Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Wednesday, July 8th, 2020

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, July 8th, 2020. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by sushi and lots of water. My apologies for the lateness of the newsletter today. It's my teenage son's last week in virtual summer school and it is going just as well as you might expect.

PEACOCK COMMITS TO A JULY 15TH LAUNCH, WITH OR WITHOUT ROKU AND AMAZON
There was a lot of hand-wringing from industry observers when HBO Max launched nearly two months ago without an app for Roku and Amazon Fire. The hang-up was primarily over who controlled the subscriber information and whether HBO Max was willing to pay a cut of the monthly subscriber fee to Roku and Amazon.

NBCU's new streamer is set to launch on July 15th and according to the executive in charge of the service, Peacock might also launch without Roku and Amazon Fire apps and he's okay with that:

"Our launch date on July 15, is our launch date," he continued. "We're in discussions with everybody ... we would like to have the app available on all platforms, but we're committed to launching on the date that we set forth."

Speaking of Peacock, NBC Sports it is making all of its Premiere Game coverage free to everyone on the July 15th launch day. That includes four Premiere League games.

FUBOTV HAS A TOUGH FIRST QUARTER
Sports-centric streaming service FuboTV released its first quarter results this morning and as you might expect given the lack of new sports, it's a mixed bag. The service ended Q1 with 287,316 paid subscribers, a loss of 28,473 subs compared to the end of Q4. But as the note to investors notes, the Q1 subscriber number is also up 38% year-over-year.

What's not clear at this point is the long-term impact a recent price hike will have on subscriber numbers as well as the loss of the Turner networks due to a contract dispute. On the upside, FuboTV will be adding the Disney group of networks in mid-August, which will give it access to all of the ESPN networks. It will also be adding the MLB Network this summer.

EXPLORING NETFLIX'S YOUTUBE FOOTPRINT
Kasey Moore at What's On Netflix has a really fascinating comparison of how well the many Netflix YouTube channels are doing compared to the ones run by rival media companies. The bottom line is that it does pretty well overall, although Disney is in a category of its own.

It's going to be interesting to see what impact Netflix's new global push to create local video content for the regional YouTube channels has on these numbers over the next year. Many of the company's regional editorial groups have been actively soliciting ideas for videos, which they will pay for and produce.

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO IS ROLLING OUT FAMILY PROFILES
Amazon is adding the option to create profiles to its Prime Instant video service. Each profile has separate recommendations, season progress and Watchlist based on individual profile activity. Customers can have up to six user profiles (one primary profile, plus five additional profiles, which can be a mixture of adult or kids profiles) within Prime Video on a single Amazon account. Right now, it appears the option is only available on the web, Android and iOS versions of the Prime Video app, Playstation 4 and 10th-gen or higher Fire tablets.

ODDS & SODS
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced today that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it will replace its annual live induction ceremony with an exclusive HBO special honoring this year’s Inductees. They include Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G., T-Rex, and Ahmet Ertegun Award honorees Jon Landau and Irving Azoff. The special will air Saturday, November 7th.

Sky and Sony Pictures Television have agreed to a new long-term partnership across the UK and Ireland, Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. The deal also covers Sky's streaming and on-demand services.

AT&T's WarnerMedia has tapped former Hulu executive Johannes Larcher to oversee the global rollout of its HBO Max streaming service.

Here is a rundown of the new television programs premiering today:

1) Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend Of Walter Mercado (Netflix)
Astrologer Walter Mercado, with 120 million viewers at his peak, was sui generis: a peacock in macho culture, a naive biz whiz, a courier of hope.

2) Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Season Premiere (Bravo)
"As the ladies attempt to manage the challenges of work-life balance and continue to travel the globe in style, they are forced to navigate ever-changing dynamics within the group. While new friendships are formed and old bonds are strengthened, some relationships are left to crumble."

3) Stateless Series Premiere (Netflix)
Anchor John Quiñones reveals how people behave when they think no one is watching by using hidden cameras to record people’s real reactions to thought-provoking, actor-driven scenarios, inspired by some of the biggest stories making national headlines.

4) The Soup Season Premiere (E!)
A new take on the long running series returns with host Jade Catta-Preta, setting comedic sights on the biggest OMG moments in pop culture. From reality TV, to social media, viral trends and streaming sensations, it’s everything you can’t miss this week.

5) Tough As Nails Series Premiere (CBS)
"A competition series that celebrates everyday Americans who consider the calluses on their hands a badge of honor. Competitors will be tested for their strength, endurance, agility and mental toughness in challenges that take place in the real world. One by one, they will be eliminated until the winner is named, but nobody will go home. Even after they “punch out” of the individual competition, they will have the opportunity to win additional prizes in the team competitions that continue throughout the season. The series will redefine what it means to be tough, proving that it comes in all shapes and sizes.

6) Was It Love? (Netflix)
When four very different men appear in her life, a single mother who hasn't dated in years begins to rediscover love — and herself.

For a rundown of all the new episodes of television premiering tonight, click here.

TOO MUCH TV REALLY IS A THING
This newsletter is called "Too Much TV" because....well, it's hard to keep track of all the new television premiering everyday. To help you prioritize your viewing, click here to see our list of more than 400 upcoming television premieres, movies and finales. You'll find listings from more than 70 networks, as well as streaming services and web shows.

I'll be back with another one tomorrow. If you have any feedback, send it along to Rick@AllYourScreens.com and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.