Joe Epstein

A busy morning in the podcast world as the IAB has released the 2023 podcast advertising study & iHeartMedia reported Q1 earnings. Let's dive in! First: IAB The headlines are simple: - Podcast ad revenue grew by 5% in '23, just shy of $2b (US). Yes, this is slower growth than we have seen previously (I can hear those misinformed headlines being typed as we speak!). If you look at the major players and their quarterly earnings over the last year, they all saw growth. So, what slowed down overall revenue? Simply, it was the middle & lower tier of podcasting. Brand dollars went to Spotify, iHeartMedia, SiriusXM, etc., increasing the delta between those platforms & the independent publisher. - But wait, there's more... Podcast revenue is projected to more than double its 2023 ad revenue growth rate in 2024 and is tracking to a total spend of $2.6b by 2026. So what does this mean? This means that podcasting remains very healthy and the best revenue growth opportunity in digital media for the foreseeable future. We're seeing increased revenue growth from all the big players, and those dollars do trickle down to the mid-tier, especially as they tap into existing marketplaces. All is good. https://lnkd.in/eCGxgnUs --- Now, onto iHeartMedia: Overall, the company made $799 million, down YoY by 1.5%. If you take out political revenue, they're down 2.5% (and the stock reflects that, down ≈31% today as of writing this... eesh). Their Digital Audio Group saw revenue of $239m, up 7%. Not bad! Thankfully, iHeart breaks out their podcast numbers, which were $91m, up 18%! If you remove podcast revenue, the digital group is only up 1%. So, like with SiriusXM, we see podcast revenue as the tide raising all boats. So what does that mean? It's the same story as SXM: a declining business focused on radio that is desperately trying to grow its digital initiatives to offset losses from its bread and butter. And podcasting is the only digital venture that is working—and it's working well! But will it work quickly enough? That's a tough one. Podcasting now makes up 11.3% of the overall revenue, which is tremendous growth but needs to be bigger to offset the rest. So, what happens? While the company tries to grow digitally as quickly as possible, it is also creating quite a valuable asset that could be attractive to an outside buyer. $400-500m/yr in revenue with an extensive podcast network, ad marketplace, and technology could be quite the bundle for larger companies that have yet to enter the podcast space... 👀 Never a dull moment! --- I'm the CEO and founder of DWNLOAD Media, a fund focused on acquiring majority stakes in podcast companies. With continued audience and revenue growth, podcasting continues to be the most under-valued medium, making it time to invest in audio. If you're interested in investing in the podcast space, DM me! #podcasts #audio #investing #podcasting #iheart #radio

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To build a brand and establish yourself as a #thoughtleader, utilizing #PR to create a strong and positive public image is paramount. There’s a certain magic to it. The right story, told to the right media outlet, at the right time, can shape mainstream conversation and shift public perception on almost any topic. The right way to make that magic for maximum exposure? A combination of proactive media and reactive media. Read more in my piece for Advantage Media a part of the Forbes Books Authority Network. https://lnkd.in/dhxErTgH

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🛫 🇬🇧 🎤 Heading to London for The Podcast Show next week! Looking forward to seeing old and new colleagues in the space and exploring how Jun Group can help with your audio audience goals. Podcasting is projected to grow over 12% across 2024 and I can't wait to meet and learn from the best in the business! #Podcasting #AudienceGrowth #ThePodcastShow

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Gamer motivations and desired gaming experience may be shifting among today's gamers. This report from Quantic Foundry found a substantial decline related to strategy games involving complex problem-solving. Historically, we expect gamers to appreciate immersive experiences but research I've led related to gaming experiences recently revealed a stronger interest in heightened social interactions and a prevalence of multi-tasking in-game. I'm curious if these observations are related... thoughts? #gamers #gaming #mrx #marketresearch You can read about Quantic Foundry's study here: https://lnkd.in/euMiD46n

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Our latest #AANHPI report, in collaboration with Gold House, highlights the shift in the conversation from community to industry as Bing Chen shares here. Check it out in his own words! And check out Nielsen for our latest report!

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I am so looking forward to delivering the Keynote Address at the OTT.X / XFronts in Los Angeles on May 22nd. OTT.X is the global community of organizations, throughout the OTT streaming space, that includes content, service and technology providers, channels, platforms, and retailers. Advertising agencies and PR firms are also deeply involved in the trade association. The XFronts is the place where the OTT community gathers each year to pitch, learn, collaborate and get down to business. If you’re not a member of OTT.X, and not attending the XFronts, you should change both of those things today. All of my most important OTT meetings take place at the XFronts each year. It is really a must attend event for everyone on the West Coast. Some of you New Yorkers may want to turn out as well. My Keynote Address is entitled "How OTT Turned ‘The Art of TV Advertising’ Into A Science." I have long maintained the world began to change for television advertisers the day someone figured out how to connect the Internet to a television screen… and, as a result, add more science to the art of TV advertising. Think about it! Advanced TV, in its various forms, already reaches most US television households. Nearly nine in 10 US television households own at least one OTT device. Either an integrated smart TV that connects directly to the Internet, or one of the many OTT devices: Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, or an Internet-connected Blu-ray player. Those devices have decisively changed how Americans watch TV. By the end of 2021, almost 240 million Americans, roughly 70 percent of the population, used one or more streaming video services through individual or family subscriptions. By comparison, the traditional US pay TV market — made up of cable and satellite TV users — fell to an estimated 150 million viewers by the same point. That was down from an estimated 175 million just two years earlier. That shift is reflected in what Americans watch, as well as how they watch. In 2021, streaming video service providers produced more new TV shows than all cable TV networks combined, according to entertainment newspaper, Variety. That came just two years after the streaming service sector passed broadcast TV in total viewership. You’re not going to want to miss the presentation, so be sure to secure your tickets to the XFronts today: https://lnkd.in/ggfSZNnv I am looking forward to sharing the stage with thought leaders including tvScientific’s Jason Fairchild, NBC/Universal’s Mike Hood, OMD’s Suhaila Hobba, Quigley Simpson’s Jeff Ratner and Traction’s Brian Hovis. I am also looking forward to spending time with OTT.X CEO Mark Fisher and old, dear friend and business associate Mark Papia. See you at the XFronts.

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EdTech giant 2U's recent struggles reflect the shifting landscape of marketing and delivering online degrees and programs. Once valued at $5 billion, 2U is currently valued at $30 million and a staggering $900 million debt. This WSJ podcast highlights the company's journey, citing increased competition and changing university capabilities post-pandemic. Partnering with specialized providers ensures graduate programs the expertise and stability desired to deliver positive enrollment outcomes. #graduateadmissions #legalmasters

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"This industry is like Peter Pan, refusing to grow up. What we need is: 1) fewer players, 2) higher volumes, 3) lower take rates, and 4) better quality. Luma doesn't hold back in the latest State of Digital presentation. Most of the industry will likely agree with points 3 and 4. The first two points may favor M&A but what about diversity and innovation from new entrants? Well worth a view in your coffee break as plenty of interesting stats and commentary on what's hot including commerce media and creator economy. Linear TV is more at risk than ever. Sport is keeping it afloat, but big tech with deep pockets is poised to snap up contracts. A bright spot is the democratisation that CTV offers through attracting new advertisers, especially SMEs, due to improved measurement, targeting and formats such as commerce media. With my DAIVID 🦩 hat on, I'm excited about the section on Creative Tech, especially tech that optimises effectiveness. This represents an "inflection point" with the potential to revolutionise the market through impactful outcomes. If you want to dive deeper into this, you know who to talk to! https://lnkd.in/eyShBx4T

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https://lnkd.in/eRsW6V_9 Must-have bundle indeed, and further reinforces the value of BrightLine's inter-operable CTV ad formats that work across both streamers - the only advanced ad experiences that advertisers can build and execute across both. #ctv #ctvadvertising #thestandard

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A pragmatic approach that asks the industry to "reinforce the foundations of a digital advertising ecosystem that values authenticity and penalizes deceit." It's time to go back to the future and demand that advertising is placed alongside quality content.

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While I can’t speak to the legitimacy of the accusations herein, this is still a worrying situation for advertisers everywhere. Publications whose reputations are staked on their image of legitimate business are not what many may expect to be perpetrators of MFA Ad fraud. That being said, we can better understand ad fraud by looking at the incentive changes on the supply side of these AdTech deals. Ad fraud particularly harms multicultural publishers, as their reach and impact receive decreased impact when improperly assigned to Ad spaces. #AdFraud #AdTech #ProgramaticSupplyChain

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Looking forward to advance the conversation on the ethical use of AI in journalism!

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https://lnkd.in/gSNGxFQp The Spencer Stuart annual CMO Tenure Study offers compelling insights into the evolving role and stability of CMOs, particularly noting the tenure stabilization at 4.2 years for Fortune 500 CMOs. It's intriguing that B2B CMOs tend to have longer tenures compared to their B2C counterparts, with 4.5 years versus 4.0 years respectively. This difference likely reflects the distinct challenges and market dynamics each sector faces. The study also highlights the increasing trend of CMOs taking on broader responsibilities and the significant number of first-time CMOs being promoted internally, suggesting a strong emphasis on leadership development and succession planning within organizations. It is great to see that women now represent half of Fortune 500 CMOs. I believe it's important now for companies to turn their attention to improving development and support systems for diverse high-potential leaders. #CMOtenure #B2BMarketing #Leadership #WomeninMarketing

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News is out that Beachfront is now part of Seedtag - but what does it mean? Seedtag is enhancing its contextual solutions to provide highly relevant and engaging content across all screens with: 🤝 Contextual Targeting + Premium CTV to reach highly relevant audiences with laser precision. 🍿 Expanded CTV inventory providing a broader range of premium CTV placements. 🔒 Privacy-first advertising that delivers putting user privacy regulations first. 💡 Deeper audience insights with more effective campaign planning and optimization. Ready to push the boundaries of #CTV advertising? Discover more: https://lnkd.in/eXsKpwBf #BeachfrontxSeedtag #ConnectedTV #ContextualAdvertising

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Ever curious about what's under the curtain? Dailymotion has just unveiled Auto Path, a groundbreaking high-impact creative tailored specifically for the Auto Industry. By leveraging our Predictive Targeting audience insights and vast scale, we've crafted activations that resonate with car buyers, all while providing measurable in-ad actions with OLV and CTV. Key Standard Features: - Custom Multi-touchpoint elements envelop your video creative - Product feature hotspots seamlessly integrated within the video environment to capture attention - Outbound click features to enhance data collection, site traffic, and conversion rates Experience an exclusive peek behind the scenes... Let us guide you on a test drive and engage seamlessly across all screens! Hit me or our exceptional sales team Brenda Rodriguez Valeria Basmagi Edivaldo Junior to introduce you to this exceptional innovation in Latin America #autopath #Dailymotion #creativeinnovation #predictivetargeting

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When Quest 1-2-3 is losing $100 per unit, does Quest's software, games, content, and ecosystem really help the company's hardware products generate revenue and achieve profitability? Is there no longer a loss? After Quest's OS is opened to hardware manufacturers, does the price of Quest still remain at a loss? If it continues to lose money, what is the significance for hardware manufacturers to sell products in the market with the Quest system and Quest together? For some system integrators, buying hardware from factories and software from partners, a VR headset reaching the end consumer costs close to $1000 USD, will consumers pay for it? Quest wants to be like Windows, but Windows doesn't make computers, so there's no awkward situation of being both the referee and the player. What advantages do games and applications on Quest have compared to those on SteamVR?

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Most of the analysis on the trade-off to watch sports via streaming or on cable is flawed. The cost/benefit scenario always assumes that you need to subscribe to all the apps and that total cost would exceed traditional cable. So why bother? Who isn't already subscribed to a handful of these apps? The real tradeoff is between the $75+ you pay for cable, just to watch sports, and the incremental cost you may need pay for one or maybe two additional streaming subscriptions. And the extra $100 Sunday Ticket is going to cost you without a YTTV plan. I think that is how the math works for most consumers. It is fair to say that all of this is a giant nightmare for consumers to navigate. This tends to be the case when navigating transitions in media... https://lnkd.in/gYCxrbhn

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Digital ad spend is expected to grow about 10% in both 2024 and 2025, led by continued growth in connected TV (CTV) and especially retail media, as partnerships between media companies and retailers have steadily increased in the last few years. #mediaplanning #mediabuying

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Today marks Carl Franzen's, Executive Editor at VentureBeat, one year work anniversary. Carl's #thoughtleadership around transformative tech, especially at the intersection of #media, #entertainment, and #tech has provided critical insights around the impact of #AI and what it means for the industry, so we can make better, more informed decisions. His piece here on the future of media, through the lens of a #journalist, is why we need #news sources that offer different point of views, straight from the source, and why #journalism can't be replaced. Check out his latest beat on how AI is impacting the #publishing industry:

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