OSCARS get 2nd smallest audience ever, but up big from 2021

NIELSEN sold for $16 Billion / AMAZON takes post-WWII series from JLo / WWE makes NFT FANATICS deal

Mar 29, 2022

Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY March 29, 2022.

Where apparently everyone was preoccupied with something yesterday 🤔… so today will be real quick.

But outside of Will Smith’s INSTA apology, the #DontSayGay bill was signed into law by Ron DeSantis yesterday. Next up, challenges via the court system which DISNEY is vowing to support in… some way.

ALSO: Here’s a bit of the backstage OSCARS greenroom scene right after ‘the slap’ from THR’s Scott Feinberg for anyone still needing more on this.

And of note - APPLE TV has Will Smith’s next movie, the $120 Million Civil War slave drama “Emancipation” whose plan I believe was to be released late in the year for OSCARS 2023 consideration.

BUT: Congrats to UCONN and LOUISVILLE for advancing to the Women’s FINAL FOUR, taking place this Friday night on ESPN where they’ll face off against SOUTH CAROLINA and STANFORD respectively.

📽 THE SILVER TV

OSCARS TV audience comes in at 15.4 Million in initial NIELSEN numbers

Will be revised a bit today - 2nd smallest audience ever… but that’s up from 10.4 Million last year so call it as ya like.

2020 was 23.6 Million, and 2019 was 29.6 Million.

GRAMMYS you’re up next - last year was 8.8 Million, 2020 was 18.7 Million and the show hit similar numbers in 2018 and 2019 as well. /Deadline

AMAZON picks up NYC post-WWII TV project produced by JLo from SKYDANCE

Will center on women living at the female-only Barbizon Hotel on NYC’s UES after the war. Called “Backwards in Heels”.

Richard LaGravenese (“The Fisher King”, “PS I Love You”) writing & will direct if it gets a series order. /Deadline

ALSO:

Gerard McMurray (“The First Purge”) will write & direct movie based on the comic “Black”, where only Black people have superpowers. WB releasing, SECTION 8 producing. /THR
TNT’s “Snowpiercer” gets its 3rd showrunner as Season 4 begins production. Paul Zbyszewski (”Agents of SHIELD”) takes over from Graeme Manson (“Orphan Black”), who launched the series after its original creator left. /THR

💻 THE MEDIA BIZ

JUST 4 THINGS

CBS NEWS sets partnership with THE WEATHER CHANNEL. Will feature content & talent from the Channel across all CBS NEWS franchises (CBS doesn’t have a dedicated national weather talent group). /THR
NIELSEN has sold itself to private equity firm consortium for $16 Billion, thus taking the company private. /Variety
- Certainly a curious move after a period where they publicly admitted to getting their ratings numbers wrong for an 18 month stretch, and have a barrage of new competitors with media conglomerate support coming after their business. But private equity seems to be betting on the industry not changing the bedrock upon which it was built.
DISNEY+ will launch in 41 mostly Middle Eastern countries & territories this June, and in SOUTH AFRICA this May. /THR
WWE signs long-term merch & NFT deal with FANATICS. Their newly acquired TOPPS division will make trading cards, and CANDY DIGITAL division will handle the NFT thing. A WWE Shop with other various tangible (?) merch will launch later this year /THR

🏦 STOCK NOTES:

DISCOVERY -6% ($25.58)

AMC THEATERS +44% ($29.33) - It’s back… in a “Speed 2: Cruise Control” kinda way.

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👩‍💻 NEW TO WATCH:

HBO has the docu "How to Survive a Pandemic” at 9p, and fwiw I thought HBO’s “Winning Time” really caught its stride with the latest episode.

HULU drops “The Girl from Plainville” - STREAM HERE

Or you can sign up for CNN+ for $3 a month and nose around there a bit?