madelyn (00:05)
Hello and welcome to the Unscripted Files. It is Monday, August 3rd. This is our Monday mini sode full of industry news with none other than Emily Wilson. Welcome, Emily. Absolutely. I think first, Disney has sold its 50% stake in AE global media to Hearst. Hearst now will own 100% of AE global networks. What does this mean for us?

Emily Wilson (00:13)
Thank you for having me.

I mean the deal is believed to be worth north of one billion dollars, which is quite a huge number when it was a fifty fifty venture between Disney and Hearst. So it will be interesting to see their hundred percent ownership.

madelyn (00:46)
just doesn't feel like it made sense that AE was a part of Disney's portfolio. It's not a very Disney network, not a ton of Disney programming, but all of their programming is original and they own most of it, which is rare. So I am, you know, as someone who pitches to these buyers and they're dwindling more and more. hopefully this this 100% ownership by Hearst means that they'll be investing more in original programming

So I'm gonna I'm gonna be optimistic about this this news in the trades.

Emily Wilson (01:17)
I think it's interesting because a couple of weeks ago we were talking about Netflix going into, I guess, print media and publications and spinning off those series that we know from YouTube. So it will be interesting to see whether A and E go into the Hearst publications and their branded series as well.

madelyn (01:35)
hundred percent. another big shift at Netflix, you know, we talked about Jeff Gaspin's exit last month and it was said that they wouldn't be replacing his role, but now

they've brought in an industry vet as a strategic consultant for their unscripted division tell me about this move

Emily Wilson (01:53)
Yeah, so Mike Darnell has landed a consultancy role at Netflix for an exclusive multi-year deal. It looks like he'll be providing creative guidance over the streamer's roster of unscripted projects and also originate new show concepts.

madelyn (02:10)
Yeah, I mean, Darnell is a legacy super producer responsible for a lot of huge shows in the 2000s. he spent almost two decades at Fox and then was at Warner Brothers, but responsible for hits like American Idol, Hell's Kitchen, So You Think You Can Dance. and then some more provocative specials like The Swan. yeah, so you know.

Based on the direction Netflix wants to go in terms of their programming and the audiences that they want to attract,

Interesting to see how Netflix is going to continue to shift and manage their unscripted slate.

We do have a little bit of news in the Warner Brothers merger. they're taking a little break. They're they're they're putting a little pause on. Tell me tell me about this latest development.

Emily Wilson (02:53)
So Paramount Skydance has agreed to delay the proposed acquisition to as late as June twenty twenty seven. So it had previously intended to complete the transaction by the end of September, but it looks like we're going to be talking about this one for up to ten more months.

madelyn (03:10)
So and you know what, I will be happy to not talk about it for a little bit while they figure things out.

we've been talking about YouTube so so much together as it becomes the new distributor for unscripted content at it as it sort of moves to the forefront of of distributors and unscripted content. So it looks like MBCU land landed a pact with YouTube so that they can bundle YouTube premium with Peacock.

Emily Wilson (03:40)
Yes. So in early twenty twenty seven Peacock content will be available to YouTube Premium subscribers. And I'm quite surprised by this because Peacock does so well as far as Love Island, as far as reality, that I'm quite surprised by this agreement.

madelyn (03:59)
Yeah, I mean it looks like you know, Peacock is doing well. It's growing as a younger company in the media landscape. But I just wonder if this was ultimately a way to bring global viewers into the Peacock universe because YouTube Premium is so global and Peacock is US only. So I wonder if that was the strategy here.

I also do think that YouTube, I do think this partnership specifically will benefit Peacock when it comes to live stream programming. You know, they have the Olympics, other huge sporting events. So I think that's probably another huge piece of this is being able to take advantage of YouTube's live and digital capabilities. So good for NBCU. We all know that YouTube is the new is the bell of the ball right now.

save the best for last. There is a

Really interesting dating show coming to Apple TV. I believe it is the first dating show to come on Apple TV. I do not think they have done dating before, have not stepped into this world, but the way that they've done it is so Apple. They have pulled Esther Perell, who is a incredibly well-known couple therapist, a New York Times best-selling author, and announced an eight-episode dating documentary series, The Last Person on Earth. I mean, Emily, what

What's the log line here?

Emily Wilson (05:14)
So couples who appear to be opposites will be expertly matched by Perel and a team of matchmakers before embarking on an adventure in one of the world's most romantic and remote destinations.

madelyn (05:27)
I mean, I love this. I feel like that I always love when a title gives us exactly what the show is. And I love a I love dating and I love a bit of a social experiment and the idea of

Okay, could I make it work with a person that I'd never considered before? I think raises a lot of questions. And I think that Apple is really good at that type of programming where it's fun and entertaining, but it's also really cerebral. as a dating show connoisseur, I'm really excited to see how this plays out. All right, Emily, I I mean I think that does it for us. First week.

Of August. I think we're gonna start picking up as we get into the fall. It's back to school season. Everyone's shaking off the summer, getting back to work. So I'm sure you and I will be very busy in the coming weeks sharing articles back and forth about the latest developments. You can follow Emily on LinkedIn where every Friday she posts latest industry news, or she can send it directly to your inbox via her Substack. Unscripted TV news. Thank you, Emily.