Supergirl flopped, I read a few takes that “comic book movies are going the way of the Western”. Post-Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that take didn’t age well. To be fair, I have a very nuanced take on the superhero genre right now; it’s down right now, for a lot of reasons. But it’s not “dead”. Maybe _Spider-_Man is just a really popular character? I saw that take, and it’s a fair counter-argument. (But pundits arguing that superhero movies were dead should have mentioned this $1.5 billion counter-argument…) But is it just Spider-Man? The next Avengers film already has $50 million in pre-sales (and I was skeptical that that film would do well) and the Avengers: End Game re-release topped the box office two weekends ago (over three original films). And I wouldn’t bet against Batman or Superman. So maybe it’s just Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and the Avengers. Oh, and Deadpool, of course. And Black Panther. And Wolverine. And probably the X-Men. Plus a well-made Wonder Woman or the Hulk film could break out. But that’s it! It’s just those ten characters/teams. Oh, what’s that? Lanterns is also doing well on HBO? (See previous section…) To be fair, I’m actually pretty sympathetic to the argument that more popular characters—like Spider-Man and Batman—anchor more popular films. In fact, I made that exact argument three years ago when I first wrote about the “Marvel-cession”. In many ways, you can blame The Guardians of the Galaxy for fooling Marvel Studios (and the rest of us) into believing that any character could pop. It turns out, the list of iconic characters is probably smaller than most people think. But it’s probably too early to say that superhero films and comic book movies are dead unless “death” means a slight decline over a longtime. RIGHT: Who Killed Theaters? Old People I get frustrated whenever I see headlines or analysis about how young people are “returning” to theaters. As I’ve detailed(for years), young people have always powered the US box office, despite narratives about “kids these days” and their “phones”. Really, what’s changed post-2020/pandemic is that old people aren’t going to the movies nearly as much. This summer, I saw a movie (from an older director) in a theater near a retirement community, and multiple older people at the theater were talking about how this was their first time seeing a movie in years. I dislike personal anecdotes, so YouGov can fill in the data, best summarized by this headline: “Who killed movie theaters? Not the youths”. According to them, 64% of people aged 18-29 have seen a movie in the last year, but only 30% of 65-and-older. 20% of 18-29 have seen a movie in theaters in the last week and 42% in the last month. Here’s the polling data: Most concerning? Many Americans (17%) think theaters are a worse or much worse experience than watching films at home. Slight WRONG: Hadestown Opens Big A live theater capture of the Broadway musical, Hadestown, made $20 million at the US box office, which begs the question: was I wrong to be skeptical about musicals a few years ago? Yes and no. On the one hand, $20 million is a far cry from being “popular”, so yeah, the genre isn’t that popular overall and Hadestown is one of the more popular musicals from recent years (i.e. the “Taylor Swift Data Fallacy” in action). On the other, I doubt filming this cost all that much, and I don’t think that they spent much on marketing, so this is a good source of ancillary revenue. Smaller Updates WRONG: As I mentioned in a Streaming Ratings Report, I underestimated the budget for Enola Holmes 3. It probably cost more like $50 million, if not more. But... I’m not sure that it really matters? At sub-10 million hours, prices have to come down to make this work. WRONG: Netflix is giving Ink a 27-day in theaters! To quote the kids/YouTubers these days, let’s go! Now I might actually have a chance to see Danny Boyle’s latest in theaters. I’d complained about this in a “Coming Soon” section, but I was heartened to read that Netflix is giving multiple films longer theatrical windows this year. RIGHT: Netflix is sending 4-5 films per year to theaters. Netflix is slowly but surely sending more and more films to theaters, as I cautiously predicted earlier this year. For now, it’s just three big films and a number of awards contenders, but still, this is great news. And they’ll be releasing box office grosses! Just this week, Ted Sarandos confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will come to theaters (and my guess is it performs in the box office top ten at a minimum). WRONG: Angel has 3 million subscribers! How do I know this? Well, they told Deadline, who reported it. I marked this as “wrong”, since they’ve doubled their subscribers in one year but, you know, they don’t really have a hit film to speak of and they’re still losing money. WRONG: Furious was only renewed for one more season. I accidentally wrote “two more seasons” in my latest “Renewals, Cancellations, Un-Orders and Removals Update”. RIGHT: House of David is ending with its third season. In July, Prime Video renewed House of David for a third season, as I just wrote in my latest “Renewals and Cancellations” report. Well, now it’s ending after that third season. Why? As I’ve been writing, its viewership wasn’t great. I got feedback that this show didn’t cost very much, but it cost enough that its limited viewership didn’t save it. WRONG: Adults was a Hulu original! So I missed Adults when it first came out last year; I saw that it aired on FX and just assumed that it was a linear-first program. Turns out, it aired three episodes on FX, but binge-released the rest of its episodes the next day on Hulu. Huh. So I should have covered it last year! But I just wrote about it. 1 “When I was a kid in the 90s, if you wore a t-shirt to school that wasn’t too big and also wasn’t too small, but somehow didn’t quite fit, we’d say you were wearing an “extra-medium” shirt.” 2 As always, a huge exception is Disney, which barely makes anything original anymore.
UT symposium explores AI’s growing role in future of health care
Some of the biggest names in health care, technology and research gathered at the University of Texas this week to discuss how artificial intelligence is already changing the way patients receive c…
Virginia’s two biggest craft beer brewers to merge
Richmond's Hardywood Park Craft Brewery has purchased Starr Hill Brewery, based in Crozet, in an all-equity acquisition. Richmond's Hardywood Park Craft Brewery has purchased Starr Hill Brewery, based in Crozet, in an all-equity acquisition.
RHOSLC Season 7 Kicks Off With a Record-Breaking Win
RHOSLC Season 7 is already delivering strong ratings for Bravo. The latest season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City scored the show’s biggest premiere audience to date across multiple platforms...
Orange County to Take Over Mental Health Campuses, Ends Nonprofit Partnership
It’s unclear what the next steps are for one of the county’s biggest mental health nonprofits after they ceded control of their facilities to the county government.
‘He Has a Bigger Problem,’ ‘Embarrassed The Business’ — NFL Legend Terrell Owens Has No Sympathy For Tony Romo After Controversial CBS Exit
Terrell Owens has little sympathy for Tony Romo following the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback’s sudden departure from CBS Sports. The network announced on Friday that it had mutually agreed to part ways with Romo after nine years in the broadcast booth, bringing an unexpected end to one of the biggest analyst careers in recent NFL history.
Lower US Treasury yield view persists despite biggest quarterly surge since 1994
US Treasury yields are forecast to fall over coming months, according to fixed income strategists in a Reuters poll who clung to their long-held view despite the benchmark 10-year yield recording its biggest quarterly jump since 1994.