Downstream

Nov 01 2024 82 ep. 58 mins 167

Downstream Podcast artwork

Jason Snell and a rotating group of experts break down the business of binge-watching in the era of the Streaming Wars. Hosted by Jason Snell.

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81: Reba Reboot

Nov 01 2024 80 mins

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.

80: Shifting Landscape

Oct 17 2024 34 mins

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.]

79: Decade of Confusion

Oct 03 2024 66 mins

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.

78: The Calgorithm

Sep 17 2024 34 mins

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.]

77: TV Show Movies

Sep 06 2024 68 mins

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.

76: Defund the Bundle

Aug 22 2024 23 mins

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.]

75: Playing the Long Game

Aug 08 2024 68 mins

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.

74: The Infinite Stadium

Jul 18 2024 47 mins

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.]

73: Must-Stream TV

Jul 11 2024 43 mins

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?

72: Harpoon Gun Salvaged from the Wreckage

Jun 27 2024 41 mins

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.]