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"Now Streaming" is The Fly's weekly recap of the stories surrounding the biggest content streamers.PLAYING THIS WEEKEND:Among the notable new streaming content this weekend is the first episode of season five of Apple TVscience fiction series "For All Mankind." Meanwhile, Disney+subscribers can catch the new season of superhero series "Daredevil: Born Again," while Netflixusers can watch horror miniseries "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen," starring Camila Morrone and Adam DiMarco.NETFLIX PRICE HIKE:A Netflix "Plans and Pricing" page for the United States seen on Thursday shows that its Standard with ads plan will now be priced at $8.99 per month and its Standard plan is priced at $19.99 per month. Previously, the cost for Standard with ads was $7.99 per month and the Standard plan was $17.99 per month. Commenting on the change, TD Cowen analyst John Blackledge estimated tha the increases across tiers represent an 11% on average across the product suite. The firm added that these could flow through to existing users in the coming months.Meanwhile, Citi said it expects Netflix will likely raise its fiscal 2026 outlook on higher prices and less acquisition expenses, adding that it sees the company reporting a "modest beat and raise" quarter on April 16 due to help from currency moves. Additionally, JPMorgan believes the price increases could translate to an additional $1.7B in annualized revenue off the 2025 base. While the price increase cane earlier than expected, much of the increase is already factored into Netflix's 2026 revenue guidance, the analyst told investors in a research note. JPMorgan added that it does not expect the increases to result in material headwinds to engagement, conversion, or retention.DISNEY:Disney plans to exit the agreement it signed with Microsoft-backedOpenAI last year as the ChatGPT maker plans to shut down its Sora AI video generation app, a source familiar with the matter told The Hollywood Reporter's Alex Weprin. The media giant had pledged to invest $1B in OpenAI as part of the deal, and also agreed to license some of its characters for use in Sora, the author noted.Following that reporting, Bloomberg's Christopher Palmeri and Thomas Buckley noted that new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro has already seen two billion-dollar technology bets falter within one week into his new job at the company. In addition to Disney's exit from its Sora deal, Epic Games recently announced it was laying off 1,000 employees after new versions of its video game "Fortnite" failed to connect to fans, with Bloomberg noting that Disney made a $1.5B investment in Epic two years ago.CBS SPORTS/WNBA:Paramount'sCBS Sports and the WNBA announced on Wednesday that they have expanded their seven-year partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. Under the enhanced package, CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season games annually on the CBS Television Network and streaming live on Paramount+. CBS Sports will present 20 regular-season games for the upcoming 2026 season, marking the Network's most ever WNBA games on broadcast television. "The WNBA's growth and cultural impact have never been stronger, and CBS Sports is proud to deepen our longstanding partnership with a league that continues to drive the evolution of women's sports," said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. "With our entire schedule of games on broadcast television, we are broadening the league's reach and amplifying the WNBA's momentum with best-in-class coverage that reflects the excellence of its athletes and resonates with fans."ROKU/AMAZON:Rokuannounced the launch of Howdy, its ad-free subscription video-on-demand streaming service, as a subscription on Amazon'sPrime Video in the U.S. for $2.99 per month. "Our goal has always been to make great entertainment more accessible," said Gil Fuchsberg, President of Subscriptions, Partnerships and Corporate Development at Roku. "Howdy offers quality content with no ads for just $2.99 a month, making it a superb value and an ideal complement to other subscriptions. We're pleased with the response we've seen from our viewers and partners since launch. Expanding to Prime Video builds on our momentum and furthers our mission to deliver an ad-free streaming experience at a price that makes it easy for audiences everywhere to enjoy content they love."STOCK PLAYS:Other publicly traded companies in the space include Comcast, FuboTV, AMC Networks, and Fox.

"Now Streaming" is The Fly's weekly recap of the stories surrounding the biggest content streamers.PLAYING THIS WEEKEND:Among this weekend's most notable new streaming content is Apple TVpsychological thriller miniseries "Imperfect Women," starring Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, and Kate Mara. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Videosubscribers can catch the first three episodes of reality television comedy series "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat," while HBO Maxusers can watch the first episode of the new season of comedy series "The Comeback," starring Lisa Kudrow. Additionally, Netflixsubscriber can watch British crime drama film "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man," a continuation of crime television series "Peaky Blinders" starring Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan.NFL/PARAMOUNT:The National Football League and Paramount Skydanceare discussing a media renewal deal for Sunday games, with executives from both parties negotiating a price increase with a bid-ask spread midpoint around 50% or 60%, CNBC's Alex Sherman reported last week, citing two people familiar with the negotiations. Paramount's CBS currently pays roughly $2.1B per year on average for its Sunday afternoon NFL games, and a 50% increase would mean CBS would pay over $3B in its next deal, the author says, noting that in return, the NFL would eliminate the opt-out clause after the 2029-2030 season that it put in its original deal with Paramount.WARNER BROS./OSCARS:Ahead of its acquisition by Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros. led the 2026 Oscars with 11 wins, largely driven by Ryan Coogler's Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, Engadget's Steve Dent reported. Netflix also performed strongly, earning seven awards including honors for KPop Demon Hunters and Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, Dent noted.NETFLIX/AMC:In a blog post, Netflix said that it is partnering with AMC Theatresfor an in-theater early screening of upcoming animated spin-off "Stranger Things: Tales From '85." "Ride out with your crew for limited screenings of the first two episodes of the upcoming animated series from showrunner Eric Robles and executive produced by the Duffer Brothers ahead of its global debut on Netflix on April 23," the company said. "Don't miss out on this special event. Select screenings will take place on Saturday, April 18, at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. local time in 34 theaters across the US. You can also catch showings at the Paris Theater in New York and Netflix House Philadelphia. Attendees will also receive an exclusive collectible while supplies last."KPOP DEMON HUNTERS:Netflix is planning a KPop Demon Hunters world tour to capitalize on the company's most popular movie ever, which would feature performances of the songs from the film and stop in dozens of major cities with shows staged in arenas that hold 10,000 to 20,000 fans, Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw reported. The plans are still being worked out, including who would perform, with options including the vocal trio of Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami or virtual performers such as holograms, Shaw wrote.DISNEY:At the company's Annual General Meeting, new DisneyCEO Josh D'Amaro said the company plans to add experiences and games to its streaming services.STOCK PLAYS:Other publicly traded companies in the space include Comcast, FuboTV, AMC Networks, Roku, and Fox.

"Now Streaming" is The Fly's weekly recap of the stories surrounding the biggest content streamers.PLAYING THIS WEEKEND:Among this weekend's most notable new streaming content is season two of Netflixfantasy adventure series "One Piece," based on the manga series of the same name. Also available to stream this weekend is neo-Western TV series "The Madison," from "Yellowstone" creator Tyler Sheridan, which can be watched on Paramount+. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Videosubscribers can catch crime thriller series "Scarpetta," starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis.NETFLIX LAYOFFS:Netflix has cut several dozen staff from its global product team as part of an internal re-organization, Variety's Alex Ritman reported. The cuts were made to the creative studio unit, a team of designers and producers who create marketing such as posters, in-app trailers and content for live-experiences across content, product and marketing, Ritman said.'KPOP DEMON HUNTERS':On Thursday, Netflix posted to its X account: "IT'S OFFICIAL HUNTERS KPOP DEMON HUNTERS will return for a sequel written and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. 'I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters. There's so much more to this world we have built and I'm excited to show you. This is only the beginning.' - Maggie Kang"TENCENT INVESTMENT:Tencentplans to invest several hundred million dollars in Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, Dong Cao and Manuel Baigorri of Bloomberg reported, according to people familiar with the matter. Tencent would act as a passive investor, the sources added.TEAMSTERS:On Thursday, the Teamsters union said it has submitted concerns about the proposed merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery to the U.S. Justice Department. "The International Brotherhood of Teamsters told the Department of Justice this week that the proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery poses a direct threat to film and television workers nationwide, including nearly 15,000 rank-and-file Motion Picture Teamsters. The 1.3-million-member union submitted a detailed report this week to the DOJ's Antitrust Division outlining these concerns and is urging the DOJ to intervene and block the deal unless substantial and enforceable safeguards are put in place to increase domestic production and protect jobs," the union announced.PRIME VIDEO ULTRA:Amazon said that, on April 10, Prime Video's Ad Free subscription will become Prime Video Ultra in the U.S., priced at $4.99 a month. The new Ultra subscription will deliver enhanced features including up to five concurrent streams (previously three), up to 100 downloads (previously 25), and exclusive access to 4K/UHD streaming. "Delivering ad-free streaming with premium features requires significant investment, and this structure aligns with other major streaming services while ensuring customers have the flexibility to choose how they want to watch," the company said. "Prime members will continue to enjoy the core Prime Video benefit, including HD/HDR and now Dolby Vision, at no additional cost with their Prime membership."STOCK PLAYS:Other publicly traded companies in the space include Comcast, Disney, FuboTV, AMC Networks, Roku, Apple, and Fox.

"Now Streaming" is The Fly's weekly recap of the stories surrounding the biggest content streamers.PLAYING THIS WEEKEND:Among this weekend's most notable new streaming content is AmazonPrime Video'sa new Sherlock Holmes origin story starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin as the famed detective. Meanwhile, Peacocksubscribers can catch the, Seth MacFarlane's sitcom about a talking teddy bear, while Netflixusers can streamstarting Rachel Weisz as an obsessed English professor. Additionally, AMC+subscribers can tune in tostarring Sean Bean as a drug lord seeking to retire from his empire.NETFLIX ACQUIRES INTERPOSITIVE, APPOINTS AFFLECK AS SENIOR ADVISOR:On Thursday, Netflix announced, the filmmaking technology company founded by Ben Affleck that develops AI-powered tools built by and for filmmakers. "InterPositive's mission - to use emerging technology in ways that protect and expand creative choice - is deeply aligned with Netflix's long-standing belief that innovation should serve storytellers and the creative process," Netflix said in a statement, adding that "By bringing InterPositive's entire team into Netflix through this acquisition, and with Affleck joining as Senior Advisor, we're investing in creator-led innovation that keeps filmmakers at the center of the process."Additionally on Sunday, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Bloomberg the company's decision to drop out of the bidding from Warner Bros. Discoveryhad been made earlier than announced and was based on various bidding scenarios the company worked out in advance, Lucas Shaw reported. "We knew right away, when we got the notice on Thursday that they had a superior offer and the details of that deal," Sarandos said, speaking of rival bidder Paramount Skydance. "We knew exactly what we were going to do."Barclays reinstated coverage of Netflix with an Equal Weight rating and $115 price target. The stock's valuation in the near term should be supported by potential estimates upside as the company walks away from Warner Bros. assets, the analyst said. However, Barclays believes Netflix's valuation is likely to "embed concerns" around the reasons for bidding on the assets. It sees risk to estimates beyond 2026.JPMorgan upgraded Netflix to Overweight from Neutral with a price target of $120, down from $124, after reinstating coverage following a period of restriction. The firm believes Netflix is a "healthy organic growth story," driven by strong content, global subscriber growth, continued pricing power, and an "under-monetized" advertising tier. JPMorgan expects elevated share repurchases in 2026 driven by the $2.8B Warner Bros. termination fee and "a currently opportunistic" share price. The company's "well-insulated subscription-based model" supports a premium valuation, contended the firm.BofA lowered the firm's price target on Netflix to $125 from $149 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. Following the decision to walk away from the Warner Bros. Discovery bidding process, Netflix's strategy reverts back to "business as usual," said the analyst, who updated the firm's calendar year 2026 forecasts and now projects revenue of $51.3B, up 13% year-over-year, which is in line with company guidance of 12-14% growth. The firm lowered its multiple to reflect recent multiple compression in the comp group, but believes that Netflix will continue to outperform supported by its "world-class brand," leading global subscriber scale, position as an innovator and increased visibility in growth drivers.Meanwhile on Wednesday, Netflix announced it is adding new ways for brands to buy and measure ads on Netflix. The company said, "Advertisers will now be able to tap into new targeting capabilities, better manage how often ads appear across streamers, and reach specific audiences at scale on our ad-supported plan. Starting in Q2 in the US - and rolling out to our other ad-supported countries later this year - clients will have new ways to connect with the right audiences on Netflix through expanded targeting capabilities via Amazon DSP and Yahoo DSP. Advertisers will now be able to leverage Amazon Audiences to inform their programmatic buys on Netflix. Built from trillions of Amazon's proprietary shopping, streaming, and browsing signals, the segments are built on real audience behavior. They help advertisers reach relevant Netflix members based on their lifestyles, interests, and products they are actively shopping for. By applying Amazon's exclusive signals to Netflix's highly engaged viewers, advertisers can reach the right audiences and drive even stronger performance. When buying through Yahoo DSP, advertisers can now also activate deterministic Yahoo DSP audiences on Netflix deals... We're excited to now offer our own Conversion API tools. Netflix's API is designed to help advertisers prove outcomes and will leverage real-time insights to optimize campaigns."Also on Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter reported President Donald Trump continues to bet on the financial stability of Netflix. As Paramount sought to pry Warner Bros. away from the streaming giant, Trump was adding more Netflix bonds to his personal portfolio, financial disclosures released by the White House on Wednesday show. The disclosures show that President Trump bought between $600,000 and $1.25M worth of Netflix debt in January, adding to the $500,000 to $1M in Netflix bonds that he purchased in December, shortly after Netflix's megadeal for Warner was announced, the author noted.PARAMOUNT SKYDANCE TO COMBINE PARAMOUNT+, HBO MAX:Paramount Skydance, in its M&A announcement conference call, said itof net debt. The company said it has already funded the $2.8B termination fee as of last Friday, payable to Netflix under Warner Bros. Discovery's prior merger agreement. Paramount said the deal "gives us the operational efficiencies" to keep its businesses healthier for significantly longer than they would be on a standalone basis, and said it has "no divestitures" planned at this time. Cost savings will not include a reduction in production capacity, the company added. Most synergies will come from non-labor sources. Paramount will be a mid-20% margin company by 2030, and the company is targeting a mid-single digit CAGR for revenue. Paramount CEO David Ellison also said the company intends to combine Paramount+ and Warner Bros.' HBO Max into one single streaming service offering. "We think the combined offering, and given the amount of content and what we can do from the tech side, really will put us in a position to be able to compete with the most scaled players in DTC," Ellison said, noting that there are over 200M DTC subscribers today across the two platforms.Additionally, the Financial Times reported that Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr has signaled the watchdog does not plan to block Paramount's $110B deal to buy Warner Bros. Carr told the Financial Times in an interview that there had been "concerns raised in Washington about the concentration of power" arising from Warner Bros' previous deal with Netflix but added the "obviously the level of market share and issue with a Paramount purchase is drastically different."Guggenheim raised the firm's price target on Paramount Skydance to $14 from $11 and kept a Neutral rating on the shares following Paramount's conference call based on the pro forma outlook for the combined company.Meanwhile, MoffettNathanson downgraded Warner Bros. Discoverywith Paramount Skydance emerging as the victor in the takeover battle.ROKU LAUNCHES APPLE TV FOR PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTIONS:Rokuannounced the launch of Apple TVonRoku said, "Using their Roku account, customers can now subscribe to Apple TV through Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel to access Apple TV's premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, live sports, and kids and family entertainment in one seamless experience."STOCK PLAYS:Other publicly traded companies in the space include Disney, FuboTVand Fox.