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Episode 130: October 28, 2022

  • [0:00] Twilight Zone / Runnin’ With the Devil.
  • [1:22] Rich was a DJ in college. Really?
  • [3:09] Who benefits if Twitter advertisers panic?
  • [5:17] Elon’s goal may be a more centrist Twitter.
  • [13:07] Meta forced to make core biz less profitable.
  • [21:46] Digital advertising weak or share shifting? 
  • [26:06] Phil Spencer’s mobile and subscription arguments sound like spin to close ATVI deal.
  • [31:02] Will Apple keep moving advertising goal posts?
  • [34:54] Spotify will raise price but wants an incremental margin benefit.
  • [37:19] Service revenue and sustainability of fixed wireless.
  • [44:20] Kudos to Zaslav for taking a fresh approach to the future of DC.
  • [47:55] Hocus Pocus 2’s Disney+ performance supports a flexible film strategy.
  • [50:37] Content creators can’t help themselves from helping Netflix. 
  • [52:11] Disney may not be a utility but superfans will still stomach higher prices.
  • [53:47] TCL/Amazon deal is why Roku needs to build their own TVs.
  • [57:31] Why is The Rock talking about a potential WWE sale?
  • [1:01:37] Live Nation’s stock should not have been hurt by Biden’s ticketing comments.
  • [1:04:34] Comcast should have never bought Sky.
  • [1:07:26]Tom, thanks for a great decade at Charter!
  • [1:08:02] Spooky.
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Episode 129: October 21, 2022

  • [0:00] I Love You Always Forever.
  • [1:20] Let’s repack week one of earnings.
  • [6:45] Is a Fox/News Corp. merger the next season of Succession?
  • [13:08] Netflix’s next act: monetizing the moochers.
  • [18:26] YouTube time spent on connected TV is skyrocketing.
  • [22:25] Netflix ramping gaming efforts but creating a breakout hit is hard.
  • [24:45] Linear TV ads trends holding up better than digital.
  • [34:43] Twitter sale will go through at $54.20.
  • [39:30] Endeavor may want WWE but that doesn’t mean it’s for sale.
  • [43:05] Will Amazon outbid Turner and ESPN for NBA rights?
  • [45:05] All-encompassing sports DTC package isn’t economically viable for leagues.
  • [48:30] Roblox forces short squeeze but should stop reporting monthly.
  • [51:51] Fubo Gaming was always DOA.
  • [54:15] Zuck, Elon, Ye and China: your social platform owners.
  • [55:55] Karma.
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Episode 128: October 14, 2022

  • [0:00] Can’t Get You Out of My Head.
  • [5:00] WiFi issues at the Comcast Center.
  • [6:25] Meta’s brand may be its biggest problem.  
  • [11:58] Are there VR use cases beyond gaming? 
  • [13:44] Zuckerberg desperately wants to be the Metaverse OS.  
  • [19:28] TikTok begins music streaming push as Sony pulls out of Resso.
  • [21:45] Is it easier for Amazon to be TikTok than TikTok to be Amazon?
  • [23:57] AVOD pricing is a bundle and TAM play for Disney but just TAM for Netflix.
  • [29:30] Netflix advertising is starting as a scale play similar to broadcast TV.
  • [37:14] As long as parks are packed, Disney should keep pushing price.
  • [39:02] UK regulatory understands Microsoft’s true ATVI ambitions are streaming/subscription.
  • [42:20] Take-Two wants to be a consolidator.
  • [44:16] Is too much content a risk to Endeavor?
  • [48:10] Dish could monetize Boost.
  • [52:35] Can the ESPN brand drive sports betting market share?
  • [54:54] Fanatics finally enters betting but TBD if they have meaningful differentiation.
  • [57:31] Fanatics wants to be the Fanatics of music.
  • [58:56] Amazon’s sports goal is to drive daily use of Prime Video.
  • [1:01:47] MSG is trying to recapture the trust of its shareholders.
  • [1:05:00] LA Clippers utilizing broadcast to help solve RSN reach issues.
  • [1:12:09] Unlike the concert industry, the Mets overpriced their tickets.
  • [1:13:05] Randy Johnson creates the new TWTR logo.
  • [1:13:30] In Your Eyes.
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Episode 127: Oct 7, 2022

  • [0:00] Portland, Oregon.
  • [1:01] Another LightShed wedding.
  • [4:10] Where were you when Aaron Judge made “history”?
  • [7:50] Elon’s financing contingency is his newest negotiating ploy.
  • [13:50] What is Elon’s X?
  • [16:24] News outlet owners have always been accused of bias.
  • [20:13] Changes to Section 230 interpretations could mean major risk to tech platforms.
  • [26:14] Loss of older audiences is aging down Amazon’s TNF viewers.
  • [29:21] Could the average person define the metaverse?
  • [31:44] Is Instagram’s ad load increase the start of a death spiral?
  • [33:27] Without a TikTok ban, no relief in sight for Meta.
  • [38:22] TikTok’s creative dynamics insulate it from YouTube Shorts’ impact.
  • [41:50] Does TikTok have enough leverage to be both a music label and streaming service?
  • [44:49] House of the Dragon is only getting stronger.
  • [48:56] Will new board member help change Disney’s view of ESPN?
  • [50:42] Streaming bundles and M&A both inevitable.
  • [52:53] Netflix enters the windowing biz with Knives Up.
  • [55:07] Charter testing bundle inertia with broadcast fee increase.
  • [58:47] Baseball bores Walt, football bores Tom Brady.
  • [59:56] You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly.
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Episode 126: Sept 30, 2022

  • [0:00] Fantastic Voyage.
  • [1:24] Imagining Rich’s midlife crisis.
  • [4:17] Has the weak global economy finally caught up with Apple?
  • [12:11] Is Amazon aging down the NFL?
  • [14:45] Was Bob Iger watching Aaron Judge live?
  • [17:30] New York AG’s complete misunderstanding of the TV industry.
  • [20:35] Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t for sale (for now).
  • [25:31] Netflix is cutting costs, not rethinking broader strategy.
  • [28:56] Dahmer killing Andor.
  • [33:05] Inertia is the glue holding the cable bundle together.
  • [37:07] Is Biden’s handling of TikTok friendly or inert?
  • [39:04] Hulu+++.
  • [41:09] ] Lionsgate begging for a transaction.
  • [46:01] WWE ratings improvement.
  • [50:58] Google’s Stadia did not improve upon the console experience.
  • [55:45] If the MSFT deal breaks, Blizzard’s reemergence would be critical to ATVI stock.
  • [57:53] Can Netflix be social? 
  • [1:00:21] A brand’s Roblox presence must be fun to be successful.
  • [1:03:05] Rich shouldn’t have bought a Bored Ape after all.
  • [1:05:16] Meta announces hiring freeze yet legacy media still won’t discuss weaknesses.
  • [1:07:22] Gangsta’s Paradise.
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Episode 125: Sept 23, 2022

  • [0:00] Bullet with Butterfly Wings.
  • [3:53] LightShed Dinner #2: The Roast of TMT.
  • [10:03] A Fubo upgrade brought to you by hopeful bankers.
  • [13:11] Where is the marketing machine for Aaron Judge?
  • [16:34] Must-See TV on Thursdays is now Amazon, not NBC.
  • [21:51] Tech is treating this downturn with more fear than legacy media.
  • [24:56] Is Meta baselessly hated or are they anti-consumer?
  • [28:13] Twitch’s headline was misleading; creators continue to be paid more annually.
  • [31:29] Will paying creators more help Shorts catch TikTok? 
  • [33:50] Robert Kyncl brings a UGC/creator mentality to Warner Music.
  • [35:36] Apple Music may be more infiltrated in our society than generally believed.
  • [37:49] Is Spotify’s bundled audio vision a mistake?
  • [44:06] GTA 6 leak changes nothing about Take-Two’s future trajectory.
  • [45:46] We do not know whether MSFT/ATVI gets through EU regulatory scrutiny.
  • [47:15] ATVI or no ATVI, Microsoft will scale gaming through acquisition.
  • [48:11] Can you break a major show that is exclusive to Roku?
  • [54:06] Consumers are watching more Netflix than investors believe. 
  • [59:25] We are bullish on WWE’s new content strategy.
  • [1:02:42] We will miss Tom Rutledge’s earnings calls.
  • [1:08:08] Shana Tova.
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Episode 124: Sept 16, 2022

  • [0:00] As It Was.
  • [1:30] What’s the overlap between Harry Styles and LightShed Podcast listeners?
  • [6:46] Amazon’s first NFL broadcast was a success.
  • [10:42] Will channel changing friction increase Amazon’s average viewership?
  • [14:40] Spin or no spin, ESPN will have to cut costs.
  • [20:34] Disney will own 100% of Hulu.
  • [24:20] Verizon’s strategy if it can’t grow.
  • [29:40] T-Mobile’s definition of big.
  • [31:50] Streaming consolidation is needed for broad pricing power.
  • [37:54] TikTok wants to be the de facto social/entertainment platform.
  • [39:38] Comparing Reels and TikTok usage is comparing apples and oranges.
  • [43:20] Roblox is a large long-term opportunity but investors shouldn’t expect much in next few years.
  • [47:52] Disney advertising is opt out and Netflix is opt in.
  • [50:09] Apple needs far more kids/family content.
  • [54:18] Does Roku change of control actually mean anything?
  • [57:03] Snap could play a real role in the creator economy.
  • [58:50] Vision Fund: if at first (and second) you don’t succeed, try again.
  • [1:00:15] Happy anniversary Brandon!
  • [1:01:00] I’m Good (Blue).

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Episode 123: Sept. 9th 2022

  • [0:00] Another One Bites the Dust.
  • [1:14] Welcome Olivia!
  • [3:41] Rich’s redeye selfies are back.
  • [8:50] Why is Sunday Ticket still not done? 
  • [10:26] Apple, SpaceX and cold feet.
  • [17:28] Dish’s big win with iPhone 14.
  • [20:03] Bob Iger’s Twitter bot criticisms are very different than Elon’s.
  • [26:56] Snap has quickly built a real subscription business.
  • [29:56] Snap’s DR focus reaccelerating growth
  • [31:37] Could CFIUS remove TikTok from the US? 
  • [36:17] Will a pullback in streaming spend boost theatrical budgets?
  • [42:25] Only select streaming shows should be licensed to third parties.
  • [44:50] When can we STOP talking about Hulu ownership?
  • [47:46] Is Meta’s focus on reels the reason it killed shopping?
  • [53:20] HBO would have released good Week 3 HOTD viewers.
  • [59:35] Tencent can’t improve Ubisoft’s culture.
  • [1:02:09] Exclusivity in kids content suddenly matters.
  • [1:04:55] Apple needs to invest more in its broadcasters.
  • [1:07:30] When will national sports rights deals follow local’s downward spiral?
  • [1:10:58] Fighting out of the blue corner, Mark Zuckerberg.
  • [1:12:20] Dancing Queen.
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Episode 122: Sept 2, 2022

  • [0:00] The Victors.
  • [0:45] College football is back.
  • [3:43] Netflix’s first big advertising hires blend traditional TV and digital.
  • [6:57] Is the digital ad market mature?
  • [19:03] Can subscription/commerce move the needle as ad growth slows?
  • [24:10] What innovations will Apple showcase next week?
  • [29:55] Apple TV+ now included in T-Mobile’s high-end bundle.
  • [32:51] Will national audiences seek out Thursday Night Football?
  • [38:23] Will Disney Prime monetize Disney’s superfans?
  • [41:00] The linear TV death spiral begins.
  • [44:23] Does HBO content on TNT help or hurt HBO Max?
  • [46:33] House of the Dragon week three viewership expectations.
  • [50:15] Ticketmaster has an NFT use case with fan and artist utility.
  • [52:38] It is crazy to think that dynamic pricing should not exist.
  • [56:25] T-Mobile acquires more spectrum.
  • [58:53] DC is only part of the MSFT/ATVI regulatory picture.
  • [59:46] Mobile, PC, and console gaming continue to converge.
  • [1:01:20] Twitter must solve for an edit button’s obvious problems.
  • [1:03:08] Twitter’s flirtation with an OnlyFans competitor.
  • [1:04:14] The Red and Blue.
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Episode 121: August 26, 2022

    • [0:00] Sabotage.
    • [3:26] Does this hotel have USA Today?
    • [5:51] Amazon/EA rumor debunked.
    • [11:05] Microsoft wants subscription exclusivity, not hardware exclusivity.
    • [13:12] The Law vs. Elon Musk. 
    • [19:45] T-Mobile and Starlink’s plan to cover wireless deadspots.
    • [25:38] TikTok TV should scare legacy media. 
    • [29:21] TikTok is the most shared link on Facebook Blue.
    • [31:33] House of the Dragon satisfied the community feel.
    • [35:00] Does the HBO Max discount increase LTV?
    • [38:46] Who is greenlighting films at Warner Bros. Discovery? 
    • [41:06] Warner Bros. Discovery film strategy less flexible than others.
    • [44:05] What is your favorite fast casual restaurant?
    • [46:26] Will NBC’s content move the Peacock needle?
    • [47:38] ESPN’s dispassionate analysis of sports rights.  
    • [49:31] Sports teams need tighter control of local rights as they pivot to future.
    • [52:00] Expect more concerts on 3D interactive platforms.
    • [57:07] Crazier to think AR and VR won’t be part of our lives one day than the opposite.
    • [1:05:22] Joe Rogan to Zuck: kids are obsessed with Snap.
    • [1:06:25] Albuquerque.
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