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They did not hold back.
The results were a lot closer, and a bit more venomous, than I expected.
Hulu and Peacock have their fans, but theyre also clearly underdogs.
From worst to first, heres what TVs power brokersreallythink about the streaming competition in mid-2021.
Peacock
PR vet:Someone lend these people some money so at least they pretend to be contenders.
Producer:Well-liked by talent since [Susan] Rovner went over.
I think theyll be a strong player in a few years.
1:Peacock is a non-factor for me, my clients, and the biz right now.
Reality producer:Poor Peacock.
I dont think streamlining is going to help make anything creative.
Youve already lost the Kardashians.
2:They have Mike Schur and Tina Fey, but nothing has really cut through.
Maybe the Olympics will be the breakthrough?
Wall Street analyst No.
Wall Street analyst No.
3:Completely irrelevant to date beyond WWE and English Premier League.
Hulu
Wall Street analyst No.
1:Totally uninteresting.
Studio exec:Disney doesnt need two expensive streaming services.
Wall Street analyst No.
They will also be losing NBC content.
Wall Street analyst No.
2:Just not a lot of buzz, and a lack of new content that is obvious.
Apple TV+
Studio exec:The arrows going up.
I was dubious, but theyve done a good job.
Theyre one massive hit away from becoming real.
PR vet:Theyre great programmers.
That said,Ted Lassostill makes me root for these guys.Mythic Questdoes, too.
2:They have all the money in the world, and they spend it to make good stuff.
Theyre fulfilling their side of the bargain.
And their ability to reach an audience is second to none.
Wall Street analyst No.
2:Feels like this product is in need of a reason to exist.
Wall Street analyst No.
3:Dollar for dollar, the most impressive content slate since launch.
Trying to become the HBO of SVOD.
2:So very hungry.
PR exec:Ted Lassois a good first step.
They need more, but I have to think they will get many, many chances.
Reality producer:Apple is so premium, everyone would love to get in there.
But their release pattern is spotty, and their unscripted originals are restricted to their docs.
But they have great execs.
When they make a decision, theyre all in.
Theyre very specific about what they want.
That said, their shows are only okay and their promotional efforts arent great.
Barry Jenkins just did a show for them.
They have done a better job hyping their movies, likeComing 2 America.
Buying MGM definitely makes me interested in what could be on the horizon for them.
I hope they dont fk it up.
Producer:Their marketing reach is extremely valuable, and the execs are well-liked.
2: They are desperate to be bigger.
2:Its a sleeping giant that hasnt spent money.
Unscripted producer:So far, nothing in their reality [slate] has even sparked a fleeting interest.
They need theirJersey Shore a loud upstart to get eyeballs.
PR exec:Feels incomplete.
If they can build outThe Boysuniverse without running it into the ground quickly, it could be interesting.
HBO Max
Studio exec:HBO used to be the creme de la creme.
Now that brand is slightly tainted because HBO Max is more about volume.
Its not as niche, its not as cool.
Yes, even before Netflix.
3:HBO brand is still hugely important to talent (seeMare of Easttown).
HBO Max has done a good job withFlight AttendantandHacksfinding a niche.
Wall Street analyst No.
2:The most important streamer now, and in the future.
For me, its about the success rate of their shows and how quickly they ascended.
Studio exec:They know how to play to scale and they have such phenomenal IP.
Theyre a big-time contender.
PR vet:I hear lots of people talk about the Marvel shows, but I dont watch them.
I dont have kids, so I never turn this service on.
But they have the brand equity and they spend.
They are real competitors.
Wall Street analyst No.
2:Amazing success with such a limited amount of original content.
2:Has yet to really subvert the expectations creatively.
PR exec:Bet against Star Wars and Marvel at your own risk.
Also, they werereallysmart to not go the Netflix way of [releasing] all episodes at once.
They dominate the conversation weekly with their hit shows.
Netflix
Studio exec:Theyve done such a good job of becoming the Kleenex of TV.
Its always high on every writers list.
But that largess is starting to bite them on the ass.
Unless youre the big show, nobody knows youre there.
In some parts of the creative community, the feeling is that theyll put anything on.
2:I think theres a backlash starting against Netflix.
I love the people there.
But they dont make a lot of great deals.
Under Cindy [Holland, the former head of programming], they lost a lot of luster.
Bella [Bajaria, her successor] came in trying to cut prices.
I dont know why you wouldnt want shows to last longer than three seasons.
Reality producer:The go-to for breadth and amount of content.
This is the one you want to be landing at.
Conans Last Night
The name Conan OBrien first came on my radar in the spring of 1993.
He was a funny guy, said his dad, Thomas, a doctor at Brigham & Womens Hospital.
But he was not a class clown.
He has just always been very imaginative, always able to take a premise and build humor around it.
We talked for nearly 90 minutes, and you canread the full interview here.
It also makes me wonder whether maybe thereissomething to thoserumors that Comcastand ViacomCBS are planning some sort of merger.
That seems abitodd to me, given how much Comcast has invested in building its own Xfinity platform.
But it would absolutely be a blockbuster deal if it happened.
