This week, we learned of another carriage dispute, this time involving DISH, Sinclair, and more than 100 channels. Elsewhere, several streaming services announced their latest subscriber numbers, with some touting increases and others noting recent losses. Meanwhile, WarnerMedia continues to make deals that signal its intent to return to exclusive windows for movie theaters.
Here’s what happened in the world of cord cutting and streaming.
Breaking News
Here are some of the top streaming stories from the past week.
DISH Will Likely Lose 112 Channels Including Locals & Tennis Channel Next Week
The week kicked off with a significant and ongoing carriage dispute. This time, it’s DISH Network on one side and Sinclair on the other and at stake are some 112 Sinclair-owned stations. Their current agreement is set to expire on Monday, August 16th, 2021. And judging from what we’ve heard from the companies as we approach that date, the likelihood of a renewal does not sound all that promising.
Check out the details of the dispute here.
YouTube Expands Safety Features for Kids
YouTube is introducing some additional protections for users under the age of 18. The changes include adjusting privacy settings for minors and setting the autoplay feature to off by default for users under 18.
See what YouTube is doing to better protect minors here.
The Roku Channel is Premiering 23 Roku Originals This Week
This week, Roku announced another slate of original programming coming to its free streaming service, aka The Roku Channel. This new collection includes new content along with former Quibi titles that are making their first appearance on Roku’s platform.
Check out the latest additions to the Roku Originals lineup here.
Plex Adds 3 New Channels to Its Free Streaming Lineup
Plex announced that it’s expanding its own free streaming channel lineup, adding three more free options to its offerings. The new additions include MHz Now, which offers scripted content from over a dozen countries. Elsewhere, you can check out ClixTV and MORE U.
See what’s new on Plex’s free streaming service here.
Netflix Wants Fans to Become Reality TV Stars
It looks like Netflix is putting out a casting call for several of its planned reality TV series. We have a list of reality shows in our full post. So if you want to assemble a team for Floor is Lava, or you want Marie Kondo to help spark joy in your cluttered home, head over to our post and get those videos ready.
Learn more about Netflix’s big reality casting call here.
Industry Report
What’s the latest on the industry?
Sling TV Reaches 2.44 Million Subscribers
DISH reported its second quarter earnings this week, and revealed that its Sling TV streaming service added some 65,000 subscribers for the quarter. That jump brings the service’s total to around 2.44 million subscribers, which is good enough for Sling to hold onto the number 3 spot for live TV streaming services.
Read more about Sling’s latest subscriber numbers here.
Disney+ Reaches 116 Million Subscribers
Disney’s latest earnings report is in and the company’s streaming service, Disney+, has reached 116 million paid subscribers by the end of the third quarter. That represents a nearly 100% jump year-over-year.
Check out Disney’s latest subscriber numbers here.
Hulu With Live TV Lost 100,000 Subscribers in Q3
While Hulu’s overall user base reached 39.1 million by the end of the third quarter, Hulu With Live TV dropped by 100,000 subscribers to 3.7 million users. Even with the decrease, Hulu With Live TV still ranks as the biggest subscriber total among live TV streaming services.
Find out more about Hulu’s latest stats here.
WarnerMedia Makes Deal with AMC for 45 Day Exclusive Theatrical Window
WarnerMedia and AMC announced a deal that will mark the return of the exclusive 45-day theatrical window for Warner Bros. movies in 2022. It’s a move that follows a similar agreement between WarnerMedia and Cineworld.
Learn more about the new deal between WarnerMedia and AMC here.
Sony’s Funimation Completes Acquisition of Crunchyroll
Sony and AT&T announced this week that the two companies had completed a deal for Sony to acquire anime service Crunchyroll. The deal was first announced and reported back in December of 2020, and included Sony paying around $1.175 billion for the streaming service, which boasts around 5 million subscribers.