The rumors were confirmed, and it was impossible for Tony Granmo and Martin Tangen not to feel a jolt of shock ripple through them.
A $120 million investment in a single TV series… this was absolutely unheard of!
Just last year, Dunn Pictures had acquired the Tarz TV network for a total of $1.7 billion.
That kind of bold investment was jaw-dropping!
Of course, it also made Tony Granmo and Martin Tangen truly grasp Dunn's ambition.
The future Tarz would bid farewell to the era of buying content and step into a new phase of producing and distributing its own shows!
As founding members of the Tarz network, Tony Granmo and Martin Tangen naturally wanted the station to grow quickly, surpass HBO, crush Showtime, and become the top dog among North America's premium cable networks!
And Dunn's ambition, courage, and vision clearly aligned with that goal.
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes flickering with a mix of excitement and fervor.
Dunn caught their expressions out of the corner of his eye, nodded with satisfaction, and gave a slight smile. "By the way, Tony, do you know who snagged the pay-TV rights for Spider-Man?"
Tony Granmo ventured a guess. "HBO? I heard… they'd raised their offer to $28 million!"
That was an astronomical figure!
Under Hollywood's windowed marketing model, movies hit premium cable channels about 12 months after their theatrical debut. The network gets exclusive rights for those 12 months, with up to three airings allowed.
After that year, the rights expire, and the film moves to free broadcast networks for its first public run.
In other words, HBO had shelled out a whopping $28 million for just three exclusive airings within a 12-month window!
That kind of investment could fund an entire movie on its own.
It was a clear sign of HBO's fierce determination to secure top-tier content.
Dunn chuckled. "HBO lost."
"What? You mean Showtime? No way! That old miser Redstone would never splash out like that," Martin Tangen said, disbelief written all over his face.
Showtime, part of the Viacom group, followed the strategic playbook of its head honcho, Sumner Redstone.
Dunn smiled faintly. "No, it's us!"
"Us?"
Martin Tangen's eyes widened in shock.
Bill McNick didn't bother with Dunn's flair for suspense. He explained calmly, "Here's the deal: Dunn Pictures put up $30 million on behalf of Tarz to secure the pay-TV rights for Spider-Man. That means come May, Spider-Man will be airing on Tarz, ready to meet audiences across America!"
"$30 million?"
The two Tarz network bigwigs were so stunned they almost forgot to breathe.
That was a massive move!
Even if Universal Studios funneled $27 million of that back to Dunn Pictures through some financial maneuvering, it still meant turning down HBO's hefty $28 million bid!
With Tarz's current subscription rates, they'd need Spider-Man to draw in 10 million new subscribers just to break even. Was that even possible?
Bill McNick raised a hand to calm them down. "No need to stress about it. All you need to know is our commitment to growing Tarz. From Dunn Pictures' perspective, we're not looking to profit off Tarz in the short term. In fact, we're ready to pour in serious cash to boost its growth and pull in more viewers."
Tony Granmo scanned the room, taking in the serious faces of Dunn Pictures' top brass. It finally hit him just how determined Dunn, the big boss, was to make Tarz a powerhouse.
He took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Chairman, Mr. President, I get it now. I see the resolve from headquarters. If you can give Tarz the funding and strategic support we need, I'm confident I can take the network to new heights!"
"That's nowhere near enough!" Dunn waved a hand dismissively, then nodded to Ella Fischer. She stood up and began handing out documents to everyone in the room.
"Here are six key points I've outlined for Tarz's future strategy," Dunn said. "These are non-negotiable essentials for breaking into the premium cable market!"
"First, we build our brand with distinctive, standout content!"
Dunn took a sip of water, waiting until everyone had their copies before continuing. "Content creation is going to be the heart of Tarz moving forward. Since Tarz doesn't have that capability yet, Dunn Pictures' TV production arm will handle it for now. But I'm not interested in churning out standard family sitcoms. We need unique, differentiated themes—like Six Feet Under, which dives into the funeral industry. That kind of originality is how we establish our brand."
"Second, we don't judge success by ratings alone! Tarz is still small, with a limited audience. We can't afford to obsess over numbers and chase short-term wins. Quality matters more! Take Six Feet Under—it's a rare gem. Even if the ratings aren't sky-high, it's a reputation-builder, and that's what strengthens our brand!"
"Third, we go big with investments to set a new industry standard! TV shows in the past were low-budget, small-scale, and slapped together carelessly—that's disrespectful to viewers! Tarz is taking the premium route. Every year, our TV production budget will be no less than $100 million! And don't worry, I'll personally oversee the content."
Dunn paused, pleased to see everyone nodding in agreement.
"Fourth, we respect creativity and talent! Just the other day, I met a new friend—a crime reporter from the Baltimore Sun. He knows real cases inside and out and even adapted a script called The Wire. That's the kind of talent we need to embrace, no matter where it comes from!"
"Fifth, quality over quantity—always! This is critical! Tarz has two channels right now: Tarz TV for series and Enrevieple for movies. That's a solid setup. But I've heard… you're thinking of branching into music, sports, and kids' shows?"
Tony Granmo wiped sweat from his brow. "Uh… we just thought more variety might draw in a bigger audience."
"Absolutely not!"
Dunn shot it down without hesitation, his tone firm. "Our brand is our standard! We offer premium content—no cheap filler to trick viewers! We don't chase volume; we focus on quality, period!"
"I get it," Tony Granmo said, exhaling quietly. "I'll make sure the team understands these priorities when I get back." This boss didn't mess around—he was decisive and relentless.
Dunn's voice grew stern. "Pay close attention to this. Early on, HBO tried diversifying—music, sports, talk shows, kids' programming, stage plays. It all flopped. Why? No barriers to entry! Those formats are too easy to copy. HBO's shows got mimicked by free broadcast networks in no time—who'd pay for what they can get for free? We need exclusive, premium content that's uniquely Tarz!"
The room grew heavy. Jonathan Nolan broke the tension with a half-joking remark. "Of course, the content's got to push boundaries! If we're going for differentiation, we're a premium cable network—we can't just air tame soap operas like the broadcast channels."
Dunn grinned. "Exactly. Big risks, bold flavors!"
Laughter rippled through the room.
Bill McNick shook his head, chuckling. "Bold, sure, but there's a line. We can't go so far we clash with mainstream American values—we're not running a Playboy channel here."
That got an even bigger laugh.
Dunn let the mood lighten before steering back to business. He cleared his throat. "Now, the sixth point is about scaling Tarz up. HBO started going global back in '91, but their progress has been slow, and their strategy's been a mess!"
West Cotton chimed in with a smile. "True. HBO's early cash crunch meant they struggled in Europe and pivoted to South America and Asia—third-world markets. But we're an English-language platform. Europe's where the real action is."
Dunn nodded. "Not entirely. Places like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore in Asia have paying subscribers too, and they crave premium content. But we can't repeat News Corp's mistakes. That market across the ocean is huge, but now's not the time to reach for it."
"It's a massive undertaking," he continued. "Without the right connections, breaking in is tough. No rush, though. Once Dunn Pictures acquires a world-class film distribution company, we'll have the global channels and resources we need. That's when Tarz can start expanding worldwide."
Tony Granmo and Martin Tangen felt their hearts race.
A world-class film distribution company?
That could only mean one of Hollywood's Big Six!
Was Dunn Pictures about to buy out a Hollywood giant?
This was earth-shattering news!
Bill McNick frowned, his voice authoritative. "Keep this under wraps!"
Tony Granmo coughed hard. "Uh… boss, if we're going premium and building a brand, shouldn't we rethink that old $3-a-month subscription fee?"
"Absolutely, it's got to change!" Dunn's energy was sharp and commanding. "It'll sting in the short term, but we're in this for the long haul! New pricing: $99 for three months, $459 for six months, $8,999 for a full year."
"What?"
Tony Granmo and Martin Tangen gasped in unison.
That price… it was insane!
Even HBO, the priciest option out there, charged just $6 a month. Showtime hovered around $5. Dunn's plan jacked Tarz up to $8 a month!
Wasn't that a bit… predatory?
Dunn's brow furrowed, his tone icy. "Too high? Hmph, this is just the start! Once our brand's locked in, I'm aiming for $10!"
$10 a month?
Just how high were this boss's expectations for Tarz's future?
Tony Granmo sucked in a shaky breath.
The road ahead was anyone's guess!