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In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last month, writers and actors all across Hollywood are currently on strike.
The Writers Guild of America is bargaining for a number of changes, including better pay, more job stability, and stopping the use of AI to create content.
Even some of Hollywood’s biggest stars have thrown their weight behind the strike.
But media companies aren’t just rolling over. In fact, they’ve even taken to some pretty underhanded tactics to try to break up the strike.
One thing, however, that nobody saw coming was the roll that sports would play in helping media companies fill content holes.
David Rumsey of Front Office Sports explains how these companies are turning to sports in order to move forward without writers.
“It really does highlight the importance of sports,” Former Netflix and Hulu executive Simon Gallagher said on CNBC that the strike “really does highlight the importance of sports.” He pointed out that games and docuseries are “protected” from the strike.
He also pointed out that Netflix’s sports offerings have helped the streamer raise its stock more than 50% this year.
But that’s not all. Rumsey also explains that new sports content has continued to help move streamers forward.
“Fresh from success with its Formula 1, golf, and tennis content, Netflix just released its new NFL series — aptly titled ‘Quarterback’ — and won a $50 million bid to produce a 10-part piece on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. HBO is following the New York Jets for this season of ‘Hard Knocks,'” he writes.
Rumsey also points out that Disney (via ESPN and Hulu) and Comcast (via NBC and Peacock) have increased their live sports rights to help fill the content void.
The current writers strike seems like it’s far from over. But media companies are more than prepared to dig their heels in.