Showbiz Sandbox 376: Cord Cutters Are Using An Old Hack To Watch Television – It’s Called An Antenna

August 7, 2017

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As the Federal Communications Commission seeks to further deregulate cable television companies and do away with net neutrality, consolidation within the industry has caused rates to increase dramatically. We’ll explain how more and more people are growing fed up with high cable bills and what they’re doing about it. Some millennials have even discovered an amazing hack to get the broadcast networks for free! And it’s totally legal!

We’ll also tell you about how some big name players are getting fed up with Hollywood’s opaque accounting system. Sylvester Stallone is suing Warner Bros. over profit participation for his 1990s hit movie Demolition Man while filmmaker Steven Soderbergh is taking the distribution of his latest movie into his own hands.

In China, “Wolf Warrior 2” has earned nearly half a billion dollars at the global box office and looks set to become the country’s highest grossing movie ever. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman is still playing strong in theatres around the world and may surpass “Spider-Man” to claim the crown as the biggest comic book movie debut in history.

Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why legendary TV producer Norman Lear is boycotting the Kennedy Center Honors reception, when Bette Midler is leaving “Hello Dolly” and why Netflix acquired a comic book company.

From ‘This is Us’ to ‘The Cake,’ Bekah Brunstetter Has a Full Plate
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/theater/from-this-is-us-to-the-cake-bekah-brunstetter-has-a-full-plate.html

comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of August 6, 2017
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-august-6-2017-300500147.html

AMC Stock Plunges 26% After Cost-Cutting Announcement
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/amc-stock-1202512942/

AMC Entertainment Earnings Sink on Box Office Flops
http://variety.com/2017/film/box-office/amc-box-office-1202515742/

Wolf Warrior 2: The Nationalist Action Film Storming China
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-china-blog-40811952

‘The Dark Tower’ TV Series Sets ‘Walking Dead’ Grad as Showrunner
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dark-tower-tv-series-sets-walking-dead-grad-as-showrunner-1026382

What’s Next for ‘The Dark Tower’ Cinematic Universe
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dark-tower-tv-show-sequel-details-1026568

Warner Bros. Can’t Dodge Sylvester Stallone’s Fraud Lawsuit
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/warner-bros-cant-dodge-sylvester-stallones-fraud-lawsuit-1026520

With ‘Logan Lucky,’ Soderbergh Hopes to Change Film’s Business Model
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/business/media/with-logan-lucky-soderbergh-hopes-to-change-films-business-model.html

The Book of Emma Reyes by Emma Reyes – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/11/14/the-book-of-emma-reyes/

Life in Code by Ellen Ullman – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/08/16/life-in-code/

Because of Sex by Gillian Thomas – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/08/16/because-of-sex-2/

The Driver by Hart Hanson – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/11/21/the-driver/

Comey Sells Book to Flatiron
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/74392-comey-sells-book-to-flatiron.html

Kanye West Files $10 Million Lawsuit Against Saint Pablo Tour Insurers
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kanye-west-files-10-million-lawsuit-against-tour-insurers-w495435
WME-IMG Takes on Another $1.1 Billion in Outside Money
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wme-img-landing-11-billion-cash-infusion-1026098

Paramount’s China film deal hits a snag as Viacom discloses missed payment
http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-viacom-paramount-earnings-20170803-story.html

Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s ‘Despacito’ First Video to Hit 3 Billion Views on YouTube
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7890060/luis-fonsi-daddy-yankee-despacito-3-billion-views

USC Study Finds That Movies are Still Dominated by Men On-and-Off Screen
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-usc-study-gender-representation-film-20170731-story.html

Bette Midler Sets Final Performance Date in Broadway Revival of Hello, Dolly!
http://www.broadway.com/buzz/189315/bette-midler-sets-final-performance-date-in-broadway-revival-of-hello-dolly/

Norman Lear Plans to Boycott Kennedy Center Honors Reception Hosted by Trump
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-norman-lear-kennedy-center-honors-20170804-story.html

‘Black America’ Alt-History Drama in the Works at Amazon
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/black-america-alt-history-drama-works-at-amazon-1025766
Netflix Buys Comics Publisher Behind Kingsman, Kick-Ass
http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/netflix-acquires-mark-millar-millarworld-kingsman-1202517270/

Trade Sales Were a Bright Spot In a Dark Year for Sales
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/74418-trade-sales-were-a-bright-spot-in-a-dark-year-for-sales.html

Why We Despise Cable Providers
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/08/07/bad-ratings

Q2 Bloodiest Quarter on Record for US Pay-TV
https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2017080448285/q2-bloodiest-quarter-on-record-for-us-pay-tv.html

Dish Drops 196,000 TV Subs Overall in Q2, Misses on Earnings After Massive Telemarketing Fine
http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/dish-q2-2017-earnings-subscriber-loss-1202514660/

Millennials Unearth an Amazing Hack to Get Free TV: the Antenna
https://www.wsj.com/articles/millennials-unearth-an-amazing-hack-to-get-free-tv-the-antenna-1501686958

NBC Execs Talk Fallon Ratings, ‘This Is Us’ Future and Those Pesky Fans
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-execs-talk-fallon-ratings-is-us-future-pesky-fans-1026499

Judith Jones, Editor of Literature and Culinary Delight, Dies at 93
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/us/judith-jones-dead.html

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