TV

Netflix said it is in the process of closing two of its gaming studios, as the division is making another round of organizational changes.

The Los Gatos, Calif., streamer said it closed the Hollywood-based gaming studio Night School, the maker of narrative games like “Oxenfree,” on Thursday and has proposed to close Helsinki, Finland-based gaming studio Moonloot. Night School was the first game developer Netflix purchased in 2021 as it expanded into gaming. At the time, the streamer was under pressure by investors to diversify its content to attract more customers, after experiencing two quarters of subscriber losses in 2022.

Night School viewed the acquisition at the time as “such a natural pairing” as the gaming studio wanted to stretch its narrative aspirations on original games and Netflix has a reputation of giving TV and film creators an “unprecedented canvas” to bring entertainment to millions of people, according to a blog post on its website.

In an email, a Netflix spokesperson said it is eliminating roles because the company believes it can operate more strategically and efficiently in its games business. The spokesperson declined to provide the number of workers affected.

Last year, the company shut down Boss Fight Entertainment, one of the gaming studios it acquired in 2022.

Games on Netflix have had mixed results. At the end of 2024, Epic Games executive Alain Tascan joined Netflix as president of the division and under his leadership, it has focused on key areas including kids, party games like “Netflix Minigolf,” narrative games and mainstream games like “FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition.” The company also removed games in part because they did not have high engagement from its library.

Last year, Netflix unveiled several party games including “Boggle Party” and “Pictionary: Game Night.”

In June, Netflix released a narrative game made by Night School called “Unhinged” about a woman who is trapped inside her apartment during a hurricane and is trying to find safety. Voice actors in the game include Zoë Kravitz and Sadie Sink.

In a July earnings presentation, Co-CEO Greg Peters reminded analysts of the market opportunity for games, with $150 billion in consumer spending not including ad revenue or markets in China and Russia. He said the streamer is seeing solid numbers from its cloud games such as FIFA and “Unhinged” and higher adoption and retention in the cloud games than mobile games. He also said there has been strong engagement and growth from kid games.

“We’re just getting started here,” Peters said. “We’re scratching the surface in terms of what we think the total potential of the space offers for us.”

The layoffs come as Netflix stock has declined 37% from a year ago. Investors are concerned about how much time people are spending on Netflix compared to rivals like YouTube. YouTube represents about 14% of streaming-watch time by U.S. viewers on TVs, compared to Netflix’s 8% in May, according to Nielsen.

In addition to games, Netflix has added other types of content to its streaming service over the years including live events like NFL football games and video podcasts.

Boney Island, a much-loved, homemade, skeleton-centric L.A. Halloween attraction for more than 20 years, will now be a ghost.

Creator Rick Polizzi — known to many for his 1996-2009 role as a producer of “The Simpsons” — announced on social media Monday that Boney Island is coming to an end.

The reason: A planned move to Santa Clarita has run into “unforeseen permitting and production challenges.” Polizzi said the county-wide slump in TV and film production is partially to blame.

After a string of venue changes, Polizzi said he was in talks to rent a set of soundstages at Santa Clarita Studios, and a large amount of Boney Island sets, props and other materials had already been moved to Santa Clarita.

But several logistical challenges proved hard to solve, and one element was the studios’ decision to reduce their inventory of soundstages. As a result, Polizzi said, “the rug was kind of pulled out from under us.”

Santa Clarita Studios President Mike DeLorenzo said that this fall, the studio will let go of leases on three of its 35-plus soundstages. Of Boney Island, DeLorenzo said that “we truly wanted this to happen, but it just didn’t make sense financially.” By the tally of FilmLA, on-location production days for film and TV in greater Los Angeles fell by 46% from 2022 to 2025.

With no other remedies in sight, Polizzi and company put out word on Instagram and Facebook, saying that after carefully considering locations, city permitting costs and storage, “we have made the difficult decision to officially bring Boney Island to an end” and sell the collection.

Reaction was quick, sad and peppered with family memories. “Thank you for creating so much magic for my family as well as so many others,” wrote one admirer on Instagram. “My kids and myself will forever walk around in a squeaky voice reciting: “Help meeee…I feeel like a yo-yo.”

Former “Simpsons” producer Rick Polizzi in his Sherman Oaks treehouse, known as “Boney Island,” in 2025.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Boney Island, a playful homage to Coney Island, was born in the late 1990s when Polizzi set out to build a Halloween attraction in his Sherman Oaks front yard for his family and neighbors. He was joined by “Aqua Dazzle” owner Rex Danyluk and friends as they designed an immersive, imaginative experience without a haunted house, a maze or jump scares. Instead it featured cavorting skeletons, magic acts and water shows.

“It’s not all the gore and horror stuff that everything else is,” Polizzi said. “I started it for my daughters.”

Eventually, the yard’s tall treehouse and growing crowds each Halloween led to permit disputes and the prospect of criminal charges.

“We were a victim of our own success, because it got so crowded we had to hire traffic control,” Polizzi told Spectrum News in 2025, adding that “one neighbor across the street always hated it.” Polizzi estimated that he’d spend more than $50,000 trying to get proper city approvals before dismantling the treehouse in 2025.

“I had the cool experience of actually ascending into the treehouse,” said Kim Cooper, co-owner of Esotouric tours and former visitors to the treehouse. “You look at this thing and you think: Wait a minute. That’s possible?”

Polizzi, in 2025, flips through a scrapbook he made about Boney Island.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Boney Island’s red-tape battles with the city of Los Angeles, Cooper said, show that “there is sadistic, demented element in the city [government] that does not like to see people who have an independent sense of élan and freedom.”

Still, Boney Island seemed likely to live on elsewhere. While the red-tape battles were being fought, the attraction moved from Polizzi’s yard to Griffith Park in 2018, went dark for several years, then resurfaced at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles in 2023 and 2024, drawing tens of thousands of people. But the Exposition Park location proved difficult for many guests, Polizzi said, and the event went dark again last year while organizers searched for a new location, preferably a gated space with at least 70,000 square feet. Polizzi said he explored many options, including the L.A. Zoo, another corner of Griffith Park, Descanso Gardens, the L.A. County Arboretum, but none quite fit. Some of those spots host elaborate holiday light displays that require set-up in late October.

The best option seemed to be the soundstages at Santa Clarita Studios. “It was going to be challenging to have it inside to begin with, but I was looking forward to it,” Polizzi said.

At this point, he added, it would take a last-minute location discovery to change things.

“I would love to keep it going, I just don’t have a place for it,” Polizzi said.

Netflix on Thursday reported higher revenues and profit in the second quarter as it sought to assure investors about its growth prospects.

The streaming giant reported revenue of $12.6 billion in the second quarter, up 13% from a year ago. Net income during the period rose 9% to $3.4 billion.

Netflix said it expects revenue to grow 12% in the third quarter, but lowered its 2026 revenue forecast to $51 billion from $51.4 billion.

The results were roughly in line with what analysts had predicted and were driven by recent price increase and growth in advertising revenue. The latter is expected to reach $3 billion this year, the company said.

In a presentation with analysts, Netflix executives touted global expansion plans.

“We’re entertaining an audience approaching a billion people with still lots of room to grow into our addressable market on every measure,” said Spencer Neumann, Netflix’s chief financial officer, in the earnings presentation. “We believe we’ve got lots and lots of runway for solid growth ahead of us.”

Those comments appeared intended to assuage investors who’ve grown concerned that people could be spending less time on the streaming service as rivals like YouTube gain market share.

Netflix’s share of TV viewing time in the U.S. has steadily declined in recent months as rivals have gained market share, according to Nielsen data.

The streamer represented 7.8% of all TV viewing in the U.S. in April — the lowest percentage since May 2025. It was 7.5% in April 2025, Nielsen said.

By comparison, YouTube has seen its share of the streaming audience grow. YouTube’s TV viewing share in April rose to 13.4%, up from 12.4% a year earlier, Nielsen said.

Some investors fear that if viewership is down, subscribers could cancel the service, which would negatively affect the platform’s growing advertising business. It could also undercut Netflix’s ability to raise prices in the U.S. and other countries.

Those worries have caused Netflix’s stock price to plummet 41% in the last year. The stock closed on Thursday at $74.35 a share, up 1%. In after hours trading, the stock fell 8%.

“The engagement elephant continues to rear its head and investors are on edge that an earlier price hike in a seasonally tough period and lighter content slate could have driven more churn than usual,” wrote Morgan Stanley Research analysts in a research note.

On Thursday, Netflix said in a letter to shareholders it has a sophisticated understanding of its consumers and “we know not all hours are equal” and that engagement on its platform is “healthy.”

“The entertainment industry remains dynamic and competitive,” Netflix told shareholders. “We aim to stay ahead by executing against our three areas of focus: delivering more entertainment value, leveraging technology to improve every aspect of our service, and improving monetization.”

The Los Gatos-based company said it plans to allocate more than 5% of its content spend on live programming this year. Live content has been a key driver for subscriptions, accounting for six of the top 10 new member sign-up days over the last five years, the company said.

In the first half of 2026, Netflix said members watched more than 97 billion hours, up 2% from a year ago. Among the most popular shows: the crime thriller “I Will Find You,” which had 87 million views; and the romantic comedy film “Voicemails for Isabelle,” which garnered 71 million views.

Netflix has been adding new types of content to its platform, including video podcasts to help increase engagement with subscribers during the day.

As part of the diversification efforts, the platform has expanded its portfolio of live programming over the years, including adding NFL games and streaming Major League Baseball’s opening day game.

In 2022, Netflix had also faced investor pressure when it reported declining subscribers for the first time in more than a decade. That pushed the company to delve into other areas including advertising, gaming and cracking down on password sharing.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals are set to start, with France taking on Spain and defending champion Argentina facing England.

World Cup co-hosts U.S., Canada and Mexico will be watching from the sideline after being eliminated in the round of 16.

Here’s everything you need to know about the two World Cup matches being played Tuesday and Wednesday (all times Pacific).

Tuesday’s semifinal

France vs. Spain

France star Kylian Mbappe controls the ball during a World Cup quarterfinal win over Morocco on July 9.

(Lars Baron / Getty Images)

Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Time: Noon
TV: Fox, Telemundo | Streaming: Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: This game would be far better suited as a final than a semifinal. Both are unbeaten — in fact, Spain is unbeaten in its last 36 games, one shy of the all-time record. For France, a win would put it in the final for a third straight World Cup while Spain is hoping to get back for the first time since 2010, when it won its only title. The teams got here in different ways. Spain has walked a razor’s edge, giving up just a single goal in the tournament and winning its last two games on late goals from substitute Mikel Merino. France has bludgeoned the opposition, scoring 16 goals while conceding just two. Kylian Mbappé has scored eight times and has 20 goals in 20 World Cup games, leaving him one back of Lionel Messi’s all-time record. It seems unjust that one of these teams will finish its World Cup in the third-place game.

Wednesday’s semifinal

England vs. Argentina

England’s (from left to right) Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Morgan Rogers celebrate after defeating Norway in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Time: Noon
TV: Fox, Telemundo | Streaming: Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: Both teams are unbeaten and each survived scares in the quarterfinals, with England outlasting Norway in extra time in brutal weather in Miami and Argentina beating Switzerland in extra time in Kansas City. Jude Bellingham had a brace in each of England’s last two games to match teammate Harry Kane’s six goals in the tournament. Bellingham is the first player to score at least two goals in consecutive World Cup knockout matches since Diego Maradona in 1986. Argentina, the reigning champion, is unbeaten in its last 12 World Cup games, but four of its last six knockout-stage games have gone to extra time or penalties. Argentina has gotten eight goals and two assists from Messi in this World Cup.

We made it. With just days left in Phase I voting, this week marks the last issue of The Envelope, and the last edition of this letter from the editor, until we return with a crop of newly minted Emmy nominees in August.

Until then, may you have a summer as magical as a German soccer fan’s road trip through the American South — and enjoy reading the below highlights from our coverage.

Cover story: ‘Industry’

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

How do “Industry” stars Myha’la and Marisa Abela want the series to end? Let’s just say they are as unsentimental about their characters as series creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay.

“I want there to be a huge statue of Harper Stern in front of J.P. Morgan,” Myha’la says of her hard-charging trader. “And a bird s— on her arm.”

“In her mouth,” interjects Abela, who plays Harper’s No. 1 frenemy Yasmin Kara-Hanani.

After the laughter ringing through the room subsides, though, Abela does allow for a moment of reverence — for the HBO drama if not for the disreputable people who populate it. “I don’t know if I need Yasmin to be happy at the end of it,” the actor says, reflecting on her character’s emergence as a Ghislaine Maxwell type in the Season 4 finale. “I know I want it to feel worthy of everything that has come before… What I love about the show is that [the writers] don’t often backtrack. You commit to something and then you have to live with the f— fallout. Which is savage.”

Read more of our conversation in this week’s cover story.

Writers Roundtable

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Though he joined The Envelope’s 2026 Emmy Writers Roundtable to discuss the return of another beloved comedy, “The Comeback,” we couldn’t resist asking Michael Patrick King about the intense fan reactions to his “Sex and the City” revival “And Just Like That…”

“What happened was, it was really well made, but it wasn’t their Carrie,” he said. “Even though you stand behind it, you go, ‘Wow, that’s a surprise. I thought that they would be interested in 57-year-old women who still hadn’t figured everything out. And instead they wanted them to be 35 and still allowed to be lost.’”

For more juicy tidbits from the minds of of TV’s top writers, be sure to check out the full conversation, which also included Megan Gallagher (“All Her Fault”), Jonathan Glatzer (“The Audacity”), Andrew Guest (“Wonder Man”), Bruce Miller (“The Testaments”) and Sonja Warfield (“The Gilded Age”).

How Connor Hines won over Ryan Murphy

Writer Connor Hines, who translated the real-life relationship between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette into FX’s major hit “Love Story.”

(Evan Mulling / For The Times)

While our On Writing series of screenwriter essays are always revealing — about the inspiration behind a series, the process of adaptation or the making of a major plot turn, to name just a few — I don’t remember one as candid about the art of the pitch as Connor Hines’. In this week’s issue, the writer behind “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” explains how he prepared to present his vision for the new anthology’s first season to one of TV’s most powerful producers, Ryan Murphy. As it turns out, landing the meeting is not the (only) hard part.

“I spent roughly three months in the trenches with [producers] Brad [Simpson] and Nina [Jacobson], deepening and refining my presentation [to Murphy] — one that I’d recite in the shower, on runs, at Trader Joe’s, while I drove,” Hines writes. “It was a crash course in storytelling, producing, and understanding the alchemy that propelled so many of Ryan’s shows into the zeitgeist.”

More stories from our June 16 issue