Downstream

Jeopardy experiments more with streaming (and Jason lost), we reminisce about Netflix history, Paramount+ hugs Pluto, "The Pitt" should brace for franchising, and the sad fate of "Star Trek." And a big announcement!

Sports Corner! Jason and Will discuss Apple and F1, the FCC and "free" TV sports, World Cup issues, and then we make some TV picks. [Downstream+ subscribers also got to hear us talk a lot about baseball!]

We break down the aftermath of the Warner Bros. Discovery sale, including positives for Netflix and questions for Paramount Skydance.

Main Street goes bust, the Super Bowl soars, the Winter Olympics rule, and the Great Rebundling proceeds apace. Plus: our TV picks! [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Big changes at Disney, and the lastest on WBD/Netflix/Paramount.]

It's Super Bowl week and the start of the Olympics, so Will Carroll joins Jason to discuss Peacock's almost-make-or-break moment, streaming fights and wrestling, and the fate of a clutch of Regional Sports Networks and other cable channels.

Netflix and Paramount continue their battle for Warner, why Ted Sarandos might not be the villain he's painted to be, plus letters and TV picks. (Downstream+ listeners also get: YouTube's letter, Oscar noms, Star Search, and Heated Rivalry.)

Jason helps guest Casey Liss figure out what his cord-cutting strategy might be. We also discuss his Callsheet app, touch on the rise of CanCon including "Heated Rivalry," and offer some very nice TV picks.

Tim Goodman pops down the chimney again to reunite with Jason and discuss the Oscars on YouTube, finding balance in the TV review game, the rise of international content, episode deconstructions, "Pluribus," and his top shows of the year.

Bob Iger burnishes his legacy by... making a deal with OpenAI? Also, TV picks and a Listener Letter Challenge! (Downstream+ subscribers also get to hear us talk at length about the potential Netflix purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.)

Veteran TV critic Alan Sepinwall joins Jason to discuss the current state of TV criticism, the future of scripted TV, why streamers can't make sitcoms, the difference between recaps and reviews, and the best shows of the year.

Taylor Sheridan signs a free agent deal with NBCU, Warner Bros. Discovery might have many interested bidders, and we answer your letters! (Downstream+ subscribers also get: Google/Disney carriage, Dancing With the Stars, Apple/F1, and Disney/Doctor Who.)

Hulu goes worldwide, Apple drops the plus and explores a relationship with Formula 1, the Lakers get immersive, the NBA is everywhere all at once, and our TV Picks.

We dive into the aftermath of the Jimmy Kimmel affair and the strange balance between TV networks and local affiliates. [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Streaming price hikes, Prime Video's future, and David Letterman's streaming strategy.]

The possibility of David Ellison buying Warner Bros. Discovery to add to his collection, the threat and promise of spread-out sports rights, sponsorships that might become forbidden fruit, Netflix live boxing success, TV picks, and your letters!

Now that David Ellison owns Paramount, what's next? Also, your letters and our TV picks! [Downstream+ subscribers also get: K-Pop Demon Hunters, Wheel and Jeopardy and Sesame Street stream, Apple TV+ price hike, and binging "The Paper."]

ESPN has left the exclusivity of the cable bundle at long last, and we break down what it all means. Also: TV Picks and your letters! (Downstream+ listeners also get: MLB's complex new TV deals, and can Jason cut the cord for real?)

To celebrate our 100th episode, we draft streaming services!

The real motivators behind CBS's cancellation of The Late Show; why the current era of late-night talk is ending; CBS makes a South Park deal; the future of PBS; why 'Pulse' was not 'The Pitt'; a Peacock price hike; and Jessica Fletcher vanishes.

Why American sports is so dominated by gambling content, DAZN and the Club World Cup, TNT gets spun off but may still bid for sports rights, Netflix gets into French broadcast TV, the NFL faces an existential crisis in court, and our TV picks.

Zaz splits WBD, the neverending Paramount sale, listener letters, and TV picks! [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Apple TV stasis, Clooney on CNN, and the Great Netflix User Migration.]

The dominance of YouTube, Disney grabs more kids content, TV's mumbling problem, Amazon's identity, the fate of SpinCos, and our TV picks.

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.]

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.

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.]

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?

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.)

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!

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.)

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!

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.)

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!

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.

How Disney's strategy has led to ESPN inside the Disney+ app, Disney and Netflix content strategies, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast make a deal, the ramifications of Comcast's "SpinCo," crafting a theatrical hit out of a Disney+ TV show, and TV picks!

Apple's movie mistakes, Comcast pushes cable channels onto the ice floe, Diamond exits bankruptcy, Netflix goes live, the holiday season as a streaming opportunity, and our TV picks!

Monday Night football on ABC, streaming delays, and more TV picks. (Downstream+ subscribers also get: an Unrivaled new sports TV product; Amazon's deal with the NBA; and pondering the limits of the NFL.)

Holiday specials and streaming rights; the questionable future of linear cable channels; Bob Iger's Endgame gets interesting; Sports Corner with Rob Manfred, Jason Kelce, and Charles Barkley; Behold, the power of CBS; and some TV shows you should watch.

Apple TV+ comes to Prime Video, and the Diamond bankruptcy continues to disrupt the entire economy of sports. [Downstream+ listeners get: ESPN Flagship, Paramount and the NFL, the future of sports rights, and in praise of narrowcasting.]

Brian Williams will bring live news to Prime Video, but what's the future of streaming news? Also: More cable bundles include streaming services; Amazon programs a night of game shows; Netflix's coming compensation crunch; and a Diamond/MLB update.

Will Carroll re-joins for a mega Sports Corner episode. We discuss the power of the NFL and the future of highlights. [Downstream+ subscribers also get: sports rights, Diamond bankruptcy, Venu doom, and tangents.]

Larry Ellison's ownership of Paramount and what it might mean for CBS News; why Netflix and Apple just don't get movies; Hallmark's new streaming service; the rise of Tubi and FAST; and streaming's lack of curation.

A judge puts a stop to the launch of Venu, bringing the entire economics of the cable bundle into question. [Downstream+ subscribers also get: Paramount's sale complication, Disney+ success metrics, Olympics wrap-up, and theatrical's revival.]

Meg James of the Los Angeles Times joins Jason to discuss Paramount and WBD results, the WBD/NBA conundrum, Peacock and the Olympics, Venu's price, the NFL dodging the antitrust bullet, a Disney price hike, and the high cost of prestige TV.

Sportswriter Will Carroll joins Jason for an all-Sports Corner edition. We discuss the NBA TV deal, the NFL lawsuit, and the future of sports broadcasting. [Downstream+ members also get: the post-RSN world, Netflix and live sports, and more.]

Vulture's Josef Adalian returns to discuss the ramifications of the sale of Paramount, and where the company might go next. We also once again consider that classic streaming question--to binge or not to binge?

TV critic Tim Goodman guests to discuss the WBD and Paramount messes and give an update about what he's been up to over at his Substack. [Downstream+ subscribers get to hear us talk about a very weird New York Times article about media moguls on a yacht.]

Vulture's Josef Adalian joins Jason to discuss the fate of Paramount after the latest deal has fallen through, Warner Bros. Discovery moves to plan B on sports rights, and Joe walks us through his Vulture streamer rankings.

Other strategies for WBD if it loses the NBA, we answer a bumper crop of listener letters, and Julia has some big career news. [Downstream+ subscribers also get to hear us discuss Netflix potential sports futures and the changing face of broadcast TV.]

Why the "great rebundling" isn't the return of the cable bundle; recalibrating how talent is paid for streaming shows; Paramount twists in the wind; Spulu gets a real name; the NFL makes a deal with Netflix; and Diamond Sports meets with skepticism.

We revisit the philosophy of binge drops versus weekly releases--because it's complicated. [Downstream+ members also get to hear us discuss the future of Paramount, complicated NBA rights negotiations, and more RSN drama.]

Is this phase of the streaming wars reaching an endgame? We discuss the fates of Peacock and Paramount+, and consider Max after a year under its new name. Also, we share more listener streaming suggestions!