Morning Fix: ‘Neighbors’ to battle ‘Spider-Man’; Congress grills Comcast

After the coffee. Before figuring out why I wasn’t a first round pick.

The Skinny: I was watching the NFL draft Thursday night when it hit me that the networks should announce show pickups and fall schedules the way teams select players. CBS Chief Leslie Moonves can walk up to a podium and say, for the Thursday 8 p.m. time slot, we select “The Big Bang Theory.” Think it over while reading today’s Fix, which includes the box office preview and a recap of Comcast and Time Warner Cable appearances before Congress.

Daily Dose: Netflix kept its word and is raising prices for new subscribers. The company said last month that it was planning a price increase for its streaming service and Friday alerted subscribers that the monthly fee for new members will go from $7.99 to $8.99. Netflix said current subscribers will be locked in at the $7.99 rate for the next two years. I will hold them to that!

New neighbors. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” will face an early challenge to its box office supremacy from “Neighbors,” a raunchy comedy starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron about a mild-mannered couple that has a rowdy fraternity move in next door. “Spider-Man 2” is expected to grab as much as $40 million this weekend while “Neighbors” should ring enough doorbells to take in $35 million or so. Weekend box office previews from the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter.

Making their case. Comcast and Time Warner Cable appeared before Congress on Thursday to explain why their merger isn’t anti-competitive or bad for consumers. Not every lawmaker was convinced and several witness at the hearing also had negative things to say about Comcast, including a small rural programmer whose network was dropped by Comcast in New Mexico and Colorado. A highlight of the hearing was when a Texas congressman was giving Comcast grief for not carrying Glenn Beck’s Blaze network. “Why would Comcast want people who cling to God and their guns?” said Rep. Louie Gohmert. Coverage of the hearing from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and USA Today.

Tough season. CBS will once again head into upfront week as the most-watched network. But that came from the strength of its veteran comedies and dramas as most of its new show failed to generate much heat. Heading into this fall, CBS will have football on Thursday to give their numbers a boost but if the network doesn’t develop its next generation of comedies and dramas it could be in for a painful rebuilding process. Vulture on CBS.

Undone deal. Advertising giants Omnicom and Publicis called off their $35-billion merger. The Wall Street Journal said both internal battles between the two companies and clearing it with regulators was making closing the merger a challenge. The two had combined in the hopes of being in a better position to compete against Google and other Silicon Valley giants that are taking ad business away from traditional Madison Avenue firms.

It’s coming! Satellite broadcaster Dish Network said it expects to have an inexpensive Internet-delivered video service ready to launch later this year. Known in the industry as an “over-the-top” service, Dish has signed a deal to offer channels from Walt Disney Co. including ESPN. It has not said what other networks it has deals with for the service, which is aimed at young consumers who don’t want to shell out $100 a month for video. More from the Associated Press.

Inside the Los Angeles Times: Betsy Sharkey on “Neighbors.”

Follow me on Twitter for all your upfront news. @JBFlint.