Story Surveillance:

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Welcome to the Story Surveillance, your weekly intel briefing on the business of Hollywood and intriguing intellectual properties (IP) ripe for adaptation. We want to make SS more useful for us, but also for you. Please take a moment to let us know what's useful, what's not working, what you'd like more of and we'll make sure to do our best in future editions. As usual we’ve scoured the latest books, long-form journalism, podcasts, backlist gems, and international hits to uncover high-concept stories with cinematic potential, but we also added new sections about commissioning mandates and cultural vibes. Happy hunting!

Contents (Issue #56)

🔮 Mandates & Market Trends

Trends: Streamers Go All-In on Sports Content
   • Netflix: Testing the Live Sports Waters
   • Amazon MGM Studios: Sports-First, ROI-Driven
   • Disney+ (& Hulu/ESPN): Quality-Over-Quantity, Sports at the Core
   • Hulu: Integration and Uncertain Future
   • Paramount+ / Showtime: Franchise Focus with Sports Hooks
   • Peacock (NBCU): Riding Live Sports to Scale
   • Apple TV+: Swinging for Sports Wins
   • Warner Bros. Discovery (Max): Scaling Back on Sports, Doubling on IP

💅 The Vibes

• CatholicCore Nostalgia
• Carnival Rizz Party
• Sauna Raves

📚 Books (Fresh IP, Just Announced)

• SHADOWMARKED — Mid-life MI6 sorcerer-spy trilogy
• DIPLOMAT SPY — Bill Burns memoir of clandestine ops
• INHERITANCE — Dystopian surrogacy rebellion
• SLAYER/SAINT — Puerto Rican-inspired monster-slayer fantasy
• THE CLEOPATRA CODE — WWI cryptology adventure

🎧 Podcasts (Narrative Audio)

• UNTESTED — Cold rape-kit backlog true-crime hunt
• FINAL THOUGHTS: Jerry Springer — Rise & fall of a TV icon
• MISSING IN THE AMAZON — Jungle investigation of 2022 disappearances

🔮 Trends: Streamers Go All-In on Sports Content

The past week’s news reveals a surging focus on sports content across streaming platforms. Major players are doubling down on live sports rights and sports-themed programming to boost engagement and subscriber growth. From multi-billion dollar game deals to new sports docuseries and even scripted sports dramas, streamers see athletics as a rare draw for mass audiences in a fragmented market.

Not everyone is on the same page, however – one media giant is openly questioning the ROI of pricey sports deals, highlighting a split in strategy. Overall, sports has become the latest battleground for streaming dominance, with each platform tweaking its mandate to either ride the sports wave or sidestep its costs.

Against this backdrop, here's how key U.S. platforms and networks are adjusting their sporty mandates (after the jump)...

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Netflix: Testing the Live Sports Waters

• Venturing into live sports — Netflix is adding live events, streaming a headline boxing match (Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson) and even NFL games in a notable pivot from its no-sports stance.
  • Why it matters: Real-time sports are Netflix’s bid to attract new viewers and ad dollars.
• Sustaining spend at scale — CFO Spencer Neumann reiterated Netflix will spend ~$18 billion on content in 2025 (up ~11% YoY), insisting “we’re not anywhere near a ceiling” on investment as global growth continues.
• Leveraging sports docs — The streamer’s hit sports docuseries (F1: Drive to Survive, Full Swing, etc.) are being renewed and expanded, fueling subscriber interest without full-season rights costs.
• Global reach strategy — Executives stress “big, local impact” content that can travel worldwide– evidenced by sports projects like the FIFA Women’s World Cup rights deal spanning 2027 and 2031. (Netflix’s first-ever World Cup coverage will pair live matches with original docs, aiming for a worldwide play.)

Amazon MGM Studios: Sports-First, ROI-Driven

• Shifting toward live sports — Amazon’s Prime Video has pivoted focus to live sports and away from pricey scripted originals, per insiders, as CEO Andy Jassy pushes to make streaming profit by 2025. Live sports’ real-time viewership and ad appeal are central to this plan.
• Big spending on leagues — Amazon is reportedly shelling out $3 billion+ annually on sports rights, recently teaming with Disney and NBC to snag an NBA package in an 11-year, $77 billion deal. (It already streams Thursday Night Football and will add an NFL Wild Card playoff game in Jan 2025.)
• ROI above all — Internal memos stress every new show must prove its payoff. Execs now favor concepts that integrate with Amazon’s broader ecosystem (commerce, gaming, Alexa) and drive Prime subscriber retention, rather than stand-alone prestige series.

Disney+ (& Hulu/ESPN): Quality-Over-Quantity, Sports at the Core

• “Fewer, bigger” content mandate — CEO Bob Iger reiterated that Disney made “too much” content and is now scaling back volume to focus on high-quality tentpoles. This applies across Disney+, Hulu, and linear networks – fewer originals, but each aiming for cultural impact.
• ESPN streaming confirmed — In Disney’s shareholder meeting, Iger confirmed a flagship ESPN streaming service will launch in 2025, fully integrated into Disney+. The standalone ESPN offering (with NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and more) is expected to cost ~$29.99/month, and a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu will be promoted at $35.99.
  • Why it matters: It marks Disney’s big leap to bring all sports content direct-to-consumer, speeding up cord-cutting trends.
• Cutbacks at NatGeo & Hulu — As part of tightening content budgets, Disney axed several National Geographic unscripted series (e.g. Wicked Tuna, Life Below Zero) and is slimming down Hulu originals. The company is in arbitration over Comcast’s 33% stake in Hulu and may pay up to $5 billion more for full ownership – a resolution due in FY2025 that will shape Hulu’s future role.
• Keeping reliable franchises — Despite pruning, Disney is renewing its proven unscripted hits on ABC (e.g. American Idol, Shark Tank) and leaning on Marvel/Star Wars for Disney+. In sports, ESPN continues to extend marquee rights (recently renewing the NBA and Formula 1 deals) as management views live sports as the driver for advertising and bundle value.
  • Why it matters: Disney’s pivot signals an emphasis on quality IP and sports to differentiate its streaming bundle – even if it means fewer total shows. The bet is that one Mandalorian or an exclusive NFL game can deliver more value than a dozen mediocre releases.

Hulu: Integration and Uncertain Future

• Content hubs merging — Hulu’s identity is blurring as Disney integrates Hulu into Disney+ (the “Hulu on Disney+” experience launched in the app). Hulu now serves as the adult/general-entertainment layer of Disney’s streaming bundle, rather than a standalone growth engine.
• Ownership endgame pending — Disney and Comcast’s arbitration over Hulu’s valuation is underway, with Comcast valuing Hulu at $40B vs. Disney’s ~$27.5B floor. A decision in 2025 will determine if Disney must pay billions extra.
  • Why it matters: Full Disney ownership could spur a strategic overhaul (or fold-in) of Hulu; a pricey buyout might pressure Disney to monetize Hulu’s content via licensing or increased ads.
• Slimmer originals slate — Hulu’s new content pipeline has narrowed to focus on sure bets. For 2025, only a handful of Hulu originals are on deck (e.g. The Bear S4, a few FX co-productions), as resources pivot to big franchises on Disney+ and theatrical films. Many lower-performing titles quietly exited the library in recent months.
• Mandate: retain subs via variety — Hulu remains the bundle’s outlet for edgier or adult fare (e.g. FX dramas, Hulu Originals) and next-day TV from ABC/Fox. The strategy is to reduce churn by offering content breadth within the Disney ecosystem. Yet without clarity on ownership, Hulu’s long-term original content mandate is in limbo.

Paramount+ / Showtime: Franchise Focus with Sports Hooks

• One service, unified strategy — Paramount fully merged Showtime into Paramount+, rebranding this year as “Paramount+ with Showtime”. This consolidation aims to create a single, scaled streamer with maximum pricing power – and eliminates overlap between the services.
• Franchises over one-offs — Under the new mandate, Paramount is leaning on franchise expansions (e.g. new Dexter and Billions spinoffs, Yellowstone universe content) instead of niche one-season shows. Several Showtime original series were canceled or scrapped during the merge to reallocate budget to high-impact IP.
• Doubling down on sports — Paramount’s leadership affirms that live sports are critical to its streaming appeal. The service streams NFL games (via CBS), UEFA Champions League soccer, March Madness, and more – content that “cuts through the clutter and regularly attracts mass audiences”. Why it matters: In a hyper-competitive market, sports keep Paramount+ subscribers engaged between original series releases.
• Cost discipline with growth — Paramount Global has been trimming costs (taking write-offs on underperforming titles and pursuing international licensing deals) but is still investing in areas that drive subscriber growth. Notably, it renewed key sports rights and is developing blockbuster films for theatrical release (with streaming debuts after) to feed Paramount+. The guiding mandate: big-event TV and IP synergy (from Top Gun to NFL) rather than volume.

Peacock (NBCU): Riding Live Sports to Scale

• Sports as the centerpiece — NBCUniversal calls sports a “critical piece” of Peacock’s strategy, touting that Peacock will stream 7,500+ hours of live sports in the next year – more live sports than Amazon, Paramount+, Hulu, Max, Apple TV+ and Netflix combined. Rights on Peacock span the NFL (Sunday Night Football), Premier League soccer, Big Ten football, WWE, the Olympics, and starting this fall, the NBA.
• NBA returns to NBC — In a major coup, NBCUniversal nabbed an NBA rights package starting with the 2025–26 season. Peacock will stream games with new interactive features (instant highlights, alternate views, etc.) to engage fans. NBCU’s CFO said bringing the NBA back is a “big moment” and will be used as a launch pad to further scale Peacock over the 11-year deal.
• Local sports added-on — Peacock launched in-market streaming for NBC Sports regional networks as a premium add-on. This lets subscribers stream local NBA, MLB, and NHL games (e.g. 76ers, Giants, Celtics) in their home market via Peacock, tapping into the regional sports market as RSNs struggle. Why it matters: It’s a bid to attract local fan bases and convert them into Peacock customers, filling a gap left by traditional cable.
• Narrowing losses, boosting subs — Comcast reported Peacock’s Q1 losses shrank to $215 million (from $639M a year prior) as the service added 5 million subs, crediting a new bundle and robust sports lineup. With the Olympics and NFL playoff games exclusively on Peacock next year, NBCU is confident sports will drive Peacock toward breakeven. The mandate is clear: lean into live events and tentpole sports to win share in the streaming race.

Apple TV+: Swinging for Sports Wins

• Aggressively pursuing rights — Apple is emerging as the frontrunner to nab more Major League Baseball games, reportedly outbidding NBC for a package of weekly MLB broadcasts. Industry sources indicate Apple’s bid (focused on coveted Sunday Night games) would expand on its current Friday Night Baseball deal, which already costs ~$85 million/year through 2028.
  • Why it matters: Apple sees premium live sports as a way to draw new subscribers into TV+ and its device ecosystem.
• Cornering global deals — Apple’s sports strategy prioritizes global rights. It secured a worldwide 10-year deal for Major League Soccer, making MLS Season Pass a centerpiece of Apple TV+. Conversely, Apple has shied away from partial or domestic-only deals – reportedly ruling itself out of bidding for UK Premier League rights because those lacked global exclusivity (Apple wants rights it can stream in all markets).
• Sports-themed originals — Beyond live games, Apple is infusing sports into its original content. This week it premiered “Stick,” a golf-themed scripted comedy starring Owen Wilson as a washed-up pro mentoring a young phenom. It’s a play reminiscent of Apple’s hit Ted Lasso, leveraging sports as a backdrop for character-driven storytelling. Apple is also developing high-profile sports documentaries (e.g. a Formula One film with Lewis Hamilton producing) and a biographical series on NBA legend Magic Johnson.
• Cinematic strategy intersecting sports — With Apple committing $1 billion+ annually to theatrical films, some projects have sports ties (Air, the 2023 Nike/Jordan movie, was an Apple Original). The service’s mandate is to build prestige and breadth – sports content is a key pillar alongside award-winning dramas and family fare, aimed at making Apple TV+ an indispensable part of the Apple One bundle.

Warner Bros. Discovery (Max): Scaling Back on Sports, Doubling on IP

• No rush for sports rights — “In the end, sports is a rental business,” WBD CEO David Zaslav said on last week’s earnings call, emphasizing that Warner would not chase expensive sports deals after dropping the NBA. He noted that while live sports can draw viewers, the company prefers investing in content it owns (he quipped that Harry Potter, DC, and Lord of the Rings are WBD’s equivalent of the NFL in terms of value).
• Post-NBA pivot — After decades on TNT, the NBA is exiting WBD in 2025, saving the company ~$2 billion/year in rights fees. WBD is filling the gap with cheaper sports: it picked up smaller packages like NASCAR races, the NHL, U.S. Soccer, and the French Open tennis to retain carriage fees for its cable networks. Ad execs admit losing the NBA could cost $1.1B in ad revenue next year, but the strategy has changed – WBD will “purchase cheaper sports rights” and focus on profitability over volume.
• Sports on Max… selectively — WBD did roll out a “Bleacher Report” sports add-on on Max last fall (streaming MLB playoffs, March Madness, etc.), but it has kept it free for now to entice subscribers. Zaslav has been cautious on making Max a sports-heavy platform, given the high costs. The company even partnered with rivals (Disney’s ESPN and Fox) on a joint venture sports streaming package (announced for late 2025) rather than go it alone.
• IP-centric mandate — WBD’s marching orders center on mining its rich library. The company just announced a decade-long Harry Potter series for Max and has multiple Game of Thrones spinoffs in the works. Zaslav explicitly called out franchise IP as “the future of WBD” versus leasing sports rights. Contradiction: Even so, WBD isn’t exiting sports completely – it recently renewed NCAA March Madness through 2032 (with CBS) and will use sports on TNT/TBS to support its brand. The difference is those deals are long-term partnerships, whereas Zaslav is loath to overpay in upcoming auctions (like college football playoffs or UFC rights).

Bottom line: From Netflix’s surprise foray into live events to Peacock’s full-court press on sports, streaming mandates are rapidly evolving. Most streamers now view sports as a silver bullet for engagement – a way to keep viewers in their walled gardens – while a few, like WBD, are betting on fantasy over football. Expect these strategies to continue diverging as rights costs rise and each platform plays to its strengths. The coming months (with marquee events like the Olympics, NFL season, and NCAA media negotiations) will test whose playbook wins out in the streaming arena.

This feature is powered by an exciting new technology we developed called Mandate Wizard. Think of it as your most knowledgeable, friendly assistant as you chart out your pitching strategy for a film, TV series of documentary. Mandate Wizard reads everything every day, discovering any "mandate" communicated (Bela Bejaria gives a speech or head of TV at Amazon talks about their shifting strategy) but it also detects inferred mandates (what they don't say out loud but communicate through commissioning, broader interviews, etc.) .

If that's not enough, we also fill it weekly with non-public mandate wisdom from our network of contacts and interactions. Soon, we'll roll out a trial version for our subscribers to try. Get in touch if you're interested: storysurveillance@projectbrazen.com. For now, we'll just share insights here and the Brazen Research team is available for any custom deep dives as well.

💅 The Vibes

This section explores what's happening in popular culture and what's taking off in social media, which has an impact on commissioning behavior and market receptiveness to projects with a certain tone or point of view.

CatholicCore Nostalgia ⛪

A surprising #CatholicCore trend sees Gen Z creators remixing Catholic aesthetics (incense, Latin Mass, rosaries) into modern digital culture. TikTok and Instagram are awash in lace veils, candlelit cathedrals and whispered prayers repackaged as moody “spiritual nostalgia” content. The vibe oscillates between reverence and irony – some youths earnestly crave ritual and meaning, while others embrace the aesthetic of faith as edgy nostalgia. Either way, sacred imagery has become a viral visual language, turning grandma’s religion into Gen Z’s gothic-chic mood board.

• Why it matters: Hints at Gen Z’s craving for mysticism – fertile ground for coming-of-age stories or horror satire.

Carnival Rizz Party 🎪

What happens when a Sweet 16 dance floor goes full cringe? A viral TikTok of teenage boys belting out Kanye West’s “Carnival” at a birthday party sparked a bizarre meme frenzy. Dubbed the “TikTok Rizz Party,” the clip spawned an elaborate lore: the internet assigned each hyped-up kid a role (“Blue Tie Kid” the alpha, “Tomato Boy” the hype man, etc.) and treated the video like a chaotic movie scene. Reactions swung between amused admiration and secondhand embarrassment – many viewers lampooned the boys’ earnest “last night was a movie” energy as peak Gen Alpha cringe. In turning a random teen moment into myth, this micro-drama blurs sincerity and satire.

• Why it matters: Primed for a cringe comedy or mockumentary exploring earnest youth culture and internet fame.

Sauna Raves 🔥

Why go clubbing at 2 AM when you can sweat to EDM at sunrise? An underground sauna rave movement is drawing zillennials to wellness spas for early-morning dance parties – no booze, just beats and eucalyptus steam. In New York, 160 people gathered at Othership (a chic sauna/ice-bath social club) for a sober Daybreaker rave at dawn. Similar spa-parties in London mix DJ sets with breathwork and mocktails, turning detox into the new nightlife. It’s equal parts self-care ritual and hedonism: a counterintuitive quest for community and euphoria minus the hangover.

• Why it matters: A surreal, wellness-tinged party scene offers fresh settings to explore youth disconnection and the hunger for real community.

IP Finds

📚 Books

This new version is focused on book deals announced very recently

• SHADOWMARKED – A midlife sorcerer-spy reunites with her cursed ex-lover to stop a lethal conspiracy in a magic-run MI6. Why it matters: Major deal signals a built-in trilogy of high-stakes magical espionage, ripe for a big-budget series. – June 5, 2025 | Empress Editions | (rep. Alisa Kennedy Jones) | Film/TV: Alisa Kennedy Jones
• DIPLOMAT SPY – Former CIA director William J. Burns relives clandestine missions across Ukraine, Gaza, Afghanistan and more, revealing the personal toll of espionage. Why it matters: A real-life spy chief’s memoir with global stakes offers prestige TV potential (think The Americans meets Homeland). – June 3, 2025 | Random House | Gail Ross (WME) | Film/TV rights available
• EVASION – A betrayed operative races to expose high-level corruption weaponizing AI before it manipulates the world’s power balance. Why it matters: Timely tech paranoia and globe-trotting action could translate into a fast-paced thriller franchise. – May 30, 2025 | Blackstone Publishing | Jake Lovell | Film/TV: Jake Lovell (Sandra Dijkstra Agency)
• ANY MEANS NECESSARY – Burned out from the ER, a nurse takes a job with a dangerous “fixer,” only to become entangled in his violent world—and an undeniable attraction. Why it matters: Romantic-suspense setup blends high emotion and high stakes, a proven recipe for addictive streaming content. – June 4, 2025 | Emily Bestler Books (Atria) | Jill Marr | Film/TV: Andrea Cavallaro (Sandra Dijkstra Agency)
• SLAYER/SAINT – In a Puerto Rican-inspired fantasy, a young monster slayer wields a lost holy sword to break an island’s ancient curse before it consumes her home. Why it matters: A fresh cultural twist on epic fantasy that could enchant YA audiences and beyond with its hero’s journey. – June 4, 2025 | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) | Victoria Marini | Film/TV rights available
• RATIONAL CREATURES – A bold retelling of Persuasion: a trans man must win back his lost love without revealing the secret of his identity. Why it matters: Austen meets modern LGBTQ+ romance in a concept brimming with heartfelt drama and update-worthy IP appeal. – May 30, 2025 | Sourcebooks Casablanca | Lara Perkins | Film/TV: Taryn Fagerness
• BERNIE – Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein chronicles Bernie Sanders’s journey and the rise of an American socialist movement igniting populist outrage at the elite. Why it matters: Political biography with documentary vibes—an unscripted adaptation could capture a fervent base and a pivotal moment in U.S. politics. – June 4, 2025 | Metropolitan Books | Isabel Mendia | Film/TV rights available
• THE CLEOPATRA CODE – A brilliant codebreaker in 1915 discovers Cleopatra’s lost secrets hold the key to cracking enemy ciphers and ending the Great War. Why it matters: Ancient intrigue meets wartime thriller in an adventure built for the big screen – complete with a top film agent already on the case. – June 4, 2025 | Ballantine (Random House) | Kevan Lyon | Film/TV: Lucy Stille
• INHERITANCE – In a near-future dystopia, young women are conscripted as surrogates for the ultra-wealthy, until one recruit dares to rebel against the system. Why it matters: NYT-bestselling author pivots to a dark, high-concept tale echoing The Handmaid’s Tale – prime territory for a provocative series. – June 5, 2025 | William Morrow | Thao Le | Film/TV: Andrea Cavallaro (Sandra Dijkstra Agency)
• THE BANGBANG BOYS – Amid Manila’s brutal war on drugs, the young staff of a gay massage parlor and their tough-love matron fight to survive in a world of vice and violence. Why it matters: Gritty crime drama pitched as Rent Boy × Age of Vice promises an unflinching, polyphonic saga with premium-series potential. – June 5, 2025 | MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux | Eloy Bleifuss | Film/TV: Devon Mazzone (FSG)

🎧 Podcasts

UNTESTED (2025) – Amid a backlog of ignored evidence, a detective brings listeners along as she doggedly tracks a serial sexual predator who slipped through the cracks.

Tape-recorded interrogations and a cross-state manhunt give Untested a tense, brooding pulse. USA TODAY’s Gina Barton unfolds the case in real time, from a dusty Michigan evidence room to a final showdown in Georgia. Think Mindhunter meets Unbelievable: institutional neglect breeding a nightmare, and one cop with the grit to stop it. Each episode ends with another frayed clue surfacing from storage, begging for justice long delayed.

Rights: No option chatter yet. IP with USA TODAY/Witness (Gannett); inquiries via USA TODAY media relations.

FINAL THOUGHTS: JERRY SPRINGER (2025) – An Audible original retracing the astonishing journey of a Jewish refugee-turned-Ohio politician who morphed into daytime TV’s infamous ringmaster of chaos.

Leon Neyfakh’s nine-part series plays like a fallen-angel noir. It opens on Springer's early idealism in Cincinnati’s city hall before descending into the chair-throwing circus that made his name. The narrative relishes Springer’s contradictions – the “godfather of trash TV” who was also sharp-minded and politically earnest. Interviews with family, aides, and producers lend a Citizen Kane-style gravitas to the rise-and-fall tale. It’s equal parts civic drama and tabloid spectacle, charting how ambition and compromise blurred the line between public service and lurid fame.

Rights: Unoptioned. Owned by Audible/Prologue Projects; for rights inquiries, contact Audible Studios or Prologue Projects (Leon Neyfakh’s team).

MISSING IN THE AMAZON (2025) – A six-part investigation from The Guardian uncovers the full, untold story behind the 2022 disappearance of journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous defender Bruno Pereira in Brazil’s remote Javari Valley.

This series unfolds with the urgency of a jungle thriller and the conscience of investigative journalism. Guardian reporter Tom Phillips spent three years on the ground (boats, bush planes, and wary village meetings) to trace how two idealists vanished while exposing Amazon corruption.

Missing in the Amazon balances edge-of-your-seat mystery with a eulogy for what Dom and Bruno died defending – an ecosystem and its people under siege. The result is Heart of Darkness by way of Spotlight, complete with heart-stopping confrontations and revelations that echo long after the final episode.
Rights: No known option. IP with Guardian News & Media; contact via media.enquiries@theguardian.com for rights and licensing.

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