TIG Post

Tag: Netflix

  • Prince Harry: It’s a dirty game’ says Prince in new Netflix trailer

    In a new trailer for Netflix’s Harry and Meghan series, Prince Harry speaks of “leaking and… planting of stories” as part of a “dirty game.”

    In an apparent reference to his wife, Meghan, and mother, Princess Diana, he describes the “pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution.”

    The topic of race is brought up, with one commentator describing the couple’s experience as : “It is all about hatred. It all about race.”

    The series will be available on Thursday.

    A further three episodes of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s account of royal life will follow on 15 December. It has a 15 age rating, with Netflix’s listing saying it deals with “discrimination”.

    The latest trailer shows a series of hard-hitting comments, which show no sign of any olive branches to the Royal Family.

    Instead there is a commentary that claims “there was a war against Meghan to suit other people’s agendas”.

    Over an image of senior royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony, Prince Harry says: “There’s a hierarchy of the family. You know there’s leaking, but there’s also planting of stories.”

    Prince Harry and Meghan, who are no longer “working royals”, were not allowed on to that symbolic balcony for late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

    In the previous trailer there was a noticeable image of Catherine, Princess of Wales, looking very stony-faced and this latest teaser includes another austere picture of her, alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.

    The trailer for the six-part series shows a quickfire narrative of the couple’s difficult relationship with the royals, the media and the public – which ended with Prince Harry and Meghan moving to the US.

    It begins with Meghan being warmly received by the public – treated like a “royal rock star”.

    But then it suggests “everything changed”, with Prince Harry talking of leaks and planted stories and with a commentator referring to “hatred” and “race”.

    The trailer links Meghan’s experience to the pressure faced by Princess Diana using images of the intense press attention surrounding her – with Meghan saying “I realised, they’re never going to protect you”.

    “We know the full truth,” says Prince Harry at the end.

    Last week, a teaser for the season was released at the same time as Prince Harry’s brother, the Prince of Wales, was in the US to present his Earthshot environmental prize.

    The documentary is said to offer an insight into what the couple describe as the inside story of why they stepped back from their royal duties.

    Prince Harry and Meghan formally stepped down as senior royals in March 2020.

    A year later, during an interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said life within the Royal Family became so difficult at times she “didn’t want to be alive anymore”.

    The trailer for the upcoming documentary comes against a backdrop of a royal race row following comments to a black British guest at Buckingham Palace.

    Lady Susan Hussey, Prince William’s godmother and lady-in-waiting to the late Queen, stood down from her honorary duties last week after Ngozi Fulani, the founder of the charity Sistah Space, described how she had been repeatedly asked where she “really” came from at a reception.

    A spokesman for Prince William responded to the row by saying that “racism has no place in our society”.

     

     

  • Harry and Meghan’s documentary series trailer released by Netflix

    “I had to do everything to protect my family,” Harry says in the trailer. The documentary, which features never before seen private photographs of the couple, is described as a “global event”.

    The trailer for Harry and Meghan’s new documentary series has been released.

    The one-minute preview, released by Netflix, features previously unseen black and white photographs of the couple set to music.

    They are heard being asked “Why did you want to make this documentary?” to which Harry replies: “No one sees what’s happening behind closed doors.”

    He adds: “I had to do everything I could to protect my family” before Meghan is seen wiping away tears.

    The trailer ends with Meghan saying: “When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”

    Images of William and Kate with Harry and Meghan at the Commonwealth Day service in 2020, the Sussexes’ final public appearance as senior working royals, feature among the images.

    There are also joyful pictures of the couple kissing while Meghan sits on a kitchen counter, as newlyweds dancing at their wedding, cuddling in a photobooth, and Meghan cradling her baby bump.

    But the duchess is also pictured in sadder moments, wiping away tears and sitting with her hands covering her face.

    Meghan and Harry. Pic: Netflix
    Image: Meghan and Harry. Pic: Netflix

    Netflix describes the documentary, titled Harry & Meghan, as a “global event” and says it is “coming soon” – reports say it will land on 8 December.

    It says the show “explores the clandestine days of their early courtship and the challenges that led to them feeling forced to step back from their full-time roles in the institution”.

    It features commentary from friends, family and royal historians.

    It adds: “The series does more than illuminate one couple’s love story, it paints a picture of our world and how we treat each other.”

    The director, Liz Garbus, is a two-time Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning director.

    Harry and Meghan signed lucrative deals – thought to be worth well over £100m- with Netflix and Spotify after quitting the monarchy and moving to the US.

     

  • Danny Masterson: Jury in rape case against That 70s Show actor fails to reach a decision

    In a rape case involving US actor Danny Masterson, a jury in Los Angeles was unable to reach a decision.

    Mr Masterson, best known for his role in the sitcom That 70s Show, was accused in the early 2000s of raping three women at his Hollywood home.

    He had denied the charges, claiming that he was being persecuted because he was a member of the Church of Scientology.

    The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office stated that it was considering its next steps in the case.

    Mr. Masterson’s lawyers did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

    A retrial has been scheduled for March.

    Mr Masterson, 46, was charged in 2020 with raping three women, who were all in their 20s, between 2001 and 2003.

    The accusations were made in 2017, during the #MeToo movement which saw many Hollywood stars accused of sexual assault.

    As a result, Mr Masterson was written out of the Netflix show The Ranch. He responded by saying that he had not been charged or convicted of a crime, and that in the climate at the time “it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused”.

    If convicted, he could face 45 years to life in prison.

    Deliberations in the case began in mid-November, but soon reached a deadlock which could not be resolved.

    In a statement, the attorney’s office said: “While we are disappointed with the outcome in this trial, we thank the jurors for their service.” It added: “We also want to give our heartfelt appreciation to the victims for bravely stepping forward and recounting their harrowing experiences.”

    Two of the women involved in the case alleged that the Church of Scientology, to which they and Mr Masterson belonged, had discouraged them from reporting the alleged rapes.

    The Church has strongly denied pressurising victims.

    The charges came after a three-year investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Prosecutors did not file charges in two other cases because of insufficient evidence and the statute of limitations expiring.

    Mr Masterson played the role of Steven Hyde in That 70s Show between 1998 and 2006, alongside Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.

  • In Korea, ‘Squid Game’ actor O Yeong-su has been charged with sexual misconduct

    In Korea, award-winning “Squid Game” star O Yeong-su has been charged with sexual misconduct.

    According to AFP, the 78-year-old was released without charge after being accused of inappropriately touching a woman’s body in 2017.

    In December 2021, the woman filed a complaint against Yeong-su. The case was closed by police in April, but it was reopened after the alleged victim requested that it be investigated further.

    According to the local Yonhap news agency, Yeong-su denied the allegations when questioned by authorities.

    The actor — who won a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for his breakout role as Oh Il-nam in the Netflix hit — has released a statement about the allegations.

    “I just held her hand to guide the way around the lake,” O told Korean news broadcaster JTBC. “I apologized because [the person] said she wouldn’t make a fuss about it but it doesn’t mean that I admit the charges.”

    O Yeong-su
    O Yeong-su won a Golden Globe for his role on the Netflix smash megahit. Los Angeles Times via Getty Image

    Lee Jung-jae, center, Park Hae-soo, right, and Oh Yeong-soo in a scene from the Korean series "Squid Game." Both Park Hae-Soo and Oh Yeong-Su were nominated for an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in a drama series. Lee Jung-jae was nominated for lead actor in a drama series. (Netflix via AP)
    “Squid Game” stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo and Oh Yeong-soo in a scene from the Korean Netflix series. AP

    An official from the Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office told AFP that everything reported by local media about the veteran actor of more than 50 years “is not factually incorrect.”

    The Korean ministry of culture also recently pulled a government TV commercial featuring Yeong-su off air after the indictment.

    Meanwhile, the streamer’s highly popular survival drama is coming back for season two in the future.

    Writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed the news in an interview with the Associated Press last year.

    Hwang said, “There’s been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season. So I almost feel like you leave us no choice!”

     

     

  • Five big tech companies that have embarked on massive layoffs in 2022

    Like most companies, technology companies this year have also been hit with the global economic crisis which many experts say is fuelled by the Russian-Ukraine war and the impact of covid 19.

    This has resulted in massive layoffs across the sector with a total of 1138 layoffs at tech companies globally, affecting 182,605 people, according to TrueUps tech layoff tracker.

    Below is a list of top tech giants that have announced job cuts this year or embarked on massive layoffs.

    Twitter

    It didn’t take long for Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk to lay off almost half of the company’s staff. This was just a week after officially closing the acquisition process to take over the company.

    “…the Nov. 4 layoffs only affected “15% of our Trust & Safety organization (as opposed to approximately 50% cuts company-wide), with our front-line moderation staff experiencing the least impact.” Twitter’s then-head of content moderation, Yoel Roth said.

    These job cuts also affected the company’s only African office in Ghana’s capital, Accra. According to reports, employees were fired with the exception of one.

    While these layoffs represent the biggest workforce cull Twitter has seen, it’s not the first time this year the company has sought to slim down its employee base. After initially implementing a hiring freeze, in July 2022 the company went on to lay off 30% of its talent acquisition team.

    Amazon

    On Tuesday (November 15), the company notified regional authorities in California that it would lay off about 260 workers at various facilities that employ data scientists, software engineers, and other corporate workers. Those job cuts would be effective beginning on Jan. 17, 2023.

    Amazon would not specify how many more layoffs may be in the works beyond the ones confirmed through California’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, also known as WARN, which requires companies to provide 60 days’ notice if they have 75 or more full-time or part-time workers. Amazon employs more than 1.5 million workers globally, primarily made up of hourly workers.

    The online retail giant, like other tech and social media giants, saw sizable profits during the COVID-19 pandemic, as homebound shoppers purchased more items online. But revenue growth slowed as the worst of the pandemic eased and consumers relied less on e-commerce.

     

    Netflix

    In June this year, Netflix announced it laid off 300 employees in the second round of job cuts after losing subscribers for the first time in more than a decade.

    The cuts amounted to about 4% of the streaming giant’s workforce and mostly affected US employees. They came after the company cut 150 jobs last month.

    “While we continue to invest significantly in the business, we made these adjustments so that our costs are growing in line with our slower revenue growth,” Netflix said in a statement.

    Netflix said in February it had lost 200,000 subscribers globally at the start of 2022, and projected a decline of 2 million users in the upcoming quarter.

    The company blamed the drop on a range of factors, including increased competition, the economy, the war in Ukraine, and the large number of people who share their accounts with non-paying households.

    Facebook

    On Wednesday, November 9, the CEO of Facebook’s parent Meta, Mark Zuckerberg announced the company is laying off 11,000 people, about 13% of its workforce, as it contends with faltering revenue and broader tech industry woes.

    Zuckerberg said that he had made the decision to hire aggressively, anticipating rapid growth even after the pandemic lockdowns ended.

    “Unfortunately, this did not play out the way I expected,” Zuckerberg said in a statement. “Not only has online commerce returned to prior trends, but the macroeconomic downturn, increased competition, and ads signal loss have caused our revenue to be much lower than I’d expected. I got this wrong, and I take responsibility for that.”

    Meta, like other social media companies, enjoyed a financial boost during the pandemic lockdown era because more people stayed home and scrolled on their phones and computers. But as the lockdowns ended and people started going outside again, revenue growth began to falter.

    Tesla

    In June 2022, Elon Musk confirmed that the salaried workforce at Tesla Inc. would be cut by about 10% over the next three months, but said the overall reduction in the electric-car maker’s headcount would only be some 3.5% as hourly staff numbers are still expected to grow.

    “We grew very fast on the salaried side,” Musk said in an interview with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday. “A year from now, I think our headcount will be higher” in salaried and hourly workers, but for now the reduction will be 3% to 3.5%, he said in a report by Bloomberg.

    The comments brought more clarity to the situation with Tesla’s staffing, after Musk made varied internal and public statements about reductions over the past month.

     

  • USA TODAY Is Netflix ruining your relationship and impacting your sex life?

    How often do you watch Netflix? For most people, watching TV has become a trusted companion while they get ready for work in the morning, cook or clean their house, while they eat dinner or take a bath, and as they return from work. Accidentally, Netflix and other on-demand streaming services have become an integral part of our daily routines. And, it’s become a common way to spend time with our significant other.

    But, and this is a big but, how many of us are paying attention to how TV is actually impacting our relationships?

    Not many.

    Of course, a movie night or a designated time to binge-watch a new show with your partner (or even family and friends) is great, but here are five things to consider.

    More: Is an open relationship right for you?

    1. Is it impacting your sex life?

    I am not saying “don’t stream.” I am just saying to pay attention to the ratio of TV to other activities. Anytime we choose to watch something, we need to be aware that we are choosing not to do something else with that time. When we say yes to a 30-minute episode, we are simultaneously saying no to something else. Such as, for example, sex.Many couples feel too exhausted for intimacy after they have played “just one more episode” and consumed all their snacks.

    And sex is not the only thing that may be neglected. Often we postpone important conversations or opportunities for deepening our understanding and connection with our partner.

    2. Is it all that you do together?

    I get it, most of us don’t feel like we have the energy to do much else a lot of the time, but we have to be intentional about our relationships, and our shows can get in the way of that. And – let’s be clear – this is not our TV’s fault, it’s the way we choose to consume it.

    More: 4 tips for keeping things fun, sexy in your long-term relationship

    Here are some alternative activities you can do with your partner:

    • Try a new recipe together or explore new coffee shops in your area
    • Play cards or a game
    • Do a physical activity you both enjoy (sex, jogging, tennis)
    • Read a book together
    • Invent a cocktail or bake a dessert for your partner and make them guess what’s in it

    3. Why are you watching so much TV together?

    If Netflix is one of the things you do together, great. If it’s the only thing you do together, ask yourself why.

    Are you lacking things in common? Have you entered a rut? Are you avoiding the stress that comes with life, or maybe a difficult conversation or decision you need to make as a couple? Are you too intimidated to suggest a different activity in case they don’t like it?

    Even if binging shows is your favorite way to relax, can you think of ways to make it more personalized, more special and more of a bonding experience?

    4. What is the content teaching you about relationships?

    The hours we spend watching stories unfold shapes and challenges our opinions and beliefs. With so much storytelling, we can start to set unrealistic expectations for our relationships, partners and romance in general, or – at the other end of the spectrum – normalize abusive or detrimental behaviors that we are constantly seeing (e.g. lying, cheating, abuse, etc.). Make sure to check in and evaluate how watching TV has impacted both of your expectations.

    5. Where is Tv on your list of priorities?

    Lastly, let’s not forget about the impact streaming can have on your relationship with yourself (which then impacts your relationship with others). In the process of tuning out the stress and the demands of the world, we sometimes tune out ourselves.

    Before you start watching that movie or episode, check-in: Did you already do things that will keep you physically and mentally healthy? Are you prioritizing watching TV over people or important tasks in your life? Are you using streaming as a crutch or an escape instead of making changes or doing hard things? There is nothing wrong with finding a way to cope, but ask yourself: Is there a better way I can offer myself support?

    Sara Kuburic is a therapist who specializes in identity, relationships and moral trauma. Every week she shares her advice with our readers. Find her on Instagram @millennial.therapist. She can be reached at SKuburic@gannett.com.

    Why am I still hung up on my ex?: The answer is more complicated than you realize.

    Quiet quitting is a trend at work. Can you also quietly quit your relationship?

    I keep widening my dating app preferences: Is that a bad idea?

    This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Neflix, sex and your relationship: Are you watching too much TV?

     

    Source: yahoo

  • Netflix taps Chris Rock for first stand-up special to Livestream globally

    Netflix is turning to Chris Rock to accomplish something the streamer has never offered: a stand-up special broadcast live.

    “Chris Rock is about to make history as the first artist to perform LIVE on Netflix!” read a tweet shared Thursday, noting it’ll “premiere live—globally—in early 2023.”

    The post was notably accompanied by a photo of the multi-hyphenate onstage in July with an iced-out goat. The farm animal was in fact named Will Smith, a tongue-in-cheek gift from Kevin Hart at Madison Square Garden.

    Rock, 57, put out his first comedy special in a decade, 2018’s Tamborine, through Netflix. February will mark five years since the Bo Burnham-directed project arrived. At the top of 2021, Chris Rock: Total Blackout – The Tamborine Extended Cut arrived, adding more than a half-hour to the original. This was another innovative moment for the comic and the streaming platform. “For the first time in history, a remixed version of a special,” Chris stated at the time. “It’s a Netflix special. Not a normal, not a routine. It’s a special.”

    Variety writes that Rock’s new offering will mark “the first significant test of live streaming on Netflix, potentially opening the door for a number of its other programs to get the live treatment.” The magazine points out that the company’s interest in live unscripted content has been gestating for some time, including the idea of giving “fans a chance to vote live on who should be voted off a show.”

    The streamer’s VP of Stand-up and Comedy Formats, Robbie Praw, stated Thursday, “Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation. We’re thrilled the entire world will be able to experience a live Chris Rock comedy event and be a part of Netflix history. This will be an unforgettable moment and we’re so honored that Chris is carrying this torch.”

    Rock, of course, was infamously slapped by Will Smith at this year’s Academy Awards. He’s only lightly touched on the incident since, but did specifically say onstage in London, “People expect me to talk about the bullshit, I’m not going to talk about it right now. I’ll get to it eventually, on Netflix.”

    With the slap having been one of the most talked-about moments of 2022, Rock’s special is poised to be a highly viewed continuation of the saga.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Will people sign up for Netflix’s cheaper ad service?

    People settling in to their sofas for a bit of Netflix now have a new option – to pay less for their favourite shows but watch with adverts.

    Netflix has launched its ‘Basic with Ads’ streaming plan in 12 countries – which it intends to expand over time.

    It’s a massive change for the tech giant, which pioneered the world of ad-free, subscription-based streaming.

    But as rising costs and offerings from new rivals prompt audiences to quit, the company had to act.

    In announcing the new service, Netflix said it was confident it now had a “price and plan for every fan”.

    It is charging £4.99 a month in the UK, and $6.99 in the US for the new plan – a roughly 30% discount to the firm’s cheapest ad-free option.

    So will people go for it?

    Kaitlyn from South West London, told the BBC she had no plans to change.

    The 33-year-old said she was lucky to be able to afford the cost of her subscription and thought the move Netflix was”a desperate bid to attract more people” that would end up hurting the brand.

    “If they are going to be offering aids, it feels like less of a premium service that people will be happy to continue paying for,” she said, adding that clogging shows and movies up with commercials would make Netflix “just another YouTube”.

    But streaming audiences are clearly getting restive.

    At Netflix, the number of subscribers fell by more than 1 million in the first half of the year, as the company pushed through its latest round of price hikes.

    That’s a tiny fraction of its roughly 220 million global accounts, and the company made up for those losses over the three months to September.

    But a recent global survey by the Simon Kucher consultancy found that more than a third of streaming customers were likely to cancel a subscription with the next 12 months, especially in markets such as China, India and the US.

    Will people sign up for Netflix's cheaper ad service?
    The popularity of Stranger Things has helped Netflix beat back subscriber losses

    More than a quarter had already moved to cut one, with concerns about cost ranking as the single biggest driver.

    With concerns about the cost of living rising, Netflix with ads has a chance of helping it hold on to its audience, said Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar World Panel, which has found that for many of the households in the UK, quitting Netflix means dropping out of streaming altogether.

    “Netflix is making its move into ad supported streaming at exactly the right time and we expect uptake to be fast and significant, as consumers battle to take control over their expenses,” he said.

    But analysts at Enders Analysis said they did not think many of the company’s current viewers would find the savings worth switching for, nor was it likely to draw in large numbers of new subscribers.

    “We find it bizarre that some have opined that there will be a material quantity of Netflix subscribers that will actively pursue ad-supported video to save a couple of pounds a month,” the firm wrote in a recent note.

    “This goes against Netflix’s (extremely) effective conditioning of its subscription base to see advertising as the ultimate annoyance and expect nothing less than the cleanest and least intrusive video viewing experience possible—a strategy that has worked to the expense of every other competing and trailing service.”

    But while Netflix once distinguished itself by being commercial free, surveys by Kantar and others suggest that acceptance of adverts among audiences is growing.

    Will people sign up for Netflix's cheaper ad service?
    Student Lottie and Frankie with friend Lily

    Many of Netflix’s competitors already combine streaming with adverts or have plans to. Disney, for example, is due to roll out an advert supported service in December in the US. That plan will start at $7.99 a month.

    Netflix has said customers on its ad-supported plan will face an average of four to five minutes of adverts per hour.

    “I wouldn’t mind watching an advert if it meant it was cheaper,” students Lottie and Frankie told the BBC.

    For now, both aged 20, said they weren’t directly concerned with the expense of Netflix, since they watch on family accounts.

    With Netflix warning of plans to crack down on password sharing, they said the new option could be “good for students”.

    New audience?

    Among non-subscribers, however, a survey in the US by DISQO found only 25% to 35% were interested in signing up for a service with ads.

    Even if the audience is not large, it could still prove lucrative for Netflix.

    There was a “flurry” of interest from advertisers after Netflix announced the service, though some brands became “more reticent” when they found out how much the advertising would cost, said Liz Duff, head of commercial and operations for Total Media, which buys advertising slots for big household name brands,

    Others, however, were “very keen to get involved in the initial launch phase”, she added.

    Netflix could generate $830m from commercials next year and more than $1bn by 2024, according to estimates by Insider Intelligence.

    But forecasting analyst Peter Newman cautioned that the new plan will draw most of its sign-ups from Netflix’s existing audience, rather than expanding the pool of viewers.

    “An ad-supported tier isn’t going to reverse Netflix’s fortunes overnight,” he said.

    Additional reporting by Charlotte McDonald

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Evan Peters says he spent ‘months’ in character as Jeffrey Dahmer while filming hit Netflix series

    Evan Peters detailed the elaborate process that went into his portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer for the Netflix series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story during a panel over the weekend.

    Peters spent four months preparing for the role, taking into account every single detail of Dahmer’s physicality to ensure that his portrayal was as accurate as possible. “He has a very straight back. He doesn’t move his arms when he walks, so I put weights on my arms to see what that felt like,” he explained, per Variety. “I wore the character shoes with lifts in them, his jeans, his glasses, I had a cigarette in my hand at all times.”

    Peters admitted he initially wasn’t sure about accepting the role of what he considered to be an “incredibly dark” character. “I really went back and forth on whether I should do it or not,” he said. “I knew it was going to be incredibly dark and an incredible challenge.” However, once he took on the role, Peters went deep, and according to series co-creator Ryan Murphy, “basically stayed in this character, as difficult as it was, for months.”

    Peters’ co-star, Niecy Nash, said she tried to approach Peters when filming started, but noticed he was already “in his process.” While she wanted to respect his approach, Nash admitted she also kept him in her prayers because she understood the emotional weight that comes with playing such a challenging character.

    “I wanted to respect that and I wanted to keep him there,” Nash explained. “I prayed for you a lot, for real, because this is weighty. And when you stay in it, and you’re tethered to the material, like bone to marrow, your soul is troubled at some point. And I could see him getting tired. I just said, ‘Well, I’m just gonna make sure I keep him in my prayers, because this is a lot and he wants to do it justice.’”

    “I wanted all this stuff, these external things, to be second nature when we were shooting, so I watched a lot of footage and I also worked with a dialect coach to get down his voice,” Peters said. “The way that he spoke, it was very distinct and he had a dialect. So I also went off and created this 45-minute audio composite, which was very helpful. I listened to that every day, in hopes of learning his speech patterns, but really, in an attempt to try to get into his mindset and understand that each day that we were shooting.”

    Peters called it an “exhaustive search,” while he was trying to find Dahmer’s “private moments,” the times where he “didn’t seem self conscious, so you could get a glimpse into how he behaved prior to these interviews and being in prison.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Netflix adds 2.4 million subscribers after months of declines

    Netflix gained 2.4 million new paid subscribers in the third quarter of this year, the company said in an earnings report Tuesday, a reversal for the streamer after reporting losses for the first time in 10 years over the last two consecutive quarters.

    Netflix reported 223.09 million subscribers, up from the 220.67 million it reported in July and 213.56 million in the third quarter of last year.

    The streaming service beat its own forecast of 221.67 subscribers.

    Netflix predicted it will continue to grow its subscriber base and add 4.5 million paid users by the end of the fourth quarter.

    The company generated $1.4 billion in net income in the third quarter, down nearly 4% from a year ago, and revenue grew 5.9% to $7.9 billion, both of which beat the company’s forecasts.

    Much of the growth came from the Asia-Pacific region, where 1.4 million paid memberships were added in the third quarter.

    Netflix’s share price jumped more than 12% in after-hours trading Tuesday and stood at $275.40 as of 8 p.m., after closing at $240.86.

  • TikTok accused by filmmaker for permitting hateful comments on video

    A TikTok video about sexual consent has been inundated with comments from men accusing women of assault.

    Many of them mention Andrew Tate, the divisive influencer who has been barred from multiple sites due to his misogynist views.

    The two-minute video, posted by an account with approximately 1,700 followers, has been viewed almost 1.2 million times.

    Its creator Emmeline Hartley says she believes TikTok’s algorithms are driving more hate toward the film.

    People using TikTok are served content based on a mixture of videos they have previously liked, and on which people like them have watched and commented.

    TikTok said misogyny was prohibited on the platform.

    “Our community guidelines specifically call it out as a hateful ideology and we are crystal clear that we do not want that content on our platform,” said a spokesperson.

    It added that it had removed more than 100 comments from Ms Hartley’s video, which it said was a small proportion of the number that had been left.

    A behind-the-scenes shot. A woman is performing in front of a film crew.
    IMAGE SOURCE, EMMELINE HARTLEY Image caption, Emmeline Hartley performs in the film as well as having created it

    Ms Hartley said she had found it impossible to make direct contact with someone from the platform to get help.

    “We don’t have the capacity or the manpower to respond to all the comments,” Ms Hartley said.

    “I thought, ‘what have I done? I’ve made a film that’s helping rape culture.”

    She says she has seen other videos on TikTok that have been swamped with abusive comments where the creator is appealing for likes and positivity to help “pull them back from the wrong side of TikTok”.

    Fictional story

    Ms Hartley’s original video, Keep Breathing, was 18 minutes long and made in 2018, with funding from various local organizations in Derby and backed by the British Film Institute.

    It is a fictional story featuring a couple arguing in a lift about a previous sexual encounter, interwoven with flashbacks to the evening it took place.

    The characters had both been drinking alcohol, they met in a nightclub, and there were misunderstandings about how they were going to get home and whether the man was going to stay with the woman.

    A still from a film. A man and woman stare at one another inside a lift.
    IMAGE SOURCE,EMMELINE HARTLEY Image caption, Ms Hartley said the film was intended to be nuanced, and to explore complex issues around consent

    However, the clip she posted to TikTok in September featured only the pair’s argument and not the contextual flashbacks. When Ms Hartley tried to add a separate video featuring those, they were repeatedly removed by TikTok on the grounds that they were explicit.

    She has now been able to share the context but says there are still many comments which are abusive towards women.

    Although she considered removing the videos, Ms Hartley says she is content that she decided to share the post.

    “I don’t regret it, but I’m trying to navigate how to respond,” she said.

    “Some of the comments have been healthy, a couple of people have changed their minds while replying to each other. I think it’s important, it needs to go out there.”

    How the algorithm works

    Social media consultant Matt Navarra said that TikTok’s algorithm functions as a recommendation service, drawing both on the previous activity of the individual user and others like them, in order to serve up new content with which the person is also likely to engage.

    This keeps them on the platform for longer and more frequently, which is good for advertisers and therefore also good for TikTok’s advertising revenue.

    “It means if this content has been seen, engaged with, and liked by a group of users who are, for example, Andrew Tate fans, then it’s likely to show that piece of content to even more people who are that sort of user,” he said. “It’s self-perpetuating.”

    The creator cannot stop this train once it is in motion, because they have no control over the algorithm itself and there are limited options for reporting issues, Mr Navarra added.

    In July it was reported that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, was going to make its algorithm more similar to TikTok’s, rather than prioritising content from accounts that individuals were already following.

     

  • Kid Cudi says Netflix animated special ‘Entergalactic’ is not ‘for kids’

    Kid Cudi has issued a PSA about his new animated Netflix special, Entergalactic.

    The rapper took to Twitter on Thursday morning, telling fans, “Entergalactic is not for kids!”

    He followed the note with another tweet, writing, “I dont have any plans to do anything for kids like movies or tv, but when I do ill let u know. For now my focus is more adult stuff.”

    Cudi described Entergalactic as having “a lot of adult situations” and that “kids should not be seein it,” in response to a fan who said they watched it with their daughter.

    Cudi issued the Netflix special alongside his latest album of the same name. “Entergalactic is everything I’ve always wanted to do, create a long-form visual companion to an album,” Cudi said of the cross-platform release. “It all started with the music which helped bring this storyline and these characters to life. Entergalactic is unlike anything I’ve ever done, certainly my most ambitious project to date; I can’t wait for you to finally experience it.”

    The special features Cudi and Jessica Williams, and the album boasts features from Ty Dolla Sign, 2 Chainz, Don Toliver, Steve Aoki, and Dot da Genius.

    Source: Complex.com

     

  • Mother of Jeffrey Dahmer victim says Dahmer Halloween costumes are ‘Super triggering’

    Netflix’s Dahmer series has been massively popular with many, except the families of the serial killer’s victims.

    Now, as Halloween looms, the mother of the victim, Tony Hughes has spoken out against costumes that bear a resemblance to Jeffrey Dahmer. Shirley told TMZ, “It’s already super triggering to see a hit Netflix series about the serial killer, much less folks dressing like the killer.”

    Hughes was one of the 17 men Dahmer murdered, and Hughes, himself, was deaf and non-vocal.

    Bigger stores have chosen not to carry Dahmer costumes due to the backlash, but it’s still easy to find costume props online, on websites like eBay. People are selling blonde wigs, shirts evocative of the time period, and wire-rimmed glasses as Dahmer costumes.

    Shirley also told TMZ, “It hurts for Netflix and all the online stores to profit off her son’s death, while none of the victims’ families have seen a dime. She feels all the eBay ads should be taken down … or at the very least, give the profits to the families.”

    The ache of her son dying at the hands of Dahmer is not something that has completely receded for Shirley. “If Netflix hadn’t streamed the show, none of the families would be re-victimized … and then there’d be no Dahmer costumes this year,” she said to the outlet. She added, “Dahmer was pure evil and doesn’t understand how the folks who choose to dress like him can sleep at night.”

    In 1992, Dahmer was sentenced to life in prison and in 1994, was beaten to death while incarcerated.

    Last week, Netflix’s Dahmer became the streaming platform’s second-most-watched series ever, bringing its total to 701.37 million hours viewed. Stranger Things 4 is Netflix’s most-watched show, with a total of 1.35 billion hours viewed in its first month.

    Source: Complex.com

  • John Major dismisses The Crown’s portrayal of Charles “trying to force the Queen’s abdication” in the 1990s

    Sir John Major has slammed The Crown’s reported depiction of Charles attempting to force the Queen’s abdication during his presidency as “damaging, malicious fiction.”

    The next season of the Netflix show is expected to include footage of the then-Prince of Wales, Dominic West, briefing Sir John (Jonny Lee Miller) against the Queen in an attempt to depose her.

    According to The Mail on Sunday the writers suggest that in 1991, Charles believed his mother, who was 65 at the time, was making the same mistake as Queen Victoria by not letting her younger heir take over.

    A spokesperson for Sir John told the paper: “Sir John has not co-operated in any way with The Crown. Nor has he ever been approached by them to fact-check any scripted material in this or any other series.

    “There was never any discussion between Sir John and the then Prince of Wales about any possible abdication of the late Queen Elizabeth II.”

    The spokesperson said that if such scenes are broadcast, “they should be seen as nothing other than damaging and malicious fiction. A barrel-load of nonsense peddled for no other reason than to provide maximum – and entirely false – dramatic impact”.

     

  • Netflix set to launch an ad-supported service in November

    Netflix will introduce a new streaming alternative with advertisements in November, introducing a less expensive service as it battles to retain subscribers.

    The plan will be offered in 12 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Australia.

    The service will cost £4.99 per month in the UK and $6.99 in the US, according to the company.

    Netflix has been losing customers as competition and cost of living pressures mount.

    The company lost more than 1 million subscribers in the first half of this year. It is due to provide an update of that figure to investors next week.

    ‘Price for every fan’

    Netflix’s move into advertising is a big change for the company, which pioneered the idea of subscription-based streaming.

    But as more entertainment companies roll out online streaming platforms, it has had a harder time retaining subscribers, especially as households concerned about the rising cost-of-living look for ways to cut back.

    In the UK, the least expensive plan without commercials starts at £6.99 a month.

    “We’re confident that … we now have a price and plan for every fan,” the company said in a press release.

    “While it’s still very early days, we’re pleased with the interest from both consumers and the advertising community and couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

    Subscribers to the new offering should expect to see an average of four to five minutes of adverts per hour, the company said.

    Some films and TV series also will not be available due to licensing restrictions.

    The company said it planned to expand the offering to more countries over time.

    Many of Netflix’s competitors already combine streaming with adverts or have plans to.

    Disney, for example, is due to roll out an advert-supported service in December in the US. That plan will start at $7.99 a month.

    Jeremi Gorman, Netflix’s president of worldwide advertising, said it had nearly sold out all the available ad time for the launch, a sign of the interest from advertisers in reaching younger audiences that are increasingly turning away from traditional television.

    Netflix is asking people who sign up for the ad service for gender and birth date information as part of efforts to target ads.

  • Netflix ad-supported service to launch in November

    Netflix is launching a new streaming option with adverts in November, introducing a less expensive offering as it fights to keep viewers.

    The plan will be available in 12 countries including the UK, US, Canada, Mexico and Australia.

    The firm said it would charge £4.99 a month for the service in the UK, while it will cost $6.99 in the US.

    Netflix has been losing customers as competition and cost of living pressures mount.

    The company lost more than 1 million subscribers in the first half of this year. It is due to provide an update of that figure to investors next week.

    ‘Price for every fan’

    Netflix’s move into advertising is a big change for the company, which pioneered the idea of subscription-based streaming.

    But as more entertainment companies roll out online streaming platforms, it has had a harder time retaining subscribers, especially as households concerned about the rising cost-of-living look for ways to cut back.

    In the UK, the least expensive plan without commercials starts at £6.99 a month.

    “We’re confident that … we now have a price and plan for every fan,” the company said in a press release.

    “While it’s still very early days, we’re pleased with the interest from both consumers and the advertising community and couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

    Subscribers to the new offering should expect to see an average of four to five minutes of adverts per hour, the company said.

    Some films and TV series also will not be available due to licensing restrictions.

    The company said it planned to expand the offering to more countries over time.

    Many of Netflix’s competitors already combine streaming with adverts or have plans to.

    Disney, for example, is due to roll out an advert supported service in December in the US. That plan will start at $7.99 a month.

    Jeremi Gorman, Netflix’s president of worldwide advertising, said it had nearly sold out all the available ad time for the launch, a sign of the interest from advertisers in reaching younger audiences that are increasingly turning away from traditional television.

    Netflix is asking people who sign up for the ad service for gender and birth date information as part of efforts to target ads.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • ‘Dahmer’ becomes Netflix’s second most-watched series ever

    Netflix’s biographical serial killer drama Dahmer: Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is now the streamer’s second most-watched series ever, Deadline reports

    The Ryan Murphy-produced show pulled in another huge week in terms of hours watched, putting it just behind the fourth season of Stranger Things on Netflix’s all-time list. In its third week of availability, Dahmer brought in 205.33 million hours viewed, bringing its total to 701.37 million hours viewed. Stranger Things 4, meanwhile, brought in a total of 1.35 billion hours viewed in its first month on Netflix.

    Starring Evan Peters as the infamous Wisconsin serial killer, who was convicted in 1992 of 15 of the 16 murders he committed in his home state, the show has proved massively popular but also controversial. The mother of Tony Hughes, one of Dahmer’s victims, recently criticized the show for its exploitative approach to Dahmer’s murders.

    “I don’t see how they can do that,” Shirley Hughes told The Guardian. “I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there.” She also noted that her son’s murder at the hands of Dahmer in 1991 “didn’t happen” the same way it was depicted in the show.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Netflix signs up to ratings body Barb

    Netflix has signed up to the TV ratings agency Barb, which means its audiences will be measured by an external, independent body for the first time.

    The move makes Barb the first industry-owned ratings service in the world that Netflix has joined.

    Previously, the streaming giant has only released snapshots of its viewing data, highlighting the success of its most popular shows.

    Barb will begin reporting Netflix’s viewing figures from November.

    It is a significant move for the streamer, and will see the data being used by advertisers, competitors and journalists to ascertain the success or failure of Netflix properties.

    Netflix is not the only streamer being included – any service which accounts for more than 0.5% of total identified viewing will be listed too. This means content from services such as Disney and Amazon is also likely to be included.

    While BARB has been reporting streaming viewing at both a service and programme level since November 2021, only its underwriting organisations and those with a special license previously had access to Netflix’s data.

    Barb, which stands for Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, compiles audience measurement and TV ratings in the UK.

    The agency will report Netflix’s ratings in the same way it reports viewing for more than 300 other subscribing broadcast channels.

    The networks currently covered by Barb include mainstream services such as the BBC and ITV to smaller channels such as Dave and E4.

    Promotional still from Netflix's Sex EducationNetflix
    Hit Netflix shows such as Sex Education (pictured) and The Crown could be included in the ratings

    The news comes as Netflix reportedly prepares to launch an ad-supported tier for its streaming platform.

    Its co-chief executive Reed Hastings said: “Back in 2019, at the RTS conference in Cambridge, I welcomed the idea of Netflix audiences being measured independently.

    “We’ve kept in touch with Barb since then and are pleased to make a commitment to its trusted measurement of how people watch television in the UK.”

    Justin Sampson, chief executive of Barb, said: “Our audience measurement continuously adapts to accommodate the new platforms and devices that are being used by people to watch their favourite television shows.

    “We took a big step forward last year when we started reporting audiences to streaming services.

    “Netflix’s commitment to Barb sends a clear signal that what we’re doing is valuable to new and established players in the market.”

    Netflix viewing data will be available to all Barb subscribers from the morning of 2 November through its existing analysis software and other systems.

    The timing coincides with the launch of season five of royal drama The Crown, which could make a significant impact in Barb’s ratings during the streamer’s first weeks of inclusion.

     

    More on this story

  • Netflix joins ratings organization Barb

    Netflix has partnered with the TV rating company Barb, which means that for the first time, its audiences will be measured by a third party, thus an independent organization.

    Netflix has now joined Barb, the first industry-owned rating service in history.

    Previously, the streaming giant has only released snapshots of its viewing data, highlighting the success of its most popular shows.

    Barb will begin reporting Netflix’s viewing figures from November.

    It is a significant move for the streamer and will see the data being used by advertisers, competitors, and journalists to ascertain the success or failure of Netflix properties.

    Barb, which stands for Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, compiles audience measurement and TV ratings in the UK.

    The agency will report Netflix’s ratings in the same way it reports viewing for more than 300 other subscribing broadcast channels.

    The networks currently covered by Barb include mainstream services such as the BBC and ITV to smaller channels such as Dave and E4.

    The news comes as Netflix reportedly prepares to launch an ad-supported tier for its streaming platform.

    Its co-chief executive Reed Hastings said: “Back in 2019, at the RTS conference in Cambridge, I welcomed the idea of Netflix audiences being measured independently.

    “We’ve kept in touch with Barb since then and are pleased to make a commitment to its trusted measurement of how people watch television in the UK.”

    Promotional still from Netflix's Sex Education
    IMAGE SOURCE, NETFLIX Image caption, Hit Netflix shows such as Sex Education (pictured) and The Crown could be included in the ratings

    Justin Sampson, chief executive of Barb, said: “Our audience measurement continuously adapts to accommodate the new platforms and devices that are being used by people to watch their favourite television shows.

    “We took a big step forward last year when we started reporting audiences to streaming services.

    “Netflix’s commitment to Barb sends a clear signal that what we’re doing is valuable to new and established players in the market.”

    Netflix viewing data will be available to all Barb subscribers from the morning of 2 November through its existing analysis software and other systems.

    The timing coincides with the launch of season five of the royal drama The Crown, which could make a significant impact in Barb’s ratings during the streamer’s first weeks of inclusion.

     

  • Anna ‘Delvey’ Sorokin: Fake heiress says she got ‘exactly what I wanted’ with release from jail

    The notorious scammer-socialite, who stole over $67 million from banks and prominent New York City figures, is no longer behind bars.

    Anna “Delvey” Sorokin, the con artist who defrauded Manhattan’s elite by pretending to be a German heiress, claims that after being released from prison, she received “exactly what I desired.”

    She told  the New York Times in her first interview after being released that she is “really happy” to be free and added that “nothing was guaranteed.”

    The infamous scammer-socialite defrauded banks and New York City big names to the tune of around $67m (£51.5m) to fund her jet-setting lifestyle.

    The spree eventually saw her sentenced to four to 12 years and was the subject of the hit Netflix series Inventing Anna.

    She was released from state prison in February 2021 but was swiftly back in jail again after Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took her into custody.

    Sorokin, 31, was granted a $10,000 bond and released from jail on Friday.

    She is subject to house arrest and is banned from social media.

    Sorokin spoke to the New York Times, saying she is “really happy”.

    She told the newspaper: “They denied bail before. It was an exercise in perseverance.

    “So many immigration lawyers told me I’d get deported to Mars before I’d get out in New York.”

    Sorokin, who was born in the then-Soviet Union, expects to be in the Big Apple for a while as her immigration case goes through the courts.

    “I’m really, really happy about that. That’s exactly what I wanted. I’m just hoping to get more freedom eventually.”

    Sorokin is now living in a one-bedroom apartment in the East Village area of the city.

    Asked if the money to lease the apartment and the $10,000 bond were hers, she replied: “Yes.”

     

  • ‘Aki and Paw Paw’ debut on Netflix

    Actors Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme, professionally known together as Aki and Paw Paw, have made their Netflix debut with a new movie.

    Announcing this with a YouTube trailer on Friday, 30 September 2022, Netflix said: “The hilarious Aki and Paw Paw are back. This time, they’re on a mission to get fame and fortune by any means necessary.”

    Titled ‘Aki and Paw Paw’, the 2-hour movie is, according to the makers, the sequel of the 2003 comic classic titled ‘Aki and Ukwa’, which brought the screen twins international fame beyond their native Nigeria.

    Written by Ozioma Ogbaji and Stephen Oluboyo, ‘Aki and Paw Paw’ was directed by Biodun Stephen and released in the year 2021.

    Source: classfmonline

  • Egypt cracks down on streaming content over societal values

    The Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) in Egypt has called out streaming platforms to abide by certain regulations in a bid to make them adhere to “societal values and traditions”.

    Egypt’s media regulatory body said it would also require Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming platforms to apply for licences to be able to operate in the country.

    “Necessary measures” would be taken against platforms that stream content which does not align with the society’s values, SCMR said.

    The statement noted that subscriptions to streaming platforms in Egypt had witnessed “unprecedented and huge increases”, without providing specific figures.

    The statement follows similar moves by media bodies in Gulf countries, urging Netflix to remove content they said contradicted Islamic values and traditions, including material “aimed for children”, in a seeming reference to LGBTQ+ content.

  • Netflix loses almost a million subscribers

    After enjoying a long reign as the king of streaming, Netflix faces a tough fight to keep its crown.

    It lost almost 1m subscribers between April and July, as the number of people quitting the service accelerated.

    But that was not as many as the streaming giant had feared.

    Asked what may have stopped subscriptions sliding further, the firm’s chief executive, Reed Hastings, said: “If there was a single thing, we might say ‘Stranger Things.’”

    The new season of the hit drama has been a phenomenal success, and may have helped stem the exodus of Netflix customers.

    The company reported its first subscriber loss since 2011 in April, news that was followed by hundreds of job cuts and a sharp drop in its share price.

    Rivals are challenging its dominance, while price hikes have taken a toll.

    The subscriber losses reported on Tuesday were the biggest in the firm’s history, with the US and Canada home to the highest number of cancellations in the quarter, followed by Europe.

    Guy Bisson, executive director at Ampere Analysis, said it was “inevitable” that Netflix would start to see its grip on the market loosen.

    “When you’re the leader, there’s only one direction to go, especially when a large amount of competition launches, which is what Netflix has seen in the last couple of years,” he said.

    It is a stark change for Netflix, which enjoyed years of seemingly unstoppable growth, as it revolutionised the way people around the world consumed entertainment.

    Its position as a global behemoth was cemented when the pandemic hit in 2020 and people, stuck at home with few other options for entertainment, flocked to monster hits like Squid Game and The Crown.

    But as pre-pandemic habits return, Netflix has struggled to attract new sign-ups – and maintain the loyalty of existing members, especially as the cost of living crisis leads to belt tightening.

    The company also faces fierce competition from the likes of Apple TV, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and Disney+. Netflix was once the disruptor, making video rental stores like Blockbuster redundant. But the disruptor is fast becoming the disrupted.

    Netflix’s move to make its service more expensive has also put off some customers.

    Price hikes more ‘risky’

    A “standard” plan in the US – which allows people in the same home to watch on two devices simultaneously – now costs $15.49, up from $14 in January and just $11 in 2019.

    In the UK, basic and standard plans have both increased since January by £1 a month to £6.99 and £10.99 respectively.

    Squid Game contestants

    “At some point, yes, they’re going to reach a threshold where a significant number of people say enough is enough,” Mr Bisson said. “Because of the additional choice… price hikes are a more risky strategy.”

    For now, surveys suggest that Netflix is managing to lure back a higher share of deserters than its rivals. Many households also continue to identify it as the streaming option they would retain if forced to have only one.

    In all, the company had roughly 220 million subscribers at the end of June – still well north of its closest competition.

    But the company, long accustomed to posting double digit growth, is grappling with its most serious slowdown in years, with revenue in the April-June quarter of $7.9bn, up just 8.6% year-on-year.

    The firm’s share price has dropped more than 60% so far this year, as investors sour on its prospects.

    “Netflix’s subscriber loss was expected but it remains a sore point for a company that is wholly dependent on subscription revenue from consumers,” said Insider Intelligence analyst Ross Benes.

    “Netflix is still the leader in video streaming but unless it finds more franchises that resonate widely, it will eventually struggle to stay ahead of competitors that are after its crown.”

    Shares climbed more than 7% in after-hours trade on relief that the losses were not larger. The firm had warned it could lose as many as two million subscribers.

    Netflix has said it will jumpstart growth with a new ads-supported service and by clamping down on password sharing – which one study estimated was costing Netflix $6bn a year.

    It is already charging more for sharing accounts in some countries in central and South America. It hopes to replicate this model around the world.

    However, the company has known about problems with passwords sharing for years, and has so far failed to find a solution.

    In its shareholder update, the company said it was “encouraged by our early learnings and ability to convert consumers to paid sharing in Latin America”.

    It said it expected its less expensive, ad-supported option to launch in early 2023, starting in “a handful of markets where advertising spend is significant”.

    “Like most of our new initiatives, our intention is to roll it out, listen and learn, and iterate quickly to improve the offering,” the company said.

    The ad service has the potential to attract both existing customers inclined to cancel over price hikes, as well as new households hesitant to commit to a subscription, Mr Bisson said.

    It should be possible for Netflix to make the same amount of money – or more – per user than it did by relying on subscriptions, he added.

    Strong content critical

    “Assuming they get it right – and by getting it right I mean the price … and the amount of advertising on it – then it’s potentially a strong strategic move for them,” he said.

    But he said Netflix’s most critical task is ensuring it has strong material for people to watch – a job that has grown harder as it pushes to reach an increasingly broad audience.

    New sign-ups in the US, for example, are coming from an increasingly older crowd, with different tastes than the younger viewers who were early streaming converts.

    “They’re increasingly competing for that generalist audience, so the breadth of content that is needed becomes much wider and that’s why I think people are saying ‘there’s now a lot of stuff I don’t like’,” Mr Bisson said. “It’s a very big challenge.”

    Netflix needs “more frequent hits”, said Eric Steinberg of Whip Media, adding that Netflix also has room to experiment staggering its releases to keep a hold on its subscribers.

    The company has already taken steps in that direction by releasing episodes of the fourth season of Stranger Things in two batches this year, but the “pressure is on” he said.

    “They don’t have the sandpit to themselves anymore,” he said. “In an inflationary environment like the one we’re in and also great programming [at the competition], people are going to re-evaluate how much they’re willing to pay.”

  • Netflix cuts 300 more jobs after subscriptions fall

    Netflix has announced another round of job cuts as it grapples with slowing growth and increased competition.

    The streaming giant said it was cutting 300 more jobs – roughly 4% of its workforce – mostly in the US, after axing 150 people in May.

    The moves come after the company reported its first subscriber loss in more than a decade in April.

    The firm is exploring an ad-supported service and cracking down on password sharing as it tries to boost growth.

    “While we continue to invest significantly in the business, we made these adjustments so that our costs are growing in line with our slower revenue growth,” Netflix said in a statement on Thursday, adding that it was continuing to hire in other areas.

    While Netflix has 220 million subscribers globally and remains the clear leader in the streaming market, it has faced fierce competition in recent years with the launch of rival platforms such as Disney Plus and Amazon’s Prime Video.

    The company also recently embarked on a series of price increases in the US, UK and elsewhere, which have contributed to its subscriber losses.

    The firm has said it expects its subscriber count to fall by another two million in the three months to July, after dropping by 200,000 earlier this year.

    Surveys by Kantar research firm consistently identify saving money as the number one reason for cancelling streaming services – even in the US, where overall streaming subscriptions have held steady, unlike the UK.

    On Thursday, Ted Sarandos, the company’s co-chief executive, told an audience at a conference in Cannes on Thursday that Netflix was in talks with many companies as it explores new advertising partnerships to appeal to price-sensitive audiences.

    “We’re not adding ads to Netflix as you know it today. We’re adding an ad tier for folks who say ‘Hey, I want a lower price and I’ll watch ads’,” Mr Sarandos said at Cannes Lions.

    The job cuts at Netflix come amid rising worries in the US that the labour market boom the country has enjoyed since the pandemic is coming to an end.

    Signs of slowdown are particularly evident in the tech sector, where start-ups have cut nearly 27,000 workers since May – roughly double the number recorded in all of 2021, according to layoffs.fyi, which tracks publicly announced redundancies.

    Firms in the housing sector have also announced hundreds of cuts in recent weeks.

    The head of America’s central bank told members of Congress this week that its efforts to bring down rapidly rising prices by raising interest rates risk triggering a sustained economic slowdown, but were worth it to restore price stability.

    “We’re not trying to provoke, and don’t think we will need to provoke a recession,” Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said.

    But he conceded in response to questioning, it’s “certainly a possibility”.

    Source: BBC

  • Netflix cuts 150 US-based jobs after losing subscribers

    Netflix has made about 150 staff redundant, a month after the streaming service said it was losing subscribers for the first time in a decade.

    The redundancies, announced by the entertainment giant on Tuesday, will mainly affect its US office in California. They account for about 2% of its North American workforce.

    Netflix said the job losses were due to the slump in the company’s revenue.

    The streaming service is battling an exodus of viewers this year.

    “These changes are primarily driven by business needs rather than individual performance, which makes them especially tough as none of us want to say goodbye to such great colleagues,” the company said in a statement.

    It wasn’t disclosed which parts of the business would see job losses, but the Los Angeles Times reported that recruiting, communications and also the content department were all affected.

    Some people also disclosed their job loss online.

    In April, the streaming giant shocked the industry when it revealed it had lost 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of 2022, and warned another two million were expected to quit in the coming quarter.

    The news sparked an investor sell-off, with the firm’s stock plunging 35% in one day. It is now trading at $190 (£152), a 46% drop on its previous premium.

    While Netflix has 220 million subscribers globally and remains the clear market leader, it has faced fierce competition in recent years with the arrival of competitor platforms such as Disney Plus, HBO, and Amazon’s Prime Video.

    In its earnings report last month, the company also said the war in Ukraine and the decision to raise its prices in the US had cost it subscribers.

    Pulling out of the Russian market alone had cost the service 700,000 members, it revealed.

    Along with job losses, the company is also cutting content and pulling back on its own creations. Earlier in May it cancelled development of Pearl, an animated series created by Meghan Markle, in its move to cut costs.

    Some analysts say that after a surge in sign-ups during the pandemic, Netflix has run out of easy ways to grow the business.

    The company says it’s looking at a cheaper, ad-based model and also planning on cracking down on password sharing which has cost it 100 million households.

    Netflix is not alone in making job cuts. In recent weeks, a slew of US tech companies from start-ups to big names such as Uber and Twitter have said they are slowing or freezing hiring, or, like online car sales firm Carvana, announced redundancies, citing a downturn.

    Source: BBC

  • Netflix warns of slowdown after subscriber surge

    Netflix has seen a surge in sign-ups due to the coronavirus lockdown, but has warned investors that subscriber growth will slow.

    The streaming giant added more than 10 million subscribers in the three months to July, bringing the total of new subscribers to 26 million in 2020.

    In contrast, Netflix saw 28 million new subscribers for the whole of 2019.

    “Growth is slowing as consumers get through the initial shock of coronavirus and social restrictions.

    ” Netflix shares dropped in after-hours trading as investors digested the firm’s quarterly update.

    The streaming service’s revenue increased by almost 25% to $6.

    1bn (£4.9bn), while profits rose to $720m in the quarter, up from $271m a year go.

    The subscriber additions were far higher than analysts had expected.

    While, some people might still end up quitting the service, “the pandemic has clearly shown that Netflix is an indispensable part of viewers lives,” said Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight.

    Sophie Lund Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the streaming service will have to continue to spend heavily on new shows and movies to keep its audience.

    “While Netflix is still the biggest fish in the tank, if it wants to keep it that way, there is work to be done,” she said, adding that it should focus on markets outside the US where there is more growth potential.

    Netflix also announced it was promoting chief content officer Ted Sarandos to co-chief executive.

    “This change makes formal what was already informal – that Ted and I share the leadership of Netflix,” chief executive Reed Hastings told investors.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Netflix gets 16 million new sign-ups thanks to lockdown

    Netflix has seen subscriber numbers surge this year, as lockdowns around the world keep people at home where they want to be entertained.

    Almost 16 million people created accounts in the first three months of the year, the firm said.

    That is almost double the new sign-ups it saw in the final months of 2019.

    However, the streaming service, which is behind some multi-million dollar productions, said shutdowns have halted “almost all” filming around the world.

    And sharp declines in the value of many currencies has meant new subscribers outside of the US, where Netflix is based, are not worth as much to the company as they would have been before the crisis. And that has hurt its international revenue growth.

    Nevertheless, the home-entertainment giant’s share price has climbed more than 30% this year as investors bet on on its ability to benefit from people spending more time indoors.

    Tiger King

    “Netflix is and will continue to be the media company least impacted by COVID-19,” said eMarketer analyst Eric Haggstrom. “Their business is a near-perfect fit to a population that is suddenly housebound.”

    Demand for streaming has been so high that Netflix last month said it would reduce the quality of its videos in Europe to ease the strain on internet service providers. The firm also hired an additional 2,000 customer support staff to handle the increased interest.

    Netflix said some 85 million people had watched its original movie, Spenser Confidential, for at least two minutes – the cut-off it uses for viewing figures. Meanwhile, the documentary series Tiger King reached 64 million households.

    The firm expected to add another 7.5 million members in the three months to the end of June – above analyst expectations. But it warned investors that viewers and growth would decline as governments lift lockdowns around the world.

    “Given the uncertainty on home confinement timing this is mostly guesswork,” it said.

    Netflix said it expects to stick to its release schedule through June and has been acquiring other movies to keep its offering fresh. But it said future membership growth could be hurt by delays to upcoming seasons and shows.

    Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight, said production delays would hurt subscriber growth at all streaming companies in coming months.

    “Arguably, Netflix should fare much better with its broad catalogue,” he said.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Netflix adds US$50 million to relief fund for production workers

    Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) has increased the amount of money in its coronavirus emergency relief fund by $50 million, bringing the total for displaced production workers to $150 million, a company spokeswoman said on Friday.

    Film and TV production has been shut down around the world as people shelter at home to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

    The abrupt closures put hundreds of thousands of cast and crew members out of work.

    In March, Netflix announced it had established a $100 million fund to assist the hardest-hit workers on its own productions and others in areas where Netflix has a large production base. ·

    Some of the money is being allocated through nonprofit groups that are helping the industry through the coronavirus crisis.

    The company so far has provided assistance in the United States, Canada, Britain, Italy, India, France, Mexico, Spain, Brazil and the Netherlands.

    Source: reuters.com

  • Mike Tyson threatens to knock out actor Michael Blackson for offering to impregnate his daughter

     Mike Tyson went off on Michael Blackson. The former boxing champion was less than impressed when the Ghanaian actor/comedian, real name Kwabena Koti Kesie, sent the retired athlete DMs offering to marry his daughter and give him grandchildren.

    Blackson apparently read somewhere on the internet that Tyson was rumored to offer $10 million to any man willing to marry his plus-sized daughter. “Where she at? I’ll tear her a** up,” Blackson made rude comment in his caption as he shared the blog post. He added, “[I’ll] then go shopping plus she’s kinda cute.”

    The 47-year-old actor didn’t stop there. He wrote to Tyson asking, “If this is true, I think I’m finally ready to settle down. I known I’ve been dipping n dapping a few snow bunnies and Asian persuasion but I’m ready for your beautiful queen.”

    He continued, “I’m ready to give u some grand kids that will have the complexion of Tyson Bedford, knowledge pf Cicely Tyson, talk like you Mike Tyson and hopefully not built like Tyson Fury. I really don’t give a f**k about the money but I’ll take it. Waiting to hear from you father in law sir.”

    Tyson was understandable furious at Blackson since no father would want to hear a man making such vulgar remarks about their daughter. Tyson said the headline was hoax and warned Blackson, “Listen u black little b***h, this s**t ain’t real and soon as I find the person that started that meme, imma knock hem the f**k out so make sure it ain’t you burnt roach looking b***h.”

    The former boxer added, “My daughter is happily in a relationship with a nice looking man so she’s not interested in an overcooked hotdog like you. Next time you do my podcast, imma knock the black off u, it might take a year because you black as f**k.”

    He concluded by threatening to get Blackson kicked out of the country, “Gtfo my dm before I get your black a** deported you geico lizard looking b***h.”

    Blackson responded, “Omg wtf did I get myself into. Tyson I’m sorry please don’t hit me I’m just a beech ass neega.”

    The actor posted his exchange with the boxer on his Instagram and it soon went viral. Rappers Snoop Dogg and Ghostface Killah laughed at him on the comment section. “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss wrote, “I can’t believe you DM’d that man that bulls**t! [laugh] You’re crazy!”

    Source: aceshowbiz.com

  • Netflixs first African series, Queen Sono, premieres

    Netflix’s first African original series, Queen Sono – about a spy from South Africa – has been released.

    The streaming site’s six-episode TV thriller stars South African Pearl Thusi as the eponymous secret agent.

    Written and directed by Kagiso Lediga, an award-winning stand-up comedian in South Africa, Queen Sono is filmed in several locations across the continent.

    Thusi is quoted as saying that it is empowering for Africans to tell their own stories.

    “Controlling the narrative is really important because we’re tired of seeing, particularly, just struggle stories,” Entertainment Weekly quoted her as saying.

    Several African languages are also used during the drama, which centres on Queen Sono trying to uncover the truth behind the death of her mother, who was a hero of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle.

    Abigail Kubeka in Queen SonoAbigail Kubeka has been praised for her humorous performance as Queen Sono’s grandmother

    Other themes include corruption as well as much James Bond-style action and, like the fictional British spy, Queen Sono does not always play by the rules.

    Reviews so far have been mixed, but most point to how refreshing it is to see a story that is set in modern-day Africa with a central character who is African.

    Of all the performances, veteran actress South African Abigail Kubeka is widely praised for her humorous turn as Queen’s grandmother.

    Africa is most famous for its Nollywood film productions that come out of Nigeria – it is a multi-billion dollar enterprise.

    Experts say what Netflix offers storytellers in Africa is an opportunity to produce better-quality dramas.

    In 2018, Netflix acquired the rights to Nigerian feature film Lionheart, directed by Nollywood star Genevieve Nnaja.

    It became Nigeria’s first-ever Oscar submission for best international feature film, but it was disqualified as it was largely in English.

    All six episodes of Queen Sono are now available for Netflix members, who must pay a monthly fee to stream content.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Netflix sued over ‘When They See Us’

    The makers of When They See Us are being sued for defamation over an interrogation technique in the show. Netflix and show director Ava DuVernay are accused of misrepresenting the Reid Technique – a controversial method of questioning suspects.

    The show refers to the practice as being “universally rejected” – a claim denied by the complainants John E. Reid and Associates, Inc.

    They say the show has caused the company to suffer damages.

    Read:Netflix to cut back on showing smoking in its original shows

    The series shows the story of five young men wrongly accused in the 1989 rape of a woman who was jogging in Central Park.

    “The conduct described is not the Reid Technique,” according to the lawsuit.

    It refers to a conversation between two characters – Manhattan assistant district attorney Nancy Ryan and a New York City detective – in the final episode of the series.

    Ryan’s partner says: “You squeezed statements out of them after 42 hours of questioning and coercing, without food, bathroom breaks, withholding parental supervision.

    “The Reid Technique has been universally rejected. That’s truth to you.”

    Reid and Associates say this is wrong and “falsely represents” the method.

    Read:Netflix streams film of Ethiopian Jews escaping war

    They claim the actual technique is a structured interview and interrogation process which does not use coercion, intimidation or denying a suspect their rights – and urges “extreme care” toward younger suspects.

    They claim the FBI, the US military and police departments around the country are all clients of the company – founded by John Reid, a former police officer who pioneered this interrogation technique that been taught since 1974.

    Reid and Associates say more than 500,000 individuals around the world have taken their training to learn the Reid Technique.

    Along with damages and profits, Reid and Associates want the show taken off Netflix until the offending line is removed or changed.

    Netflix and Ava DuVernay have not yet responded to Newsbeat’s request for comment.

    Source: bbc.com