Charter to shut down Spectrum Originals

- Kerry Flynn, author ofAxios Pro: Media Deals

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Charter Communications plans to shut down Spectrum Originals, its scripted content division, Deadline reports.
Why it matters: Telecoms are continuing to evolve their businesses as cord-cutting and other streaming services compete for subscribers.
Details: The shutdown comes as Katherine Pope, who launched the original division in 2018, is leaving to become president of Sony Pictures Television Studios.
- The division's shows included "LA's Finest," starring Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union, and the revival of "Mad About You."
- When Spectrum Originals launched, YouTube and Facebook also were invested in high-end scripted originals. But both of those companies have stepped back from that expensive endeavor, Deadline notes.
What's next: "[T]he May announcement of Comcast and Charter's joint venture to expand the reach of Flex signals a potential strategic shift for the cable giants to become a dominant aggregator of streaming video, competing against the likes of Roku, Amazon, Samsung and other streaming distribution companies," Deadline's Nellie Andreeva writes.