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I have readers who insist that I am being paid by Netflix to write pieces that aren’t 100 percent negative. Or that I have some inside connection with some specific network because I write about them on a regular basis.
One of the networks these critics have mentioned is MS NOW, and while I do regularly watch and cover the network, I can assure you that I don’t have any special access.
I only hear from publicists at the network when I write something they don’t like. And I have had zero success arranging interviews with anyone at the network.
I have long attempted to arrange an interview with Chris Hayes, so I was especially bummed to learn he was here in Minnesota yesterday interviewing Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Of course, I also haven't had any luck with MS NOW ahead of Rachel Maddow’s book tour appearance in St. Paul next month. So...(shrug).
Regardless, you should watch the Omar interview, which was the centerpiece of last night’s episode of All In With Chris Hayes. It was incredibly informative and he asked her some uncomfortable questions when necessary. It was a really great example of political journalism, and a reminder you should also check out his longform interview podcast.
In an Era of AI Slop, Netflix’s Biggest Asset May Be Trust
I sometimes get questions from readers about why I have been sending select piece to Forbes first before posting them here.
The honest answer is that while I do receive some money out of the deal, the biggest advantage for me is that for all of its flaws - primarily ad-filled pages - Forbes has great SEO and if I post something there, it will be seen by a lot of people who don’t subscribe to this newsletter.
Which is why yesterday I posted “In Defense Of Netflix: Trust Is The New Streaming Moat,” to Forbes first. Because I want as many people as possible to see it and hopefully, pass it along.
As I write in the piece, while Netflix has a number of serious strategic challenges, I wanted to push back on the many “Netflix is Screwed” hot takes that have been cranked out in recent days.
Because my argument is that in an entertainment world increasingly filled with AI slop, offering a wide-ranging curated experience will increasingly have a value for subscribers:
You open Netflix expecting to find professionally presented movies, series, documentaries, comedy specials and other recognizable forms of entertainment. You might dislike the selection. You might spend 20 minutes browsing before choosing nothing. But you are not generally navigating a feed filled with thousands of anonymous, automatically generated videos competing for a few seconds of your attention.
That distinction matters.
Curation does not guarantee quality. Hollywood has produced plenty of expensive failures, formulaic franchises and mediocre television. Nor does the presence of a familiar studio or creator guarantee that a particular show will be worth watching.
But a curated service offers a degree of accountability. Someone has decided that a title belongs in the catalog, and the platform has an established reputation to protect.
Netflix’s opportunity is to make that judgment increasingly valuable.
This argument for Netflix being a safe AI-harbor for subscribers doesn’t lessen the problems facing the company. But it does provide a way forward for the streamer, if it is brave enough to lean into the idea.
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Peacock Is Finally Paying Off For Comcast
For years, Peacock was the kind of streaming service that made Comcast investors nervous. The NBCUniversal platform had recognizable brands, a deep content library and live sports to draw viewers in, but it also burned through money in a streaming market where profitability often seemed like a distant goal.
Now, the story is changing. Comcast’s latest earnings show Peacock delivering a second consecutive profitable quarter, suggesting that the company’s long effort to turn its streaming business into a sustainable operation is beginning to pay off.
The question is whether Peacock can keep that momentum going while the rest of Comcast’s business faces a different set of challenges.
The numbers are encouraging. Peacock generated $1.8 billion in revenue and $261 million in adjusted EBITDA during the third quarter of 2026. A year earlier, the service had lost $217 million on $1.4 billion in revenue. That represents a $478 million year-over-year swing in profitability, while paid subscribers climbed 17% to 48 million.
That is a meaningful turnaround for a service that has spent much of its existence trying to prove it can compete with Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming heavyweights without draining its parent company’s resources.
So what changed? A big part of the answer is that Peacock is becoming more than a place to catch up on NBC shows. Live sports have become a powerful draw, and the FIFA World Cup provided an additional boost during the quarter. Sports can attract large audiences in real time, create valuable advertising opportunities and give subscribers a reason to keep paying even when they aren't interested in the latest scripted series. Higher distribution revenue, helped by increased average rates and subscriber growth, also contributed to Peacock's performance.
Of course, sports rights aren't cheap. The trick is turning those big audiences into enough subscription and advertising revenue to cover the cost of acquiring the programming. Peacock's latest results suggest that equation is moving in the right direction, but one strong quarter doesn't guarantee that it will stay there.
There's also a bigger corporate story unfolding. Comcast is working to reshape its portfolio around connectivity and its entertainment businesses, with the separation of NBCUniversal and Sky intended to create two independent companies. In that context, a profitable Peacock makes NBCUniversal's media operation more attractive and gives it a stronger foundation as it moves into its next chapter.
Still, Comcast's overall results show why the company can't afford to celebrate just yet. Third-quarter revenue was $29.3 billion, down 6.1% from a year earlier on a reported basis, while adjusted earnings per share fell 4% to $1.07. The comparisons are affected by business portfolio changes, including the completed Versant separation and the sale of Sky's German operations. On a pro forma basis, revenue was essentially flat year over year. Meanwhile, domestic broadband customers declined by 144,000, underscoring the pressure on Comcast's traditional connectivity business.
Peacock, then, is doing something important: providing a growth story at a time when other parts of Comcast are facing structural challenges. Its improving profitability also suggests that streaming doesn't have to be an endless spending contest. A combination of sports, entertainment, pricing and distribution can produce a healthier business model.
The next test is consistency. Can Peacock continue growing its subscriber base, retain viewers between major sporting events and generate profits without relying on unusually favorable programming schedules? And can NBCUniversal use its film studio, broadcast network and sports portfolio to reinforce the service without allowing content costs to spiral?
For now, Comcast has reason to feel encouraged. Peacock has moved beyond simply chasing subscribers and is demonstrating that streaming can contribute real earnings. The challenge ahead is turning that progress into a durable advantage — one that can survive the next big event, the next round of streaming competition and the inevitable shift in what audiences want to watch.
Tweet Of The Day
Odds & Sods
“Home For Good”
The Pursuit: F1 ACADEMY, a new documentary special about F1 ACADEMY, the all-female racing series launched by Formula 1 to develop and prepare young women for advancement to higher levels of motorsport, will debut exclusively on Disney+ globally Thursday, November 19th, ahead of the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2026 on November 19-21. The special will also stream on the ESPN App later this year.
The White House counsel's office warned Politico in a Monday letter that it had 48 hours to retract or correct recent stories about alleged staff drama, or it would suffer unspecified consequences.
The three-part docuseries Crown of Deceit: Inside the Miss Universe Scandal, premieres Thursday, November 12th on TLC. Here is the first-look trailer. And here is the official logline:
Prime Video has renewed Carrie for a second season. As an FYI, here is my review of the show.
Fleetwood Mac: The Chain, the first fully authorized documentary on the legendary rock band, will debut on Apple TV on Wednesday January 29th, 2027.
Digital Music News is reporting that Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a patent application for technology that fills empty seats with computer-controlled virtual spectators (called non-player characters or NPCs in the filing, a term familiar to video game fans).
Comedian and impressionist has joined Prime Video’s TNF Nightcap as a recurring contributor in a new comedy segment, The Friend Zone with Matt Friend, the streamer announced on Thursday.
Media mogul and WBD advisor and investor John Malone says that the Trump administration informed Netflix that their proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery would be blocked, with the streaming giant then dropping out of the bidding and clearing the way for Paramount’s purchase.
The Hearst Media Production Group safety education series Home for Good has been renewed for a second season, which will begin airing on ABC stations on January 9th.
MyTi Films, an independently operated streaming platform for original AI-generated series and films, will premiere the series Medusa on November 20th. It will be the first of MyTi Films’ planned slate of eight titles released over eight months. The lineup spans “reimagined Greek legends, detective thrillers, and Hindi-language stories inspired by ancient tales.” The next announced title is Master Holmes, scheduled for December 20th.
The true crime documentary My Brother’s Killer has been acquired by Investigation Discovery and will premiere Thursday, December 3rd. Here is a first look at the trailer. And here is the official logline: “After Billy Newton was found murdered on October 29, 1990, his case was forgotten by most but haunted many: from the LAPD detectives first at the scene to his family in Wisconsin, fellow adult performers and LGBQT+ community members in West Hollywood – who were left wondering: who would want to harm someone as beloved as Billy? My Brother's Killer follows filmmaker Rachel Mason as she investigates his case. Partnering with the LAPD, London’s family and friends, as well as authors and podcasters Christopher Rice and Eric Shaw Quinn. The film shows how original assumptions, overlooked evidence, and new theories help find the missing puzzle pieces in order to get to the truth.”
CBS Sports announcer JJ Watt has been named lead analyst for the NFL ON CBS in a new multi-year agreement.
Why Comedy Central Couldn’t Afford To Lose Jon Stewart
While politics is an important component of our modern media landscape, it’s not always the primary factor behind why decisions are being made.
For instance, nearly all of the conversation around whether or not Comedy Central would renew Jon Stewart’s deal on The Daily Show centered around new owner David Ellison and whether Donald Trump’s politics would convince the cable network to let the famed comedian go.
But as this very astute piece from Bill Carter in LateNighter notes, despite what David Ellison or anyone in the Trump Administration thinks of Stewart, there is one core business reason why the network couldn’t afford to let him go without a fight:
If enough heat emanated from the sulfurous source in the White House, The Daily Show in theory could also be targeted. But caving to that pressure could prove painfully costly. As a cable channel, Comedy Central is diminished, but it is still a genuinely valuable asset.
The Daily Show is one of the two shows (with South Park) still keeping the channel alive and collecting monthly sub fees from cable, satellite, and live TV streaming providers like YouTube TV.
Those fees amount to somewhere between 20 and 30 cents a month per subscriber. Comedy Central is now available in about 68 million homes. That adds up to between $13.6 million and $20.4 million a month in subscriber fees alone. Add advertising revenue, and the channel remains a pretty potent asset.
But if TDS passed into history, cable providers would have one more reason to drop the channel—and the fees they’re paying for it.
ICYMI: Just Posted On TooMuchTV And Forbes
Here is a rundown of other stories recently posted on TooMuchTV.com and Forbes:
There comes a point in every romantic comedy when the big question has been answered, the obstacles have been overcome, and the two people we’ve been rooting for finally get to be together. It’s also the point when the writers have to figure out what the hell to do next. For Nobody Wants This, that moment has arrived.
Chris Pratt returns for the second season of The Terminal List, Prime Video's relentlessly grim military thriller, and the show has decided that if one man's quest for revenge was good television, a globe-spanning war on terrorism should be even better.
What’s Coming Tonight And Tomorrow
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22ND, 2026:
After The First 48 Season Thirteen Premiere (A&E)
Did Someone Happen To Mention Me? Series Premiere (Netflix)
Killer Investigations Season Two Premiere (A&E)
Nobody Wants This Season Three Premiere (Netflix)
Swipe Right On The Devil (Hulu)
The Flores Massacre (HBO Max)
Time (BritBox)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, 2026:
Battle Of The Streaming Stars (The Roku Channel)
Fading Grandeur (Netflix)
Gajab Raat (Netflix)
Great Performances – Tammy Wynette: Forever Yours (PBS)
Happy's Place Season Three Premiere (NBC)
Joe Bob's Halloween House Party (Shudder)
Last One Laughing: Halloween (Prime Video)
Lupin Season Four Premiere (Netflix)
Newlyweds Series Premiere (NBC)
Paralyzed By Hope: The Maria Bamford Story (Netflix)
Surviving Hurricane Otis (Netflix)
The Cycle (Shudder)
Winter Wonderlanes (Hallmark)
Yaga Series Premiere (AMC+)