Sunny Side of the Doc | 19-22 June 2023

Documentary Business

Peter Hamilton Consultants, Inc

Internet Economy

The Most Watched U.S. Streamers: Netflix dominates Disney+, Apple TV+ and more. PBS viewing is resilient

Netflix‘s commanding lead on the flock of streamers is captured in a new set of U.S. data just released by GfK MRI-Simmons and shared by Byron Media‘s John Morse. Interviews were conducted over a 12 month period and respondents were asked which streaming services they watched during the last seven days. The most active commissioners …

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Netflix’s 41% of Time Spent dominates viewing of commissioned & acquired programs

What is Netflix’s share of U.S. viewing? Last month I reported on Comscore’s June 2021 findings that Netflix (26% market share) and YouTube (21%) dominate viewership on connected TV’s. The key Comscore measure is ‘Time Spent’. Here’s the chart: Misleading However, the data is misleading if you are a producer, distributor or programmer whose job …

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News Roundup: Climate Change Documentaries Breaking Through?

The COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference opens in Glasgow on October 31, bringing urgency to the race to save our planet. Documentary commissioners, producers and distributors have responded with lots of new orders. Does global warming have the urgent audience appeal of programs that address hot button issues like true crime, gender, and social …

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Netflix 2023 What You Need To Know Now


Netflix & YouTube dominate viewing of streamers. End of Discovery+ as a standalone?

Netflix (26% market share) and YouTube (21%) dominate viewership on connected TV’s. The launch and rollout of powerful new streamers like Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Discovery+ hardly dented their dominance. Their combined share of the key measure of Time Spent dropped only 2% in 18 months. The outlook is not promising for the new …

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Ellen Windemuth discusses conservation, wildlife filmmaking and her Waterbear streamer with Season of the Osprey’s Jacob Steinberg.

Industry legend Ellen Windemuth is CEO of WaterBear Network, the new free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. Ellen was founder and CEO of Off The Fence, and has produced more than 500 hours of programs including this year’s Academy Award documentary winner MY OCTOPUS TEACHER. In conversation with SEASON OF THE …

Ellen Windemuth discusses conservation, wildlife filmmaking and her Waterbear streamer with Season of the Osprey’s Jacob Steinberg. Read More »

Netflix Subscribers: Democrats or Republicans? Plus more charts on the demographics of U.S. streamers

A random email blast from streaming promoter KillTheCableBill revealed lots of fascinating data about the streamers – their subscribers and their economics. The Netflix breakdown by political party is a favorite: What does it mean? Demographics Cable subscribers are found more in U.S. counties and households that are characterized by lower income, but above poverty. …

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Netflix 2023 What You Need To Know Now


Afghanistan in Documentaries: Sunny Side’s Story of the Month. Plus: Is Barack Obama a celebrity-fixated documentary producer?

Essential Afghan Documentaries – War boosters & critics: 15 key documentaries about Afghanistan, From ‘Taxi to the Dark Side’ to ‘Hell and Back Again‘ // Variety ‘Pat Tillman‘ and other films both critical and supportive of the war // Washington Post Art Workers in France Mobilize to Help Afghan Creators // Artnet Women journalists fear brutal Taliban // Vice Director’s escape from …

Afghanistan in Documentaries: Sunny Side’s Story of the Month. Plus: Is Barack Obama a celebrity-fixated documentary producer? Read More »

PBS Strategy in the Streaming Era: Meet Sylvia Bugg, PBS Chief Programming Executive & General Manager at Sunny Side of the Doc

Sylvia Bugg is PBS‘s highly-respected Chief Programming Executive & General Manager, General Audience Programming. Sylvia shares her strategy and program highlights in our engaging Meet the Executive session for Sunny Side of the Doc. Watch the Session: Key Themes I begin by asking Sylvia how PBS is adapting to the streaming era. She references clips …

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