Now Streaming: Kimmel returns to the air as Disney+ prices go up

“Now Streaming” is The Fly’s weekly recap of the stories surrounding the biggest content streamers.

PLAYING THIS WEEKEND: Among the new streaming content this weekend is the new season of Apple TV+ (AAPL) British spy thriller series “Slow Horses,” starring Gary Oldman. Meanwhile, Netflix (NFLX) subscribers can catch Irish historical drama series “House of Guinness,” while Amazon Prime (AMZN) users can watch limited action drama series “Hostel Costiera,” starring Jesse Williams. Additionally, Disney+ (DIS) subscribers can stream animated superhero series “Marvel Zombies.”

KIMMEL: Following the suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last week, Disney said on Monday that the show would return to the air on Tuesday, ending a suspension imposed following remarks made by the host about the assassination of Republican activist Charlie Kirk. “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” the company is quoted by Bloomberg as having said.

Though ABC would air the show, Sinclair (SBGI) and Nexstar (NXST) are still pre-empting it, with Nexstar going as far as saying it stands by the decision ” pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”

Meanwhile, President Trump posted on Truth Social after Kimmel’s return that ABC had told the White House that the show was “cancelled,” though he did not provide proof of such an assurance. “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars,” the president continued. “This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”

Additionally, several investors in Disney have requested that the company share documents regarding its decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s shows last week, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a letter to the media giant by lawyers for the American Federation of Teachers, U.S. labor federation AFL-CIO, and Reporters Without Borders. The demand is looking to investigate potential wrongdoing, mismanagement and fiduciary breaches by Disney’s board and leadership. “There is a credible basis to suspect that the board and executives may have breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty, care, and good faith by placing improper political or affiliate considerations above” Disney and its shareholders’ best interests, the letter said.

Of note, all the commotion around the late night show’s suspension and return to airwaves comes as Disney again raised prices for its Disney+ subscriptions, according to The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed. The standalone plan with ads will increase by $2 to $11.99 per month, the Disney Plus Premium plan will increase by $3 to $18.99 per month, and the annual subscription will go up by $30 to $189.99 per year.

AMAZON/FTC: The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement against Amazon.com and its Senior Vice President Neil Lindsay and Vice President Jamil Ghani. The order settles allegations that Amazon “enrolled millions of consumers in Prime subscriptions without their consent, and knowingly made it difficult for consumers to cancel,” the agency said in a statement Amazon will be required to pay a $1B civil penalty, provide $1.5B in refunds back to consumers harmed by its “deceptive” Prime enrollment practices, and cease unlawful enrollment and cancellation practices for Prime, according to the Justice Department.

In response, Amazon said, “Amazon and our executives have always followed the law and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers. We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership, and to offer substantial value for our many millions of loyal Prime members around the world. We will continue to do so, and look forward to what we’ll deliver for Prime members in the coming years.”

PARAMOUNT/WARNER BROS.: Paramount Skydance (PSKY) hasn’t yet made a formal offer for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), with concerns a buyout offer could be used by Warner CEO David Zaslav to shop the company to other potential suitors, Charles Gasparino wrote for The New York Post’s “On the Money.” Sources close to Skydance tell The Post that the Ellisons and their partners at Redbird Capital are worried about how best to approach Zaslav, as they are “keenly aware” he wants a bidding war, and do not want to do a hostile bid for Warner. Skydance could possibly reach out to John Malone to “plead their case” to Zaslav, but it is unclear whether Malone would or would attempt to persuade Zaslav to accept Ellison’s offer because Malone, a major shareholder of Warner Bros. through Liberty Media (LMCA), benefits from a bidding war, Gasparino says. People with knowledge of the matter say that the official approach to Zaslav could come either later this week or much farther down the road.

Following the report, KeyBanc downgraded Warner Bros. Discovery to Sector Weight from Overweight without a price target. The firm said it has no way of knowing if a deal with Paramount Skydance will ultimately materialize. KeyBanc is “nervous” from reports suggesting Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav wants $40 per share and a bidding war. The firm likes Warner’s fundamental improvement story, but sees likely downside for the stock if a deal fails to materialize. The stock’s valuation has “gotten ahead of the fundamentals,” the analyst told investors in a research note.

NETFLIX/AB INBEV: AB InBev (BUD) and Netflix announced a global partnership. Through its global brand portfolio, AB InBev will collaborate with Netflix on co-marketing campaigns that will come to life across a variety of Netflix’s most popular global and regional titles like “The Gentlemen” from the UK, “Brasil 70 – A Saga do Tri” from Brazil, “Culinary Class Wars” from South Korea among others. The partnership will include consumer activations, title integrations, limited-edition packaging, digital promotions, and more. Netflix and AB InBev will also partner on co-branded campaigns around Netflix live events. In Mexico, Cerveza Victoria was recently a presenting sponsor for the Canelo vs. Crawford matchup. AB InBev will also advertise during Netflix’s 2025 live NFL Christmas Game Day 2025. The companies will also collaborate on some of the world’s biggest events like the 2027 Women’s World Cup on Netflix.

MLB OPENING DAY: As part of the new three-year agreement between the MLB and Netflix, the Yankees’ March 25 opener at San Francisco will be Netflix’s first exclusive stream to begin the 2026 season, sources told The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. The primetime matchup will be the day’s only game and the rest of the league will open play the next day, the report said.

NBCU/YOUTUBE: NBCUniversal (CMCSA) has cautioned YouTube TV (GOOGL) subscribers that its programming could soon go dark on the platform amid a spat over carriage fees and terms, Deadline’s Dade Hayes reported Friday, citing an NBCU spokesperson. The tech giant “already controls what Americans see online through search and ads – now it wants to control what we watch. YouTube TV has refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace – all under the false pretense of fighting for the consumer,” the spokesperson said.

STOCK PLAYS: Other publicly traded companies in the space include Fox Corporation (FOX), AMC Networks (AMCX), Roku (ROKU), and FuboTV (FUBO).