Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Thursday, March 25th, 2021

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities suburbs, where AllYourScreens HQ is powered by baked potato chips and hot vanilla tea.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER THE 2020 STREAMING BOOM?
Maria Rua Aguete, Senior Research Director, TV, Online, Advertising at Omdia made a presentation Thursday at Videoscape Europe called "2020: The Year Of COVID-Accelerating Media Trends" and as you might expect from her, it's jammed with lots of fascinating data points about the global streaming media industry:

2020 has been an incredibly strong year for OTT subscription growth globally and it's a trend that transcends any country or region. And Omdia does expect the trend to continue in the next five years, although growth might slow a bit in 2021.

But there are some downsides for the industry. While essentially all of the subscriber growth in the next five years will come from streaming video:

Traditional cable and satellite services  will still produce much more revenue than the streaming sector. Which means that in some ways, streaming television has the same revenue challenges as streaming music:

And one last interesting data point. This one about where the biggest growth will come from the next five years:

It's really helpful to get this data, because we have a tendency in the U.S. to be very North American-centric when we talk about the streaming industry. And it's good to be reminded that this a global industry and the most successful companies are going to take a global approach to their business. 

'RAYA & THE LAST DRAGON' DIDN'T DRIVE NEW DISNEY+ SUBSCRIPTIONS
Measurement and analytics company Antenna took a detailed look at consumer behavior around the release of Raya & The Lost Dragon, which recently premiered simultaneously on Disney+ and in movie theaters.

There were several takeaways and to be honest, I don't think any of them are big surprises.:

* Raya & The Last Dragon received 20% fewer PVOD purchases than Mulan in each film's respective opening weekend. Importantly, Mulan was not released in theaters domestically when it debuted on Disney+, whereas Raya & The Last Dragon premiered simultaneously on Disney+ and theatrically. 

* The release of Raya & The Last Dragon did not drive a notable spike in Sign-ups to Disney+. ANTENNA observed a 30% drop in Sign-ups on opening weekend (March 5-7) compared to the previous four weekends. Mulan, on the other hand, drove more than double the Sign-ups versus its previous four weekend benchmark. The Premier Access titles bookended the releases of The Mandalorian (Season 2), Soul, and WandaVision, which were released to Disney+ at no additional cost to Subscribers.

* Disney enthusiasts drove the majority of PVOD transactions for both films. Nearly 60% of users who purchased Raya & The Last Dragon joined Disney+ in the first two months after the service launched in late 2019. As was also the case with Mulan, over 70% of those purchases came from users who joined Disney+ in November/December of 2019.

* There is significant crossover in the audiences of the two films. 1 in 5 users who purchased Mulan also purchased Raya & The Last Dragon. A quarter of Raya & The Last Dragon purchases came from users who purchased Mulan in September 2020.

TODAY'S PREMIERES
1) Baketopia Series Premiere (HBO Max)
Hosted by social media sensation and executive producer Rosanna Pansino, the 12-episode series features brilliant bakers taking on viral-worthy challenges in a larger-than-life baking wonderland complete with every ingredient and tool a baker could dream of. In each episode, competitors fill their carts with unique ingredients to create trendsetting, delectable desserts in hopes of impressing Rosanna and her "cake council" to win $10,000.

2) Caught By A Wave (Netflix)
After falling in love at a beachside summer camp in Sicily, a painful truth inspires two teenage sailing enthusiasts to live their lives to the fullest.

3) DOTA: Dragon's Blood (Netflix)
After encounters with a dragon and a princess on her own mission, a Dragon Knight becomes embroiled in events larger than he could have ever imagined.

4) For Real: The Story Of Reality TV (E!)
Hosted and executive produced by Andy Cohen, the seven-part limited event series explores different themes including celebreality, dating, competition and extreme makeover series, among others, and shares shocking revelations from those industry executives, producers and journalists who helped catapult reality programming into the pop culture zeitgeist.

5) John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise (Peacock)
The chilling story of one of the world's most notorious serial killers, told through through the words of Gacy himself, those who were changed by his unspeakable deeds and those who believe the full truth remains hidden to this day.

6) Miracle Fishing: Kidnapped Abroad (Discovery+)
The story of a father's kidnapping as told through his son's video diaries.

7) Nightwatch Season Premiere (A&E)
Follow a team of EMTs and EMS paramedics as they take on the harrowing overnight shift to keep the residents and visitors of New Orleans safe.

8) No Demo Reno Series Premiere (HGTV)
Home renovation expert and social media creator Jenn Todryk hosts this 10-episode series where she tears down the notion that major demolition is always necessary to create whole-home transformations. She combines clever design solutions and cost-saving ideas to create stunning home overhauls for clients in the Dallas-Fort Worth area—often without removing walls or tackling large-scale demo.

9) Shtisel Season Three Premiere (Netflix)
A Haredi family living ion an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Jerusalem reckons with love, loss and the doldrums of daily life.

10) The Restaurant (Sundance Now)
This four-episode series follows the Löwander family during the summer of 1951, as they operate a restaurant in the Stockholm archipelago for the season. Daughter Nina (Hedda Stiernstedt, Svartsjön) once had a passionate relationship with Calle (Charlie Gustaffson, Vikingshill) the chef, but both are now married and have children with others. In the light summer nights on the seaside, their love reawakens – but how great a price are they willing to pay to follow their hearts? Is it really true that love conquers all? Or does it actually destroy all?

11) The Runaway Bunny (HBO Max)
Originally published in 1942 by HarperCollins Publishers, the book has sold over 12 million copies and continues to enchant generations of children. This special brings the illustrations of Clement Hurd and the poetry of Margaret Wise Brown to animated life for the first time. Featuring a restless little bunny who dreams of leaving home, the film is an exploration of love and childhood. Woven throughout the story are songs that accompany the bunny on his imaginary, magical adventures into the world and back home to the comfort of his mother's love. 

12) Secret Magic Control Agency (Netflix)
Hansel and Gretel of fairy tale fame — now acting as secret agents — must use magic, clever thinking and teamwork on a mission to find a missing king.

13) Violation (Shudder)
With her marriage on the verge of collapse, Miriam (co-writer and co-director Madeleine Sims-Fewer, The Substitute) returns to her hometown to seek solace in the comfort of her younger sister and brother-in-law after years apart. In one evening, a small slip in judgment leads to a catastrophic betrayal, leaving Miriam shocked, reeling and furious. She embarks on an extreme course of action to address the situation, but the price of revenge is high and she is not prepared for the toll it takes as she begins to emotionally and psychologically unravel. 

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.