The rise of sports as a driver in streaming, NBC's big 2026, and Netflix's live reality moves. Plus: our TV picks. [Downstream+ subscribers also get: ESPN and WB's solid branding decisions and Fox's smart strategy.]

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.

Guest Starring:

Will Carroll

Links and Show Notes:

TV Picks:

• Will: Top Chef (Peacock)
• Jason: Long Way Home (Apple TV+)

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NBCUniversal 2025 Upfront Preview From Ads Chief Mark Marshall

Are You Watching This?!

Netflix Revives ‘Star Search’ as Live Competition Show

Netflix will show generative AI ads midway through streams in 2026 - Ars Technica

(11) Under The Knife | Will Carroll | Substack

NTANGIBLE

Shōgun gets another season, Match Game re-revived, binge behavior calculated, bonus content promoted, Netflix results parsed, Apple TV+ losses pondered, and our TV picks explained.

Guest Starring:

Josef Adalian

Links and Show Notes:

TV Picks:

Joe: The Studio (Apple TV+), Running Point (Netflix)

Jason: Andor (D+)

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ABC Reboots Match Game With Martin Short as Host

'Shogun' Season 2 Ordered at FX, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis

Are You Happy With How You Watch TV? A Vulture Survey

The ‘Wicked’ Bonus Features on Peacock Are Now a Ratings Hit

Netflix Won the Streaming Wars. Now It’s Coming for YouTube - Puck

How Long Can the Apple TV+ Experiment Sputter On? - Puck

What to watch if you’re churning through Apple TV+ – Six Colors

Will Carroll joins Jason to discuss MLB's big television plans, the ratings challenge for the NBA Playoffs, and our TV picks. [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Vision Pro at Yankee Stadium, made-for-TV leagues, threats to MLS, and Zombie Vin Scully.]

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.

Guest Starring:

Will Carroll

Links and Show Notes:

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Major League Baseball exploring MLB.TV licensing deal: Sources - The Athletic

An R.S.N. Vulture Awaits…

Netflix and Amazon prepare to celebrate NFL Christmas, the PVOD vs. Theatrical debate rages on, Gunsmoke is having a moment, Max rebrands again, Jason watched some Netflix ads, and did we mention that Julia is back?

Guest Starring:

Julia Alexander

Links and Show Notes:

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NFL to air 3 games on Christmas Day 2025, Netflix partnership continues: Source - The Athletic

Sources: NFL ‘Virtual Lock’ to Opt Out of Media-Rights Deals

New York Yankees Boss Thanks Donald Trump For Helping YES Resolve Carriage Fight With Comcast

'Wicked’ Made $100 Million On PVOD - CinemaCon

Michael O’Leary, CEO Of Cinema United, Slams Shorter Theatrical Windows

Matt Belloni's funny post

‘Reacher,’ ‘Gunsmoke’: Streaming Ratings March 3-9, 2025

Max’s rebranded logo and colors look very HBO | The Verge

My unsuccessful journey into Netflix’s ad tier – Six Colors

MLB is trying to open up local streaming, but it doesn't solve the problem of reaching casual fans. Also: a weird café in Korea and our TV picks. (Downstream+ listeners also get: British TV vs. streamers, deep programming thoughts, and Looney Tunes.)

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.

Guest Starring:

Josef Adalian

Links and Show Notes:

TV Picks:

Joe: The Pitt (Max), Severance (TV+), White Lotus (Max)

Jason: The Outlaws (Prime Video)

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MLB, NBC Sports Regional Networks to stream Athletics, Giants, Phillies games

Press release: New ROOT SPORTS stream app offers all Mariners games airing on ROOT SPORTS

The MLB/ESPN separation and the future of ESPN, the Nationals escape from MASN, Fox's sports streaming service quandary, interesting tidbits from the Sloan Sports Conference, and our TV picks!

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Factor: Healthy, full-prepared food delivered to your door. Use code FACTORPODCAST for 50% off plus free shipping on your first box.

Guest Starring:

Will Carroll

Links and Show Notes:

TV Picks:

Will: "Fear" on Prime Video

Jason: "Shoresy" on Hulu

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Inside the MLB-ESPN Split - Puck

Stephen A. Smith, ESPN agree to $100M contract that lets him talk more about politics: Sources - The Athletic

Disney+ to Debut SC+: ESPN SportsCenter Spinoff for More Casual Fans

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference - Sports Analytics, Business, & Technology.

sonar

NTANGIBLE

Super Bowl streaming, NFL dreams, and TV picks from us and listeners. (Downstream+ subscribers also get: Seeking "Paradise" on broadcast TV, Netflix taunts Apple TV users, and a SNL50 triumph.)

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Factor: Healthy, full-prepared food delivered to your door. Use code FACTORPODCAST for 50% off plus free shipping on your first box.

Guest Starring:

Josef Adalian

Links and Show Notes:

Listener picks: The Recruit, Boiling Point, Last Tango in Halifax, Happy Valley

Joe's pick: Paradise (Hulu)

Jason's pick: "Flow" on Max

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Super Bowl LIX on FOX and Tubi Generates More Than $800 Million in Gross Advertising Revenue - foxcorporation

Live Blogging of FOX's Super Bowl Stream on Tubi and vMVPDs, Across Multiple Devices - Dan Rayburn - StreamingMediaBlog.com

Will Carroll returns on Super Bowl week, and we discuss Super Bowl 4K, Tubi, and the enduring power of communal live events. Also: ESPN Flagship and Fox's streaming play, a new RSN is heard from, Apple and MLS make tweaks, your letters, and TV picks!

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.

Guest Starring:

Will Carroll

Links and Show Notes:

TV Picks:

Will: Ludwig (coming to Britbox, Elsbeth (Paramount+)

Jason: Detectorists (Acorn, Pluto TV, Roku, Hoopla)

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Fox does streaming (Apple News/WSJ)

2025 Super Bowl Will Stream for Free on Tubi, Fox Streaming Service

Fox’s 1080p to 4K Upscaling Workflow for Super Bowl 2025: An Engaging Debate - Streaming Learning Center

Comcast Sales, Profit Beat as ‘Wicked’ Lifts Film Studio - Bloomberg

Altitude Sports, Comcast end long-running dispute to televise Nuggets and Avalanche games | AP News

Apple adds Xfinity, DirecTV as MLS Season Pass distributors – Six Colors

Rangers Sports Network Boss Explains Why Team Managing Own TV Business

Texas Rangers: ‘We’re in better hands managing our own risk’

Comcast Sales, Profit Beat as ‘Wicked’ Lifts Film Studio - Bloomberg

(3) Under The Knife | Will Carroll | Substack

Joe Adalian joins Jason to discuss Netflix's big moves, price hikes, and what drove Jason to cancel it. Also we answer your letters and make some TV picks! (Downstream+ members also get: the return of CNN+, death of Venu, and Tubi spikes the football.)

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.

Guest Starring:

Josef Adalian

Links and Show Notes:

TV Picks:

Joe: New Hollywood Squares (CBS/P+); The Pitt (Max)

Jason: Severance (Apple TV+), SNL50 (Peacock), St. Denis Medical (Peacock)

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Netflix Q4 2024 Earnings: Subscriber Tally Passes 301M, Smashing Estimates

Netflix Q4 2024 Earnings: NFL and Jake Paul Help Drive Subscribers

Netflix Raises Prices in First Major Hike Since 2023

Will Carroll joins for a mega Sports Corner: Fubo meets Hulu to enable Venu, Netflix goes full force into live sports, how football dominates American TV, NFL announcers, and our TV picks!

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.
• Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door.

Guest Starring:

Will Carroll

Links and Show Notes:

TV Picks:

Will: Traitors (US and UK, Peacock), Landman (JERRY JONES!, Paramount+)

Jason: Ludwig (UK, coming to Britbox), All Creatures Great and Small (UK, PBS)

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Jeopardy: Behind the Scenes With Ken Jennings

Disney Deal Will Combine Hulu + Live TV With Fubo, Ending Venu Lawsuit

NFL Owns 72 of Top 100 Broadcasts as Pols Undermine Sports' TV Might

Arctos co-founder on the future of private equity in sports

Takeaways from Netflix’s NFL Christmas ratings door-buster: The streaming giant could be here to stay - The Athletic

Netflix Spent $5B on WWE Monday Night Raw, Convinced Me to Watch

Netflix secures U.S. broadcast rights for 2027, 2031 Women’s World Cups - The Athletic

Netflix Scores FIFA Women's World Cup Exclusive Rights for 2027, 2031

Netflix’s FIFA Women’s World Cup deal feels like a page out of the pay-to-play book: Rueter - The Athletic

‘Why walk away?’ Al Michaels wants a 39th season calling NFL prime-time games - The Athletic

John Gruber: "2024 NFL broadcast teams and telecast quality, ranked"

Under The Knife | Will Carroll | Substack

Down the chimney comes Tim Goodman, reuniting with Jason to discuss his super-secret insider TV reviews, streaming's influence in the rise of international TV here in the U.S., and Jason's top TV shows of the year.

This episode of Downstream is sponsored by:

• Trakt.tv: Track shows and movies you watch. Discover what's hot and where to stream it. Get 50% off your first year.

Guest Starring:

Tim Goodman

Links and Show Notes:

Jason mentioned: Shogun (Hulu), Dark Matter (Apple TV+), Bad Monkey (Apple TV+), Hacks (Max), Slow Horses (Apple TV+), Silo (Apple TV+), Shoresy (Hulu), Masters of the Air (Apple TV+), The Diplomat (Netflix), and A Man on the Inside (Netflix).

Tim Mentioned: Black Doves (Netflix), Giri/Haji (Netflix), Moving (Hulu), House of Ninjas (Netflix), A Shop For Killers (Hulu), The Frog (Netflix), Kleo (Netflix), and Black Twitter: A Peoplpe's History (Hulu).

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Tim Goodman / Bastard Machine | Substack

TV Talk Machine - a podcast from The Incomparable

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