Netflix is reporting earnings on Tuesday. Why it’s worth watching: Netflix set a record last year, adding a net of nearly 37 million paid subscribers as consumers turned to at-home entertainment in the midst of the pandemic. The biggest question heading into the streamer’s first earnings report of 2021 is whether the growth will continue, especially as competitors, such as Disney+, experienced growth during the pandemic. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for any updates to Netflix’s content release schedule to see how it plans to compete with other anticipated streaming content over the next few months.
AT&T’s earnings report comes out on Thursday. Why it’s worth watching: AT&T’s WarnerMedia made waves last year when it announced it would release its entire 2021 film slate day-and-date in theaters and on HBO Max. And while WarnerMedia Chief Executive Jason Kilar has said that’s not the company’s plan for 2022, one thing to look out for in the first-quarter earnings report is HBO Max viewership numbers for these titles. WarnerMedia films have been doing well at the box office this year (“Godzilla vs. Kong” set a pandemic-era record), and a strong streaming performance could inform distribution decisions across the industry as consumers return to theaters.
Variety’s Entertainment Marketing Summit is also Thursday. Why it’s worth watching: While there are several notable sessions (including a keynote conversation with members of Disney’s marketing team), I’m most interested in “A Closer Look: Launching Streaming Entertainment Platforms.” ViacomCBS Inc.’s Domenic DiMeglio and Discovery Inc.’s Seth Goren will speak about launching new streaming services in a very crowded streaming marketplace. I’ll be listening for any information about how Discovery+ and Paramount+ have performed in the months after their respective launches.