Podcasts – Page 4 – LightShed Partners

Ep. 278: Will Google Dominate AI on iPhones, Roblox Bets on Safety and Has Clock Run Out on Streaming Sub Growth?

[0:00] Paranoid Android.
[2:10] Big news in Brandonland: the return of Radiohead.
[5:12] Very few Radioheads, but Ticketmaster can help all artists make ticketing fairer.
[8:54] Judge Mehta channels his inner Taco in Google ruling: tough talk, laissez-faire ruling.
[17:27] Does Mehta really believe Apple innovation would decrease if Google payments disappeared?
[21:16] Apple leans on Google for Siri after OpenAI and Anthropic setbacks.
[24:01] Google aims to dominate AI across Android and iOS.
[25:56] Malone talks his book.
[29:48] WBD courting PE to solve linear network leverage challenge post-split.
[32:51] Tesla’s milestones and Waymo’s new markets. More on Autonomy Markets.
[38:54] A YouTube TV sports bundle will likely require a Disney deal for ESPN Unlimited (link).
[41:51] Piracy whack-a-mole deja vu (link).
[44:22] Peacock’s Amazon deal shows DTC is hard.
[47:09] Walmart+’s new streaming benefit helps Peacock, but adds headwinds for Paramount+.
[54:13] David Ellison is transforming Paramount at incredible speed.
[56:27] Better primary ticket pricing is crushing secondary and hurting StubHub.
[58:31] Amazon joins crowded inflight market, providing an alternative to SpaceX.
[59:52] Roblox’s RDC messaging will revolve around safety.
[1:01:01] Bell-to-bell phone bans in schools will pressure mobile time spent.
[1:02:34] Gen Alpha is not going to save movie theaters
[1:03:43] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:04:30] Lift.

Ep. 277: Google’s AI Edge, Elon’s Wireless Grok Play, and Zaslav’s Singer Sequel

[0:00] Stay Stay Stay.
[2:01] Who’s your National Title pick this year?
[6:49] Starlink’s FCC play, EchoStar’s $23B sale and what comes next. (link)
[14:50] Grok’s legal fight and its mobile stakes.
[17:52] What kind of “-ism” is the Intel deal?
[25:57] Whether Brad Singer’s Zaslav sequel is to run it or flip it, investors will be happy.
[28:35] If IShowSpeed’s YouTube alt feed hits, the NFL should take notice.
[31:07] Expansion outpaces glitches as Tesla and Waymo move autonomy forward.
[33:56] Apple hype hides growing reliance on third party AI.
[36:05] Sad that Apple’s big idea to reinvigorate Apple Music is ad-supported radio.
[37:43] Google is set up to dominate AI, but will it be a less profitable future?
[40:49] Hard to believe Anthropic settlement ends the debate on LLM training legalities.
[41:54] How should the US approach AI regulation if China won’t play by the same rules?
[45:40] Disney should be thanking Sling, not suing them.
[47:33] Expect Disney to sell-down Fubo stake if Hulu Live merger close.
[48:44] Uber criticizes Tesla cameras while funding similar tech. More on Autonomy Markets.
[50:49] ESPN expanding DTC content for leverage in distributer battles.
[52:05] Will users actually DM on Spotify instead of iMessage?
[54:01] Trump speeding up Penn Station renovation is a tailwind for MSGE. (link)
[55:52] Roblox engagement growing despite controversies.
[58:07] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:00:10] So High School.

Ep. 276: ESPN’s Confusing DTC Launch, Apple’s Services Cash Grab and The New Swamp

[0:00] Shimmy Shimmy Ya.
[2:02] We’re ready for football season.
[5:30] Apple’s latest Services hike won’t be its last.
[10:06] ESPN’s DTC rollout doesn’t reflect 8 years of planning. (link)
[25:10] Don’t blame TKO for chasing dollars, but WWE fandom just got more confusing and costly.
[32:49] Google’s AI advances overshadowed by awkward presentation.
[35:45] We call BS on a Meta AI hiring freeze, though cuts could come elsewhere.
[40:30] Investors want SNAP to abandon hardware, not raise outside capital.
[42:47] ESPN wants to become indispensable to all sports fans and leagues.
[47:12] Nuro’s success strengthens Uber’s hand. More on Autonomy Markets.
[48:48] Does Roger Alford’s speech portend LYV settlement?
[51:30] Nexstar/Tegna will get approval and will shift retrans and reverse retrans leverage.
[54:50] David Ellison has no need to buy, when he can build.
[57:12] Why did the White House join TikTok this week?
[1:00:26] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:04:12] Check the Rhime

Ep. 275: Ari Emanuel’s Knockout Win, Sam Altman’s Reddit Bull Case and What Would Buying Chrome Even Mean?

[0:00] Dust in a Baggie.
[1:20] Is PSKY now a meme stock?
[7:15] Support our Lady of LightShed’s play (Sea Glass tickets on sale now).
[8:17] Big UFC win for TKO, but what does it mean for Paramount? (link)
[10:28] Yes, UFC fights are coming to CBS primetime.
[17:56] Nvidia highlights persistent US-China tensions.
[23:11] What exactly are you buying if you buy Chrome?
[28:01] This week’s edition of the Sam/Elon feud underscores the App Store’s power.
[30:30] Can Apple develop new products without Ive?
[35:35] Sam Altman’s bullish Reddit pitch.
[41:50] OpenAI says LLMs need a form of advertising that doesn’t exist today.
[43:51] Tesla expands Austin robotaxi service amid pushback elsewhere. More on Autonomy Markets.
[47:37] Trade Desk’s “Strength to Strength” press release is yet another red flag.
[50:01] The ESPN/Fox One bundle is great for cord cutters.
[54:02] New form of cord shaving: signing up for one day of Sling.
[55:59] How will a dominant YouTube TV use its distribution leverage against programmers?
[1:00:15] Mobile slowdown fuels fixed wireless vs. cable battle.
[1:02:41] StubHub’s push to put competitors out of business is coming at a heavy cost.
[1:04:01] Vivid Seats’ issues are not LLM issues…yet.
[1:05:21] MLB rights heading toward better than expected outcome.
[1:07:09] Roblox understands importance of trust and safety.
[1:12:20] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:13:32] Slow Train.

Ep. 274: Trade Desk’s Red Flag, Netflix’s KPop Moment, and Zuck Smells Blood in the Water

[0:00] Kids.
[2:31] Pour one out for the (almost) finished Q2 2025 earnings season.
[5:01] Jeff Green’s Amazon competition comments are a red flag. (link)
[8:06] Does Disney really believe sports is not the last thing holding the bundle together?
[12:02] ESPN’s NFL deal isn’t terrible, but missing RedZone digital is a big deal. (link)
[17:06] Disney+ simulcast would be a great opportunity to bring WWE to new audiences. (link)
[23:43] UFC Fight Nights could be causing TKO’s licensing holdup.
[26:26] Brian Chesky sounds like a great Disney CEO, but it’s just clickbait.
[31:12] Apple borrows from the SoftBank playbook. And a book recommendation.
[33:29] Can users appreciate subtle LLM progress?
[37:45] LLMs are nowhere near ready to replace financial analysts.
[44:27] Google lays out the bull case on Reddit.
[48:07] Ads in chatbots will be a tough needle to thread.
[49:40] Agentic will be an unlock for Ticketmaster and terrible for secondary market. (link)
[52:50] Amazon’s Zoox clears hurdle as autonomy overhang weighs on Uber and Lyft. More on Autonomy Markets. (link)
[54:48] Investors frustrated with lack of info on Paramount Skydance’s new strategy. (link)
[59:15] We’re ready to enter the darkness with Metallica at Sphere.
[1:01:32] Stop worrying about Spotify, they are winning.
[1:02:15] Zuck senses weakness and is going after Snap and TikTok. (link)
[1:04:24] KPop Demon Hunters is a monster hit and will boost Netflix’s Q3. (link)
[1:06:30] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:08:10] Congratulations.

Ep. 273: Is a Post-Phone World That Hard to Imagine, Spotify Gets Smarter, Roblox “Grows” Engagement

[0:00] Gamma Knife.
[2:01] You don’t have to delete Threads but Walt did.
[7:02] Are AI glasses that watch and listen any different than past tech leaps?
[10:30] Is it really that hard to comprehend phones being replaced by next gen tech?
[13:27] GenAI giving Spotify (and Roblox) valuable new datasets and context.
[17:47] Apple trails in AI urgency, capital, and conviction.
[25:51] Meta AI engagement feels underwhelming for now, but they have 3.4B users.
[29:40] If agents take over, will Amazon be able to resist?
[32:11] Is the future not just post-web, but post-app too?
[36:42] Will courts look to Amazon’s NYT AI payment in NYT/OpenAI case?
[38:38] Waymo skips Uber, Tesla enters new market. More on Autonomy Markets.
[45:30] Roblox engagement per DAU is its most extraordinary stat of the quarter.
[48:14] Comcast has no hope for M&A under Trump.
[50:01] FCC pressure pushes EchoStar toward courts or collapse.
[53:10] Amazon’s DSP visiblity growing on earnings calls.
[54:32] Another reminder no market is safe from Starlink. (link)
[55:41] A salary cap is coming to MLB, and 2027 could be a lost season.
[59:06] Even if you hate Happy Gilmore 2, it shows the power of Netflix.
[1:02:30] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:04:58] Sing Me Back Home.

Ep. 272: Google Search Query Surprise, Skydance Cleared for Takeoff and Could the NFL Help Disney Exit ESPN?

[0:00] Crazy Train.
[4:18] Brandon’s Nacho Libre tribute to Hulk Hogan.
[6:08] How long can Google outrun the change in search behavior?
[9:45] ChatGPT scaling queries exponentially and it’s just getting started.
[12:47] First reaction to OpenAI’s agentic virtual browser.
[14:54] Google does not allow you to login with OpenAI’s virtual browser.
[17:42] Focusing on every Trump utterance is a waste of time, only the courts matter.
[23:22] Heinz ad spend illustrates Reddit’s massive opportunity
[25:53] Tesla’s future relies on robots. More on Autonomy Markets.
[34:58] A phone-free world is tough to picture, yet Big Tech keeps alluding to it.
[40:35] The government owning TikTok is laughable.
[41:47] Apple’s latest bundle confirms push for services revenue growth.
[44:01] Paramount’s South Park investment shows Skydance is serious about Paramount+.
[46:16] T-Mobile fuels Cable’s wireless ambitions.
[48:49] Is NBC Sports Net returning just in case Peacock growth stalls?
[50:29] There’s logic to an X–Snap deal, but it’s hard to see Evan selling.
[52:45] We’re excited for an AI Vine.
[53:38] YouTube’s short-form growth is even sharper than you think ex-Shorts.
[55:37] Is the NFL/ESPN deal a prelude to an ESPN/ABC spin? (link)
[1:00:20] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:01:56] Real American.

Ep. 271: Trump vs. Rupert, Zuck vs. Evan, and Comet Agentic Browser Review

[0:00] Viva La Vida.
[3:04] Why can’t we use AI to troll our friends?
[5:15] The timing’s suspect, but The Late Show needed to go. (link)
[11:31] A Rupert/Trump feud doesn’t bode well for unwinding Murdoch empire.
[15:10] Comet’s success will come at Google’s expense.
[18:35] Does Apple need its own LLM and tight vertical integration?
[22:19] Agentic is the future but it’s still early days.
[31:20] The LLM monetization model is in its infancy.
[34:07] Meta smart glasses will add features as technology allows them to be economically viable.
[37:24] No one shows more flexibility or a more aggressive pivot instinct than Zuck.
[38:19] Uber bets on Nuro to secure its autonomous future. More on Autonomy Markets.
[43:20] Dana White telegraphs a Netflix partnership.
[45:40] Netflix/YouTube/Amazon have a massive slice of linear TV share to eat. (link)
[50:40] Peacock leverages the NBA launch to hike price but when will they drive share?
[52:42] Roblox’s IP licensing innovations could be huge for brands willing to give up control.
[55:46] Expect Apple to increase services prices within five months.
[56:51] The NBA kicks the RSN bandaid rip further down the road.
[58:01] Getting into prediction markets is a no-brainer for DraftKings.
[59:19] Why is Walmart making Vizio an in-house exclusive brand?
[1:00:50] Is extreme weather going to change the summer concert calendar?
[1:03:52] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:06:08] Secret Lovers.

Ep. 270: Views From Inside Tesla’s Robotaxi, Agentic Browser Wars, and Snap Spectacles or Bust

[0:00] Paranoid.
[1:11] Rich’s Croatian podcast pregame.
[4:56] Walt takes Robotaxi and Waymo rides in Austin.
[8:31] Texas is a hotbed for autonomy. More on Autonomy Markets.
[13:07] Is X ultimately just a data feed for xAI & Tesla?
[17:59] Drawing distinctions between Spectacles and Smart Glasses is pointless.
[21:15] As Snap strategy focuses on 2026 Spectacles launch, is ad revenue at risk?
[22:25] We’re on the other side of the bet that Gemini usage surpasses ChatGPT this year.
[24:10] Consider the source, but don’t sleep on Grok.
[28:02] Zuck will do anything to win the AI wars, while Apple drifts and needs a reset. (link)
[31:12] LLM browsers give a real feel for agentic’s potential to transform the web.
[35:29] Stop us if you’ve heard this before: in an AI world, Reddit gets even more valuable.
[36:37] Waymo needs power to convert road tests to paying rides in NYC.
[38:14] Is Western app behavior too single-purpose for social app commerce to click?
[42:43] Starlink fuels SpaceX’s value, but TMUS sat to cell launch underwhelms.
[44:25] Artists should set secondary rules and the government should strongly enforce them.
[46:40] Big Beautiful Bill delivers billions of tax breaks to Telcos.
[47:50] A White House UFC card could lead to broadcast and new fans.
[48:37] NFL should pump the brakes on renegotiating rights until the media chess board is clearer.
[51:12] Grow a Garden isn’t a one-off, as new Roblox content continues to resonate.
[52:20] Everyone rushing to exit cable networks…a decade late.
[54:45] Disgrace of the Week.
[56:39] Mama, I’m Coming Home.

Ep. 269: What’s Next in the Ellison Playbook, Apple’s AI Surrender and #GoodLuckPublishers

[0:00] Freedom! ‘90
[1:12] The Adventures of Brandon, George Costanza edition.
[6:09] Will David Ellison invest aggressively in Paramount?
[9:20] Holding up the CBS/Trump settlement over $1 million is disgraceful.
[12:01] Ellison family’s ambitions go far beyond aggregating legacy media assets.
[14:43] Apple abandoning AI development for outside models is latest sign that it’s lost.
[17:47] Apple’s China escape falters as Cook fumbles his strength.
[21:50] Listeners: tell us why you deserve an authentic #GoodLuckBundle t-shirt.
[22:43] As Google sends less traffic to web publishers, could Reddit become more valuable?
[34:04] Zuck’s AI edge: chasing AI while staying true to Meta’s core competencies.
[39:56] AI-generated music doesn’t need authenticity to drive major engagement.
[44:12] Why has opening weekend box office tracking become useless?
[46:51] Tesla sees calm in Austin, but the Big Beautiful Bill leaves pre-emption out.
[48:59] Live Nation’s new NYC venue is a continuation of Venue Nation strategy.
[53:13] Waymo could abandon fleets for licensing. More on Autonomy Markets.
[55:11] Netflix is an obvious UFC landing spot, but Paramount is a dark horse.
[58:42] Post-split WBD will need to execute as near-term M&A unlikely.
[1:01:33] ESPN and MLB appear more likely to stay together in some form.
[1:02:17] We are still betting on Apple landing F1 rights, but without a dramatic step-up.
[1:03:41] Disgrace of the Week.
[1:05:01] America the Beautiful.