The Entertainment Strategy Guy

Before I log off for the year, wanted to say thank you to everyone who subscribes! We just passed a big milestone on Substack and are so appreciative of all our followers, subscribers, and supporters.

As @EntStrategyGuy notes, "The Pitt" currently ranks as the second-best second season of all time (at least according to Nielsen numbers) and will likely top "Landman's" second season next week. That's wild! (1/2)

Landman! Stranger Things! Love Island! Some huge numbers for the biggest returning shows… See all the data in 20 charts, tables and graphs… entertainment.substack.com/p/landman-come…

Full article here... entertainment.substack.com/p/netflixs-new…

Here’s my favorite chart from today’s super deep dive on the debut shows of 2025. Remember when foreign language shows would take over TV? Remember when we were waiting for “the next Squid Game”? We’re still waiting!

A new acronym from yours truly: LATCH A way that human thrive in the post-AI future… entertainment.substack.com/p/one-future-o…

Article here. entertainment.substack.com/p/the-top-film…

Superhero films may be dead, but they but Superman still flew into fifth place, and four superhero films made the top fifteen of the domestic box office in 2025 Part of my annual round up of filM!

Full story here: entertainment.substack.com/p/beast-games-…

The decline of Beast Games on Prime Video is real and stark. No datecdotes from the company and three viewership sources (Nielsen, Samba TV and Luminate) all tell the same story.

I wouldn’t say I’m “breaking” news in today’s article, because I’m just assembling the data facts. But I haven’t seen anyone else report this so I will: Beast Games season two was a HUGE flop. Here’s the brutal chart…but there's more...

@loudmouthjulia These numbers for TBPN baffle me.

Here: entertainment.substack.com/p/im-no-longer…

As I wrote yesterday, I’m leaving my writing gig at the Ankler. All’s good, but if you want to help me grow and build my newsletter, if you value the data driven takes and quests for nuance, read about how to help:

Some news from me... If you'd like to support, please subscribe at my newsletter. theankler.com/p/entertainmen…

@SonnyBunch @bendreyfuss Do you watch that on the iPad at the gym too?

@bendreyfuss @EntStrategyGuy No Ben I’m too busy rewatching the Snyder Cut!

I think casual observers do not entirely realize quite how successful Paramount+ is. The Sheridan-verse is particularly legit. This is from @EntStrategyGuy’s latest; link to follow.

@ddayen @BedoyaUSA @hugolowell @TheAnkler @matthewstoller @AGRobBonta Much appreciated David!!!

@EntStrategyGuy @BedoyaUSA @hugolowell @TheAnkler @matthewstoller @AGRobBonta ESG is great...

Who I would follow to get the latest news about Paramount's bid to take over Warner Brothers: - @hugolowell at The Guardian - Richard Rushfeld @TheAnkler - @matthewstoller at BIG - @ddayen at The American Prospect - @AGRobBonta who hopefully will move to block it

If you’re in the mood for non-Netflix/WBD/Paramount news… …yesterday, I wrote an article explaining why MrBeast/Beast Industries is NOT worth the $5 billion valuation from February, with a clear timeline laying this out. entertainment.substack.com/p/debunking-on…