key takeaways
- Netflix is making changes to its Weekly Top 10 rankings calculations. The new popularity metric (called “views”) now factors in show running time rather than focusing solely on total viewing time, fostering fairness for content with shorter running times – a win for transparency!
- OpenAI has introduced plug-ins for select brands to enable functionalities such as meal planning and personalized shopping recommendations. Brands will have to learn how to navigate technical challenges and prioritize user experience to fully leverage the benefits of plug-in integration.
- The sophomore season of FX’s series The Bear had fans hooked right from the start. Within the first four days of its June 22 release, the show experienced a whopping 70% lift in streaming hours compared to its debut season. Hats off to The Bear Season 2!
- “Barbenheimer” takes the world by storm. Barbie and Oppenheimer’s opening weekend marked a celebration of original, powerful storytelling, and the world showed up to be a part of this unforgettable moment. Moviegoers could not decide between the two films, so they made history by turning the box office battle into a double feature event.
- From acting to producing and directing! After her iconic role in Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria received numerous acting offers but decided to follow her passion for being behind the camera. The transition wasn’t easy, but Eva remained determined and recently celebrated the release of her debut film – Flamin’ Hot – as a director. Eva is on a mission to pave the way for more Latino representation in Hollywood and encourage aspiring filmmakers to pursue their dreams.
Netflix Tweaks Its Top 10 Rankings, Adds View Count
The streamer’s weekly rankings will now show the most popular titles by number of accounts watching as well as total time. The view tally comes from dividing the total time spent watching a series or movie in a given week by the running time to arrive at the number of Netflix accounts that watched a series or movie. Netflix says the change, in addition to offering a more easily comprehended number to represent popularity, also helps level the playing field for shows and films with shorter running times. Read more
ChatGPT plug-ins will transform how consumers interact with brands online
Microsoft announced it would use the same plug-in standards as OpenAI, meaning plug-ins can work across ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft is focusing on plug-ins as the future of its OpenAI partnership, and for good reason. The ad potential: While Bing Chat and Google’s Bard will serve ads within queries, plug-ins could take the ability to reach consumers a step further. Advertisers will need to pay attention to where it makes sense to run ads—whether that be within AI chat search queries or via Instacart and Kayak. The seamless integration has the potential to push more users to these third-party sites, but it also means they won’t start searching directly on those sites, which could eat into advertising. Read more
‘The Bear’ Viewership Spikes 70% With Season 2 Launch, Marking FX’s Most-Watched Hulu Premiere
Fans spent a lot of time out of the kitchen and in front of the TV over the weekend, saying “Yes, chef,” to the second season of FX’s “The Bear.” On Tuesday, FX and Hulu announced that “The Bear” Season 2 had seen a 70% increase in total hours streamed in the first four days following its June 22 launch — when compared to the FX comedy’s Season 1 stats over that same post-premiere time period. (The first season of “The Bear,” which premiered June 23, 2022, consisted of eight episodes, while Season 2 has 10 episodes in total. Both seasons dropped all available episodes at launch.) Read more
Box Office: ‘Barbie’ Opens to Record-Setting $155 Million, ‘Oppenheimer’ Shatters Expectations With $80 Million Debut
Moviegoers turned out in force for Greta Gerwig’s neon-coated fantasy comedy Barbie, which smashed expectations with $155 million to land the biggest debut of the year. But they also showed up to see Christopher Nolan’s R-rated historical drama Oppenheimer, which collected a remarkable $80.5 million in its opening weekend. Hundreds of thousands of ticket buyers refused to choose between the two seemingly different auteur-driven blockbusters with sprawling casts and twin release dates. So they opted to attend same-day viewings of Barbie and Oppenheimer, turning the box office battle into a double feature for the ages. Read more
The Reinvention of Eva Longoria
After the success of Desperate Housewives, the television star made a concerted effort to pursue directing, despite initial resistance: “It was like, ‘Here comes a dumb actor.’ Ten years later, she released her feature film debut, Flamin‘ Hot, marrying her ambitions with her advocacy for Latinos, both onscreen and off. Read more
Special thanks to Grecia Benites for her contributions to this edition of the Top Product Placement Monthly Insights.
