Hollywood Breakdown

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is worried about the Oscars telecast, and they have every right to be. Both major televised awards shows this year — the Golden Globes and the Grammys — have been ratings disasters. Why are viewers turning away from awards shows?

The $1.9 trillion relief package President Biden signed on Thursday provides some help for small theaters and other entertainment venues. The American Rescue Plan includes an additional $1.25 billion for a grant program created last December for venue owners. The money may make it possible for some independent theaters to stay afloat until places are able to open to full capacity again. 

With vaccines rolling out and business reopenings on the horizon, heads of movie studios are making it clear they have not given up on theaters. Several studios have now announced big theatrical releases in May and June, and have said that while exclusive theatrical windows may be shortening, they’re not ditching them altogether. 

The Golden Globes are this weekend, and the days of the awards ceremony being a small funky party are long gone. Now the Globes are big business, but a recent LA Times investigation reveals some problematic practices at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the small group that votes on the winners.

Streaming services are constantly looking for ways to fight churn, which is when viewers sign up for a service and then drop it after they’ve watched a particular show. Kids’ shows and movies seem to be the most churn-proof content, so streamers are making big investments in that department. 

In a recent spate of actors and singers — including Armie Hammer, Gina Carano, Marilyn Manson — getting in trouble for past or current behavior, talent agencies are figuring out how to deal. In some cases, the agencies are dropping clients entirely, and in others, like with Shia LaBeouf at CAA, the relationship is being put on hold. 

Fox News ratings soared during a Trump presidency, but viewership numbers went down when Trump attacked the network. With a new Biden administration, Fox ratings continue to dip as viewers seek more right-wing content. The network is now behind CNN and MSNBC. 

The Sundance Film Festival kicked off this week, but there will be no crowded screenings in Park City movie theaters. Instead the famous festival will be mostly virtual, with some screenings around the country where theaters are allowed to be open.

Netflix officially has 200 million subscribers as it exponentially grows during the pandemic. The streamer, which holds more than $15 billion of debt, also says it no longer needs to borrow money. However, all streaming services share the fear of churn, where customers sign up for a service to watch one or two things and then unsubscribe. 

Nielsen released year-end streaming data for 2020, and more minutes were spent watching “The Office” on Netflix than any other show. The top 10 most-watched original series were all on Netflix, except for the Disney+ show “The Mandalorian.” When it came to movies, kids’ movies on Disney+ dominated, with “Frozen II” coming in at number one.