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Episode 140: January 6, 2023

  • [0:00] Viva Las Vegas.
  • [1:10] It’s not a CES without a trip to the ER.
  • [4:00] Is a UFC/WWE merger Vince’s next move?
  • [12:13] Jake Paul will legitimize the PFL.
  • [18:32] Regulators have gone too far against Meta.
  • [20:38] The next big tech battle: AI.
  • [24:11] Avatar has not saved the box office.
  • [27:19] T-Mobile’s declining share of gross adds and Cable’s impact.
  • [29:50] Third time a charm for Biden’s FCC nominee Sohn?
  • [34:49] Selling Tao could help solve the MSG Sphere’s funding gap but at what cost?
  • [38:42] Roku fighting for market share by building TVs.
  • [43:23] Amazon is only just getting started in sports.
  • [47:11] Netflix content hot streak continues.
  • [48:48] Fitness is Netflix’s newest lever pulled to keep members locked in their ecosystem.
  • [52:20] Could News Corp sell Dow Jones if Fox deal fails?
  • [53:45] Viva Las Vegas.
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Episode 139: December 30, 2022

  • [0:00] After Midnight.
  • [1:22] Rich is introduced to the global power crisis.
  • [5:24] FOX/Flutter Arbitration Will Trigger Final FOX Unwind.
  • [6:51] Disney Keeps ESPN to Enable it to Buyout Comcast’s Hulu Stake and Win IPL Rights.
  • [9:38] 5G Wireless Home Broadband Emerges as a Viable Competitor to Cable.
  • [10:40] Roku Buys Vizio Instead of a Studio.
  • [12:58] Charter Tiers Sinclair RSNs as Local/Regional Sports Begin OTT.
  • [15:28] ViacomCBS Acquires Lionsgate.
  • [17:46] Bobby Kotick Stays at Activision in Perhaps His Last Stand.
  • [20:28] Amazon’s Disruption Continues, Adding Another Global Operator to Its Cloud
  • [24:15] The Metaverse Ages Up.
  • [25:45] Dish Will Finally Merge Its Pay TV Business With DirecTV.
  • [27:19] Zaslav Comes Out Aggressively as CEO of Warner Bros Discovery.
  • [29:55] Sunday Ticket Rights Go to Big Tech: Amazon or Apple.
  • [35:45] IDFA = Investors Don’t Fear Anymore.
  • [37:59] As Alternative Currencies Emerge, Nielsen Rates Begin to Decline.
  • [39:06] Music Spreads Across Gaming and the Metaverse Creating Music Label Catalyst.
  • [40:51] Sports Betting Consolidation Begins as NY State Becomes #1 Market.
  • [42:52] Blockchain Gaming Gets its First Breakout Hit.
  • [44:27] Domestic Box Office Finds a New Normal at $8.5-$9 billion, Down 20%+ vs. 2019.
  • [48:46] Netflix Global Sub Adds Accelerate Back toward Mid-20s.
  • [50:33] Record Year for Live Events.
  • [53:13] Apple TV+ Has a Breakout Movie Year.
  • [54:46] T-Mobile will cave on the Boost MVNO deal.
  • [55:56] Thank you all.
  • [56:31] Auld Lang Syne.
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Episode 138: December 23, 2022

  • [0:00] Run Rudolph Run.
  • [1:56] Did Rich find WiFi while on safari?
  • [4:11] Advertising sentiment recession.
  • [9:45] Do not judge Netflix’s AVOD success prior to the password crackdown.
  • [13:24] The broadcast TV death spiral is accelerating.
  • [16:20] Moving Sunday Ticket to digital should increase churn in the overall MVPD/vMVPD universe.
  • [26:27] If the Suns are worth $4bn then what are the Knicks worth?
  • [29:29] YouTube TV spending on Sunday Ticket but only Fubo embracing the RSNs.
  • [34:01] Mass gaming commission’s personal attack on Barstool.
  • [36:05] Elon’s war on bots had an unintended consequence.
  • [39:05] Would a great Twitter CEO work for Elon?
  • [42:18] By his own demand, Ari Emanuel’s abs return.
  • [44:29] We do not expect Avatar’s box office to break $1.5bn.
  • [48:10] Adam Aron’s simple arithmetic gift to the shorts.
  • [53:56] Frosty.
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Episode 137: December 16, 2022

  • [0:00] 25 or 6 to 4.
  • [1:56] Recording podcast over two days, simultaneously.
  • [4:21] Avatar box office over/under: $1.5 billion?
  • [8:40] Walt has been kicked off Twitter.
  • [13:13] Elon driving advertisers away.
  • [19:40] Why is it only Apple’s fees that should be regulated?
  • [25:09] Password sharing is the unlock that will grow Netflix’s ad-supported tier.
  • [29:20] +play should benefit both Verizon and consumers.
  • [35:25] Can you build a streaming wars winner while rapidly cutting costs?
  • [40:14] Charter’s Tom Rutledge capex déjà vu.
  • [45:35] There is a surprising lack of buzz around a TikTok ban.
  • [49:22] Vince McMahon needs to stay away from WWE.
  • [54:03] Did NFL pick Apple TV+ or YouTube TV?
  • [58:41] MSFT makes surprising offer to get ATVI deal done.
  • [1:01:12] 2023 could be a difficult year for Roblox.
  • [1:03:43] RIP live audio?
  • [1:06:03] 25 or 6 to 4.
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Episode 136: December 9, 2022

  • [0:00] Sweet Caroline.
  • [2:02] Visors: yay or nay?
  • [5:05] ATVI stock is well positioned with or without Microsoft.
  • [13:09] A Diamond Sports restructuring is the beginning of the end for RSNs.
  • [15:50] Non-NFL leagues need to rethink their streaming plans and combine national with local.
  • [18:21] Expect HBO Max on Prime subs to exceed the original HBO deal’s impact.
  • [22:17] What should WBD rebrand HBO Max? 
  • [24:59] Streaming requires further consolidation but can it pass regulatory?
  • [31:25] 2022 ad trends create a scary setup for legacy media in 2023.
  • [36:12] Breakout content and cheaper price points could unleash Netflix sub growth.
  • [40:19] There is no Apple/Elon autonomous vehicles conspiracy.
  • [41:43] Positive early datapoints for Dish’s post-paid service.
  • [44:39] Even TikTok is growth hacking these days.
  • [48:35] WWE needs a sustained content hot streak leading into domestic renewals.
  • [51:34] Why not pair MSGN with AMCX?
  • [55:26] Enforcing bot laws will fix the ticketing biz much more than breaking up LYV/Ticketmaster.
  • [57:50] How well can Fanatics diversify away from its core biz? 
  • [59:45] We need Jalen Hurts and Justin Verlander jerseys.
  • [1:00:15] Cracklin Rosie.
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Episode 135: December 2, 2022

  • [0:00] Everywhere.
  • [0:55] We survived LightShed boot camp.
  • [3:30] Can you guess our most played songs of 2022?
  • [8:25] The media sector should fire McKinsey.
  • [12:39] Creative teams are Disney’s lifeblood.
  • [15:45] Subscale SVOD players deserve to have their spending scrutinized.
  • [19:00] Does anyone believe that Bob Iger is leaving in two years?
  • [20:09] The final season of AMC Networks.
  • [23:41] Does Bobby Kotick want the MSFT/ATVI deal to break?
  • [29:35]  Why carry an RSN if free on Peacock?
  • [31:08] Winter is coming for RSNs.
  • [42:21] Netflix advertising launched successfully.
  • [43:37] Netflix is on a content hot streak.
  • [45:38] Amazon’s entertainment division is one continuous reorg.
  • [47:45] Tesla and SpaceX do not need brands to love them but Twitter does.
  • [52:06] Zuck has not abandoned his core business.
  • [58:46] Can Apple’s Services offset iPhone’s issues?
  • [1:03:52] How the mighty have fallen: Zuck is no longer most hated tech billionaire.
  • [1:05:01] It is ridiculous to applaud SBF.
  • [1:06:20] Songbird.
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Episode 134: November 23, 2022

  • [0:00] Beat It.
  • [1:19] Where was Rich on Sunday night?
  • [6:29] Bob Chapek lost the locker room.  
  • [13:46] Iger’s new strategy must be different than his prior strategy.
  • [29:08] Is Disney’s next CEO a current employee of Disney?
  • [31:50] Big Tech is unlikely to receive global approval for a transformative acquisition.
  • [35:53] Are others engaging in Chapek’s DTC financial engineering?
  • [38:34] DOJ’s antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster is about political capital.
  • [47:45] Twitter: everyone loves a car crash.
  • [50:22] Does Twitter have the financial firepower to properly invest in AI?
  • [58:56] Netflix evolves their games strategy as they enter social AAA titles.
  • [1:01:57] A Fox / News Corp. merger feels like a longshot.
  • [1:04:32] Amazon’s rumored theatrical investments are confusing.
  • [1:07:48] Will the Chinese box office rescue Avatar’s profitability?
  • [1:10:30] Happy Thanksgiving!
  • [1:11:11] Thanksgiving Prayer
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Episode 133: November 18, 2022

  • [0:00] Anti-hero.
  • [1:05] Do you “hate listen” to the podcast?
  • [10:50] The “question” that stole the Liberty Investor Day.
  • [13:44] How does the NBA grow national media rights fees?
  • [20:53] Netflix and Sports? 
  • [25:22] Other leagues may follow the NFL’s broadcast TV playbook.
  • [26:38] The government should crack down on bots not LYV.
  • [34:19] Twitter is still working (for now).
  • [37:44] How does the FAA C-Band debacle still exist?
  • [41:00] Is Apple making the metaverse more of a priority?
  • [44:09] What are VR use cases?
  • [47:03] YouTube CTV time spent is exploding and needs more attention.
  • [50:02] TBD how Microsoft will handle pricing and distribution in China.
  • [51:00] Everything seems to be going well at SoftBank!
  • [53:25] Has the world been digested yet?
  • [55:18] Newest Thanksgiving dish – Holy Ears.
  • [56:42] Liberty.
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Episode 132: November 11, 2022

  • [0:00] Voodoo Lady.
  • [1:15] Nothing smells like Miami.
  • [4:57] Take responsibility for your crypto decisions.
  • [13:50] Elon is a great technologist but does not understand human beings.
  • [20:22] If the Twitter platform improves then advertisers will come for the eyeballs.
  • [22:16] Starlink already delayed.
  • [25:09] Is Amazon scaling back Alexa as sports/video bets increase?
  • [29:09] Meta’s FY23 OpEx cuts were a small olive branch to shareholders.
  • [32:57] Disney mismanaged investor profitability expectations.
  • [38:23] Diller is right, Malone is wrong on Netflix. 
  • [41:19] Expect Netflix to follow Apple’s sports rights playbook.
  • [47:53] Dramatic increases in UFC/WWE rights fees require big tech’s participation.
  • [50:20] When does Flutter buy-out Fox’s FanDuel option/blocking rights?
  • [53:45] Despite bipartisan concerns, a TikTok ban still feels unlikely.
  • [57:25] The music industry’s TikTok complaints feel like déjà vu all over again.
  • [58:27] Snap’s creator program is gaining traction.  
  • [58:58] Phil Spencer increasingly confident MSFT/ATVI is approved.
  • [1:03:14] MSGE biz could be strong post-Sphere but can they get there?
  • [1:06:33] Cable TV redefining the fountain of youth.  
  • [1:07:35] Zoloft
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Episode 131: November 4, 2022

  • [0:00] Gonna Fly Now.
  • [2:42] The Philadelphia curse of Joe Galone.
  • [4:47] Tech is treating this downturn differently than previous recessions.
  • [7:43] Ominous signs appearing for ‘23 TV ad spend.
  • [11:23] Our first impressions of Netflix’s new ad tier.
  • [12:20] Is a slowdown in telecom ad spend cyclical or secular?
  • [14:15] Live Nation an advertising and sponsorship outlier.
  • [19:13] Will Elon’s Twitter Blue changes enhance your experience?
  • [31:02] Further delays for Dish and costly capital.
  • [34:07] Disney building the “utility” of Disney+.
  • [37:23] Why does Disney keep licensing to gaming studios?
  • [38:38] Should HBO kill Max and return to HBO?
  • [45:05] Amazon Music pushing subs towards Apple and Spotify.
  • [48:18] Amazon is trying to replicate ESPN as part of the Prime bundle.
  • [52:03] What percentage of previously free subs will churn off of Peacock?
  • [53:44] Zuck’s WhatsApp update takes aim at Apple and Slack.
  • [55:36] Rahul Ligma will be missed at Twitter.
  • [57:22] Streets of Philadelphia.
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