TV Execs Predict How Streaming Will Shake Out in 2020: ‘It Will Be Like ‘The Hangover”

by | January 21, 2020 @ 1:52 PM

From “Peak TV” to “Peak Streaming” with three more newcomers following Apple and Disney

If you thought that 2019 was a big year for streaming, just wait until you see what 2020 has in store.

Following a year that saw Apple and Disney launch their own streaming offerings in an attempt to take some of the growing market that Netflix has made its dominion, this year will see three more major services enter the field.

NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia will come to the streaming market with two very different offerings. On April 15, NBCU will launch Peacock, which will be primarily supported by advertising and feature live TV elements. A month later, WarnerMedia will debut HBO Max, which rolls up HBO, Warner Bros. and Turner into one, big-tent offering. But before any of those come will be perhaps the most unique offering: Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Quibi, a mobile-only service that doles out content in quick, short (only a few minutes or more) bites. Quibi (short of “Quick Bites”) will become available on April 6.

During the Television Critics Association press tour over the last two weeks, TheWrap polled multiple television executives to get their take on where the streaming industry will find itself at the end of 2020. Below are their answers, edited for clarity:

Also Read: FX Chief on Hulu Partnership and Why Streaming Will Lead to an 'Overwhelming Amount of Content'

John Landgraf, chairman, FX Networks and FX Productions:

I wish I knew. I could make a lot of money if I knew the answer to that question.

It’s a lot of major investment in streaming services. Even if we don’t include Pluto or something like that, you just described 8 streaming services [including Hulu, Netflix and Amazon]. That’s a lot of programming. Probably they won’t all work. Probably some of them will. I think it’s going to be an overwhelming amount of content for the consumer. I think it’s arguably more content than the consumer needs. You could produce more content than the consumer needs for quite a long period of time. But eventually, there will be some rationalization between what the consumer can actually watch and consume and what’s being made.

Gary Levine, president of entertainment, Showtime Networks:

It’ll be “Peak Streaming” instead of “Peak TV.” We try not to worry about the battle of the giants and really want to be your plus one. Wherever you go, add Showtime. We’re happy to be that, and let them battle it out for world domination.

Also Read: NBCUniversal's Peacock Wants to Make Advertisers Part of the Streaming Era

Casey Bloys, programming president, HBO:

You’re seeing the streaming services align. You’ve got Disney, and Netflix and Amazon and WarnerMedia and Peacock. Consumers will be interacting with them and evaluating their offerings. Their personalities, their value propositions and all the other things will be better known by the end of this year.

Katherine Pope, head of originals, Spectrum Originals:

We’ll all collectively have a hangover. We have a too-many-shows hangover. Who’s paying the tab? It will be like “The Hangover,” where we’ll have to piece together everything that happened over the last year, and somebody will have to throw the mattress off the roof. It’s all anticipation and it’s all, “OK, we’re going to get this many subscribers by this year, and we’re making this many shows by this time.” I think there will be corrections in what’s going on. It’s just not sustainable.

Jennifer Maas contributed to this story.

Winter TV 2020: Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows (Photos)

  • winter premiere dates 2020 ABC/AMC/NBC/Netflix
  • Netflix
  • Say Yes to the Dress America TLC
  • Sister Wives TLC
  • Luke on 'Naked and Afraid: Alone' Discovery Channel
  • America's Got Talent: The Champions - Season 1 NBC
  • "The Bachelor" Peter Weber ABC
  • Love and Hip Hop Miami VH1
  • Manifest - NBC NBC
  • Ellen's Game of Games - Season 2 NBC
  • James Holzhauer Jeopardy Tournament of Champions ABC
  • Wild 'N Out Nick Cannon VH1
  • Gordon Ramsay's '24 Hours to Hell and Back' Fox
  • the haves and the have nots season 2 premiere ratings OWN
  • Schitt's Creek Pop TV
  • Vanderpump Rules - Season 7 Bravo
  • CBS
  • Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist - Season 1 NBC
  • Netflix
  • Undercover Boss CBS
  • Catfish MTV MTV
  • Criminal Minds CBS
  • curt menefee america's top dog A&E
  • Party of Five Freeform
  • Netflix
  • AJ AND THE QUEEN Netflix
  • Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt For The Bone Collector - Season 1 NBC
  • Jason Bateman The Outsider HBO
  • New Pope HBO
  • Grace And Frankie Netflix
  • Syfy
  • 68 Whiskey Paramount Network
  • CNBC
  • Killer Inside The Mind of Aaron Hernandez Netflix
  • grownish Freeform
  • Everythings Gonna be Okay Freeform
  • Apple TV+
  • Diary of a Future President Disney+
  • Sex Education Gillian Anderson Netflix
  • BBC America
  • Avenue 5 HBO
  • 911 Lone Star Fox
  • HBO
  • Nat Geo
  • Home Town HGTV
  • Legends of Tomorrow The CW
  • Project Blue Book History
  • Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens Comedy Central
  • CBS All Access
  • Station 19 ABC
  • OUTMATCHED Fox
  • The Bold Type Freeform
  • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Netflix
  • Netflix
  • Hulu
  • Netflix
  • Showtime
  • Our Cartoon President - Showtime Showtime
  • YouTube
  • USA Network
  • Miracle Workers_ Dark Ages TBS
  • NEXT IN FASHION Netflix
  • Miz and Mrs - Season 1 USA Network
  • The Stranger Netflix
  • bojack horseman season 5 trailer Netflix
  • Ted Bundy Falling for a Killer Amazon Prime Video
  • ragnarok Netflix
  • Masked Singer Season 3 Fox
  • Spectrum
  • McMillion$ HBO
  • Desus and Mero Showtime
  • Will Arnett Getty
  • CBS All Access CBS All Access
  • Katy Keene The CW
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 6 NBC
  • USA Network
  • Indebted - Season Pilot NBC
  • Edie Falco Tommy CBS
  • USA Network
  • Mythic Quest Apple TV+
  • Locke and Key Netflix
  • MacGyver CBS
  • high maintenance HBO
  • Showtime
  • Showtime Showtime
  • OWN
  • ABC's 'For Life' ABC
  • Survivor CBS
  • The Soup Jade Catta-Preta E!
  • Narcos: Mexico Diego Luna Netflix
  • Love Is Blind Netflix
  • High Fidelity Hulu
  • Hulu
  • Ellen DeGeneres in 'Visible: Out on Television' Apple TV+
  • Outlander Season 5 Starz
  • American Idol ABC
  • Duncanville Fox
  • Extreme Makeover Home Edition HGTV HGTV
  • NBC
  • John Oliver on 'Last Week Tonight' HBO
  • Sacred Lies Facebook Watch
  • The Chef Show Netflix
  • Gentefied Netflix
  • Amazon Prime Video
  • Better Call Saul AMC
  • The Voice - Season 17 NBC
  • Little Big Shots - Season 4 NBC
  • Sophia Lillis I Am Not Okay With This trailer Netflix
  • Altered Carbon Netflix
  • MTV
  • RuPaul's Drag Race Vh1
  • AMC
  • Breeders FX
  • Twenties BET BET
  • The Deed: Chicago - Season 2 CNBC
  • Dave FXX
  • Castlevania Netflix
  • DEVS -- Pictured: Nick Offerman as Forest. CR: Miya Mizuno/FX FX
  • Better Things FX
  • Cake FX FXX
  • Amazing Stories Apple TV+
  • Hillary Hulu Hulu
  • The Most Dangerous Animal of All FX
  • ride with norman reedus AMC
  • Neil DeGrasse Tyson Cosmos Nat Geo
  • Council of Dads NBC
  • On My Block Netflix
  • Elite Netflix Netflix
  • Flack Pop TV
  • The Wall Chris Hardwick NBC
  • HBO
  • Don Cheadle in Black Monday Showtime
  • Pilot The CW
  • The Plot Against America HBO
  • My Brilliant Friend HBO
  • Motherland Fort Salem Freeform
  • Hulu
  • Hank Azaria in 'Brockmire' IFC
1 of 138

Here’s when 137 broadcast, cable and streaming series debut and come back

Winter is well underway and with it, naturally, comes the Winter TV season. In honor of the colder months and their small-screen offerings, TheWrap has rounded up the premiere dates for not just the new and returning shows on Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and The CW, but also the ones for the eagerly anticipated series hitting cable channels and streaming services this winter. Click through our gallery to find out when your favorite winter shows will be back and when your possible new favorites will debut.

Also Read: Why Netflix Is Betting You’ll Want ‘The Witcher’ Season 2 – Before You’ve Seen Season 1

View In Gallery

Tim Baysinger

Tim Baysinger

TV Reporter • [email protected] • Twitter: @tim_bays

[ YOU MAY ALSO LIKE ]

Dummy screening panel

‘Dummy’ Creator Cody Heller on Working With ‘Unwieldy,’ ‘Diva’-Like Sex Dolls for Anna Kendrick Quibi Comedy (Video)
chris ender cbs

Chris Ender to Lead Communications for CBS Entertainment Group
mark zuckerberg facebook

Facebook Ad Boycott Ushers in a ‘New Era’ of ‘Corporate Activism’
san diego comic con 2020 comic con at home

San Diego Comic-Con at Home: Here Are All the Must-See Virtual Panels and Screenings

Sony Pictures TV Co-President Chris Parnell to Leave for Senior Programming Role at Apple TV
Lovecraft Country

HBO Sets Premiere Date for ‘Lovecraft Country’ From Misha Green, JJ Abrams and Jordan Peele

‘Mad Men’ Picks Streaming Platforms, Will Put Disclaimer Before Season 3 Episode With Blackface Scene
Beavis and Butthead MTV classic

‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ Reboot Headed to Comedy Central With 2-Season Order

Peacock Inks Licensing Deal With ViacomCBS Ahead of Nationwide Launch
Hamilton

Disney+ in July: Here’s Everything New Coming
Parasite Best Picture Oscars

Oscars Academy Nails Diversity Goals for Membership, Eligibility Rules Could Be Next
Harriet

HBO Max in July: Here’s Everything Coming and Going
KEEP READING..

The news
you need now,
more than ever.

See Subscription Options

Already a member? Login

Please upgrade to WrapPRO to view this article.

LIMITED TIME - Sign up for WrapPRO for 70% off

Try PRO today
FOR FREE