KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Streaming consolidation is in full swing! The combined Warner Bros. Discovery offering will bring together HBO and Discovery+ content and will soon add “important and differentiated” live sports and news content, creating one of the biggest players in the streaming landscape for brands to play in.
- Following criticism in recent years Cannes is making strides in representation. Six featured films led by female directors is a record for the festival. Despite the realities of an economic downturn looming, the festival’s director is touting the health of world cinema sharing that 2,000 films were seen in preparation for this year’s festivities.
- The Ormax study suggests that the Indian streaming market is ripe for growth, with viewers hungry for a diverse range of content from around the world. Marketers looking to tap into this market should focus on studying high-quality productions that have this kind of international reach no matter the origin.
- Content consumption continues to dramatically increase. More time spent watching shows and movies, more time spent with influencers, and all-time records for audio streams. Positive proof that entertainment has the attention of consumers and brands looking to create authentic connections need to be a part of these entertainment experiences.
- A new report by Luminate has found that while on-screen representation is increasing, there is still little progress when it comes to intersectionality and diversity in film and television. Marketers have a key role to play in driving change and ensuring that diverse stories are represented on screen by supporting and working with forward thinking storytellers.
Warner Bros. Discovery Unveils ‘Max’: Everything Revealed at Combined HBO Max-Discovery+ Streaming Presentation
Warner Bros. Discovery finally revealed the plans for its new streaming service, Max, which will combine offerings from HBO Max and Discovery+ into one product, during a splashy press presentation on the Warner Bros. Studio lot Wednesday. New content announced included new spin off series of The Big Bang Theory and Game of Thrones, as well as a brand new Harry Potter series.
Cannes Film Festival 2023 Lineup: Wim Wenders, Steve McQueen, The Weeknd and a Record Number of Female Directors
The Cannes Film Festival unveiled the lineup for its 76th edition on Thursday, spotlighting a collection of new works from such mega-watt auteurs as Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Catherine Breillat, Wim Wenders, Kore-eda Hirokazu and Todd Haynes. These filmmakers will premiere films both in and out of competition, meaning only a select few will have a chance at capturing the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor.
‘House Of The Dragon’, ‘The Crown’ And ‘LOTR’ Help Western Content Boom In India
Indian streaming viewers rushed to U.S. and UK content like never before during the Covid-19 pandemic, a study shows. There was a staggering 124% uptick in viewing of shows such as HBO’s House of the Dragon on subscription streaming services during the period, according to Indian ratings analyst Ormax Media. Nearly two-thirds (66%) of urban Indian SVoD viewers aged 15 or above now watch what the research house calls ‘English’ content, or watches English content dubbed in a local language.
On-demand global music audio streams crossed the 1 Trillion mark in just three months
Luminate data also showed that music listeners have cumulatively spent roughly 960,000 years streaming music so far this year. The data underscores the growing consumption of on-demand audio streaming worldwide. In 2022, on-demand audio song streams globally jumped 22.6% year over year to 3.4 trillion according to Luminate’s 2022 Year-End report. In the US alone, audio streams edged up 12.1% to 1.1 trillion.
Intersectionality Grows On Screen But Diversity In Film & TV Sees Minimal Overall Changes
Hollywood is increasingly taking intersectionality into account when creating stories for film and TV, despite minimal overall improvement regarding representation for marginalized groups in the last two years, according to Luminate’s latest Entertainment Diversity Progress Report.
Special thanks to Eduardo Alvarez for his contributions to this edition of the Product Placement newsletter.
