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The Budget Android Tablet Brand That Can Compete With Samsung Galaxy Tabs
The Teclast T65 is cheaper than an Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, but the reason is partly its chips are slower. That affects performance.
Looks like Samsung Gallery has already found its OneDrive replacement
As Samsung's partnership photo storage partnership with Microsoft winds down, the company is moving to Google to fill the gap.
Google Photos backup is coming to Samsung Gallery
A few weeks ago, Samsung announced that it would end support for Microsoft OneDrive integration with the Gallery app on Galaxy phones and tablets. Now, it has b
IC 348 Collage
This collage features a collection of insets from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s image of star-forming region IC 348: embedded stars, a central star cluster, faint outflows, Herbig-Haro objects, gravitational lensing, and spiral galaxies.
Supermassive black hole winds are 100 times more powerful than scientists thought
Astronomers have discovered that winds from a supermassive black hole are about 100 times more powerful than previously thought. XRISM observations showed the resulting turbulence spreading roughly 300,000 light-years, extending far beyond the black hole’s host galaxy. The energy involved rivals several billion supernova explosions, revealing just how dramatically black holes can influence the space around them.
Samsung Finds Another Guy Named Tim Cook To Promote Galaxy Z Fold 8
With a cheeky new ad trolling rival Apple just as it released its new foldable iPhone Duo, rival Samsung can now honestly say Tim Cook has chosen a Galaxy device.
Samsung launches ‘Re-Newed’ Galaxy S26 series, $1,099 for Ultra
Samsung is now selling its Galaxy S26 series flagships at a discount with refurbished models available for around $200 off....
Samsung pokes fun at iPhone to Android switching drama in reality star-packed ad [Video]
Switching from iPhone to Android is a process that’s getting continually better and, in a new ad, Samsung pokes fun...
Samsung reportedly considers early ‘Galaxy Z TriFold 2’ release in wake of iPhone Duo
In the wake of iPhone Duo, Samsung is reportedly considering an early release for a Galaxy Z TriFold sequel. The...
Why do bars form in some spiral galaxies, but not in others?
Bars can form in any galaxy with ordered rotation; it is primarily the quantity of dark matter that controls whether a bar is present.
Here's how the iPhone Duo compares to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
CNET has a series of pieces comparing the iPhone Duo to three current Android foldables. While it’s a little frustrating...
Forget iPhone Duo, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Gets an Early Drop to Its Lowest Price Despite Being Brand New
You can run three apps side by side and then fold the whole thing shut.
Samsung will apparently launch the Galaxy Tab S12 series a bit later than expected
Two of the best Android tablets you're probably going to be able to buy this holiday season will only arrive next month in stores around the world.
Fall stargazing 2026: The best skywatching sights in autumn (and how to see them)
As longer nights draw in over the fall, we see the return of some stargazing favorites, including the Andromeda Galaxy, the Pleiades star cluster and the first supermoon of the season.
iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Apple's and Samsung's Premium Foldables Compared
From durability to cameras and battery life, here's how the premium foldable phones stack up.
Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra, S27 Plus, S27 Pro: Specs Leaked
Samsung Galaxy S27 models, including the Galaxy S27 Ultra, Galaxy S27 Plus, and Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 to get major upgrades for 2027.
Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra to get major display upgrade
Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra are reportedly set to receive M16 OLED panels, promising improved brightness, color accuracy, efficiency, durability and new privacy features. The standard S27 models, however, are expected to use older M14 technology.
A Galaxy S27 Ultra upgrade to match the iPhone Duo
Samsung isn't cutting corners everywhere.
Physicists can’t agree on how the Universe works
A massive worldwide survey of physicists has revealed surprisingly little agreement about some of the universe’s biggest mysteries. No majority backed the standard cosmological model, a leading explanation for dark matter, or any single theory of quantum gravity. One area of stronger agreement stood out: 68% said the Big Bang does not necessarily represent the beginning of time. Researchers say the divisions show just how alive and unsettled the frontiers of physics remain.
Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra to get biggest OLED upgrade in 3 years
Samsung is making big changes to the Galaxy S series next year. The company is expected to launch four Galaxy S27 series phones early in the year, and two of th
Galaxy's playoff outlook suffers setback in draw with Seattle
The Galaxy give up a late goal and have to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders that hurts their chances of reaching the MLS Cup playoffs.
Maya Cinemas closes at Campus Pointe; Galaxy Theatres takes over
Maya Cinemas at Fresno's Campus Pointe permanently closed. Galaxy Theatres will take over. Regal @ El Paseo for sale.
Scientists Detect a Mysterious Signal That Could Be Dark Matter
A mysterious signal deep underground may offer LUX-ZEPLIN its most intriguing clue to dark matter yet. For nearly a century, scientists have been trying to identify dark matter, the mysterious material believed to account for about 85% of all matter in the universe. Despite its enormous influence on galaxies and cosmic structure, dark matter has
US: Target lists some of first party games in Customer Appreciation Sale
Customers in North America will be getting ready to spend in the upcoming Nintendo Customer Appreciation Sale. While Nintendo hasn’t announced which first party games will be including in the sale…
Hardee’s Friday Night Blitz – Week 3
WEEK 3 SCORES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 (3-0)CARROLL COUNTY 49, (0-3)GALAX 0 (1-2)PATRICK COUNTY 64, (0-4)NORTH STOKES, NC 35 (2-0)NORTHWOOD 46, (0-3)EASTERN MONTGOMERY 6 (4-0)VIRGINIA HIGH 20, (1-2)GEORGE WYTHE 15 (1-2)GRAYSON COUNTY 32, (1-1)TAZEWELL 20 (3-0)CHILHOWIE 50, (1-2)NARROWS 0 (1-1)EASTSIDE 56, (2-1)RURAL RETREAT 29 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 (3-0)SALEM 45, (1-2)WILLIAM FLEMING 12 (2-1)PATRICK HENRY 35, (0-3)FRANKLIN […]
Samsung Does Tim Cook Dirty on His Way Out the Door
A new Samsung ad features a ‘Tim Cook’ promoting the Galaxy Z Fold8.
Samsung gets 'Tim Cook' to praise the Galaxy Z Fold 8
Samsung has published a new advertisement for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that features "Tim Cook" promoting the foldable.
Samsung Trolls Apple by Hiring 'Tim Cook' to Endorse Galaxy Z Fold 8
Samsung takes aim at Apple's iPhone Duo with a new ad featuring Tim Cook...from New Zealand, not the former Apple CEO.
Apple on wide Android foldables beating iPhone Duo; ‘they got the aspect ratio’
If it feels like it’s been a quiet week for Android news, it’s not just because Monday was a holiday...
Samsung hires a real Tim Cook to advertise the Galaxy Z Fold8
Samsung has recruited a real estate agent named Tim Cook to promote the Galaxy Z Fold8 in a playful campaign timed with Apple’s entry into the foldable phone market with the iPhone Duo. The ad lets Samsung poke fun at Apple while highlighting its longer history in the foldable smartphone segment.
Galaxy Buds On design and features leak ahead of launch
Over the past few months, reports have revealed that Samsung is working on two distinct types of wireless earbuds. We previously shared the basic design of thes
Samsung’s open-ear Galaxy Buds On leak with clip design, ‘Auto Volume,’ gestures [Gallery]
Word has been out on a new pair of open-ear Galaxy Buds from Samsung and, now, a detailed leak shows...
iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: How these XL phones compete
Apple or Samsung? It really comes down to which ecosystem you prefer.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: The Highest-End Phones Compared
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a big camera upgrade -- and a bigger price. How does it compare to Samsung’s flagship phone?
Best T-Mobile Samsung Fold Deal September 2026: Get Free Z Fold8 Phone
For a limited time, T-Mobile will cover the cost of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 with a trade-in on a qualifying line. Get the foldable phone deal here.
Exclusive: Galaxy Buds On Design and Features Revealed
The Galaxy Buds On have a unique design, with two rounded bulbs connected by what appears to be a silicone loop.
Someone recreated the iPhone Duo’s mesmerizing open animation on the Galaxy Z Fold 8
It’s been less than a day since Apple announced the iPhone Duo, and someone has already taken the instantly iconic...
Week 3 Hardee’s Friday Night Blitz Schedule Changes
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — We have some Hardee’s Friday Night Blitz games being moved from Friday to Thursday. Galax at Carroll County, Eastern Montgomery at Northwood, Virginia High at George Wythe, Tazewell at Grayson County and Narrows at Chilhowie are the games being moved to Thursday.
Samsung reacts to Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo; ‘reheating our leftovers’
Samsung is apparently of two minds when it comes to reacting to Apple’s first foldable device, with some interesting reactions...
Shooting to the top with a new form factor? - Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 review
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 review: How does Samsung’s new foldable smartphone perform in everyday life? We evaluate the display, performance, camera, battery, and usability, and reveal exactly who the Fold8 is for—as well as where this foldable flagship still has work to do.
Skip iPhone Duo and Slap $300 Off Galaxy Z Fold 8
It might be iPhone Duo day, but Samsung still has two excellent new foldables it doesn’t want you to forget about. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8 are discounted heavily with no trade-in required. Instead of being an iPhone Duo beta tester, you can go with the best foldables...
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is outselling Samsung's record-breaking Fold 7 by a wide margin
Samsung finally explained the engineering behind the gap.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 display corners can bend inward on purpose, Samsung says [Gallery]
The internet is mad. Shocking statement, I know, but this time it’s about a perceived quality control issue on the...
Scientists confirm Newton’s gravity law
Gravity has survived its largest-scale test yet, holding up across distances of up to 230 megaparsecs, or about 750 million light-years. University of Pennsylvania physicists found that the force weakens with distance almost exactly as Newton’s equations predict, a relationship later incorporated into Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Galaxies and galaxy clusters move faster than...
5 Android phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE
Thinking about picking up the new Galaxy S26 FE? Before you do, you might want to consider your alternatives.
Samsung monthly updates: September 2026 security patch gets detailed
Samsung has detailed the September 2026 security patch for Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches. It addresses a total of 90 security vulnerabilities. O
Galaxy S25 gets four new features with the new One UI 9 beta update
Today, Samsung released the second One UI 9.0 beta update for the Galaxy S25 series. Besides bug fixes and stability improvements, the update has brought four n
A galaxy-shaking clash comes to Warhammer TV this week
Necron C’tan Shards and Tyranid monsters collide on Battle Report.
Galaxies tangled in science and spirit | Space photo of the day for Sept. 7, 2026
"Astronomy is not just science or spirit; it's both at the same time."
All of the best Labor Day deals: Galaxy Z Fold 8 $250 off, Pixel 11, Anker chargers, TVs, much more
The Labor Day sales at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are flying today an, after over a week’s worth of...
One UI 9 brings a minor feature that can help improve battery life of Galaxy devices
Samsung has released One UI 9 beta updates to several eligible Galaxy devices over the past few weeks. Besides a slightly refreshed UI design language and new c
I was wrong about the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but the iPhone Ultra is still in danger
A recent poll reveals almost everyone is excited about foldables, but under certain conditions.
iPhone 18 colors, Galaxy S27 Ultra camera detailed, Poco F9 series unveiled, Week 36 in review
vivo T5 5g also unveiled. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could get a completely refreshed color palette this year. A new leak claims Apple will offer the...
5 Cheaper Android Phones To Try Instead Of The Google Pixel 11
Previous-generation flagship phones are still excellent and now they go for cheaper. That includes the Google Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S25.
Galaxy S27 Pro gets Samsung’s fastest charging speed yet
Samsung is planning to launch four high-end phones, the Galaxy S27, Galaxy S27+, Galaxy S27 Pro, and Galaxy S27 Ultra, early next year. While most of their spec
Deals: Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Z Flip8 get first big price cuts, Galaxy S26 FE launches
The Galaxy S26 FE comes with a $200 gift card, which helps it fend off the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy A57. The Samsung Galaxy Z8 series of foldables launched...
Have we got our Galaxy completely wrong? Scientists just worked out it's much wider than they thought | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
New measurements of our Milky Way Galaxy show its spiral arms lie up to 10 per cent farther away than expected.
Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro, S27 Ultra certification reveals 60W charging speed
Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra have reportedly received 3C certification with 60W charging, while the Galaxy S27 and S27 Plus offer slower speeds.
You Can Get 5 Excellent 90+ Rated Steam Games For Under $25 Right Now
Tomb Raider and Guardians of the Galaxy belong in any big Steam library
The Fierce Battle For Kids’ Eyeballs...Plus Two “Devils” Face Off
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) During the week of this report, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and went on to become one of the biggest films of all time. So, you know what that means! It’s time for a poll! Recently, Project Hail Mary came to Prime Video and became a top five film for them, but didn’t smash streaming records, a feat I cautiously thought it could accomplish. Can Spider-Man 4 do better? To set the stakes, some of the biggest films of all time do just okay on streaming. Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, and Barbie come to mind... But unlike those films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a Sony film which means it’s headed to Netflix, the world’s largest streamer. Now, per friend of the newsletter and my go-to Netflix expert, Kasey Moore of What’s on Netflix, Sony films usually appear on Netflix 120 days after they premiere, which means Spidey 4 would land on Netflix on, checks notes, 28-November, one of the two biggest streaming weekends of the year! But Sony occasionally delays its biggest hits for a bit longer, to give them more time to make money on PVOD, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day might not swing onto Netflix until late December or even February 2027. Loading... Okay, on to this week’s issue. Since The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made its way to Peacock, I’m looking at the true workhorse of streaming viewership: kids films. And the surprising film that bested most Netflix animated movies. All that, plus Hulu has a new show that might be a hit (for them…?), two “Devils” square off on streaming, Zendaya tries to find some streaming magic, Netflix’s I Will Find You continues to do well, House of the Dragon tries to break into the season three top ten, some big NBC sports and summer programs, what friendly neighborhood Spider-Man character actually generates the most viewership on streaming, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 27th to August 2nd, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hits Peacock, How Have Kids Films Fared in 2026? Like Mario hopping on a Koopa, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie landed on Peacock on 30-July. (Yeah, I kinda forced that Mario reference.) How did it do? Great, just like the first film. It got 13.0 million hours on its opening, and that’s good enough to take second place among Peacock films on the Nielsen charts all time: As I mention all the time, Peacock just isn’t the world’s biggest streamer—in fact, nowhere close—so its films struggle to put up numbers like Netflix (or even Prime Video and Disney+). So this is a solid debut for that streamer. And as we saw last time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a HUGE second life on Netflix when it moved streamers. This chart doesn’t even show how long the first Mario lasted on Netflix: a whopping, KPop-esque 31 weeks. For NBCUniversal, though, the big win was the second Mario movie grossing $429 million in America and over $1 billion globally. But yeah, to add a very strong streaming performance only makes its success even greater. Illumination pretty clearly has another hit franchise on their hands. This is a good time, though, to check in on kids films so far in 2026. We’ve had a few big, big titles, a rare Netflix success, and some disappointments. Let’s start with the top animated films since November of 2025, over their first four weeks on the charts, along with a few of the “best all time” animated films: (As a reminder, if a film doesn’t make the Nielsen top ten lists, I don’t have data for it, so it gets a “zero” in terms of viewership. Now, it had some viewership, but I don’t know what it is, so it gets a zero.) I added a few titles to get an idea of what the best of the best looks like in terms of animation. And you can see, through four weeks, Zootopia 2 can now claim “one of the biggest streaming films of all time” titles. GOAT too did surprisingly well, besting Netflix’s biggest films (Swapped and In Your Dreams) through four weeks. When I’ve talked about how films can have varying performances on streaming compared to their box office, this is what I mean. Goat just managed to gross even $103 million at the box office—so it’s popular, but just barely—but did very well on streaming. Of course, what set Encanto and KPop Demon Hunters apart from the rest was their absolutely insane longevity. Here are the kids film charts through eight weeks to show that: And really KPop Demon Hunters just kept going, and no 2025 or 2026 kids films have had that sort of longevity. I can’t wait to see the sequel in theaters. Film - Two Devils and a Drama As I wrote last week, in the past, theatrical-first film flops weren’t eligible for “Miss of the Week” or “Miss of the Year” honors/dishonors, but since so many more films go to theaters first these days, I’ve made them eligible now! But it’s complicated. You see, this is a Streaming Ratings Report, emphasis on streaming, which makes analyzing this week’s two biggest streaming misses—The Drama on HBO Max (A24’s dramedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) and Prime Video’s The Devil Mouth (a killer shark movie starring young attractive people)—somewhat tricky. The Drama isn’t eligible for Luminate, but The Devil’s Mouth only had 1.5 million hours in its first week: The Devil’s Mouth notched 5.2 million hours according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, The Drama missed the charts entirely. Not great! But Prime Video is a much bigger streamer than HBO Max. That said, HBO Max titles are on Prime Video, but I think Prime Video prioritizes their original/exclusive titles, which helps boost their viewership. Complicating this further, The Drama made $48 million in the US—while A24 sells foreign distribution; the $57 million of overseas grosses helps A24 sell overseas rights for money in the future—off of a $28 million budget (which seems low for Zendaya and Pattinson, so they might have backend). The Devil’s Mouth, though, had zero dollars at the box office. The other stats for The Devil’s Mouth are bleak, and by “bleak”, I mean horrendous: a 4.7 on 15K reviews on IMDb (yikes) and a 46 on Metacritic (double yikes). The Drama, though buzzy online, only has a solid (but far from elite) 7.1 IMDb score on 121K reviews and a 59 on Metacritic (which is far, far lower than I’d have guessed). So which film is the “Miss of the Week”? I’m giving it to The Devil’s Mouth for one simple reason: it’s a horror film. And almost all horror films, even poorly reviewed horror films, should get a shot in theaters to at least try to recoup some of their budgets. The Drama made money at the box office and The Devil’s Mouth didn’t. It’s just like the situation last issue with Obsession and Masters of the Universe. Sure, Obsession didn’t pop on the streaming charts, but at least it already made it money at the box office. And as we’ve been seeing for years now and we’ll see all fall, theatrical films just do better on streaming. After all, the big “devil” winner this week was actually The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 14.8 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s right, The Devil Wears Prada 2—one of the box office success stories of May—came to streaming and parlayed its $220 million box office into 14.8 million Nielsen hours. Disney also put out a datecdote that it had 15.2 million “views” globally in five days, but again we don’t have a lot of great context for what that means. Here’s how it stacks up to other Hulu films, since I’m categorizing this mainly as a Hulu title (though it was also on Disney+): Share Quick Notes on Film We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Whether Hulu has a new hit show on its hands... The top first and third seasons of all time and which shows are climbing those charts… What version of Spidey is the most popular... What sport and TV show are performing better on NBC than the NBA... All the flops, bombs and misses... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, wow, things stay so busy. One of streaming’s biggest shows of all time, Ted Lasso, returns along with new YA-ish shows from Hulu (The Shards, from Ryan Murphy) and Prime Video (Sterling Point). The Challenge moves to Paramount+, plus My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix and Futurama returns to Hulu. And Netflix has a new horror film, The Last House. Lots to talk about! All month, things stay busy. We’re talking Reacher on Prime Video! Outer Banks and Tires on Netflix! Lanterns on HBO Max! UFC 330 on Paramount+ and the MLB Field of Dreams game on Netflix. And a ton of smaller films come to streaming. Long term, the VMAs are back on 27-Sep! I feel like I haven’t heard much about this show in past years, but I’m seeing more news coverage and buzz for this show than in past years. I’m curious to see how it does.
Are robots the future of entertainment? This South Korean theme park thinks so
Galaxy Robot Park is a 16,500-square-meter venue in South Korea, with attractions including humanoid robots dancing to K-pop hits.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Is Now Cheaper Than the Standard Z Fold8 After Hitting a Record Low
For a limited time, you can save as much as $300 on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra at Amazon.
Xiaomi's New Passport-Style Foldable Looks Shorter And Wider Than The Galaxy Z Fold 8
The passport-style foldable is increasingly dominating foldable phone launches this year. Xiaomi has its own.
Galaxy S27 Ultra teased to come with a surprising chip
Samsung might launch the Galaxy S27 Ultra with a chip faster than the latest Snapdragon.
The universe has plenty of hydrogen. So why is star formation collapsing?
Star formation across the universe has fallen dramatically over the past 4.5 billion years, but astronomers have uncovered a surprising twist: the supply of neutral hydrogen, a key ingredient for making stars, has barely declined. Using China’s FAST radio telescope and data from roughly 2.5 million galaxies observed by DESI, researchers found that star formation was about 2.5 times higher 4.5 billion years ago, while neutral hydrogen levels were only about 1.4 times higher.
Theo Rossi teases the new ‘Sons of Anarchy’ show: ‘Just so crazy it might work’
The upcoming ‘Sons of Anarchy’ meta reunion show ‘Legends’ is ‘smart’ and ‘insane,’ according to star Theo Rossi, who calls it a mixture of ‘Galaxy Quest’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’
Galaxy Z Fold 8 owner shows corners of the inner display are flexing inward
In the thread, the original poster asked other owners to check their phones and compare.
Samsung Updates Free Upgrade List With Millions More Galaxy Phones
Samsung has confirmed several Galaxy Z Fold 8 exclusive features are coming to millions of Galaxy phones in a new update.
Galaxy S27 Ultra and Pro’s dramatic camera redesign appears in leaked case render
Drastic changes are apparently coming to the 2027 Galaxy S series. The Plus version doesn't seem to be going away, as many past rumors wrongly predicted in rece
Forget Galaxy Z TriFold: The world’s first tri-fold phone just got a successor
You can't get the Galaxy Z TriFold anymore, but the original triple-folding device just got a successor. Behold the Huawei Mate XT 2.
Leaked Galaxy S27, Plus, Pro, and Ultra image will make you appreciate Samsung's direction
A lineup photo depicting the new designs will make you see the void the S27 Ultra and Pro will fill.
What Box Office Bomb Crushed Obsession on Streaming?
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get into this week’s issue, let me ask you for some suggestions. At the risk of coining too many names for too many things (hence my dictionary of terms...), I need a name for straight-to-streaming films that are too expensive to justify a straight-to-streaming release, but not big enough to justify a theatrical release. Like some of the films I highlighted in last week’s tally of the biggest film flops of 2026 so far: Hulu’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Pizza Movie or Never Change! They don’t feel like “made for TV movies” (think Hallmark and Lifetime movies, cheap Netflix romcoms, or Disney Channel Original movies, for example) but they don’t feel big enough for the big screen. They’re not “cinematic” enough, so to speak. As I wrote... “I still need a name for this middle zone of film that’s too expensive to go straight-to-streaming but too small to justify a theatrical release (with all the PR, distribution, marketing and whatnot costs that go along with it), the Goldilocks zone of streaming film death.” Friend of the newsletter Brandon Katz has suggested the “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”. I love that first one. I’d offer up the much wordier “The Streaming Budget Dead Zone” or “the Goldilocks Zone of streaming film death” but that last one isn’t accurate since, unlike Goldilocks’ porridge, these films are the opposite of “just right”. That’s the problem! Anyway, if you have any suggestions, let me know! On to today’s Streaming Ratings Report. As you can tell by today’s headline, things are going to be spicy! I’m looking at a box office bomb that did really, really well on streaming, somewhat challenging a few different narratives. And another Netflix series declined in its second season. All that, plus Wicked: For Good switching streamers, The Hawk continuing its strong run, _The Bear’_s finale season finally dropping off the charts, the WNBA posting a big viewership number, “shallow libraries”, a sitcom spinoff failing to launch, more big budget IP flopping on Paramount+, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 20th to July 26th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - The Latest Theatrical Success Story on Streaming In the latest edition of “Flops, Bombs and Misses of the First Half of 2026”, I made a crucial change: I started including theatrical films with the streaming misses. The streamers have collectively—including Netflix, but not to as big of an extent—stopped making a lot of straight-to-streaming films, and the ones they do make aren’t as expensive as in the heyday of the streaming bubble. After the following two films bombed in theaters, you’d guess that they’ll be included in my next collection of flops, bombs and misses six months from now: Masters of the Universe on Prime Video (only $64 million domestic box office) Mortal Kombat II on HBO Max ($79 million domestic) But you’d be wrong! Masters of the Universe, a reboot of the He-Man franchise, a toy from the 1980s, came to streaming on 22-July and did great! This long-gestating project—it’s been at every studio for years, and came close to getting a greenlight at Netflix—then finally came to theaters in June, and showed up on streaming less than two months later. (I don’t love this short theatrical window.) It surprisingly grabbed nearly 20 million hours on its debut: That means, wait for it, Masters of the Universe is currently the eighth biggest film on streaming through two weeks. My rough bar for “hit” is shows or films in the top 15%. Ergo…Masters of the Universe is a legit, streaming hit! (One quick caveat: if it falls out of the top ten next week, it will move to 13th overall, just on the edge of the top 15.) Of course, that’s the data for just 2026. Here’s how it stacks up to Prime Video’s theatrical films: That drop into its second week is typical for Amazon films, but also a worrying sign. I have a feeling interest in this film is front-loaded and we’ll see it drop off after this. As for Mortal Kombat II, in this case, the viewership numbers roughly match the theatrical outing, with only 4.1 million hours in its first week. Here’s how it stacks up to other HBO Max films: The best defense of this number is that, as a relatively violent rated-R film, Mortal Kombat II never had a good chance at breaking out. So now it’s time for a little big of “Entertainment Nuance Guy”: First, yeah, my headline is obviously facetious, since Masters of the Universe besting Obsession says more about horror as a genre than it does that film. Second, I read and listened to quite a few “nobody wanted this IP” takes about Masters of the Universe, and that’s not really true. At least enough people wanted it to power a 20 million+ hour debut! Third, both this film and Mortal Kombat II were considered “average” by viewers, but not great films, with a 6.4 and 6.3 respectively on IMDb. That’s just shy of the level needed to be a word-of-mouth hit. Fourth, in the olden days, strong word of mouth could transform a box office miss into a cable/DVD hit, like Austin Powers or The Shawshank Redemption. We haven’t seen a lot of examples of that on streaming, though. And there are far fewer ways to monetize the post-theatrical life of a film these days. Fifth, Prime Video has shown an ability to push their own titles well, likely because they control the Amazon Fire TV ecosystem. Add it all up, and here’s my nuanced take on Masters of the Universe: it was a box office bomb, but, shockingly, a streaming hit. Unfortunately, while being a theatrical hit saves your film financially, being a streaming hit does not. Both Masters of the Universe and Mortal Kombat II had big budgets and needed to make more money in theaters to justify them. So…Straight-to-Streaming or Theaters? We’ve hit a really fun point in the streaming calendar, since the films that came out in theaters in April, May, and June are now arriving on streaming. So the “Do theatrical releases help streaming performances?” question is gonna get a fresh round of updates nearly every week. No single week will answer the question, but we may get some insights. For example, so far in 2026, it looks like theatrical films are lasting longer on the weekly Nielsen film charts. Here’s a list of films that have made the charts in their fourth or fifth week of release, separated by “for kids” and “general entertainment”: It certainly seems like theatrical films are lasting just a pinch longer on the charts, with Project Hail Mary being the current five-week champion. One Battle After Another did well for HBO Max too, and even The Sheep Detectives made it four weeks. The only exception to this trend? Obsession, which only lasted two weeks on the charts. You might tempted to overreact to this news. Don’t. Obsession is a huge horror hit, but horror just doesn’t do as well on streaming. By the way, here’s the Google Trends for various theatrical and stremaing films: Plus, when it comes to Netflix in four months, Obsession may have another big boost. Quick Notes on Film Note that when I write, “the streamers have pulled back on straight-to-streaming films” that doesn’t mean “abandoned” because Netflix is gonna Netflix. On 24-July, they released 72 Hours, a Kevin Hart comedy. Along with Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg, John Cena and Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart is a streaming film star now. Did this latest one work? Not really. It only garnered two weeks of 13.2 and 12.2 million hours on its debut, well below the 20-million-hour hit threshold. It also was poorly received critically—a 44 on Metacritic—and by customers—a 5.4 on IMDb on 21K IMDb reviews. We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… The latest Netflix true crime doc to pop on the charts… How The Bear finished its run… Netflix’s latest Western to return to streaming… What Paramount+ animated film flopped… And what sitcom also missed… All the flops, bombs and misses… And a whole lot more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! I’m behind by a week, so we’ve got two issues coming your way this week, including one in a couple of days or so, then we’ll be all caught up**.** Next issue, inspired by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming to Peacock, I’m going to take a look at the workhouse of streaming TV: kids films. Plus The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues theatrical films’ big run on streaming. All that, plus another surprise hit on Hulu, Lioness on CBS, and a whole lot more. Long term, LeBron James is filming his own “Last Dance”-style docu-series, surprising no one. But as I’ve been writing about a lot this summer, this genre is really overrated, so whoever ends up buying it (reportedly ESPN) really shouldn’t pay too much for it.
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Samsung Expands One UI 9 Beta Program to More Galaxy Devices
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NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman space telescope launches
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NASA’s Roman Space Telescope is about to change how we see the universe
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The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is at its best when there’s friction
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NASA is preparing to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Here's what to know
NASA plans to soon launch a new space telescope that will survey a billion galaxies to trace how the universe evolved over time, all courtesy of America’s spy program and decades of research into detector technology. Once in position, it will take data that astronomers hope will help answer some of the field’s most puzzling questions.
Samsung Galaxy S26 series receives seventh One UI 9 beta with Galaxy Z Fold8 series' features
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Galaxy S26 series gets seventh One UI 9.0 beta update
Samsung has released the seventh beta version of One UI 9.0 for the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. According to the changelog, it brings three c
Exclusive: Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro Official CAD Renders Leaks
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Samsung's Galaxy S26 FE Strips the S26+ Down to Its Basics
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I tried the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE early. It’s best feature just might be the price
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The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is now official and its price ends the FE's best streak
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Samsung’s $700 Galaxy S26 FE Is Better, but It’s Getting Harder to Call It a Bargain
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Galaxy S27 Ultra leak reveals the 7,000mAh battery Samsung reportedly rejected
We can always dream
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