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Episode 176: September 22, 2023

  • [0:00] Master of Puppets.
  • [2:08] Drink every time you hear “off the rails.”
  • [4:35] With NBCU shifting to SmackDown, who wins Raw?
  • [9:15] Is the sports rights monetization game ending or just sluggish?
  • [12:26] Vince McMahon did not fight for WWE to then leave TKO.
  • [15:20] Little correlation between iPhone line size and unit sales.
  • [21:27] Iger clearly differentiated himself from Chapek at analyst day.
  • [22:49] Disney flexed $60bn to show Parks’ global potential.
  • [27:20] Was 30 seconds of Aaron Rodgers on Spectrum worth caving for?
  • [31:00] We do not see how ESPN is separated from the ABC Network.
  • [32:20] Passionate sports fans are not satiated without the full bundle.
  • [37:30] There is no Succession until control of FOX/NWSA passes to the Rupert Murdoch Trust.
  • [41:21] Regulator’s willingness to help Dish has limits.
  • [44:26] Roblox subscriptions should lead to new experiences and an improved platform.
  • [46:52] Hollywood strikes have (at least) entered the red zone.
  • [49:06] Are you ready for some serious ad inventory on Amazon Prime?
  • [52:09] Pinterest analyst day a pleasant surprise.
  • [55:49] Sorry, we temporarily talked about Elon.
  • [56:14] Despite optics, Snap’s latest management change is an improved fit.
  • [58:15] Will Gen AI become a winner-takes-all?
  • [1:01:30] Headline-grabbing lead cable report was #FakeNews.
  • [1:03:33] Does it take death for a sports owner to be loved?
  • [1:06:27] Puppet on a String.
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Episode 175: September 15, 2023

  • [0:00] Conduit for Sale!
  • [2:45] Where did Rich celebrate his anniversary?
  • [4:50] The Eagles have two more wins than the Giants have points.
  • [6:30] YouTube TV has seamlessly taken the Sunday Ticket handoff.
  • [7:47] We’re talking about cables! #AppleEvent.
  • [13:22] Telco/Cable playbook on display with iPhone promos.
  • [14:50] Is legacy media the real winner in the Charter/Disney dispute?
  • [20:14] Debating whether Charter caved to Disney.
  • [22:14] Will the Charter/Disney paradigm slow cordcutting?
  • [24:54] Mark Shapiro sets a 1.4/1.5x increase as the WWE bar.
  • [27:04] SmackDown distribution clues at NY fashion week.
  • [28:06] T-Mobile buys more spectrum. This time from Comcast.
  • [30:54] The odds of a Byron Allen / Disney partnership are next to zero.
  • [38:00] Disney takes Modern Family back to the future on TBS.
  • [41:54] Generative AI will help make Roblox the YouTube of 3D interactive.
  • [44:13] Nintendo Switch is likely coming soon to Roblox.
  • [45:43] Investors overreacted to Netflix’s margin comments missing bigger picture.
  • [51:21] Could be January before Hollywood production restarts.
  • [54:28] Starlink benefits from economies of scale.
  • [57:22] Masa is still price insensitive.
  • [59:57] Fin.
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Episode 174: September 8, 2023

  • [0:00] Margaritaville.
  • [4:30] Football is back.
  • [7:33] Charter/Disney carriage dispute is the first of its kind.
  • [15:07] Chris Ripley does not work at Charter.
  • [17:18] Will dropping Disney damage Charter’s brand for the long term?
  • [20:30] If Chris Winfrey has the guts to stay dark, he can change the industry.
  • [24:09] Zaslav’s sobering review of the video biz: best case is secular decline.
  • [28:00] We think there is a decent chance Amazon takes SmackDown rights.
  • [31:35] Is UFC insulated in the near-term as PFL still needs to build its brand?
  • [33:32] Contract intricacies make Hulu much more valuable than $27bn.
  • [36:45] Apple faces bigger risks than escalating tensions with China.
  • [39:27] Zaslav is ready for Brandon’s streaming bundle vision.
  • [45:31] T-Mobile pushing buttons with dividend announcement following  job cuts.
  • [47:28] Deezer acknowledges that all musical artists are not the same.
  • [51:07] Nielsen caves to broadcast networks and damages data accuracy.
  • [52:00] Incremental broadband competition from AT&T fixed wireless.
  • [53:49] TikTok tries to broaden its use case now that engagement has flattened.
  • [58:53] Fanatics needs to develop a consumer brand.
  • [1:01:08] We love rage quitters.
  • [1:01:45] If Hulu + Live subs get Disney DTC apps, why can’t Charter subs?
  • [1:02:57] PSA: how to create an ad-free X experience.
  • [1:05:05] Walkin’ on the Sun.
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Episode 173: September 1, 2023

  • [0:00] The Price Is Right – Game Show Theme.
  • [5:40] The state of broadband in New York City.
  • [9:40] Does $100 million move the needle for PFL vs. UFC?
  • [18:03] If you want your content seen, put it on Netflix.
  • [23:13] Ahsoka requires a lot of other Disney+ viewing first. 
  • [31:21] Could CNN on-screen alerts alienate half of Max’s audience?
  • [35:20] Subscale streamers should consolidate to compete with Netflix.
  • [37:47] iPhone price increases bigger driver of rev than increased demand from USB-C.
  • [40:26] Does Chris Winfrey’s view of blackouts differ from Tom Rutledge?
  • [43:46] Is the BCCI down round a bad omen for WWE’s India rights negotiations?
  • [46:56] Nielsen has its flaws, but utilizing Amazon’s first party data is not one of them.
  • [49:30] Eventual RSN collapse will lead to even more competitive imbalances. 
  • [51:48] Oliver Stone alert: is Meta staging a disinformation campaign to get TikTok banned?
  • [53:29] DR advertisers have found a home on shopping platforms.
  • [56:26] OpenAI is building a real business whether money is the stated goal or not.
  • [1:00:29] Snap needs to focus on accelerating their ads biz, not AI selfies.
  • [1:03:11] Repercussions for regulators who bring frivolous deal challenges.
  • [1:05:16] Don’t blame Ticketmaster if Taylor Swift crashes AMC’s website.
  • [1:07:00] Blue Moon.
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Episode 172: August 25, 2023

  • [0:00] August.
  • [1:25] Stella’s first plane ride. #GoodLuckBrandon
  • [9:11] T-Mobile cutting jobs to maintain margins not customer experience.
  • [12:07] Is Disney finally caving to Amazon Channels to save ESPN?
  • [18:20] Does Jim Dolan actually want MSGN as part of Sphere?
  • [22:07] Sphere investors must play Dolan’s long game or don’t play at all.
  • [26:40] Why can’t linear TV mimic digital’s sports broadcast innovations?
  • [29:27] Microsoft is so confident that they’re willing to give competitors their content.
  • [33:01] Netflix continues to follow their gaming blueprint.
  • [34:58] As content dries up, expect Netflix to surge.
  • [36:07] No end in sight for Hollywood strikes means very few Q4 movies.
  • [37:44] Is the Fanatics brand strong enough to capture meaningful sports betting share?
  • [39:56] Warner Bros. Discovery is not selling CNN…for now.
  • [41:56] Question for our listeners: do you prefer Bard or ChatGPT?
  • [44:18] Disney’s savior? DVDs.
  • [46:30] Cruel Summer.
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Episode 171: August 18, 2023

  • [0:00] Bloodbuzz Ohio.
  • [1:59] Reminder to Rich – buy pre-assembled dorm furniture next year.
  • [7:53] How much negotiating power would ESPN have as the de facto live sports platform?
  • [9:54] Will tech platforms reach a sports rights efficient frontier?
  • [11:51] An ESPN/Verizon partnership is unexciting.
  • [16:18] ESPN/Disney is a distribution option for WWE.
  • [21:26] MLB attendance riding rules changes and live tailwind.
  • [23:42] Lina Khan does not understand the media industry.
  • [34:13] Ignore the noise – WGA/SAG strikes will drag on.
  • [35:38] Dish requests delay to acquire spectrum while T-Mobile’s other transactions held up.
  • [40:14] Another step in Netflix’s gaming evolution.
  • [45:01] TikTok is not the new TV (yet).
  • [49:52] Legacy media wants to sell linear assets but who are the buyers?
  • [51:16] Linear TV ad headwinds are secular not cyclical.
  • [52:10] Amazon’s very obvious Gen AI use case.
  • [53:59] Not Jony Ive.
  • [55:18] Tropic Morning News.
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Episode 170: August 11, 2023

  • [0:00] Up On Cripple Creek.
  • [2:54] Brandon’s attire should have got us kicked out of an NYC restaurant.
  • [5:47] Walt got attacked on Twitter for being unprofessional.
  • [8:11] Will Fox use Big 10 expansion to fuel Friday and Saturday night programming?
  • [11:22] With Fox focusing on football, where will SmackDown rights land?
  • [15:52] Fighter pay controversy has not impacted UFC dominance.
  • [17:24] Doubtful ESPN brand will drive users to switch from FanDuel/DraftKings.
  • [24:41] Penn overrated Barstool’s ability to drive gambling and is doing the same with ESPN.
  • [31:21] NFL+ and Max helping sports fans leave the bundle.
  • [35:18] Charlie Ergen recombines Dish and EchoStar.
  • [38:21] Telesat Litespeed gets new vendor, lower cost and is fully funded.
  • [41:46] Mike Biard’s move to Nexstar needs more investor focus.
  • [44:43] Sounds like Spotify lost a game of chicken with labels on price increase.
  • [48:14] Labels starting to embrace vs. fight AI.
  • [49:15] Tim Sweeney loses again.
  • [49:49] Roku has been resilient despite increased tvOS pressure.
  • [52:12] The AMC situation may (somehow) get worse.
  • [53:07] Is there a glimmer of hope Hollywood strikes could be resolved soon?
  • [54:20] WeWork non-believers are winning.
  • [56:15] The Weight.
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Episode 169: August 4, 2023

  • [0:00] Blister in the Sun.
  • [3:46] Rich had an empty house and wrote a Disney note.
  • [5:58] Will Apple lean-in to content and price increases to return to growth?
  • [10:25] Apple wants a new model for sports rights.
  • [14:24] Did Spotify wave the white flag on price?
  • [19:06] Vision Pro is DOA if they do not get developer adoption.
  • [23:38] Why would Apple want to invest in ESPN?
  • [29:13] Dear T-Mobile: please partner with ESPN 😂
  • [30:33] Everyone wants to bring sports to streaming but is there an economic model?
  • [34:21] Regulatory resolution would be a positive for Live Nation stock.
  • [38:44] Uber uses surge pricing to increase prices when market conditions permit.
  • [41:31] We continue to expect SAG/WGA strikes to last well into the fall.
  • [44:15] Perennial acquisition target US Cellular explores “strategic alternatives.”
  • [45:42] WWE RAW could be resolved soon but Smackdown comes after NBA.
  • [49:55] Amazon is getting even bolder with their advertising business.
  • [52:19] Time is more important than price as Paramount moves to de-lever.
  • [54:11] Will Fanatics’ sports betting entry disrupt the market’s push for rationalization?
  • [57:54] When will NYU start offering a Taylor Swift major?
  • [58:52] I Touch Myself.
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Episode 168: July 28, 2023

  • [0:00] In Da Club.
  • [0:31] Happy 50th, Rich!
  • [1:50] Rich’s newest viral TikTok.
  • [6:03] Do consumers want an everything app?
  • [9:26] Can Threads drive engagement without a news/sports focus? 
  • [21:28] Zuck’s AI vision for B2C messaging is exciting.
  • [24:37] Can AppleGPT monetize iMessage and Siri?
  • [31:29] Growing fear SAG/WGA strikes could drag until November. 
  • [36:03] When will Hollywood studios feel pressure to end the double strike? 
  • [37:40] AT&T using price increases to help outpace industry growth.  
  • [39:19] Wireless companies moving away from bundled SVOD services.
  • [43:21] If you thought 2023 was big for Live Nation, wait for 2024. 
  • [50:30] Do not believe everything you read about Netflix’s ad biz.  
  • [52:51] Is Snap structurally disadvantaged or just slow to execute? 
  • [55:41] Will Spotify now begin to raise prices more often than every 12 years? 
  • [57:18] Apple does not need the NBA to sell more devices overseas.  
  • [59:41] Everyone wants to be in the NBA business.
  • [1:02:23] Why would anyone want to be a minority investor in ESPN? 
  • [1:06:15] NFTs are now value investments.
  • [1:07:04] Is Disney about to have another $100 mm plus film write-down?
  • [1:08:03] Nothing Compares 2 U.
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Episode 167: July 14, 2023

  • [0:00] Playing in the Band.
  • [1:25] Podcast PSA – we may not record an episode next week.
  • [6:45] If Disney cannot fix ABC, who would buy it? 
  • [11:57] Expect the timing of a fully OTT ESPN to align with the next NBA deal.
  • [14:06] Would Apple partner with Disney on ESPN? 
  • [22:46] Iger admits strategic error in oversaturating the Marvel market.
  • [25:36] Are Disney theme parks starting to run out of gas? 
  • [29:02] With Star TV profits in freefall, why would anyone buy it?
  • [30:13] Lina Khan refuses to simply take her loss.
  • [37:11] Regulating ChatGPT feels extremely difficult.
  • [39:44] SAG strike is terrible for Hollywood but great for sports and news.
  • [44:17] Another tough week for Dish.
  • [46:28] Threads giving off Clubhouse vibes.
  • [50:54] Barbie opening weekend over/under: $115 million.
  • [52:50] Charter puts the consumer first in debundling RSNs.
  • [57:30] How soon is Roblox coming to PlayStation and Switch?
  • [58:26] When will Snap revenue growth inflect positively? 
  • [1:00:31] Fanatics’ next innovation? Baseball card shows.
  • [1:01:29] Playing in the Band (Reprise).
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