Podcasts – Page 25 – LightShed Partners

Episode 90: January 21, 2022

Topics Include:

[0:00] Bat Out of Hell.
[0:14] RIP Meatloaf.
[3:39] Netflix’s terrible forecast doesn’t change their long-term streaming TAM.
[9:32] Long Netflix is now a bet on Ted, not Reed.
[16:56] Netflix is re-running their initial content playbook but in gaming.
[19:46] Activision Blizzard’s employee and recruitment issues spelled the end.
[22:11] Subscription gaming requires popular first-party content.
[33:28] Activision Blizzard catalyzes Microsoft’s metaverse ambitions.
[35:13] Looking at the Peloton time capsule.
[37:20] The Onion cuts their Fubo price target.
[38:54] AWS Telecom scores another major telco.
[40:42] Why did Disney choose a non-content exec to head international content?
[43:27] Early NY sports betting winners (including the MSG properties).
[48:13] YouTube does not need to spend money on premium content.
[52:28] NFT wallet growth is the most important NFT adoption metric.
[1:01:27] Kids on-demand audio could be huge.
[1:02:58] Would you rather be UFC heavyweight champion or a Free Agent?
[1:06:20] IG subscriptions should make the platform stickier.
[1:08:22] No one cares about your Wordle.
[1:08:54] Infinite Content.

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Episode 89: January 14, 2022

Topics Include:

[0:00] Rhinestone Cowboy.
[4:23] Goodbye Joe Judge.
[5:16] Take-Two/Zynga has clear strategic rationale but execution is TBD.
[12:13] Activision Blizzard should merge Zynga with King (but won’t).
[13:06] Sinclair’s DTC pivot does not make economic sense.
[19:24] The NBA will go direct with a better product offering than Sinclair.
[23:15] Have the stars finally aligned for Dish/DTC to combine?
[28:12] Apple/MLB would be a big deal even at small dollars.
[32:05] BT Sport gives DAZN much-needed geographic diversification.
[35:20] How long can streaming platforms drive up sports rights?
[37:32] Disney should not be allocating more capital to ESPN.
[40:00] Pixar staff does not want to acknowledge changing consumer behavior.
[42:26] The NFL is still king (no kidding).
[45:27] All media companies and brands will have a place on Roblox.
[48:13] Shop Pay’s strategic role in helping merchants.
[50:28] Nielsen troubles growing by the day.
[52:42] More and more movie studios need to start thinking of China box office as a zero.
[56:31] We can’t wait for a public Triller.
[59:07] I Walk the Line.

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Episode 88: January 7, 2022

Topics Include:

[0:00] Moby Dick.
[1:20] The Bob Chapek era has officially begun.
[3:03] Rich called the crypto top.
[4:06] Covid is the world’s greatest IQ test(s).
[8:37] Michael Rubin’s savage acquisition of Topps.
[9:58] Fanatics is a great example on how to disrupt an industry.
[12:23] Advertising and sponsorship platforms are the clear early winners in NY sports betting.
[15:12] AT&T tops table again in post-paid nets.
[19:23] Wireless impact on cable broadband intensifying.
[24:52] Why is Scott Rosenberg leaving Roku?
[29:03] The New York Times finally acquires The Athletic.
[33:40] UFC domestic rights are going higher next round.
[40:28] PlayStation has a leg up on Oculus in bringing VR to gamers.
[41:55] Metaverse wars are going to heat up in 2022.
[44:42] Podcasting still has meaningful share to take from terrestrial radio.
[48:08] HBO/HBO Max’s big year.
[51:54] Candle Media’s portfolio growing at incredible speed.
[53:12] Expect even more creation of interactive experiences based on linear IP and vice versa.
[55:27] Imax is becoming the movie industry.
[58:50] Adam Aron’s expensive ticket to the Rose Bowl.
[1:01:07] Moby Dick.

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Episode 87: December 31, 2021

Topics Include:

[0:00] 2021.
[4:04] Disney and Comcast End Hulu Partnership Three Years Early.
[7:15] Amazon Acquires Thursday Night Football and YouTube TV Takes Sunday Ticket.
[10:34] HBO/HBO Max Hit 50 Million Subscribers.
[14:02] Verizon Drops To Last Place In Wireless Phone Net Adds.
[14:51] Roku Raises Equity to Accelerate Original Programming.
[18:05] Dish’s Spectrum Included in iPhone 13.
[19:43] Disney Releases All Theatrical Films Day-and-Date on Disney+.
[23:48] Apple’s IDFA Opt-In Causes Wide-Ranging Pain, Accelerating Push to Subscriptions.
[26:45] Interactive Media Platforms Become Critical for Marketers and Distribution of Content.
[31:18] Google Achieves Dominance of Connected TV Ad Spend.
[33:27] Podcast Ad Spend Gaps Up and Apple Launches Podcast Subscription.
[34:52] Snapchat Reaches 500,000 Advertisers and Bitmoji’s Importance Grows.
[39:04] MGM Studios Acquired by Comcast’s NBC Universal.
[41:51] Creator Direct-to-Consumer Platforms See Exponential Growth.
[43:29] Apple TV+ Content Budget Soars to $5 Billion.
[45:06] Sports Teams/Leagues Need New Revenue Streams as Media Rights Start to Disappoint.
[47:44] Live Events Return Strong, Movie Theaters Struggle.
[52:00] Legacy Media Stops Investing in TV Everywhere, as DTC Takes Center Stage.
[54:02] Call of Duty Multi-Experience Paradigm Replicated and Imitated.
[56:48] Verizon Sells Media Assets.
[58:55] Donald Trump Launches DTC Media Platform.
[59:32] Other topics that dominated 2021: David Zaslav, Apes, and web3.
[1:03:43] Thank you all.
[1:05:14] Auld Lang Syne.

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Episode 86: December 24, 2021

Key Topics Include:

[0:00] Jingle Bells (Dogs).
[0:15] A sequel to Rich’s Peacock TikTok.
[1:03] Happy Festivus.
[2:23] Who doesn’t want to get stuck quarantining in Vegas?
[6:14] Omicron throws Comcast’s Winter Olympics in flux.
[8:03] Jack calls out attempts to centralize the decentralized web.
[14:17] Congratulations to your Finance Charlatans of the Year!
[17:03] The Sixers have a “concrete” metaverse strategy.
Is Crypto advertising bigger than sports betting advertising?
[20:34] Does Spider-Man’s success change our day-and-date viewpoint?
[29:20] Iger knows that Disney+ needs more diverse content.
[30:41] Should Apple have bought Disney? Agree to Disagree.
[40:31] AT&T sheds another non-core asset.
[45:30] Expect Triller’s desperate public play to end badly.
[47:50] Continued increases in sports rights are a good omen for WWE.
[51:34] TBD if Zynga can be successful away from their core competencies.
[54:24] I just want a hug in the metaverse^TM.
[54:34] Snow & Heat Miser.

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Episode 85: December 17, 2021

Topics Include:

[0:00] Let’s Get It On.
[3:08] Seven Fishes or Seven Phish Shows?
[4:48] YouTube TV’s $15/month chess move.
[8:18] Is Netflix India cutting price or pushing subs toward TVs?
[12:44] Disney cannot afford to lose IPL rights.
[13:57] What impact will Cable have in wireless next year?
[19:03] Fubo’s sports betting fantasy is evaporating.
[22:27] We read mean (Fubo) tweets.
[24:09] TikTok is going to catch up to Instagram far quicker than people realize.
[26:06] The sky is falling.
[30:38] Digital ownership is a huge opportunity for large brands.
[32:33] Shopify is now doing for the digital world what they have done for the physical world.
[37:00] Reddit is finally going public.
[40:41] Spotify’s advertising opportunity is underappreciated.
[44:02] Google’s Best Buy issues are a plus for Roku.
[47:38] Peloton has (another) bad week.
[49:40] I’m Still Standing.

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Episode 84: December 10, 2021

Key Topics Include:

[0:00] Around the World.
[0:42] Jingle Ball.
[2:52] BuzzFeed’s lack of consumer passion and brand equity.
[9:09] The power of YouTube.
[15:40] More fodder for the competitive wireless home broadband debate.
[21:00] Can Cable disrupt wireless?
[24:50] Discord’s low hanging monetization fruit.
[32:11] AMC CEO stock sales speak louder than his words.
[34:23] MSG Sphere is poised for innovative and flexible content creation.
[37:10] Amazon’s sports ambitions are bigger than industry realizes.
[45:31] Theatrical windows are too inflexible.
[48:28] Sports books need content to lower acquisition costs.
[55:28] Gamer revolts show web3 education is still in its infancy.
[59:50] Elon teaches us how to pick the right web3 urinal.
[1:03:38] When You Wish Upon a Star.

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Episode 83: December 3, 2021

Topics Include:

[0:00 Soul Bossa Nova.
[1:05] Every good podcast has a donkey.
[4:23] A Twitter CEO not in a yurt.
[10:43] FCC confirmations and broadband regulation.
[13:20] Disney Comcast news sadly did not involve Hulu resolution.
[16:33] We are about to learn who Bob Chapek really is.
[19:12] Does offering deep discounts to gain streaming subs make sense?
[23:59] Sinclair STILL does not have a viable DTC product.
[27:14] Current MLB lockout tied to compensation, not RSNs.
[28:29] The power of football vs. everything else.
[32:41] Facebook is going to have to build the metaverse without M&A.
[36:45] Gambling is not entertaining when you lose money.
[40:06] Why Amazon and Dish could disrupt telecoms.
[44:33] Theaters need to become much more special relative to the at-home experience.
[51:38] Do NFT communities have lasting power?
[59:30] Thinking about creating a DAO for stuff.
[1:00:18] The Man and the Donkey.

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Episode 82: November 26, 2021

Topics Include:

[0:00] On Repeat.
[2:42] COVID returns, did it ever leave?
[5:40] Farewell Vonage.
[7:01] Sell-side wakes up to Disney+ content slowdown.
[10:28] Disney needs new movies for D+ sub growth.
[13:00] HBO Max’s targeting can improve.
[20:47] Dec 1 a big day for FCC’s Rosenworcel and Sohn.
[23:22] As FCC gets sorted, TracFone deal approval and C-Band resolutions emerge.
[28:16] Is Amazon’s NFL innovation right on schedule or a troubling delay?
[34:06] Roku’s content ambitions.
[40:36] Netflix’s content verticals on Spotify to get mimicked by other brands.
[45:33] The importance of social to build a media company.
[47:36] Roblox’s Game Fund a critical piece of their age-up strategy.
[50:32] web3 decentralization comes at a tradeoff of simplicity.
[54:30] Our takeaways from the ConstitutionDAO debacle.
[58:08] NFTs at the Thanksgiving Day parade.

[59:35] Dominick the Donkey.

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Episode 81: November 19, 2021

Topics Include:

[0:00] Home on the Range.
[5:55] Liberty’s managed Q&A.
[9:40] Is Malone turning against the bundle he built?
[10:13] Warner Bros. will not be a one-size-fits all offering.
[15:36] Malone is more self-aware than Charter on competition.
[19:00] Gigi Sohn should be confirmed as FCC Commish, but when?
[21:11] It is time for Bobby Kotick to wave the white flag. Where’s the Board?
[25:13] Should Activision Blizzard break up the company?
[26:28] Netflix’s viewership data is to attract talent, not advertisers.
[34:15] Disney should use last week’s Viacom playbook to drive subs.
[36:20] Roblox introduces the immersive future of advertising.
[41:27] Roblox will have to eventually embrace interoperability.
[50:33] Is Tom Rutledge the next to drop Sinclair’s RSNs?
[53:28] Sports rights cost inflation now impacting streaming: EPL 2.7x last deal.
[58:43] Hulu Live + Disney bundle is likely all about vMVPD churn.
[1:03:11] Twitter is finally encouraging innovation on the platform.
[1:04:46] Star power is not always transferrable between social media platforms.
[1:07:25] Owning assets as an expression of community is a hallmark of web3.
[1:12:07] Misunderstanding.

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