AMC Networks Hits 9.5 Million Streaming Subscribers In March; Affirms 20-25M By 2025

AMC Networks has appointed industry vet Len Fogge as its head of marketing and also expanded the purview of streaming chief Miguel Penella, who will now also oversee the company’s international portfolio.

Selome Hailu 10Len Fogge has been named president of marketing at AMC Networks. Additionally, streaming services president Miquel Penella is taking on an expanded role and will now oversee the company’s global division, AMC Networks International.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentMoroccan director Maryam Touzani, whose is sophomore feature, “The Blue Caftan,” unspools in Un Certain Regard, has never been afraid to tackle topics that shatter her country’s social conventions.She’s made a doc about Morocco’s female prostitutes that sparked plenty of attention and a short about the exploitation of children as domestic workers. Her first feature, “Adam,” looked at the plight of single mothers (it also screened in Un Certain Regard).In “Blue Caftan” Touzani turns her gaze on the concealed homosexuality of a married man in Morocco where, in accordance with Islamic laws and customs, same-sex sexual activity is illegal and can be punished with imprisonment.

a 200,000 drop in subscribers — its first loss in more than a decade — and warned of steeper declines ahead as layoffs have already begun.“Our strong results in the second quarter, including fantastic performance at our domestic parks and continued growth of our streaming services—with 7.9 million Disney+ subscribers added in the quarter and total subscriptions across all our DTC offerings exceeding 205 million—once again proved that we are in a league of our own,” said Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek. “As we look ahead to Disney’s second century, I am confident we will continue to transform entertainment by combining extraordinary storytelling with innovative technology to create an even larger, more connected, and magical Disney universe for families and fans around the world.”The announcement ripped through Wall Street, as investors began reevaluating the industry’s aggressive shift into streaming subscriptions.

EXCLUSIVE: Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, and RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, have partnered on the newest Shudder Original Film, Destroy All Neighbors. From music-video and commercial director Josh Forbes and starring Jonah Ray Rodrigues (Mystery Science Theater 3000) and Alex Winter (Bill and Ted franchise) who also produce.

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches has found its Lasher. Jack Huston (House of Gucci) has been tapped to play the series regular role in the AMC Networks series. Lasher is one of Rice’s most mysterious and sensual characters — a powerful, shape-shifting entity who has been bound to the Mayfair witches for hundreds of years. Huston joins previously announced series regulars, including Alexandra Daddario (Dr. Rowan Fielding), Harry Hamlin (Cortland Mayfair) and Tongayi Chirisa (Ciprien).

Matt Blank, interim CEO of AMC Networks, said the company has “no plans” for ad-supported tiers of its family of targeted streaming services including Shudder, Acorn TV and AMC+.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterAMC Networks ended its first quarter of 2022 with 9.5 million streaming subscribers.The new figure, revealed along with the rest of the company’s Q1 financial results on Thursday, is in line with the projection CFO Christina Spade gave in February. At that time, Spade said she expected AMC Networks add 400-500,000 streaming subscribers by the end of March, after reaching more than 9 million subs at the end of 2021.

Paramount+ added 6.8 million subscribers last quarter, as Paramount ended the period with 62 million global streaming subs.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterParamount+ and Showtime topped a combined 63 million subscribers at the end of the first quarter, Paramount Global revealed Tuesday. From that new total, 6.8 million are Paramount+ sub additions from Q1.That’s up from the combined 56 million subscribers that the company reported the streamers hit by the end of 2021.

Matt Blank, interim CEO of AMC Networks, made just shy of $7 million in total compensation in 2021, according to a proxy filing with the SEC.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterFormer AMC Networks chief Josh Sapan’s compensation for 2021, his final year as CEO of the company, rose 30% over the previous year to $15.3 million.According to a proxy statement filed with the SEC Friday, Sapan’s total pay from the company for 2021 was $15.3 million compared to the $11.8 million he received in 2020 and the $20.2 million he was paid in 2019.Click here to sign up for Variety‘s free Strictly Business newsletter covering earnings, financial and investment news, and more.Sapan’s successor, AMC Networks interim CEO Matthew Blank, was paid $6.97 million for the year. Blank joined AMC Networks in his new role in August just as Sapan stepped down.Blank’s base salary for 2021 was $630,136, while Sapan’s was $2 million.

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are taking over Italy!

Roku exceeded Wall Street expectations for revenue, but showed slower sequential growth in new active accounts, according to its first-quarter earnings report Thursday.The company posted overall revenue of $734 million for Q1, up 28% year over year, which beat Wall Street expectations that had its growth at around $730 million. Investors seem thrilled by the report as shares surged during after-hours trading right after the quarterly results were released, rising 4.2%  above the regular session close of $91.63.That investor excitement apparently wasn’t dampened by slower sequential growth in active accounts.

Paid subscriptions were up for Peacock in Q1, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts announced on Thursday on the company’s earnings call.Peacock added 4 Million paid subscribers in Q1, for a total of 13 million. Roberts also noted the service had reached 28 million active accounts in total.Last quarter, Peacock had 9 million paid subscribers and a total of 24.5 million active users.The increase comes on the heels of Peacock airing a variety of big sporting events including the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterPeacock ended the first quarter of the year with 28 million monthly active accounts (MAAs) and 13 million paid subscribers, Comcast revealed along with its Q1 earnings results Thursday.That total is up from the 24.5 million Comcast reported for the streamer’s end of 2021 figure. During Q1, Peacock streamed Super Bowl LVI and the Beijing Winter Olympics, along with debuting splashy titles like “Bel-Air,” its dramatic take on the ’90s classic “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Jennifer Lopez’s theatrical-and-streaming release “Marry Me,” and “Tiger King” scripted series “Joe vs.