- Jul 31 2020
#WalmartJeans Are Trending on The Viral List
TikTokers can’t get enough of these jeans from Walmart, old songs are going viral on TikTok, antibodies are all the rage in the dating scene right now, and Beyoncé released her visual album on Disney+…
- Jul 27 2020
A new Syfy show is making merch “shoppable” for viewers.
A new Syfy show is making merch “shoppable” for viewers. As shoppable TV starts to get attention, NBCUniversal’s Syfy’s “SyFy Wire After Dark” is turning a special broadcast into a shopping session. Viewers will be able to purchase graphic novels, sunglasses from goodr, and merch based on DC characters from Superman and The Sandman by scanning a special code displayed on screen that activates NBCUniversal’s “Checkout” tool. The “interactive shopping experience” will run on Syfy’s digital, editorial, and social platforms and the network is planning to expand their “Checkout” experience to a weekly shoppable editorial series on Syfywire.com. (Variety, Marketing Dive)
- Jul 23 2020
From Netflix to Disney+, streaming services are using Facebook and YouTube to grow their audience.
From Netflix to Disney+, streaming services are using Facebook and YouTube to grow their audience. According to a Tubular Labs report, more streaming services are using social video as “core marketing channels” as the market continues to grow. Netflix has the most “owned and earned views” on YouTube for the first half of 2020 with its videos reaching 2.1 billion more views than last year. Overall, when it comes to YouTube content strategies, streaming services are taking different approaches: Disney+ double downed on movie scene compilations, while Quibi ran more commercials. Meanwhile, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video grew their reach with a mix of trailers, music videos, and comedy show clips. On Facebook, views for SVODs are at an all-time high with a 66% increase in owned and earned views. Netflix saw a 54% growth, while Hulu had 270 million more views during the first half of 2020 compared to 2019. (Tubefilter)
- Jul 20 2020
The Calm meditation app is getting its very own “celebrity-filled” show on HBO Max.
The Calm meditation app is getting its very own “celebrity-filled” show on HBO Max. Meditation apps continue to support young people’s mental health during the pandemic, and now one is making the jump to television. Formatted as a season of 10 half hour episodes, the upcoming HBO Max show will be loosely based off Calm’s sleep Stories series, with visuals produced by National Geographic. The visual backdrops will accompany “scientifically-engineered narratives” read by celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, and Keanu Reeves. (TechCrunch)
- Jul 14 2020
Both Disney and Impossible Foods are partnering with Colin Kaepernick.
Both Disney and Impossible Foods are partnering with Colin Kaepernick. A Netflix docuseries is already in the works about Kaepernick, and now Disney is teaming up with the athlete and activist. The entertainment company and Kaepernick have agreed on a multi-platform first look deal for “scripted and unscripted stories that explore race, social injustice, and the quest for equity.” The new projects will also provide a new platform to showcase Black and Brown filmmakers. Meanwhile, plant-based meat brand Impossible Foods is teaming up with Kaepernick’s nonprofit Know Your Rights Camp to help increase food security among those in need. (PopSugar, Marketing Dive)
- Jul 13 2020
TikTok stars want their own reality shows—will the TV industry bite?
TikTok stars want their own reality shows—will the TV industry bite? Gen Z can’t seem to get enough of the recent “TikTokalypse” brewing between content creator collectives Hype House and Sway House. The feuds are reminiscent of the drama seen on reality TV shows, creating speculation that “a new wave of unscripted shows about the lives of young influencers” could captivate Gen Z viewers. In recent months, several TikTok houses and influencers, like Charli D’Amelio, have “taken steps” to pursue shows, working with production studios like Wheelhouse, Concordia Studio, and Industrial Media. Already, young viewers have been drawn to Netflix’s reality series offerings, hinting that TikTok influencer-focused TV could potentially hook the Gen Z audience. (NYTimes)
- Jul 10 2020
This TikToker’s Video Caught Disney’s Attention, on The Viral List
A young TikTok user’s DIY special effects caught Hollywood’s attention, users on TikTok panicked about disappearing likes and views, a show on Instagram Live is going viral for putting “white people on the spot,” and a 3D fashion show “broke the internet”…
- Jul 09 2020
What makes a movie or show a streaming hit?
What makes a movie or show a streaming hit? To “prove a show’s worth in the age of streaming” Parrot Analytics has come up with a metric that not only counts viewers, but “calculates their enthusiasm” for shows on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max. From there, the firm can usually anticipate how many subscribers a show is likely to attract. They also track “demand expressions”—a “twitchy metric” that factors in Google search terms for a TV series or film, as well as Facebook likes, pirated downloads, and Wikipedia traffic to “determine its popularity.” Netflix’s fantasy series The Witcher, for example, generated “57 times the average demand for all shows” during the first few months of the year, making it one of the platform’s biggest hits. HBO’s Game of Thrones, Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, and CW’s The 100 (streaming on Netflix) are among the top most popular shows, according to the firm. (NYTimes)
- Jul 08 2020
Young consumers are embracing at-home movie releases.
Young consumers are embracing at-home movie releases. The surge in on-demand and streaming viewership could lead to “lasting changes in distribution models,” and young audiences are driving the trend. According to Hub Entertainment Research, 63% of 18-34-year-olds would definitely or probably pay to stream a movie being released in theaters at the same time, compared to just 12% of those over 35-years-old, and more than half would pay up to $50 to stream it. Lockdown has certainly helped the industry: U.S. consumer spending on VOD was up nearly 20% during the first half of the year compared to 2019, while spending on subscription VOD increased 27%. YPulse’s After Corona trend report found that 31% of 13-39-year-olds are interested in paying to watch movies at home instead of theaters even after quarantines lift. (THR, Hub Entertainment Research)
- Jul 06 2020
Walmart is hosting a virtual summer camp and drive-in movie theater for quarantined families.
Walmart is hosting a virtual summer camp and drive-in movie theater for quarantined families. As Millennial parents continue to look for ways to keep their children entertained this summer, Walmart is the latest brand to step in. They’re launching a virtual “summer camp” of video sessions on arts and crafts, fitness, and musical Mad Libs featuring celebs like LeBron James, Idina Menzel, Neil Patrick Harris, and Drew Barrymore. Meanwhile, with in-theater movies still on hold, the brand is teaming up with Tribeca Enterprises to host movie nights at 160 of its stores across the U.S. by transforming parking lots into drive-in theaters. (Mobile Marketer, CNN)