Films
Report: Number of Netflix Subscriptions in US Now Same as Cable
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
byCharlie Nash20 Dec 20170
20 Dec, 201720 Dec, 2017
Subscription..
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
byCharlie Nash20 Dec 20170
Subscriptions for cable television and Netflix are now “neck and neck,” according to a report.
The report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) revealed that “the number of Americans who subscribe to cable TV is now on par with the number who subscribe to Netflix, and it’s only a matter of time before Reed Hastings and company pull ahead of the pack.”
“Based on a survey of 2,000 consumers, PwC found that 73% subscribe to a traditional pay-TV service, down from 76% in 2016 and 79% in 2015. Meanwhile, the percentage who said they subscribe to Netflix is also at 73%–putting it dead even with cable,” Fast Company explained. “The number of people who stream TV content from the internet is growing across age groups, but especially with people 50-59 years old, where 63% said they stream TV content versus just 48% last year.”
The survey also discovered that 82 percent of sports fans “would end or trim their Pay TV subscription if they no longer needed it to access live sports,” while 75 percent of consumers “say they can’t handle using more than four services in addition to Pay TV.”
“The number of traditional Pay TV subscribers continues to drop as more people are trimming or cutting the cord completely,” declared PwC in their report, adding, “Consumers are showing signs of being overwhelmed.”
“While respondents indicate they have four services on average—including Pay TV and digital services—they only watch about two of those services on a regular basis,” the report claimed. “Just a quarter of consumers say they can handle using more than four services in addition to Pay TV. Looking for content only adds to the burden—a notion we analyze in depth in our sister Consumer Intelligence Series publication on content discovery.”
In June, a study conducted by the Leichtman Research Group claimed Netflix had overtaken cable TV in subscribers.
The report also revealed that “9 out of the 10 most in-demand online television series are reportedly produced by Netflix, while one is produced by the streaming service Hulu.”
Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington and Gab @Nash, or like his page at Facebook.
The post Report: Number of Netflix Subscriptions in US Now Same as Cable appeared first on News Wire Now.
Films
‘Antebellum’ has a ‘Get Out’ vibe, but doesn’t live up to its twist
“Antebellum” is built around a provocative twist, and it’s a good one — as well as one that definite..
“Antebellum” is built around a provocative twist, and it’s a good one — as well as one that definitely shouldn’t be spoiled even a little. Once that revelation is absorbed, however, the movie becomes less distinctive and inspired, reflecting an attempt to tap into the zeitgeist that made “Get Out” a breakthrough, without the same ability to pay off the premise.
Originally destined for a theatrical run, the movie hits digital platforms trumpeting a “Get Out” pedigree in its marketing campaign, since there’s an overlap among the producing teams.
More directly, the film marks the directing debut of Gerard Bush + Christopher Renz, who have championed social-justice issues through their advertising work. The opening script features a quote from author William Faulkner, whose intent will eventually become clearer: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
If that sounds like a timely means of drawing a line from the horrors of slavery to the racism of today, you’ve come to the right place.
The story begins on a plantation, where the brutal overseers carry out grisly punishments against those tilling the fields. A few have just tried to escape, led by Veronica (Janelle Monae), and they pay a heavy price for their resistance, which does nothing to curb her defiance.
Also written by Bush + Renz, the script take too long before revealing what makes “Antebellum” different, but the middle portion — a “The Twilight Zone”-like phase when it’s hard to be sure exactly what’s going on — is actually the film’s strongest. (Even the trailer arguably gives away too much, so the less one knows, the better.)
The final stretch, by contrast, veers into more familiar thriller territory, and feels especially rushed toward the end, leaving behind a host of nagging, unanswered questions. That provides food for thought, but it’s also what separates the movie from something like “Get Out,” which deftly fleshed out its horror underpinnings.
Although the filmmakers (in a taped message) expressed disappointment that the movie wasn’t making its debut in theaters, in a strange way, the on-demand format somewhat works in its favor. In the press notes, Bush says the goal was “to force the audience to look at the real-life horror of racism through the lens of film horror. We’re landing in the middle of the very conversations that we hoped ‘Antebellum’ would spur.”
“Antebellum” should add to that discussion, so mission accomplished on that level. Monae is also quite good in her first leading film role (she did previously star in the series “Homecoming’s” second season), but otherwise, most of the characters remain underdeveloped.
