General Entertainment Update: Amazon acquires MGM for $8.45 billion

[Ghost_MH]

Amazon Said to Make $9 Billion Offer for MGM

VARIETY.COM

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The ecommerce giant has been in talks to acquire the legendary studio and its library for several weeks.

$9b doesn't seem to be that much. Either that or everything tech has absolutely ruined my perception of a company's value. I have to imagine Legally Blonde is worth that, alone.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

$9 billion is quite a bit more than I expected for MGM.

[Ghost_MH]

2 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

$9 billion is quite a bit more than I expected for MGM.

 

Yeah, but have you considered Barbershop?

[Keyser_Soze]

Does this mean they will lower the price of their buffet?

[SoberChef]

Between all the goings on with Disney & WB...perhaps those few film studios left standing should understand that big corporations shouldn't swallow up film companies, no matter how lucrative of a business deal it is...but there we have it, the greed of the few in direct opposition for the good of the many. 

[Ghost_MH]

31 minutes ago, SoberChef said:

Between all the goings on with Disney & WB...perhaps those few film studios left standing should understand that big corporations shouldn't swallow up film companies, no matter how lucrative of a business deal it is...but there we have it, the greed of the few in direct opposition for the good of the many. 

 

Amazon isn't a terrible home for MGM. Sure, Amazon is evil and run by a less charismatic Lex Luther, but they also aren't run like AT&T.

[Guest]

Booooooooo

[skillzdadirecta]

2 hours ago, SoberChef said:

Between all the goings on with Disney & WB...perhaps those few film studios left standing should understand that big corporations shouldn't swallow up film companies, no matter how lucrative of a business deal it is...but there we have it, the greed of the few in direct opposition for the good of the many. 

Ummm I DO believe that ALL of the major film studios are already owned by larger corporations and have been since the 70's/80's. This is nothing new.

[Jason]

Amanda Tapping was recently saying she was approached about possibly producing and appearing in a new Stargate show in the SG-1/Atlantis continuity, hopefully this makes that more likely to happen instead of derailing it like when MGM going bankrupt derailed Joe Flannigan's attempt to buy the franchise and get Atlantis started back up. 

[Ghost_MH]

9 hours ago, sblfilms said:

Booooooooo

 

It's not like being owned by a hodgepodge of venture capitalists is any better.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Ghost_MH said:

 

It's not like being owned by a hodgepodge of venture capitalists is any better.

The VCs have incentive to actually make the MGM library available. These big media companies are just buying rights to make reboots and sequels, often throwing the originals into the dustbin of history.

[Ghost_MH]

10 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

The VCs have incentive to actually make the MGM library available. These big media companies are just buying rights to make reboots and sequels, often throwing the originals into the dustbin of history.

 

Are they? Amazon has all the cloud storage in the world. It doesn't cost them anything extra to provide the MGM backlog, especially since they probably already host digital copies of nearly everything already and would just now have the option to offer them up for free to Prime Subscribers.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Ghost_MH said:

 

Are they? Amazon has all the cloud storage in the world. It doesn't cost them anything extra to provide the MGM backlog, especially since they probably already host digital copies of nearly everything already and would just now have the option to offer them up for free to Prime Subscribers.

On home video, old titles are basically left to rot in whatever form they exist at the time of acquisition. No new masters will be made with modern specs. Amazon already has some of the worst versions of titles, bad DVD era masters, and has had them on there for years. They simply do not care about catalog quality, just quantity.

 

And it is not just in home video, it’s also for theatrical. For example, when Disney acquired Fox they removed 20%+ of all studio movies ever made from theatrical availability due to Disney’s stupid vaulting policy.

[Ghost_MH]

4 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

On home video, old titles are basically left to rot in whatever form they exist at the time of acquisition. No new masters will be made with modern specs. Amazon already has some of the worst versions of titles, bad DVD era masters, and has had them on there for years. They simply do not care about catalog quality, just quantity.

 

And it is not just in home video, it’s also for theatrical. For example, when Disney acquired Fox they removed 20%+ of all studio movies ever made from theatrical availability due to Disney’s stupid vaulting policy.

 

Well, yes, Disney is stupid about this stuff. That said, Amazon doesn't really have much control over the quality provided by MGM and others. It's not like MGM remastered their old stuff and then had Amazon reject it in favor of the shitty quality versions they already have. If the current owners don't see the value in remastering some of their old stuff I don't really think we should place the blame of not doing the same to the new owners. . I'm not arguing it didn't stick, but I just don't see it as being a big media company problem.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Ghost_MH said:

 

Well, yes, Disney is stupid about this stuff. That said, Amazon doesn't really have much control over the quality provided by MGM and others. It's not like MGM remastered their old stuff and then had Amazon reject it in favor of the shitty quality versions they already have. If the current owners don't see the value in remastering some of their old stuff I don't really think we should place the blame of not doing the same to the new owners. . I'm not arguing it didn't stick, but I just don't see it as being a big media company problem.

Current MGM licenses out their films and others do the work to create new masters. This happens often now. That will be over with an Amazon acquisition, they don’t license out any of their content for such use.

[TwinIon]

Amazon always seemed like the most likely buyer to me, and given every streaming services' desire to strengthen their catalogs, I figured it would get bid up quite a bit.

[Ghost_MH]

33 minutes ago, TwinIon said:

Amazon always seemed like the most likely buyer to me, and given every streaming services' desire to strengthen their catalogs, I figured it would get bid up quite a bit.

 

I'm actually shocked this wasn't Apple. They don't really own much of a backlog and this seems like it would have been an easy way to beef theirs up.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Ghost_MH said:

 

I'm actually shocked this wasn't Apple. They don't really own much of a backlog and this seems like it would have been an easy way to beef theirs up.

I am on the studio relations team for the Independent Cinema Alliance, so I had a call recently with Apple’s top content people at AppleTV+ and they said multiple times that they do not care much about content quantity, they are laser focused on aiming for quality. I don’t think they will make any moves for catalog acquisitions based on the way they described their philosophy on content. 
 

My guess is any acquisition would be about capturing production elements moving forward. I would actually think Sony Pictures would make the most sense in that regard as Sony Japan always seems on the verge of ditching the film studio, but the film studio also owns a ton of production capacity.

[Ghost_MH]

12 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

I am on the studio relations team for the Independent Cinema Alliance, so I had a call recently with Apple’s top content people at AppleTV+ and they said multiple times that they do not care much about content quantity, they are laser focused on aiming for quality. I don’t think they will make any moves for catalog acquisitions based on the way they described their philosophy on content. 
 

My guess is any acquisition would be about capturing production elements moving forward. I would actually think Sony Pictures would make the most sense in that regard as Sony Japan always seems on the verge of ditching the film studio, but the film studio also owns a ton of production capacity.

 

That does sound like Apple, even if I don't entirely agree with it. The lack of a large backlog makes their offerings seem anemic compared to even Disney+ that isn't exactly overflowing. I totally get them not throwing shit at the wall Netflix-style. MGM would, presumably give them James Bond and Barbershop. Actually, there are a ton of great classics under MGM that would be right at home on AppleTV...assuming film rights aren't some butchered mess. Like a really well done James Bond TV series would get me to subscribe to AppleTV. Sure, that means I mostly just stop giving away the free year subscriptions I get everytime I buy a laptop, but that's besides the point.

 

The biggest problem with anything related to Amazon buying MGM is that Prime Video sucks. It's the worst video streaming experience money can buy. I don't understand how Amazon has all the money in Earth and can't come up with an interface that isn't trash. They can't even get fast forward and rewind right. They can't even get bonus features right, like WTF. How is it so awful?

 

After buying Crunchyroll, Sony has all the anime now. I don't know. Apple seems to be too preoccupied with looking cool that they wouldn't dare be seen as a weeb.

[TwinIon]

4 hours ago, Ghost_MH said:

I'm actually shocked this wasn't Apple. They don't really own much of a backlog and this seems like it would have been an easy way to beef theirs up.

I recall Apple being rather clear that they didn't want to buy a catalog of old stuff for Apple TV, but it seems they may have changed their mind about a year ago, so they were likely in the bidding.

[Ghost_MH]

13 minutes ago, TwinIon said:

I recall Apple being rather clear that they didn't want to buy a catalog of old stuff for Apple TV, but it seems they may have changed their mind about a year ago, so they were likely in the bidding.

 

Here's hoping they changed their minds then. A streaming service can't get off to a good start purely on the strength of its originals. Who would sign up for a new streaming service while not being familiar with anything on it? That's why Apple has to give away so many subscriptions. If Apple could say, home to James Bond then that's a better hook than home to the Peanuts catalog. I don't know. Just seems like a no brainer for a company with such deep pockets.

[Guest]

I think Apple can afford to build out their service through new content. TV+ is just another piece to keep people inside the Apple eco system. They also have pretty big ambitions for theatrical distribution.

[Ghost_MH]

22 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

I think Apple can afford to build out their service through new content. TV+ is just another piece to keep people inside the Apple eco system. They also have pretty big ambitions for theatrical distribution.

 

They can. I'm just saying that relying on the Apple faithful to drive subscription rates with a catalog of unfamiliar and new content is a hard sell. There's a reason new platforms like Disney+ and HBO Max, as poorly run as HBO is, highlight classic content. They both went with guns explicitly designed to show that they offer up your existing favorites and new content.

 

Amazon is a mess and I refuse to believe anyone subscribes to Prime Video as anything more than an accidental Prime extra. Netflix can focused on new stuff because they're well enough entrenched.

[CitizenVectron]

 

[skillzdadirecta]

On 5/18/2021 at 6:59 PM, sblfilms said:

I think Apple can afford to build out their service through new content. TV+ is just another piece to keep people inside the Apple eco system. They also have pretty big ambitions for theatrical distribution.

I agree. And a lot of people WILL subscribe to a service that has a hot exclusive show. Apple hasn't quite had that yet but all of their shows I've watched have been EXTREMELY well produced. A buddy of mine just started working for them... it's interesting hearing how that company works internally.

[Keyser_Soze]

4 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 A buddy of mine just started working for them... it's interesting hearing how that company works internally.

 

What's the name of your friend so I can report him for breaking NDA?

[Guest]

48 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I agree. And a lot of people WILL subscribe to a service that has a hot exclusive show. Apple hasn't quite had that yet but all of their shows I've watched have been EXTREMELY well produced. A buddy of mine just started working for them... it's interesting hearing how that company works internally.

I really like For All Mankind and Mythic Quest, and have found most of the rest of their shows totally watchable. On balance I would say they have the best average quality, even though they haven’t yet knocked one way out of the park like the very best from the other studios. They will get there and they have the resources to keep going until they do have the solid stable of product that makes the subscription worth it.

 

And they will do it without ever having the total junk that everybody, including D+, do. But we are probably another 2-3 years from the point where Apple is regularly releasing top tier programming. I do think it is interesting that unlike iMessage, AppleTV+ is available on other devices than Apple branded stuff. They have a native AppleTV+ app on my LG TV, for example. I think that too speaks to the long term plans for where Apple will go.

[skillzdadirecta]

1 minute ago, sblfilms said:

On balance I would say they have the best average quality, even though they haven’t yet knocked one way out of the park like the very best from the other studios

I agree. So far of the shows I've watched, the one that comes the closest to being prestige TV is The Morning Show. That first season was amazing. I still need to watch a lot of their other stuff. I was disappointed by Amazing Stories and Servant had a promising first season only to be followed by an extrememly underwhelming second season.

[Remarkableriots]

3 hours ago, sblfilms said:

I really like For All Mankind and Mythic Quest, and have found most of the rest of their shows totally watchable. On balance I would say they have the best average quality, even though they haven’t yet knocked one way out of the park like the very best from the other studios. They will get there and they have the resources to keep going until they do have the solid stable of product that makes the subscription worth it.

 

And they will do it without ever having the total junk that everybody, including D+, do. But we are probably another 2-3 years from the point where Apple is regularly releasing top tier programming. I do think it is interesting that unlike iMessage, AppleTV+ is available on other devices than Apple branded stuff. They have a native AppleTV+ app on my LG TV, for example. I think that too speaks to the long term plans for where Apple will go.

What's total junk on Disney+?

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Remarkableriots said:

What's total junk on Disney+?

They have some super cheap reality fluff 

[Brian]

Amazon Buys MGM, Studio Behind James Bond, for $8.45 Billion

T.CO

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James Bond has a new home. Amazon and MGM officially announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire...

[thewhyteboar]

I can't wait for the next James Bond, where he breaks up a union at an Amazon warehouse. He'll kill the main henchman with a bottle of his own pee.

[Keyser_Soze]

It would be cool if they put all the Bond movies in HD on amazon prime.

[CitizenVectron]

1 hour ago, thewhyteboar said:

I can't wait for the next James Bond, where he breaks up a union at an Amazon warehouse. He'll kill the main henchman with a bottle of his own pee.

 

That's a great idea. 

 

Movie opens with a scene of Bond's current girlfriend going in to work. Except the Union Boss, hidden in shadow, reduces her hours. With no money, she commits suicide. Now it's personal.

 

Bond tracks the Boss to El Salvador (because we need exotic locations), and after a series of elaborate chases and one-liners, confronts him on a half-built skyscraper. We learn that the Boss' name is Eduardo El Salvador, to imply that he is Central American, and socialist.

 

"You can't touch me," he says, "because then this building, which will supply the locals with safe housing, will never be finished!"

 

Bond looks down, thirty storeys to the ground, where over 200 men are standing around in high-vis vests and hard hats, doing nothing. "It's a union job, it never would have." He shoots Union Boss, who falls over the edge and dies. The locals cheer, and the US President flies in on a helicopter and shakes Bond's hand. Bond then pins an American flag pin to his lapel.

 

The credits roll to Born in the USA, unironically. 

[silentbob]

Turns out this overpaid purchase is for nothing but petty revenge. . . . which could be glorious. MGM also happens to own the outtake footage of Donald Trump’s The Apprentice show, where they apparently have Trump spewing just a ton of racists remarks/language and derogatory comments to woman. 
 

 

skip to the 4:20 mark of video below to listen to some jokes and Apprentice stuff from Colbert