Hosted by Jason Snell.
Jason Snell and a rotating group of experts break down the present and future of television.
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Get Downstream+ and don't miss a segment!Latest Episodes
#59: Netflix's Spreadsheet
December 14th, 2023 · 80 minutes
It's finally happened: Netflix has made its viewing data public... via an Excel spreadsheet? Also: Disney+ and Hulu get connected in the U.S., it might be the endgame for Paramount Global, and your letters!
#58: Christmas Is the Franchise
December 1st, 2023 · 33 minutes
The holiday season is peak streaming season, too! We discuss the seasonal opportunities for streamers, plus: letters! [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Amazon's Black Friday NFL experiment, YouTube & Sunday Ticket, and the coming sports/RSN implosion.]
#57: Challenging! But Fun
November 17th, 2023 · 69 minutes
Disney's going to own all of Hulu. Does this uniquely position them to be the most legitimate challenger to Netflix? We also discuss the power of platforms, Apple's "Napoleon" opportunity, and Disney's Marvel experimentation.
#56: "The Crown" Presented By Crown Royal
November 2nd, 2023 · 27 minutes
Netflix adapts to selling ads, and your letters! [Downstream+ subscribers also got: Apple TV+ cancelling Jon Stewart and raising prices, YouTube's news challenge and the value of YouTube culture, and Jason Kilar's big idea.]
#55: It's Netflix 2013 again
October 20th, 2023 · 77 minutes
Netflix (which is still top dog) reports results and makes price hikes. Also: Disney+'s value proposition, the complexity of selling ads for streaming, Marvel discovers TV, and your letters.
#54: NIRP
October 6th, 2023 · 40 minutes
The WGA strike is over, so what does it mean? Also, your letters! [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Don't blame the writers for the end of Peak TV, Max gets interesting, Amazon adds ads, and Disney ♥️ Charter.]
#53: I'm Living With a Criminal
September 21st, 2023 · 45 minutes
We break down the arrival of Mark Thompson as CNN's new boss. Also, there's a mega letters segment! [This episode was recorded September 7. See you in two weeks!]
#52: Defying Gravity
September 7th, 2023 · 39 minutes
Does the battle between Disney and Charter augur the end of the cable business model as we know it? Is the entertainment industry going bankrupt slowly, then all at once? It's time for an all-Sports Corner episode of Downstream!
#51: Cool, Man, But What Happened After?
August 25th, 2023 · 70 minutes
The CNN streaming era re-begins--and we're still trying to figure out how TV news adapts to the streaming era. Also: Netflix makes a franchise bet on Zach Snyder, but is it shooting itself in the foot? And are streaming sports rights worth the high cost?
#50: Platform Chess
August 11th, 2023 · 48 minutes
Disney alters the deal--pray they don't alter it further. But is Disney suffering from franchise fatigue, and is aggressively bunding Hulu with Disney+ the solution? Also: Jason's sad about Apple's failed college football deal.