Bruce Springsteen, John Legend and Foo Fighters are among the acts who will perform in Celebrating America, the Jan. 20 primetime event celebrating the inauguration of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President. ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC and PBS will air the event. 

Tom Hanks hosts the two-hour special. Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington will introduce segments. Biden and Harris will speak. 

Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons and Jon Bon Jovi will also perform from what the organizers call “iconic locations across the country.”

Celebrating America “will showcase the American people’s resilience, heroism and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild,” according to the Presidential Inaugural Committee. 

WalMart Eyes Netflix Clone

TWIN: According to website The Information, Walmart is plotting to create a streaming video service to rival Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu, targeted at the Midwest and priced at just $8 per month.

MCN Take: Walmart has already has a streaming video service – video on demand platform Vudu, which it bought in 2010 – that hasn’t really caught on with customers. The Information says the idea is still in its infancy and could be shelved yet again – it had toyed with offers a streaming video service in 2017 but abandoned those plans. The retailer also is said to be considering an ad-supported streaming service.

See the full story at The Information.

Netflix Shares Dive After Missing Subscriber Targets

TWIN: Netflix shares fell 13% in after-hours trading July 16 after the company reported U.S. subscriber gains of 670,000 and international customer growth of 4.47 million, well below targets.

MCN Take: Netflix had predicted it would add 1.2 million domestic customers and 5 million international subscribers. The streaming giant blamed the shortfall on over-forecasting rather than a fundamental problem.

See the full story at MarketWatch.

Netflix, Sirius XM Partner on Comedy Channel

TWIN: The satellite radio channel, tentatively called Netflix is a Joke, is expected to debut in January 2019 and marks the first time the streaming giant has pursued an audio-only channel.

MCN Take: Sirius XM said in a blog post that the channel would include material from Netflix’s own stand-up comedy catalog, comedy talk shows and original programming.

See the full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Research: 30% of Netflix Customers Subscribe to Premium Service

TWIN: Parks Associates said in a recent research report that 30% of Netflix customers subscribe to its premium tier, up from 21% in late 2017 and despite a price increase in October.

MCN Take: At the same time, uptake for its lowest-price basic offering ($7.99 per month) has fallen from 35% to 27%. While the $10.99 per month standard package, which offers 2 streams and HD-quality video, is most popular, Parks said the pricier premium tier ($13.99) per month is gaining steam because it offers more simultaneous streams (4) than the other offerings and is higher quality – Ultra HD compared standard definition for the basic tier.

See the full story at Multichannel News.

Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway Show to Become Netflix Special

TWIN: Fans of The Boss on the Great White Way unable to secure a ticket need merely to wait until Dec. 15, when Springsteen on Broadway makes its debut as a Netflix special.

[embed]https://twitter.com/springsteen/status/1020037842565812224[/embed]

MCN Take: Dec. 15 is the date of the final on-stage performance of “Springsteen on Broadway.” The singer-songwriter invited a private audience for two extra performances last week – July 17 and July 18 – which were recorded for the special. “Springsteen on Broadway” has been running at the Walter Kerr Theater since October.

See the full story at The New York Times.

Netflix will stream Grammy Award-winning singer Bruce Springsteen’s one-man show, Springsteen on Broadway, this December, the streaming service said Wednesday (July 18).

The special will run Dec. 15, which coincides with the final night of the show’s 236 sold-out performances on Broadway. Springsteen on Broadway is a solo acoustic performance written and performed by the Tony Award, Academy Award and Grammy Award winner, according to Netflix.

“We are thrilled to bring Bruce Springsteen -- a master storyteller, humanitarian and voice of the everyman -- to Netflix in this historic one man show, said Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer in a statement. “This groundbreaking experience defies the boundaries of theater, concerts and film and will give our global audience an intimate look at one of the biggest cultural icons of our time.” 

HBO will telecast a live concert to honor military veterans on Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11).

The inaugural Concert For Valor concert, hosted by HBO and coffee company Starbucks, will honor the courage and sacrifice of America’s veterans and their families, the network said. The concert, which will take place on the National Mall in Washington D.C. and will look to raise awareness for veterans service organizations, will feature performances from such stars as Eminem, Jamie Foxx, Dave Grohl, Metallica, John Oliver, Rihanna (pictured), Bruce Springsteen, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band, as well as special appearances by Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

HBO will open its feed to affiliates to allow non-HBO subscribers to view the special, said network officials.

“We are honored to play a small role to help raise awareness and support for our service men and women,” said  HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler in a statement. “Their immeasurable sacrifice deserves our nation’s gratitude. This event will not only celebrate their service, but help remind Americans of the many challenges they face on and off the battlefield. We are delighted to join with Starbucks in our mutual effort to pay tribute to our veterans and those currently serving in the military.”

Entertainment legend Barbara Streisand will get her own SiriusXM Satellite Radio channel this Friday, appropriately named The Barbra Streisand Channel, which will exclusively feature the works of the Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and Tony award-winning artist.

The limited-run channel will launch on Sept. 12 at 5:00 pm ET and will run through Friday, Oct. 10, via satellite on Sirius channel 69 and XM channel 73. The Barbra Streisand Channel will also be available online on channel 69 and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App.

Sirius XM is controlled by Liberty Media.

The channel will feature music spanning Streisand's legendary career, from her 1963 debut through her newest album, Partners, scheduled to be released on Sept. 16. The channel will be fully dedicated to Barbra Streisand's extensive body of work and will include selections from her live and studio recordings. The channel will also include Streisand's personal song selections from her catalog, spanning 50 years.

The Barbra Streisand Channel will also feature an exclusive "Town Hall" special with the entertainer. Streisand will sit down for a Q&A session with a select group of listeners in the SiriusXM studios in New York. Moderated by her longtime colleague, music industry executive Jay Landers, "SiriusXM's Town Hall with Barbra Streisand" will air on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 12:00 pm ET on The Barbra Streisand Channel.

"Barbra Streisand is an artist who is the very definition of the word icon.  Her original voice, songwriting, performances, and life's work has made her a universal star and humanitarian leader. Along the way she has created some of the best-selling albums of all time, as well as being an award winning actress known for her work on stage, film and TV.  Our exclusive channel celebrating Ms. Streisand is a truly comprehensive and deep dive into the music of one of the world's most important artists ever," said Sirius XM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein in a statement. "We are looking forward to welcoming Ms. Streisand to our studios to be a part of our 'Town Hall' series and discuss her new album with her fans."

After the broadcast, "SiriusXM's Town Hall with Barbra Streisand" will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers listening via the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other mobile devices or online at siriusxm.com.

"SiriusXM's Town Hall with Barbra Streisand" is part of SiriusXM's "Town Hall" series, featuring iconic entertainers and figures sitting down with studio audiences of SiriusXM listeners. Previous SiriusXM "Town Hall" specials have featured Bruce Springsteen, Billy Crystal, Roger Waters, Robin Williams, Quentin Tarantino, Willie Nelson, Billy Joel, Cher, KISS, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Ringo Starr, Taylor Swift, Hugh Jackman, the surviving members of Nirvana, Gregg Allman, Usher and Tony Hawk.

The Barbra Streisand Channel is another example of channels created by SiriusXM with iconic and prominent artists. Past channels have included Bruce Springsteen's E Street Radio, Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville, Willie Nelson's Willie's Roadhouse, The Pink Floyd Channel, B.B. King's Bluesville, Elvis Radio, Siriusly Sinatra, Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzy's Boneyard, Pearl Jam Radio, Eminem's Shade 45,Tiesto's Club Life Radio and Neil Diamond Radio.

Sirius XM is controlled by Liberty Media.