Podcasts – Page 11 – LightShed Partners

Ep. 236: The End of Liberty and Charter, Disney’s Magical Guide and Makan Live Nation’s Dream a Reality

[00:00] Lonesome Cowboy Bill.
[02:55] A low-energy end to Liberty Analyst Days.
[04:50] Maffei exits as media faces challenging future.
[06:58] Liberty winding down means F1 will remain pure-play.
[09:16] Who should attempt to buy Charter?
[13:43] Walt cannot wait to watch DISH bond holders reject DTV deal.
[15:19] Waymo’s highway to disruption.
[16:38] Delrahim at FTC would be a Live Nation investor’s dream.
[18:17] Broadband data growth slows without new applications to fuel demand.
[20:12] Video is Spotify’s next tool to enhance pricing power, not just empower creators.
[23:27] Implications of Disney’s surprise multiyear guide.
[26:05] Can cutting costs and raising price make streaming a good, let alone great business?
[27:33] Why does Apple TV+ refuse to add library content?
[30:29] Why did the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul weigh-in air on YouTube and not Netflix?
[31:49] LLM growth is slowing—but does it matter?
[33:13] Diamond’s bankruptcy emergence is just a band-aid on a bullet wound.
[34:31] If Trump makes Penn Station renovation happen, it will be a financial windfall for MSGE.
[36:36] Video games are in their sequels era, but a breakthrough format will come.
[39:44] Too early to let AI handle purchasing decisions—except for commodities.
[42:50] Rage quitting X over its new TOS is one of our favorite reasons yet.
[45:55] Congratulations to the 2024 World Series champs, the 2023 Texas Rangers!
[48:13] New Age.

Ep. 235: Musk’s Next Move, Google’s AI Battle, and Trump’s Merger Boom

[0:00] Sanford & Son Theme.
[03:26] Rich may have topped his Peacock dance today.
[06:20] Could Malone and Roberts merge Comcast/Charter and NBCU/WBD?
[24:11] Could Trump help Elon purchase TikTok?
[29:33] Will Pharma TV ads be a casualty of Trump’s win?
[32:39] Long-form political podcasts are great for America, not so good for linear TV.
[37:01] ChatGPT Search browser extension threatens Google.
[44:28] Did Apple leak smart glasses project to distract from AI challenges?
[48:08] Could a conflict-free Trade Desk’s tvOS be a CTV game-changer?
[51:53] Should UFC ditch the PPV model and follow WWE?
[55:21] Lyft and a preview of #autonomymarkets.
[1:01:14] Prime Video out-innovating legacy media streaming.
[1:04:25] Altice does not want you taking New York RSNs.
[1:08:38] Pick a lane, haters – does X have engagement or not?
[1:12:16] We Are the World.

Ep. 234: Future of Search in an AI World, Comcast’s Cable Network Epiphany and Predicting Apple Price Hikes

[0:00] Box of Rain.
[1:20] RIP Phil Lesh.
[2:17] If Halloween in NYC isn’t reason enough to move, here’s another.
[4:41] iPhone #SuperCycle someday and Services price hike prediction.
[15:24] Reddit was the perfect distraction during Game 5.
[20:41] Apple’s ChatGPT integration falls short of the ChatGPT app.
[26:37] AI agents are the future, and the future begins in 2025.
[30:37] Welcome ChatGPT search.
[32:42] How can Google not lose search market share?
[34:35] Uber goes sober and AVs start to rev up #autonomymarkets.
[39:20] #GoodLuckBundle is 10 years old, what took Comcast so long?
[42:01] How do you separate Peacock from NBC?
[44:44] Disney should mimic Universal’s reach-focused licensing strategy.
[47:00] Apple raises space stakes while texts take flight.
[49:26] Charter beats today, poised for growth tomorrow.
[51:05] YouTube is a rocket ship, without investing in original content.
[54:07] Roblox proves what we’ve long known—time spent is the North Star.
[55:59] If you build good games, gamers will still come.
[57:06] If you want to disincentivize ticket brokers, don’t refund their purchase.
[59:38] Elon said there will be 10bn humanoid robots by 2040, so it must be true.
[1:02:12] Senior skip day, election edition.
[1:03:00] The Other One.

Ep. 233: Skydance’s Bold Move, TKO’s Increased Complexity and AI Search Wars Heating Up

[0:00] Wolf Like Me.
[2:24] Some rich guy is buying Paramount.
[5:50] Investors don’t like TKO’s increased complexity but UFC deal will drive the stock.
[9:06] David Ellison makes a brilliant choice in Cindy Holland.
[12:25] How much content spend is needed to build a scaled global competitor?
[15:15] No longer expect Iger to remain Chairman post-2026.
[18:26] Connectivity Corner: Higher bills, message missed, and AI’s early efficiencies.
[22:11] Spectrum (as in RF) in focus on the eve of the election.
[25:22] Is pay-TV the best use of Charter’s marketing spend?
[28:04] Spotify’s programmatic ad ambitions growing.
[30:18] What is Big Tech really competing for in the AI arms race?
[31:18] Perplexity is far more useful for search than new Siri with ChatGPT.
[35:07] AI will make you live forever (just ask anyone working in AI).
[36:17] Peloton gets more usage than the Vision Pro.
[37:28] Netflix’s near-term focus is ad tech, not AAA games.
[40:48] Netflix is not going to build a theme park or cruise ships.
[43:31] DoJ opposition to Venu does not bode well for sector M&A.
[45:34] We’ll take the over on 3-5 years before the RSN biz returns to peak cable economics.
[49:31] The worst headline of the year comes from an unlikely source.
[51:09] Wolf Like Me.

Ep. 232: Disney’s Epic Competition, Uber’s Rescue Mission, and the Demise of Cable Network Advertising

[0:00] Walking In the Wind.
[1:30] PSA boomers – you stand at a playoff baseball game.
[5:55] How will Universal’s Epic Universe impact Walt Disney World?
[13:05] Disney makes up for discounting by further monetizing P1.
[15:55] Sphere Abu Dhabi will be very lucrative for Sphere Co.
[18:42] Don’t comment on Sphere’s financials if you don’t understand them.
[21:50] Immersive Vision Pro content felt lonely.
[27:45] Cosm gives you the immersiveness of VR with the collective experience.
[31:00] Uber eying Expedia: strategic or rescue mission?
[34:16] Yet another reason for distributors to balk at ESPN’s high carriage fees.
[37:13] Does embedding ESPN+ into ESPN flagship make UFC more or less important?
[39:57] An a la carte RSN model is inevitable, and that’s bad news for RSNs.
[41:55] College football is an incredible product but can be rearchitected.
[45:57] Launch now, lobby later as delays aid Starlink’s rivals.
[48:43] Netflix and Amazon ad tier scaling will hurt basic cable advertising in 2025 and depress CTV CPMs.
[53:28] Time spent is Spotify’s north star.
[56:46] GenAI will impact the ad community faster than most expect.
[59:31] A LightShed favorite: complaining about X… on X.
[1:02:01] Where Do Broken Hearts Go.

Ep: 231: Elon’s Robots Upstaged RoboTaxis, TV OS Wars Heating Up and What Happens to Advertising in a Post-App World?

[0:00] Howie Rose X My Girl.
[2:07] Why is Rich yelling at the Waymo?
[6:30] What happens to advertising in a post-app/website world?
[9:51] Tesla robot’s autonomy in question.
[17:28] WeRobot’s Ride-Share Scare: Error 404, Evidence Not Found.
[18:35] Government focuses on breaking up Google when search competition might finally be arriving.
[21:58] Will consumers really use alternative app stores on Android devices?
[27:43] The TV OS should solve discovery, without the need for bloated streaming bundles.
[29:40] Game over, Amazon Channels has won.
[33:04] If Apple needs Amazon Channels, why are they even in the biz?
[37:45] Perhaps Netflix should offer a channels platform.
[42:19] Time spent streaming in 1H 2024 was down at Netflix (and elsewhere).
[46:33] Stadium slate could mean Ticketmaster Q3 miss ahead of monster 2025.
[49:13] Little indication that price hikes are unsustainable.
[50:38] Disney taking price in California, but doubt they can replicate in Florida.
[51:20] Merging retailer data sets with CTV advertising platforms is a growing theme.
[54:33] Facebook looking more and more like Instagram.
[55:56] As short-form gets longer, it will further eat into traditional entertainment time spent.
[1:01:32] Spotify’s primary focus is increasing time spent.
[1:04:48] WBD reminded of the importance of managing risk.
[1:05:53] If the Mets win the World Series, short the market.
[1:07:34] Centerfield.

Ep. 230: From Tesla to Zuck to YouTube: The Race to Own the Future

[0:00] Howie Rose X Moneyball.
[0:40] How can you not be romantic about baseball?
[8:44] Can EchoStar close the deal?
[13:40] Will Boost attract subscribers?
[15:26] Can bigger and smaller bundles save pay TV?
[18:40] There is no limit to Zuck’s ambition.
[24:49] How soon could we be using Orion-like glasses?
[26:56] Paramount investors should love a deeper NFL relationship.
[31:01] The Tesla Robo-taxi event.
[32:50] Autonomy is inevitable.
[34:50] Will WBD get its NBA day in court?
[37:03] Max launching PPV for AEW.
[39:20] Starlink/T-Mobile service is coming soon.
[42:42] Could Paramount’s Nielsen drop be permanent?
[45:01] Google integrating ads and links into its AI overviews.
[48:53] YouTube positioning itself to capture TikTok’s market share.
[51:26] Amazon Prime leans harder into advertising.
[52:01] Verizon deal a start but waiting for bigger Sphere sponsorship.
[53:13] Going private will not change Ubisoft’s structural problems.
[54:41] Gen AI video coming in 2025 from Meta (for free).
[56:44] Tony V’s request.
[57:33] Do we need the LightShed.AI domain?
[59:20] Chariots of Fire.

Ep. 229: Dish/DirecTV Implications, Zuck’s AI Dystopia and AR Eyewear Wars

[0:00] Get Ur Freak On.
[2:55] Grimace is rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the Mets’ past.
[3:02] MLB needs to flex Mets/Braves to national TV.
[5:33] Dish/DirecTV implications. Is Charter next?
[17:25] DTV/DISH combo adds to legacy media’s headwinds.
[20:33] 0% chance WBD will create a tracking stock.
[22:55] Zuck’s quest to own the next computing platform.
[26:20] Can Snap compete with Meta’s data and dollars?
[28:18] Zuck’s dystopian, but engaging vision for AI-generated content.
[32:42] TKO investors should focus on UFC’s upcoming renewal, not what’s in a judge’s head.
[34:20] It feels like WBD will get their NBA day in court.
[37:13] TikTok’s threat to music DSPs was always overblown.
[39:13] Spotify out-innovating its competitors.
[40:44] Can TV ad biz survive without Nielsen?
[43:06] No reason for YouTube to invest real dollars in original content.
[44:13] Netflix ad tier will be at subscriber scale by late 2025.
[45:34] Is OpenAI becoming for-profit a good or bad thing?
[50:57] I Spy Reddit’s Steve Huffman.
[51:34] Without Google/Meta/Amazon scale, does everyone need Trade Desk?
[53:29] Does CNN really believe a web paywall can work in 2024?
[55:30] Freaks Come Out at Night.

Ep. 228: Gemini’s iPhone Play, YouTube’s Vision to Win TV, T-Mobile Ramping Cable Attack Plan

[0:00] Omg.
[1:30] LightShed has another Futurist.
[8:26] Will skinnier genre-based bundles slow MVPD subscriber declines?
[12:18] Dish seeks regulatory support amid financial struggles.
[15:40] We are skeptical DTV and Dish would agree to merge.
[18:54] How does bundling to solve for low engagement drive a robust ad business?
[25:38] Gmail adds Gemini AI button in iPhone search bar, Apple Intelligence not required.
[29:50] T-Mobile not done taking cable subs.
[33:10] Nvidia may open new revenue opportunity for telcos.
[36:01] Snap accelerating new UI rollout to take advantage of TikTok opportunity.
[39:56] Snap wants to own the next-gen OS, but the Spectacles’ form factor is not the future.
[42:28] Early reports not encouraging for TikTok’s free speech argument.
[47:14] YouTube is only scratching the surface of its TV vision.
[49:18] Is Spotify trying to become YouTube?
[51:01] Zas does not need to pay $170 million for AEW rights without other bidders.
[52:47] TKO wants to become a true sports platform.
[54:48] Will AI lower content creation costs or simply redistribute them?
[56:39] EA never met a buzzword they didn’t like.
[58:31] LGM.
[59:02] Omg.

Ep. 227: Zaslav’s Big Win, Fox’s Future in Nevada’s Hands and UFC is Disney’s to Lose

[0:00] The Imperial March.
[1:27] Happy 5th Anniversary, LightShed!
[3:05] Zaslav gets big win from Charter, but what about WBD/Comcast?
[11:32] Are smaller bundles inevitable as DirecTV Disney drags on?
[16:43] The 3 reasons consumers upgrade their iPhone.
[20:30] No easy fix for the RSN model.
[24:30] Why do consumers prefer Postcards to V-U2?
[29:20] TKO should leverage UFC 306 learnings and return to Sphere.
[30:22] UFC is ESPN’s to lose.
[35:01] Does Autonomous driving need Lidar?
[37:33] Listen to Autonomy Markets here.
[38:16] Fox’s future rests in a Nevada courtroom.
[41:35] Is commerce bigger opportunity for Roblox than advertising?
[43:51] Sonos using Trade Desk to enter CTV biz.
[48:07] Amazon wants to be a one-stop video destination.
[50:04] Hide your cats, hide your dogs.
[52:15] Brandon caps five years of frustration with a fitting song choice.
[53:17] Reflections of Mufasa.