After the coffee. Before getting my Morning Fix Super Bowl ad ready.
The Skinny: I'm in a hotel room that literally has no window, so I'm feeling a little stir crazy. Tuesday's headlines (is it day or night?) include analysis of the new regime at Warner Bros., a look at what studios are planning for the Super Bowl and details of the Dodgers' new TV deal.
Daily Dose: In a recent SEC filing, Netflix goes over the risks the entertainment company faces. Most of it is boiler plate, but there was one interesting nugget about how an earthquake in San Francisco could do serious damage to its offices and data centers there. That's a no-brainer. What's a surprise is that Netflix said is it not insured against any losses or expenses from earthquakes and warns that it may not have enough insurance for other natural disasters. Might be time to get some new policies.
Tsujihara's triumph. Ending a long and tense executive bake-off, Time Warner finally named a successor to Barry Meyer, the longtime chief executive of Warner Bros. It's Kevin Tsujihara, the movie and television studio's digital and home entertainment head. The choice of the low-key Tsujihara was something of a surprise to Hollywood insiders who had assumed that TV chief Bruce Rosenblum would get the gig. Previous chiefs, including Meyer, had come up the ranks through TV. But with so much riding on figuring out how to navigate the digital media landscape, Time Warner head Jeff Bewkes is betting on Tsujihara. It's unclear whether Rosenblum and Jeff Robinov, the head of the movie studio and also a candidate for Meyer's job, will stick around and whether Bewkes' indecision to name a Meyer replacement has harmed the stability of the studio. Coverage and analysis from the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, Variety, and Deadline Hollywood.
Pay ball. No, that's not a typo. I meant to write pay ball because that's exactly what Time Warner Cable is playing in its efforts to build a sports empire. On Monday, the cable company finally announced its partnership on a new cable network for the Dodgers called SportsNet LA. Let's hope the content on the channel is more exciting than the game. Regardless though, it will mean bigger bills for consumers. More on the network from the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.
Big bets. Several Hollywood studios will be shelling out close to $4 million for Super Bowl spots promoting new movies. Universal, Disney and Paramount will all be hyping new releases that they hope don't get lost in the sea of car and beer ads. Steering clear of the big game are Sony, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox. Details from the Hollywood Reporter.
Soda ad goes flat. SodaStream, a company that manufactures machines that let people make soda at home, has been asked to tweak its Super Bowl spot because it takes some shots at Coca-Cola and Pepsi, who just happen to be two big advertisers in the game. The scoop from Advertising Age.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: What lies ahead for the new Warner Bros. chief. David Lazarus on your bigger cable bill.
Follow me on Twitter to the promised land. @JBFlint.
