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The #2 Movie on Netflix Is a Thrilling Documentary About a Charismatic Serial Killer
"The Widower: 'Til Death Do Us Part" follows the twisting story of Thomas Randolph, also known as the "Black Widower," of whose six wives, four ended up dead.
'Tender Loving Care' review: 'Widow's Bay's Kate O'Flynn shines in Mike Leigh's latest
The British scene-stealer dances, jokes, and warms hearts in this charming drama.
Widow of business owner reports scammers claiming to be representatives from company: Brunswick Hills Townshi
Also in this week’s Brunswick Hills Township Police blotter, a man threatens his neighbor over debris from a ditch.
'Below' review: Josh Hartnett's sea monster series is perfect for 'Widow's Bay' fans
Creatures of the deep await in this fun 'Jaws' riff, including sea hags.
I Watch TV for a Living and These Are My 3 Favorite Shows of 2026 (So Far)
With so many new and returning TV shows this year, three have stood out to me as the best shows of 2026 so far. From ‘Widow’s Bay’ to ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles,’ here are my picks.
Emmy winners 2026 full list: 'The Pitt,' 'Hacks' and 'Widow's Bay' lead nominations
The 78th Emmy Awards will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay live from Los Angeles on NBC and Peacock on Sept. 14.
The 2026 Emmys are almost here. Here's how to watch, what to expect and who's up for the biggest awards.
Can "The Pitt" and "Hacks" continue their Emmy-winning runs, or will new shows like "Widow's Bay" and "Pluribus" claim the top prizes?
Charlotte Motor Speedway to host celebration of life for Kyle Busch
The event after the Trucks Series race will include Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, team owner Joe Gibbs and several Cup Series drivers.
Why The Porsche 930 Is Known As The Widowmaker
The Porsche 930 is known as the Widowmaker because drivers couldn't handle it when it first released, causing crashes and fatalities.
Jimmy Kimmel responds to Melania and Donald Trump once again calling for him to be fired
Jimmy Kimmel is shrugging off Melania and Donald Trump's calls for him to be fired, again, in the wake of a joke he made about Trump looking like an 'expectant widow' ahead of the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Emmy winners 2026: ‘Widow’s Bay’ and ‘The Pitt’ dominate
Jean Smart earns fifth Emmy for 'Hacks', becoming the first to win lead comedy actress for every season of the show.
'The Pitt' led 2026 Emmy nominations. But another show is ahead after the early awards.
The biggest prizes are still ahead, but shows including "Widow's Bay" and "DTF St. Louis" have already made their mark.
Judge rejects request to ban cameras in court from man charged with killing Kirk
Media organizations, prosecutors and Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, wanted the court to allow cameras
'Widow's Bay' makes history with record-breaking win at 2026 Emmys
All's fair in love and Emmys.
Lessons From a New Widow on the Life After
As people think about living longer, a New York Times writer reflects on the recent death of her husband and what helps life go on.
2026 Emmys winners: 'Hacks,' 'The Pitt' and 'Widow's Bay' win big
The 2026 Emmy Awards are lauding perennial favorites, throwing in some surprises and vindicating Stephen Colbert.
Hugh Hefner’s widow asks Jessica Biel to rethink playing Playboy founder’s wife in new movie
Hugh Hefner’s widow, Crystal Harris, has asked actress Jessica Biel to rethink playing the Playboy founder’s wife in the upcoming movie ‘Playmates.’
It's 'Pitt' vs 'Pluribus' in drama and 'Hacks' vs 'Widow's Bay' in comedy at the upcoming Emmys
The 78th Emmy Awards are set for Monday night, with “The Pitt,” “Pluribus,” “Hacks,” and “Widow's Bay” leading the charge | KMBZ
Many coaches negelct their health. After Shawn Clark’s death, his widow wants to change that
Jonelle Clark founded the Shawn Clark Legacy Foundation and the 61 Initiative to convince coaches to get checkups and monitor their health.
Producer’s Widow’s Drops Royalties Suit vs Amaru Entertainment
The widow of a musician and producer who worked with Tupac Shakur has dropped her lawsuit against a company formed by the late mother of the slain rapper in which the plaintiff alleged she was wrongfully denied royalty payments. Capucine Jackson, the widow of Johnny Lee Jackson, sought compensatory damages in her breach-of-contract action against […]
It’s ‘Pitt’ vs ‘Pluribus’ in drama and ‘Hacks’ vs ‘Widow’s Bay’ in comedy at the upcoming Emmys
The 78th Emmy Awards are set for Monday night, with “The Pitt,” “Pluribus,” “Hacks,” and “Widow's Bay” leading the charge.
Widow turns tragedy into triumph with new Blawnox-based baking business
A Blawnox widow is turning personal tragedy into personal triumph with a new baking business inspired by her late husband. Lisa Collins was devastated when she lost her husband of 27 years, David Collins, suddenly from cardiac arrest in 2023. The couple’s three adult children were grown, so Collins was
Alexei Navalny’s wife and political heir still has ‘big hopes’ for Russia
The exiled widow of Russia’s late opposition leader Alexei Navalny told POLITICO on Thursday that remaining hopeful about her home country is part of her job. “I really have big hopes for Rus…
Widow of slain activist Charlie Kirk endorses JD Vance for president
"We are going to get my husband's friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible," Erika Kirk said.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow gets fundraiser amid fight over his estate
As Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow, Tenisha Warner, and their 9-year-old daughter MacKenzie navigate a life without "The Cosby Show" alum, a close friend is asking the public for financial support.
Music Producer’s Widow’s Drops Royalties Suit vs Amaru Entertainment
The widow of a musician and producer who worked with Tupac Shakur has dropped her lawsuit against a company formed by the late mother of the slain rapper in which the plaintiff alleged she was wrongfully denied royalty payments. Capucine Jackson, the widow of Johnny Lee Jackson, sought compensatory damages in her breach-of-contract action against […]
‘Ponies’ merges comedy with a gritty spy story in TV dramedy
The Peacock series “Ponies” starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson blends comedy and drama as widows of CIA operatives become intelligence assets in the 1970s Soviet Union.
Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' widow Allison Holker announces engagement to tech CEO
'So You Think You Can Dance' alum Allison Holker, who was previously married to the late Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, announced that she will be tying the knot with tech CEO Adam Edmunds after nearly two years of dating.
'Widow's Bay' dominates with 8 Emmys at early ceremony and 'The Pitt' takes 4
“DTF St. Louis” won big with six awards
'Widow's Bay' dominates with 8 Emmys at early ceremony and 'The Pitt' takes 4
“DTF St. Louis” won big with six awards
'Ponies' merges comedy with a gritty spy story in TV dramedy
The Peacock series “Ponies” starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson blends comedy and drama as widows of CIA operatives become intelligence assets in the 1970s Soviet Union | KMBZ
Widow and widower find new love, good health in their 80s
For two widowed neighbors, a simple walk down the street led to something neither of them expected: a second chance at love.
Trumps call for ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel after morbid joke about first lady
Kimmel last week described Melania Trump as having "the glow of an expectant widow"
'The Pitt' looks to repeat and 'Widow's Bay' could bring an epic wave as Emmy Awards arrive
The 78th Emmy Awards are happening Monday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
'Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!' review: A feel-good movie about grief
Rinko Kikuchi shines as a dancing widow lusty for her teacher.
Erika Kirk endorses JD Vance for president in 2028
The widow of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk threw the organization's support behind the vice president, who hasn't yet announced his 2028 plans.
What you missed at the Emmys: Taylor Swift drops Easter eggs, John Mulaney gets censored and 'Widow's Bay' sparks a relationship question
We'll catch you up on what happened during TV's biggest night.
Sally Field wins lead actress Emmy for 'Remarkably Bright Creatures'
At 79, the actor whose decades-long career has spanned TV and film, becomes the oldest to win in the category for her portrayal of a widow named Tova Sullivan in 'Remarkably Bright Creatures.'
‘Widow’s Bay’ review: Apple TV horror comedy feels a little underbaked
While the new Apple TV series, premiering April 29, feels disjointed, there's still pleasure to be had, writes Moira Macdonald.
Apple TV Hikes Price, Will Now Cost $14.99 A Month In U.S.
Apple TV is the latest streamer to raise rates. Its monthly subscription price will increase by $2 to $14.99. on August 28.
'Widow's Bay' dominates with 8 Emmys at early ceremony and 'The Pitt' takes 4
“DTF St. Louis” won big with six awards
Never watched 'Widow's Bay'? How the creepy comedy became an Emmy favorite.
Matthew Rhys stars in the Apple TV hit that took nearly 20 years to make.
Variety TV critic Alison Herman weighs in on the 2026 Emmys
"Widow's Bay" swept the comedy categories
Matthew Rhys and Dave Annable tried to make a “Brothers & Sisters” holiday special happen
The "Widow's Bay" star hasn't given up on bringing back the ABC family drama.
Widow and widower find new love, good health in their 80s
For two widowed neighbors, a simple walk down the street led to something neither of them expected: a second chance at love.
Widow’s Bay Episode 6 Finally Peels Back the Curtain on the Cursed Village
“Our History” is an enlightening prequel that will satisfy the show’s budding lore hounds.
Amazon Prime Day streaming deal: Score Apple TV for over 50% off
Stream 'Widow's Bay,' 'Pluribus,' 'Shrinking,' and more of our favorite TV shows for cheap.
The 10 best TV shows of 2026 (so far)
From "The Pitt" to "Widow's Bay," here are our favorites of the year.
Lawsuit to be filed against Cincinnati in death of OTR business owner, widow announces
Sarah Heringer announced the wrongful death lawsuit a day before the anniversary of her husband, Patrick Heringer.
Erika Kirk and Candace Owens meet amid an escalating feud over Charlie Kirk’s assassination
Erika Kirk, the widow of slain conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, met Monday with podcaster Candace Owens amid an intensifying public feud over Owens’ promotion of conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk’s death.
Ancient lore meets small-town politics: Why fans are flocking to 'Widow’s Bay'
UC Berkeley Professor Abigail De Kosnik explains why the new horror-comedy’s mix of genre play, dark humor and original storytelling has resonated so widely.
Erika Kirk Doesn't Really Want to Talk Politics. So How's She Going to Lead Turning Point USA?
One year after Charlie Kirk’s murder, the MAGA movement is fracturing and the future of Turning Point USA—the influential and lucrative conservative youth organization he founded at 18—is uncertain. His widow now finds herself both its leader and a victim of the conspiracy mentality Kirk fomented. With unprecedented access to her world, Clara Molot set out to answer the question: Who is Erika Kirk?
One of the Best New Shows of the Year Was Just Renewed for Season Two
Apple TV+ has already renewed a fan-favorite comedy-horror series after just one season. Here’s what to know about the renewal and what's being teased for season two.
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Betty Gilpin poses in the press room with the award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for "Widow's Bay" during Night 2 of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
How the Trump Justice Department is targeting his perceived opponents : The NPR Politics Podcast
From the NPR podcast Consider This:The Department of Justice is once again at the center of the news.At least five federal lawmakers say they have been contacted for questioning from federal prosecutors. So has the chairman of the Federal Reserve.And in Minnesota, career federal prosecutors resigned after being asked to investigate not the shooting that killed Renee Macklin Good, but her widow’s potential ties to activist groups.NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro and NPR justice correspondent Carrie Johnson break down the latest in Justice Department news.
‘Widow’s Bay’ is the perfect escape in this absurd era
A perfect marriage of horror and comedy, 'Widow's Bay' reminds us that ignoring monsters won't make them go away.
“Toy Story 5”, “House of the Dragon”, and “Widow's Bay ”top this week's Must List
"Maddie's Secret" and Curtis Mayfield's "Super Fly" album round out our picks for the weekend of June 19.
'The Pitt' looks to repeat and 'Widow's Bay' could bring an epic wave as Emmy Awards arrive
The 78th Emmy Awards are happening Monday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles | 830 WCCO
Kirk’s widow endorses Vance as MAGA infighting rages
Erika Kirk told a Turning Point USA conference that she would work to elect JD Vance president in 2028, at an event in which MAGA divisions were on full display.
James Ransone’s widow slams Emmys for leaving “The Wire” actor out of ‘In Memoriam’ segment
“It simply is not right to not acknowledge him and his work,” the late actor’s wife wrote.
Stephen King shares his thoughts on 'Widow's Bay' and 'Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed'
Two reviews for the price of one.
James Van Der Beek's widow Kimberly posts moving Father's Day tribute
Kimberly Van Der Beek is paying tribute to her late husband, James Van Der Beek, on the first Father's Day after the beloved "Dawson Creek" actor's death.
UN World Food Programme Chief Cindy McCain to Step Down for Health Reasons
ROME, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Cindy McCain plans to step down from the role in three months to focus on her health, she said on Thursday. The 71-year-old widow of the late U.S. Republican Senator John McCain suffered a mild ...
Lauder gift of $10M to aid science center's expansion in W. Palm Beach
A $10 million gift in the name of the late cosmetics billionaire Leonard Lauder and his widow, Judy, will help expand a West Palm Beach science center.
The 2026 Emmys are almost here. Here's how to watch, what to expect and who's up for the biggest awards.
Can "The Pitt" and "Hacks" continue their Emmy-winning runs, or will new shows like "Widow's Bay" and "Pluribus" claim the top prizes?
Widow and widower find new love, good health in their 80s
For two widowed neighbors, a simple walk down the street led to something neither of them expected: a second chance at love.
Erika Kirk says ‘everyone has a responsibility’ to turn down political temperature in CBS town hall
Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, said in an interview released on Saturday that “everyone has a responsibility” to dial down intensifying violent rhetoric in the…
'Ponies' merges comedy with a gritty spy story in TV dramedy
The Peacock series “Ponies” starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson blends comedy and drama as widows of CIA operatives become intelligence assets in the 1970s Soviet Union. Despite its
'Widow's Bay' won big, Mariska nailed it and Taylor Swift spoofed 'SVU': The 2026 Emmys, from every angle
From Mariska Hargitay's many outfit changes to Zendaya and Tom Holland's charm offensive, the Emmys delivered all around.
Chadwick Boseman's widow shares details of his cancer journey and death: 'A betrayal of faith'
'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020 following a private battle with colon cancer. His widow is sharing new details of the actor's cancer journey and death.
James Van Der Beek's widow posts moving Father's Day tribute
Kimberly Van Der Beek is paying tribute to her late husband James Van Der Beek on the first Father's Day after the beloved "Dawson Creek" actor's death.
2026 Emmy Awards: The complete list of winners and nominees
LOS ANGELES — The 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards culminated with Apple TV+'s freshman horror hybrid "Widow's Bay" capping off its dominant night by winning for comedy series. The show also
Kyle Busch's widow posts emotional update after celebration of life
Kyle Busch's widow revealed the NASCAR legend's celebration of life was not easy for her to get through in an emotional social media message.
Jimmy Kimmel defends his Melania Trump 'expectant widow' joke after first lady and president call for his firing. What did he say?
The ABC late-night host said it "obviously was a joke about their age difference" and "not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination."
Divorcees and widows share concerning mental health trait, researchers find
New research from Norway finds divorcees and widows may face higher mortality risk than those who remain coupled, highlighting social disconnection.
Widow breaks tradition of keeping politics out of 9/11 remembrances
Terry Strada, a widow of a 9/11 victim, broke the long-standing tradition of keeping politics out of Sept. 11 remembrances and called on President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the attacks.
Missing 'Widow's Bay'? Consider the Matthew Rhys pipeline.
To be obsessed with "Widow's Bay" is to be obsessed with Rhys, the man of the hour and — in my humble opinion — the "it" man of television.
Emmys 2026 winners – 'Widow's Bay', 'Hacks' and 'The Pitt' win big
The creepy happenings at a fictional New England coastal town turned into Emmys gold.
Emmy Awards highlights: Mariska Hargitay sings, Taylor Swift acts in a skit and Jean Smart wins
The Emmy Awards are underway, with “The Pitt” and “Widow’s Bay” generating buzz for top prizes | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
‘Widow’s Bay’ breaks Emmys record with 14 wins including best comedy series, 'Pitt' wins best drama
“Widow’s Bay” has stormed the Emmy Awards, breaking a record for a comedy series with 14 awards including best comedy series and three acting wins. The first-season horror comedy was
Melania Trump implies Kimmel should lose his job over ‘expectant widow’ joke
First lady Melania Trump on Monday implied that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel should lose his job due to jokes he made during a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner skit on his show Thursday night.
OnlyFans Owner’s Wife Takes Control of Business After His Death
Leonid Radvinsky’s widow has surfaced as a beneficiary of the business empire behind adult-content platform OnlyFans, the latest example of “sideways” inheritances through rich individuals passing wealth to their spouses.
Who will win 2026 Emmys, and who should win – from 'The Pitt' to 'Widow's Bay'
“The Pitt” stormed the Emmy Awards last year with three major wins, including best drama. Now comes the harder part: doing it again.
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.
Chris Fleming's Cameo On 'Widow's Bay' Is The Best TV Moment Of 2026
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms had the Trial of Seven. The Pitt had Robby and Baby Jane Doe. Widow’s Bay has a shaman.We are now five episodes into the first season of the Apple TV+ horror/comedy seri...
Emmy Awards highlights: Mariska Hargitay sings and an actor dressed as, yes, an Emmy
The Emmy Awards are underway, with “The Pitt” and “Widow’s Bay” generating buzz for top prizes.