Kevin Conroy

As Paramount Global evaluates its strategy for all of its linear and streaming assets, multiple sources tell me that Pluto TV’s co-founder and current CEO of Paramount Streaming has been in discussions with the company about repurchasing it. These discussions started before the Skydance deal was announced, but I’m told no valuation has been placed on Pluto TV, and no official offer numbers have been exchanged. Interestingly, during the Paramount Global all-hands meeting on June 25th, employees say the company didn’t mention or include any reference to Pluto TV during the newly announced go-forward plan. Those who sat in smaller internal meetings also say the brand was absent from the discussions. Since the Skydance deal was announced, Skydance has featured Pluto TV as one of the six core pillars of the company on slide ten of its presentation. However, that doesn’t guarantee that Pluto TV, or any other content brand, will be part of the company going forward. During a call with investors after the Skydance deal was announced, Jeff Shell stated, “Current management is also talking about a couple of transactions that, if they get the right price, we’ll be supportive of.” So Paramount Global’s current management team can sell off assets and make deals they think will help the new management team as long as the new management team is consulted. Full story: https://lnkd.in/eNuRDyxi

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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

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Fascinating insights from the latest industry forecast across the media landscape: Box Office Dynamics: While box office revenues are expected to rise, this increase is likely to stem from higher ticket prices rather than more admissions. Analyst Spiegel suggests that by 2028, admissions will still fall short of pre-pandemic figures by 1.5 billion. Advertising Boom: Advertising revenues are seeing robust growth across various platforms, especially in digital media and gaming. By 2026, total advertising revenue is expected to reach $1 trillion, doubling by 2028 from 2020. This sector is anticipated to drive over half of the growth in the entertainment and media industries in the next five years. Streaming Saturation: The growth in streaming service subscriptions and revenues is beginning to plateau, prompting companies to pivot towards ad-driven revenue models and enhance cost efficiency. Gaming Industry Explosion: The gaming sector remains one of the fastest-growing segments, with total revenue reaching $227.6 billion in 2023, a 4.6% increase. PwC projects that gaming revenue will top $300 billion by 2027, nearly doubling since 2019. AI in Advertising: The use of AI in advertising is evolving, creating new opportunities for content creation and summary generation, particularly in sports media. The potential for AI to transform user experiences and open new revenue streams is vast and promising. As traditional media giants grapple with layoffs and losses, a new era in media emerges, brimming with opportunities for innovation, growth and creativity. 🎥📊                Explore the full report for more in-depth analysis:  https://lnkd.in/gV5qa5bi

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Is "THE FUTURE SO BRIGHT"...that "I GOTTA WEAR SHADES"? FYI - Per PwC’s annual “Global Entertainment & Media Outlook (link attached below), the Global box office and total cinema revenue are predicted to surpass pre-COVID-19 levels in 2026, but admissions won't recover within the next five years. Streaming services will see a 5.6% annual growth rate in subscriptions from 2023 to 2028, with revenue growth trailing at 4%. Advertising revenue will exceed $1 trillion in 2026, becoming the fastest-growing revenue segment in entertainment and media. PwC’s annual report also highlights a shift towards business model reinvention, driven by technological disruption, economic challenges, and the potential of generative AI.   https://lnkd.in/gsvFxinQ   https://lnkd.in/gqrft4UE

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STREAMING BUNDLES: Is the cable box making a comeback!? Subscriber churn remains an issue for SVOD services – 42% of US streaming subscribers report that they “'regularly subscribe, cancel and resubscribe,” according to Ampere’s Media Consumer survey covering 1Q24. But bundling streaming services can have a significant impact on mitigating the issue. Ampere cites Disney subscribers as an example: Consumers who had previously churned and then returned to take the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle are 59% less likely to churn within 12 months than those who take Disney+ alone, based on 1Q23 sign-ups. Ampere also found that US resubscribers skew younger (aged 18-44), are more likely to be in family households, and are typically avid media consumers. And with that wide media diet, the cohort is 40% more likely than average to exhibit signs of subscription fatigue and 21% more likely to desire unified access to content across different services. Which makes bundles, Ampere concludes, a key strategy in subscriber retention. The cable box is making a comeback! This time, it's on your mobile device$!

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Transparency is a concern for buyers of streaming ad inventory. The challenge often begins with buyers dedicating substantial budgets directly to streaming platforms, marking a departure from the conventional TV landscape where advertisers typically concentrate their buying efforts directly with networks and channels. #FAST #CTVAdvertising https://lnkd.in/g4SPkYW5

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The Meaning of vinyl outselling CDs • Physical sales keep growing but there is a hidden problem about streaming music that labels are about to address. • 3 strategic ideas music radio stations can employ to get in on the trend. • How young consumers are in the midst of changing the way they enjoy music (again). • The user-generated tools that will soon become available to allow music fans to control the speed of the music they hear and these other factors. • TikTok and Instagram Reels have forced a new approach that will make sure labels get paid. https://lnkd.in/eX4aKwQc

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An interesting update on what Disney's streaming division profit might mean for the TV industry from Guy Bisson at Ampere Analysis "Disney's results show that that transition [from linear to streaming] is now in full swing: as with other studios (and linear channel businesses around the world), Disney's linear business is in fairly sharp decline (revenues dropped 10% in the past six months against a year earlier). There is no going back from here." Could it mean an end to this cost cutting round and a cautious return to investing in new originals? "One thing that has never changed about the on-demand streaming model, though, is its voracious appetite for fresh content. Original production is a key part of that and with pressure now easing on costs, some resurgence of original production must surely follow." Let's hope this is corner turned! Read the full article below for this and other interesting insights.....

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As streamers begin to sell bundles packaging multiple services together, the landscape is beginning to look a lot like cable again.    "Why is Hollywood (and Silicon Valley) going bundle-crazy anyway? Despite their flaws (like a discounted pie being divvied up two or three ways), bundles are the best method this side of consistently great content to reduce churn — or a subscriber canceling their membership. Netflix has the industry’s best churn rate, which makes it a very attractive service to bundle with."   https://lnkd.in/gayZ_rDZ

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Great article from Rob Wile at NBC News on why FAST services like Pluto TV or Tubi are already incredibly successful and why we are still scratching the surface of something way bigger🚀 💵 .Ross Compton, CFA provides a spot-on analysis that resonates with our vision a decade ago when we spearheaded the FAST market with Pluto TV. "It’s a repackaged version of the old method of distribution, noting that the original broadcast networks were all supported by advertising and the only investment a viewer had to make was in a TV set and an antenna. Now, it’s the same thing, just over the internet. The demand for FAST channels is sustainable — for one simple reason. You really can’t beat free." (Ross Compton, CFA) Free and easy access combined with high-quality content shaped the golden age of TV. The same ingredients are needed for FAST, even if we needed to rethink channel programming and curation in the new era of internet, social networks and the overabundance of video content. Same is true for advertising, it has funded so much of the best TV content over the decades. FAST advertising is like TV advertising but with more data, targeting and measurement! So YES, there is such a brillant future in front of the FAST business! 📺 #FAST #PlutoTV #Tubi #NBCnews #fastchannel #Avod #streaming

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Broadcast networks are estimated to have dropped 6.6% to $3.4 billion, while cable networks are estimated to be down 8.2% to $3.8 billion.

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I have no doubt that eventually, a relatively reliable system will be figured out to ensure that TV advertisers know whether they’re reaching their most appropriate, potential customers. Since streamers are unlikely to widely share proprietary viewing info, can Mr. Norton and Mr. Nadler’s EDO Company approach be it? Or at least, a fresh-and-viable start? Hmmm… A few vital pieces seem to be missing from EDO Co’s plan as relayed in this brief article, most notably how the referenced “tie” between a specific commercial/program and subsequent search-related data actually functions. Then, how that linkage further relates to sales. Advertisers *need* to be assured that more online searches about a product consistently lead to increased sales/revenue. Though that likely depends on whether a preponderance of top search results 👍 or 👎 their product. Sadly, these judgements could have nothing to do with ads, but arise from the perceived quality of a product via folks who’ve tried it IRL and felt strongly enough about their experience to post it on the internet. “Star” influencers can affect the market, but IMO exceedingly few of them have the reach or longevity to truly compete with television over time. For folks who make/distribute the shows, I guess the crux is whether a spike in searches about a particular episode’s narrative/cast significantly reveals that more eyeballs consumed any particular ad. Perhaps these search-spikes might, since the searching folks seem to have been paying enough attention to the story/characters to want to learn more. Though perhaps some of these online searchers heard about a really cool plot twist from a friend and never watched the show — or saw any ads — at all… There are so many variables in this erratically evolving aspect of the biz! That said, successful “disrupters” inevitably need to stop (mostly) disrupting and get down to the business of business. This means consistent metrics — and a more level playing field — has gotta emerge… Eventually. #entertainment #tv #television #streaming #streamingtv #adsupportedtv #adsupportedstreaming #tvratings #tvmetrics #tvadmetrics #internetsearches #fasttv

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IYKYK. This is how we harness the chaos for brands and agencies. And it’s why we are the #1 multiscreen video provider in our markets. Spectrum Reach #builtforwhatsnowandwhatsnext

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Do not miss my latest article in OTTVerse on the the global growth of sports viewing on FAST/AVOD and how the consumption of sports content has undergone significant transformation!

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📈 Streamflation Alert: Subscription prices are rising again! In 2024, platforms are boosting prices for the second time in two years. Streaming services like Peacock, Max, and Spotify are increasing costs, often coinciding with major events or new content launches. 💡 Why the price hikes? Streaming platforms are adding more content and employing strategic moves to drive users towards ad-supported tiers, which generate higher revenue. For example, Peacock raised prices right before the Paris Olympics, and Max did so ahead of the new season of House of the Dragon. Bundling services are also on the rise, with companies like Disney and Verizon offering attractive package deals to reduce subscriber churn and enhance value. 📊 What's next? Analysts believe these price hikes are just the beginning, expecting more increases by the end of the year. The goal is to boost margins and gently push consumers towards ads and bundles, supporting the company's larger financial objectives. #TV #svod #streaming #bundle https://lnkd.in/e8-uYitV

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