Chapek's Playbook, Netflix vs. ESPN, and Pelosi's Insider Edge 

Happy Friday, dear reader. Thanks as always for subscribing, and welcome back to The Daily Courant. Here's what's new at Puck:

First up, Matt Belloni reports on the Disney memo that has Hollywood talking and the ferocious strategic logic at the heart of Bob Chapek's pivot to "focusing on audience" (hint: it's not really about the audience). 

Then, below the fold, Dylan Byers examines whether Netflix is trying to steal ESPN’s playbook. Alex Kantrowitz considers the sordid Washington pastime behind Nancy Pelosi's millions. And Teddy Schleifer guest hosts an action-packed new episode of The Powers That Be—available on Apple and Spotify.

Disney’s Bob Chapek Only Has One Pillar

Chapek’s “relentless focus on our audience” is generating a lot of chatter, but the C.E.O. isn’t particularly compassionate about the customer. It’s about establishing streaming as a new and viable business model—and ensuring that Chapek keeps his job.

Two emails arrived this week that fit nicely together. First was a Disney tipster lamenting that three smart executives in its Streaming Services unit had resigned in the wake of chief technology officer Joe Inzerillo bailing for SiriusXM. Inzerillo was an architect of Disney+ and the company’s other streaming products, so the exits, which a Disney rep confirmed to me today, will sting a bit as the company faces extreme pressure to grow subscribers fast.

Second was the “three pillars” memo that C.E.O. Bob Chapek sent on Monday, outlining his priorities now that his predecessor, Bob Iger, is finally gone. The first two pillars were lifted from the media leader playbook. Everyone touts “storytelling excellence” (which, to Chapek, apparently means an additional meeting added to the calendars of creative executives, because, as everyone knows, more meetings is exactly what creatives love); and “innovation,” which allowed Chapek to use the word “metaverse” without explaining what that means to him or to Disney. 

It’s the third pillar, “Relentless focus on our audience,” that has been generating a lot of chatter within the company and around town. “We must evolve with our audience, not work against them,” Chapek wrote. “And so we will put them at the center of every decision we make.” That’s Bob telling Pixar employees (and everyone else) to stop bitching about becoming the company’s direct-to-video unit, the latest example being Turning Red (March 10). He’s implicitly defending the Scarlett Johansson blowup, arguing that Marvel fans liked being able to pay to watch Black Widow at home, even if ScarJo made less money. And he’s justifying the company reorganization that put a non-content executive, Kareem Daniel, in charge of content distribution. The customer doesn’t care what experienced creative leaders like Peter Rice or Dana Walden think will work on ABC or Freeform or Hulu, so why should Disney?    

That’s fine; everyone knows streaming is Disney’s priority now. But this strategy isn’t the focus because Chapek is particularly compassionate about the plight of the audience...

FOUR STORIES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT