(MarketWatch Opinion) ‘Game of Thrones’ fiasco: Shareholders would have a good case to sue in court

[Invisible Cities]

...But in a more tangible sense, it was also an insult to the many more who own stock in HBO's parent company, AT&T T, -0.08% If you have money in a regular U.S. index fund, that includes you.​

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AT&T's management has just needlessly thrown away a prize asset for no good reason whatsoever. Imagine the Empire State Realty Trust ESRT, -0.10% knocking down the Empire State Building "before people get tired of it." Or Tiffany TIF, -2.57% canceling its line of engagement rings to "move on."​

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...​

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The only question that remains now is whether some enterprising limo-chasing lawyer is going to file a class-action suit against the company on behalf of the stockholders.​

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Don't rule it out.​

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[AT&T CEO and Chairman] Stephenson specifically cited the value of "Game Of Thrones" when he announced his company's massive $85 billion takeover of HBO's parent company, Time Warner, in 2016.​

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The takeover deal would be a "game-changer" for AT&T because of Time Warner's "marquee businesses, including HBO," and "blockbuster shows like 'Game of Thrones,' " he wrote to all of AT&T's employees at the time.​

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Instead, after completing the takeover last year, he ran the "blockbuster series" for just six more episodes...​

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/g...d-have-a-good-case-to-sue-in-court-2019-05-20

The real game of thrones.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

That seems to completely miss the point. They wanted more episodes to make more money on their investment.

You also totally changed the title to be misleading OP.

 

[thecouncil]

The corner of my mouth turned up in a smile reading that thread title.

 

[Socivol]

This is a pretty hilarious take to me, especially since we knew what the plan for the final season was prior to that deal closing which was in 2018.

 

[SpitztheGreat]

This is complete bullshit. Whatever you may think of the final season, creativity should not be dictated by shareholder profits. They told their story and ended it, shareholders wanting more filler for more profit are the enemy here.

 

[EvilChameleon]

Why would they sue AT&T who had little to nothing to do with the final season and its ending?

 

[5taquitos]

Wow, people really can't consume a piece of media, dwell on it for a moment, and fucking just move on anymore.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Why would they sue AT&T who had little to nothing to do with the final season and its ending?

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Because the article has nothing to do with the quality of the ending.

 

[Shodan14]

It's a brave new world.

Just take it to the supreme court and open it up to HBO subscribers as well.

 

[Heshinsi]

This is so stupid, plus it completely ignores that HBO is planning and in the middle of shooting a pilot for more prequel shows.

 

[kyle mechlachlan]

This is complete bullshit. Whatever you may think of the final season, creativity should not be dictated by shareholder profits. They told their story and ended it, shareholders wanting more filler for more profit are the enemy here.

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Ah, but if the decision to limit the season to 6 episode was not done purely from a creative standpoint but rather a desire to get out and end it as quickly as possible then the 'creative freedom' aspect kinda goes out the window.

 

[Pagusas]

And this is why we get 30+ seasons of the Simpson's.

 

[LifeLine]

So it's not about the ending at all and just the number of episodes.

Not to mention there are still game of thrones spin offs coming.

 

[SpitztheGreat]

Wow, people really can't consume a piece of media, dwell on it for a moment, and fucking just move on anymore.

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That isn't the issue here. From my reading of the article, the issue is that HBO ended Game of Thrones at all, not that season 8 was bad. The author argues that HBO threw away money by simply ending the show, not because it ended badly. The author's point is that art should be dictated by shareholder profits.

 

[Nude_Tayne]

Ah, but if the decision to limit the season to 6 episode was not done purely from a creative standpoint but rather a desire to get out and end it as quickly as possible then the 'creative freedom' aspect kinda goes out the window.

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Totally irrelevant. Is this really the kind of precedent you want? AT&T shareholders deciding how and when a show ends?

 

[kittenbreath]

This thread will be a fun demonstration of how often people read the thread title but not the OP.

 

[5taquitos]

That isn't the issue here. From my reading of the article, the issue is that HBO ended Game of Thrones at all, not that season 8 was bad. The author argues that HBO threw away money by simply ending the show, not because it ended badly. The author's point is that art should be dictated by shareholder profits.

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I was more referring to the thread title.

And that's a bad take too. If the author wants to end something, it should end. (Not saying you agree with it)

 

[thefit]

This is complete bullshit. Whatever you may think of the final season, creativity should not be dictated by shareholder profits. They told their story and ended it, shareholders wanting more filler for more profit are the enemy here.

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Filler? Each battle alone could have been a season and it's not like they where following the books anymore anyway.

 

[Deleted member 9317]

Man, ERA has become clickbait aficionado.

 

[Tbm24]

Fuck these shareholders? No one should cheer this on.

 

[Dalek]

Talk about a shitty thread title. That has nothing to do with the article posted.

 

[kyle mechlachlan]

Totally irrelevant. Is this really the kind of precedent you want? AT&T shareholders deciding how and when a show ends?

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Do we want a competing company's impending multimedia project to decide how a show ends?

 

[Invisible Cities]

That seems to completely miss the point. They wanted more episodes to make more money on their investment.

You also totally changed the title to be misleading OP.

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It's both tho:

An abbreviated final season, and the quality of the show itself:

The final season was a disaster. Talk about blowing an opportunity. Never have so many exciting characters met such boring deaths. Never have so many brilliant possibilities been thrown away. Never has so much time, money and talent been wasted mailing something in.​

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It took them two years to make this?​

 

[Serene]

OP you should be ashamed of that title. lmao

But also the premise of this article is hilarious.

 

[SpitztheGreat]

Filler? Each battle alone could have been a season and it's not like they where following the books anymore anyway.

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Sure, but the article isn't making an argument for quality, it simply wants MORE. The MORE episodes, the MORE seasons, the MORE profit for HBO, and that by ending the show HBO left money on the table and that a good lawyer should sue over the lost profit for shareholders.

We need to remove our critical analysis of the quality of the episodes in this discussion. The article would be perfectly happy with 10 more seasons if they were shit but also profitable. I can't imagine any fan of GOT wanting that.

 

[TechnicPuppet]

I do think the last season has harmed GoT in the future.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

It's both tho:

An abbreviated final season, and the quality of the show itself:

The final season was a disaster. Talk about blowing an opportunity. Never have so many exciting characters met such boring deaths. Never have so many brilliant possibilities been thrown away. Never has so much time, money and talent been wasted mailing something in.​

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It took them two years to make this?​

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Yes the author of the article is clearly pissed about the ending but that is just article padding and irrelevant to their premise.

 

[Seesaw15]

OP so bad posters could sue.

But yeah HBO going forward is gonna be weird with the mandate for more programming.

 

[Cipherr]

Thread title is garbo.

 

[CassCade]

Lol, the thread title is misleading as hell. Shareholder profit should not dictate length of media.

 

[Deleted member 3058]

That isn't the issue here. From my reading of the article, the issue is that HBO ended Game of Thrones at all, not that season 8 was bad. The author argues that HBO threw away money by simply ending the show, not because it ended badly. The author's point is that art should be dictated by shareholder profits.

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Jeeze. I read this post and expected to find the same argument in the article. I did.

What I didn't expect to find was that your post was much more eloquently stated. The article seriously reads like someone from the movie Mean Girls trashing another character. It reads like a stereotypical high schooler's rant.

 

[CenaToon]

That clickbait title.

 

[Lukar]

That thread title is bullshit.

 

[Blader]

[AT&T CEO and Chairman] Stephenson specifically cited the value of "Game Of Thrones" when he announced his company's massive $85 billion takeover of HBO's parent company, Time Warner, in 2016.

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This seems really stupid, since HBO also announced when Game of Thrones would be ending -- and that it would be ending with 13 episodes -- in 2016.

Filler? Each battle alone could have been a season and it's not like they where following the books anymore anyway.

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10 hours over 2.5 months covering one battle sounds really boring.

 

[Euphoria]

ERA so upset about a TV show that now we make misleading clickbait titles so we can continue complaining.

Move on already.


Plus HBO isn't done. They have a prequel in the works.

 

[Masoyama]

That title bullshit should be a banable offense

 

[waffleboy]

Op title is so bad he should be banned

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Op title is so bad he should be banned

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So bad we should sue

 

[Euphoria]

As other have mentioned the entire situation is stupid as hell too because show runners confirmed only 13 episodes left in June of 2016.

A lawsuit would be thrown away just like this thread should be.

 

[Irnbru]

Damn, the salt out here could fill the Gobi desert

 

[KoopaTheCasual]

Suing OP over shitty thread title.

 

[Contramann]

This a clickbait title?

 

[thediamondage]

just wait till i sue Warner Brothers for Justice League

 

[Laserdisk]

That's enough 2019 for today

 

[Deleted member 48897]

That seems to completely miss the point. They wanted more episodes to make more money on their investment.

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Ah yes, the Scheherazade investment strategy

This a clickbait title?

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I maintain it's not clickbait if people don't actually click through and read. But then I have similar feelings over the way the meaning of the word "gaslight" has been diluted to refer to any sort of lying among other words.

 

[cognizant]

It's official, GoT fans are more insufferable than SW fans.

 

[Deleted member 11637]

 

[Zornica]

capitalism... even if you lost, you can just sue to win.

 

[Deleted member 10273]

That seems to completely miss the point. They wanted more episodes to make more money on their investment.

You also totally changed the title to be misleading OP.

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Yep, shame OP.

 

[Rimkrak]

Westworld 3 is coming they'll be fine

Where is that woody harrelson crying in money gif?