The same basic cable channels have been running marathons of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, etc. every so often for years. I don’t think it’s “we’re losing the rights soon” so much as “eh, guess it’s time for another Star Wars marathon.” Also, I’m not sure how much Disney talks to TNT, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there was some coordination to drum up Star Wars excitement before the trailer drops tonight.
That article was written in 2015? I didn’t think TV was still shot on film.
I know Mad Men was. I’m not sure how widespread it’s been recently apart from that.