FirePuppy

I confidently know that Hasbro no longer providing Discovery Family with new content as of 2021, according to page 108 of the company's annual report for that year. However, the #1 user of the My Little Pony Wiki, ImperfectXIII, is still despising this. I was told that my edits on the MLP Wiki just suggested a speculative correlation between the report and the clip show episodes not appearing on U.S. television., and that the source I provided was not a valid source of proof to that point.

https://mlp.fandom.com/wiki/User_talk:FirePuppy#Concerning_Hasbro_and_"Friendship_is_Forever"

Which again makes me wonder, are the "Friendship is Forever" clip shows ever going to be released anywhere in the US?

As of today, Hasbro is starting to take down MLP videos from YouTube, as seen here:

Which proves why Props Valroa is wrong, wrong, wrong! about YouTube being the best place for My Little Pony content, as of now.

On 2024-02-11 at 3:39 PM, Props Valroa said:

MLP G4 videos and episodes have millions of views, so it is far from a "Bad" place for the show to be displayed.

Youtube I believe is the best place for MLP content. 

Unfortunately, as of today, that is NO LONGER true, because look at this:

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2024/04/hasbros-legal-team-is-back-on-youtube.html

It even says "Copyright 2023 Hasbro Studios LLC" on the credits. Hasbro's current revenues might be a reason why everything is taking longer to release than usual after finishing production.

After doing some research and spectulation, I found a possible reason as to why we lost most G4 content from Netflix.

According to some of the 10-K forms from recent years, Hasbro stated:

"The entertainment industry experiences frequent change driven by technological development, including developments with respect to the formats through which films, television programming, other episodic content and recorded music are delivered to consumers. With rapid technological changes and dramatically expanded digital content offerings, the scale and scope of these changes have accelerated in recent years. For example, consumers are increasingly accessing television, film and other episodic content on streaming and digital content networks, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+ and Apple TV+.

We may also lose opportunities to capitalize on changing market dynamics, technological innovations or consumer tastes if we do not adapt our content offerings or distribution capabilities in a timely manner. The overall effect that technological development and new digital distribution platforms have on the revenue and profits we derive from our entertainment content, and the additional costs associated with changing markets, media platforms and technologies, is unpredictable. If we fail to accurately assess and effectively respond to changes in technology and consumer behavior in the entertainment industry, our business may be harmed."

On top of this, during the fourth quarter of 2021, Hasbro recorded an impairment loss of $74.1 million associated with their investment in the Discovery Family Channel, as the network did turn out to be not successful as they thought. This is what I believe led to the company demanding Netflix to remove all G4 content from streaming, and renewing their contract with the network through March 31, 2025 by the original end of the option agreement.

What are your thoughts about this theory?

5 hours ago, Starlight Serenade said:

I hope they don't renew their contract again, I would like for people to have more access to watch MLP.

Same here. G4 does not belong on Discovery Family anymore IMO. But the only thing that can decide all that is the next 10-K form from Hasbro that will be posted in late February 2025. It's also stated that Hasbro is not willing to strengthen/develop the option to acquire their 40% of Discovery Family for 2024.

6 hours ago, Starlight Serenade said:

It could still post within the next week or so. Also, when did this info come out? I remember seeing this a while back, but was this after the writer's strike last year? If not, that could have made some leftover production delays as there are some animated shows still in hiatus/specials delayed from last year.

There's only today and tomorrow left before April starts. Odds are, the first longer-form special still won't be released within these days, under current statistics.

Apparently, Hasbro's proposed plans for this month did not go well as planned, seeing as though all we got this month were two short episodes and nothing else. Which means the "March Longer Form Special" has been delayed to anywhere between April and June 2024, and it's also obvious that G5's linear and AVOD release has been canceled, since today's kids clearly don't watch linear TV. And finally, we're no longer getting new episodes weekly throughout 2024 now, hence the 3-weeks-or-more hiatus we're in.

And there's more. You can use a VPN on this site if you wish, as the UK has Best Gift Ever on there.

I never thought this was going to happen, but the entire series -- yes, all nine seasons -- are now streaming on KiDoodleTV. If you have the app, you can now watch the show free of charge by clicking on the link below, if YouTube is not an option:

https://www.kidoodle.tv/1576/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic

Now all that's left to get on there are Best Gift Ever (hopefully in 8-9 months) and Pony Life.

So, I guess this means no need for this show on Netflix, Disney+, Peacock, Amazon Prime, or whatever -- that is, for those in the US.

I first came across the series while watching video parodies of other shows on YouTube back in about 2013. I became more and more curious about the characters in the videos, which eventually led me to this series.

There's still hope for all G4 content to return to Netflix by 2025, because:

1. All countries still receive at least one season of Friendship is Magic on Netflix.
2. According to Nielsen, kids don't watch linear cable TV anywhere near as much as streaming services like Netflix.
3. Hasbro needs to do what's best for the kids that want to see G4 on streaming because they're curious about it while watching G5.
4. Hasbro also needs to stop giving Discovery Family a hard time and let them air more WB cartoons. After all, the channel did get rid of six Hasbro-produced shows in the last two years, and now there's only five left still airing there, all of which are now the absolute oldest shows on it.

Total viewership of Discovery Family per year:

2014      152,000
2015      160,000    +5%
2016      148,000    -8%
2017      118,000    -20%
2018      62,000    -46%
2019      53,000    -18%
2020      58,000    +9%
2021      43,000    -25%
2022      38,000    -14%
2023      28,000    -26%

Under these trends, viewership is expected to drop to around 20,000, maybe even less by the end of 2024. This should convince Hasbro that there is no reason to stay on Discovery Family any longer as kids obviously aren't watching linear cable TV these days. Once this happens, all the shows currently airing on DF that Hasbro owns, including My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (especially Seasons 5-9) and Pony Life, will need to move back to streaming, so that the kids currently watching G5 on Netflix becoming more and more curious about G4 finally get access to it.

The way we get rid of our old items after buying new ones in their place, the outcomes are always different. For instance, if we sell or recycle...

Books, CDs, DVDs, cellphones - We get paid a little bit.
Consoles and desktops - We may get paid a lot! 
TVs and PC screens - We're the ones who have to pay. 

Why does it work like this?

48 minutes ago, Props Valroa said:

Personally, I would not be so dis-satisfied if they decide to end G5 in 2025. I think that it has gotten a good run, sure, it hasn't gotten as much success as G4 due to various reasons but for what it is I think it has done fairly well. TYT suffers from too many filler episodes that milk the main cast and Maretime Bay, and it would benefit a lot from branching out into other areas of the show's world. Would also be better if they could change it from 5 minute episodes to at least 10 or 20 minute ones. I would rather have less frequent but longer episodes, and if they could do that, it would really solve my main gripe with TYT. I don't want them to lean into anything else from G4, because from what is said so far could easily lean into an AU G4, I don't want or need to know what happened to everyone in G4 as I prefer to leave that a mystery. 

Anyway, I am hoping for G6 to be something different. G6 could completely reset the board with all new characters, all new world, all new plots. I think the potential for that is exciting, and we should move on with a completely new world to look forward to. 

That is, if Hasbro does ever announce a G6. But right now, nothing official has been announced past Tell Your Tale in late 2024.

1 minute ago, Lawyer Slip said:

Oh. My bad.

 

Wait Netflix has seasons 1-4 and all episodes are all on YouTube. Why would they go back to streaming it?

I meant worldwide. In most countries, you only get one season. I'm suspecting that Hasbro's contract with DF is what's preventing Netflix from being able to get the rest of the series. Not only that, Rainbow Roadtrip still needs a lot more dubs than what it has so far.

2 hours ago, Lawyer Slip said:

It would be cool if that returned. Especially with seeing a new season about Luster Dawn potentially.

That isn't what I want. What I mean is, they should bring back the rights for streaming of G4 content.

After March 2025, Hasbro should (hopefully) have enough money to get their shows re-acquired by Netflix upon their departure from Discovery Family, since Season 1 of G4 is still currently streaming worldwide. As long as it stays there, there's still a chance G4 can come back.

On 2024-03-14 at 9:38 PM, ZiggWheelsManning said:

Seriously dude, get help from a counselor that can dissect those questionable words you said  

I hope that's an answer given to the crazy person I mentioned and not to me.

25 minutes ago, KatOtaku said:

Season 1 Episode 23 at around 15:17 when Pinkie Pie throws the party for her family to feel joy, her cutie mark is there before she actually gets her cutie mark. XD

Similarly, another missing cutie mark error moment occurred in The Last Roundup.

I could send you the closed captions myself, but you'll have to find the video itself on YouTube.

I would have had Non-Compete Clause replaced by a Pinkie/Fluttershy episode, no doubt, and have them interact with the Student Six instead of Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Queen Chrysalis. Possibly the MOST evil of all female villains in the show.

I went against the odds and selected Pinkie Pie. I could give a reason, but it'll probably be invalidated any way.

I could tell you why, but I'm not ever exposing leaked production content on this forum.