Alvin Bowles

Deepna Devkar, Ph.D. what a treat having you on the podcast! If you’ve ever wondered what goes into building your personalised experience on Max, this is the episode for you. Tune in to hear from one of the minds leading the build of the platform experience!

52

1 Comment

Music Business Association Music Biz 2024 coming up in May. Find out more about Reactional Music and what we are delivering across interactive music, music personalisation, in-game economies, generative composable music and the possibilities for creators, composers, artists and developers

14

2 Comments

Like most FAST services, such as Paramount’s Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Xumo and smart TV OEM platforms Samsung TV Plus, Vizio WatchFree+ and others, Tubi offers a mix of live linear-style streaming channels as well as on-demand content. Murdoch on Wednesday’s earnings call said that across content available on the platform, 90% of viewing happens in the on-demand environment. “This is very important because when the viewing comes on-demand and it’s proactively on-demand, as opposed to passively sort of sitting back and watching a FAST channel, that’s much more valuable to advertisers,” Other FASTs are leaning into on-demand as well. Samsung TV Plus, for example, initially focused more on linear FAST channels but during this year’s NewFronts presentation said it plans to double the amount of VOD content available, after having already done so last year. “money will continue to flow from linear entertain television, particularly cable entertainment networks, into streaming” including AVOD, SVOD, and ad-supported SVODs, Murdoch said. “That trend… will not slow" #FAST #AVOD #streaming #on-demand #content #TV

5

1 Comment

IYKYK. Spectrum Reach is helping "harness the chaos" of the media ecosystem on both the linear AND streaming front. That's why we are the #1 multiscreen video partner in our markets. Combine that with 30MM+ addressable households...and you can see how we help our partners spend more time optimizing outcomes and less time aggregating audience.

82

2 Comments

Whether to merge or bundle with each other, or to bend the knee to #Google, #Apple and #Amazon, a good article about the decisions that await the media industry and their streaming businesses. I tend to believe old will be new again with bundling and a return to the wholesale model. #bundling #streaming #media

16

1 Comment

Great breakdown on what's working and practical in today's AI landscape and a blueprint for the immediate impacts of AI on businesses. Great write-up Angela Strange and a16z

10

Some additional information on how CKE Restaurants, Inc. and PMG are leveraging video-level contextual data via the IRIS_ID to target their CTV campaigns and drive actual bottom funnel conversion results! 📈 35% increase in incremental foot traffic 📈 152% increase in incremental sales lift Reach out to us if your a brand looking to increase the performance of your CTV campaigns or if you’re a publisher looking to increase your yield. IRIS.TV #ctv #data #performanceadvertising #contextual Digiday

17

I could not agree with this sentiment more: “Free is a great driver to get people to try something,” says John Buffone, vp and media entertainment industry adviser at market research company Circana, noting, “Free doesn’t keep you there.” Regardless of platform type ... you need to build an offering and cost of entry that lures audiences in to sample what you've created ... and then you have to work to deliver on that promise and expectation day after day and week after week to consistently support the path leading to your strategic long-term vision, so the audience develops a new habit of returning to your platform - because each time they visit your platform, their expectation is met. Consistency is key. This growth and shift in habit for the audience takes time and patience ... regardless of the offering, regardless of the platform. You need to be in it to win it, so to speak ... with a right-sized expectation that matches your content and marketing investment and a realistic view of the time and resources needed to build audience in such a fragmented market. I love working with my clients to help right-size their expectations as we work together on short and long-term strategies to meet their platform goals. It's what I have been doing for over 25 years. If this type of guidance and partnership might be useful to you and your company, let's talk!

6

1 Comment

If the FAST space was the Garden of Eden, Pluto TV is Adam. Thanks to major media companies like Paramount, FAST has the programming depth of cable for the monthly cost of Broadcast. With the variety of ways to access programming; from Streaming to Cable/Satellite, Main Street has a ton of choices and Madison Ave has a ton of questions. Hot take inspired by the article... Vanity v Sanity: - Vanity: Subs and MAUs, great that folks open the service, but in an ad supported industry, time spent creates supply. - Sanity: Who's the audience, how much inventory are they are generating, what are they actually watching (transparency) and how is it packaged? While we work in a business that trades time for treasure, there are nuances to how supply is bundled and sold.... vanity numbers allow us to rank and provide some type of order, but it's the sanity metrics that keep our marketplace healthy. Thanks to our company's mission of entertaining and informing the masses since 1912 we have: pioneered the motion picture, was 1 of 3 networks that brought sight, sound and motion into homes, personalized TV at the advent of Cable and entered the streaming battlefield in 2014 with Pluto and then CBS All Access, now Paramount+ ... so when I see the word "originals" as a reference point of quality and advantage I wonder beyond the "vanity" of it and think - Can we put our brand partners in the path of loyal fans, consuming long form content, across the entire pay model from Free to Paid, while making it easy and most importantly, successful? The answer is Yes, in part thx to our commitment to bulking up and marketing PlutoTV, but mostly b/c we have the endurance to produce popular content in volume and we know how to program in order to attract, retain and engage our audience 24/7/365... ultimately resulting in the "Sanity" of it all.. an enormous amount high thread count supply in well lit environments. cc: Paramount Advertising

59

The UPROXX newco is a smart media M&A rollup. Music and culture focus + a strong leadership team. I'm bullish on them doing well by *brands and fans*, and getting immediate revenue traction based on their WMG YouTube media sales partnership. In my newsletter tomorrow, I explain my insights on the deal, key questions I'm asking, why I think UPROXX STUDIOS is setup for success. For now, let's review the key deal details... UPROXX STUDIOS OVERVIEW • A new “brand solutions studio” that “connects brands with talent, cultural arenas, and audiences”  • Founded by media veterans Jarret Myer (CEO), Rich Antoniello (Exec Chairman), and will.i.am (Chief Visionary Officer) • Result of acquisitions of Uproxx, HipHopDX, Dime Magazine, and other Warner Music Group media assets • Reaches 170M+ monthly US visitors and generates 12B+ monthly US video views POST DEAL OPS • “Expect significant investments in our brands, team, and the experiences we offer” • Includes the excl license to represent WMG’s YouTube inventory for all US media sales  • Will integrate will.i.am’s FYI AI tech and FYI radio into ops UPROXX DIVISIONS • Uproxx – Millennial-focused culture media brand and production co (acquired by WMG in 2018) • HipHopDX – Digital mag of hip hop music criticism and news (acquired by WMG in 2020) • Dime Magazine – Digital mag of American basketball lifestyle (acquired by Uproxx in 2015) • FYI – productivity tool designed to serve Creatives. Combines messaging and collab tools with file mgmt and content pub features NEWCO VALUE PROP  • Access to A-list stars via WMG YouTube inventory + UPROXX superfan communities gives brands and advertisers new ways to participate in music culture • FYI AI tech will enable creation of AI StoryLabs, a new branded content and social media mgmt unit within UPROXX Studios  • "Merging the agility and freedom of an independent entity with the reach and resources of a major music label.” UPROXX HISTORY • f/k/a as Uproxx • Founded 2008 by Jarrett Meyer and Brian Bater (also co-founded Rawkus Records in 1996) • Acquired by male-focused media ad network Woven Digital in 2015 • Rebranded to Uproxx Media, Jarrett became GM • Bought by WMG in 2018 • Price undisclosed, but previous Uproxx Media investment was ~$43M • Value prop of acquisition was to “create engaging new experiences for young consumers, global promotional possibilities for brands, and innovative marketing opportunities for artists” • WMG exec Max Lousada and Uproxx co-founder Jarrett Myer used to work together at Rawkus Records WMG RELATED HISTORY • Announced 600 layoffs in Feb 2024, incl potential sale of Uproxx and HipHopDX • Also wound down its podcasting brand Interval Presents and social media publisher IMGN • Overall faced challenges in its O&O and digital brand sales biz -- I'm the founder of RockWater Industries. We do M&A and strategy advisory for media, agencies, and creator economy. My DMs are open.

30

4 Comments

It's NOT. But what this really is about is a call-to-action and reaction to the industry earthquakes of the past year or so. One thing's clear: It's never going to be same again. And to be honest, things will probably be worse for a while longer before they get better - if they even do get better. But we have to change. We have to adapt. That's just the way it is, folks. #animation #cartoons #cartoonnetwork https://lnkd.in/gn3T-9fP

40

3 Comments

We've shared a ton of info on our clients Chipotle Mexican Grill ongoing campaign with the fighting game community. With year 2 in full swing and Evolution Championship Series quickly approaching, we're dropping some great results from year 1. From YouGov: -- Chipotle Purchase Intent doubled among US Esports Fans, Age 18-44. After the campaign, 1-in-5 (20%) reported they intended to eat at Chipotle within the next month (1.3x higher than Nat Rep 18-44; 1.8x higher than All US 18+)  -- Consideration of Chipotle among US Esports Fans, age18-44, rose from 28% to 38% (1.2x higher than national average among US 18-44-year-olds;1.6x higher than All US 18+) -- Chipotle’s Overall Brand Impression (sentiment) score among US Esports Fans, age 18-44, rose from 29% to 41% (1.5x higher than national average among US 18-44-year-olds) The results are in, the achievement is unlocked.... Sound strategy, industry expertise, great insights, a client who thrives to find whitespace while focused on adding true value will deliver results. Shout out to all our partners RTS, PlayStation, Capcom, Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. and of course our team rEvolution. EVO is right around the corner and we're ready for round 2...see you in Vegas. #gaming #esports #sportsbiz #partnerships

11

📺 New research highlights a significant shift in video content consumption, with Instagram surpassing Netflix and TikTok to become the second most popular video service in the US, while YouTube remains the global leader. 📱 Instagram’s video features resonate strongly with younger demographics, contributing to its rapid growth, especially in the US and Spain, where Instagram Reels is now the third most popular service. 📈 The rise of Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels, like Tubi and Roku, indicates a major shift towards ad-supported content, with FAST revenues projected to reach $12 billion by 2028. #Tv #streaming #FAST #video

5

Streaming is evolving to resemble old cable TV, focusing more on profitability than growth at all costs. According to insights from global streaming leaders shared by the NYT, several trends are emerging: - Increased prices and more advertisements. - Bundling of services. - Potential shutdowns and mergers of existing streaming platforms. - Increased content spend and licensing of content. - Greater investment in live sports. To thrive in streaming, you need to aim for 200+ million global subscribers. Despite all of this, content is still king! Quality programming and creativity are still crucial for the long-term success of streaming services (as a consumer, this one makes me very happy). https://lnkd.in/eViUFSU5

26

3 Comments

With all the recent sports streaming news, Mark Donnigan and I recorded a special 🎙 “Sports Streaming Podcast Episode": https://lnkd.in/eSkUmKBv We discuss the upcoming Venu Sports offering (Disney/WBD/FOX JV) and the limitations we expect the service to have when it launches. We weigh in on some of the tech behind the scenes and consider whether a 'beta' label could soften the blow for fans expecting a fully polished service from day one. We also cover Netflix’s deal with the NFL, including its importance as the first global licensing deal with no blackout restrictions and how the agreement is structured. Finally, we highlight the NFL's 2024 fragmented distribution strategy across broadcast and streaming, which is great for the NFL's revenue but terrible for fans. (Correction: I say on the podcast the games will be on seven broadcast networks and platforms, but it's ten or eleven, depending on if you separate ESPN from ABC and add in YouTube TV. See this post for details: https://lnkd.in/eJN8u_Bh) Also briefly discussed are Roku's deal with MLB for Sunday morning baseball games, Sky Sports+ launching this August, and how, months later, Max's Bleacher Report (B/R) Sports Add package is still free for users. 🎙 https://lnkd.in/eSkUmKBv

16

Thrilled to announce the formation of a pioneering advisory group aimed at addressing sustainability challenges within live music. We've united an incredible group of more than 50 industry leaders -- music executives incl. Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl and Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino, artists incl. #elliegoulding, touring teams for #coldplay, #billieeilish, #harrystyles, and #jackjohnson, event organizers, venue managers, production experts, sustainability leaders, and NGOs. This group will provide expertise and advice on our upcoming sustainable touring report with MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, Warner Music Group, Live Nation Entertainment, Hope Solutions, and our artist #coldplay. The report will: * assess the relationship between live music and climate change * identify tangible areas where the industry and concert goers can reduce their environmental impact   * assess the newest technologies that the industry can tap into to meet sustainability goals It takes an ecosystem to make real and meaningful change - and I can think of no better group than this one to help us lead the charge. #Sustainability #LiveMusic #GreenEvents #Collaboration #Innovation #EcosystemSolutions #Partnerships Madeleine Smith, MHS John E. Fernández Lucy August-Perna Lukas Howell MSI CEnv FIEMA FRSA Brian Levine Adam Met Caius Pawson Harlan Frey Jaime Nack https://lnkd.in/dfm6Y-Zg

131

8 Comments

Some highlights from the recent discussion between Tony Maglio, M.S. (Journalism), MBA and John Halley on IndieWire about the Paramount Streaming success story hiding in plain sight: 🔵 "Here is the complete list of streaming services with more subscribers than Paramount+: Netflix, Disney+, and maybe Max. (Warner Bros. Discovery does not break out linear HBO from its Max/Discovery+ number.) That’s it." 🔵 "Pluto TV is unquestionably a success story." 🔵 "Paramount management has the streamer pegged to turn a profit in the U.S. in 2025. It’d be a shame to close something that has lost billions of dollars right before it starts to make money." 🔵 "Per a recent Antenna study, in 2023, Paramount+ had 13 percent of all U.S. premium-SVOD subscriptions, second only to Hulu and Netflix." A differentiated #strategy and superior #execution are paying off for Paramount Global in a scaled global direct-to-consumer business.

175

9 Comments