Morning! This is Sean McNulty (Connect with me on LinkedIn here if you like), and here are the Hollywood + Media News to know on WEDNESDAY, August 14, 2024.

Where does all this talk not bother you? The US government is considering ways to break up GOOGLE this morning – check out the new and improved AI bot!

Finally being able to actually spend hours talking to your (AI) assistant that you’ve always dreamed of, and I can guarantee you that not once will there be any talk of paying them $2 more per hour so they can afford health insurance! Technology really is something special.

This was all part of GOOGLE’s big Action day for hardware from “Made by Google” yesterday, which also gave us the, er, bold (🤷‍♂️) shade-throwing talking point that you knowledge who you are talking to with our Gemini AI Bot on the Android operating system, unlike … whatever Bot you may talk to in the upcoming APPLE Intelligence offering 🙄.

And yes, we are talking about humans talking to computer software. Well, at least we have another episode plot for our Silicon Valley Restart.

PLUS: It is not only the USA that is closely monitoring media regulation – DISNEY and RELIANCE offer the sale of (less than) 10 TV channels to move the $8.5 billion merger of DISNEY’s STAR business with RELIANCE through the approval process.

AND: Just a little chart here for CEOs and corporate comms teams to keep an eye on in the future, according to a new GALLUP poll.

BUT: Talk about a hard chart linked to your LINKEDIN account back then you were running STARBUCKS for a year or so. 😬

THEN: Annual advertising revenue of X:

• 2021: $4.5 billion (according to company documents)

• 2023: 2.5 billion US dollars (over Bloomberg)

• 2024: 2 billion US dollars (over Axios)

• Just for comparison: PARAMOUNT generated revenue of over $2.2 billion from TV and streaming advertising in the second quarter alone.

ALSO: The New York Times has a look on TUBI’s rise at FOX today, as “free” is becoming more and more popular despite constant #price increases. A few interesting #funfacts about the NIELSEN audience, aside from TUBI’s growing share of the monthly NIELSEN streaming audience charts:

• 46% of TUBI’s audience in June was black.

• Over 50% of the audience is over 50.

OH: DOORDASH includes MAX (advertising level) for subscribers to the delivery service’s annual subscription program. #FunFact – the person making your delivery may have worked at the streaming service last month. #toosoon?

IN TODAY’S EDITION

• Yes, one of TV’s most iconic studio brands is being laid off at PARAMOUNT as the first round of downsizing begins. A look ahead shows why this is most likely just a first round as another linear TV brand comes on board with downsizing.

• A look at how important studios’ film libraries are to NETFLIX’s engagement.

  • PLUS: The Olympics have undoubtedly had a chilling effect on NETFLIX film viewership, although this seems likely due to NETFLIX’s tactic of simply letting the Games have their big moment – just look at the latest viewership numbers and the impending comeback of NETFLIX films.

• HULU makes a big splash on a new series, while NETFLIX talks to the dead this fall, and more.