Megan DiBello

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

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How can Creators unlock global markets for brands? 🤔 Last week I was honored to speak at CreatorIQ's Connect event, where I discussed how to reach global markets through creator partnerships alongside Liz Grampp from Moose Toys. Here are a few takeaways: 1. Be curious! If you want to enter new markets, talk to industry contacts and creators in the market to get a better understanding. Take it as a learning opportunity and ask questions! At Footballco, as we're a global entity with a unique understanding of different markets, if you have specific questions feel free to reach out to me to chat. 2. Focusing on a creator's audience is crucial. While a lot of professionals focus only on Creators that seem like a perfect fit, understanding the audience of different types of Creators may lead to unique opportunities and amazing partnerships. Liz is a big advocate of this as well! For instance, most beauty and fashion brands aren't actively investing into women's soccer and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). At Footballco, we have INDIVISA, a women's soccer brand that has helped beauty and lifestyle brands integrate into the sport successfully with amazing results. Indivisa is an internal brand I'm really excited about, not only because I'm an Angel City Football Club ticket holder, but because of the untold stories and amazing audiences connected to women's soccer. 3. Understanding the platforms, their initiatives and their algorithms are essential for success. While it's great that a Creator has their own audience, if you understand social video at a deeper level and how best to incorporate Creators into a larger plan, you'll see the best ROI. A special thank you to Juliet Rumley for moderating the panel and CreatorIQ for throwing such an amazing event!

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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

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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!

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Billion-dollar PE buyouts are ramping, just see today's Squarespace news. Investors in media x agency deals should pay attention... Global deal activity is up 24% for 2024 YTD, with a total deal volume of $726B. Could be the beginning of a cyclical M&A rally, since deal volume was super depressed over the past couple years... ...and investors need to put money to work! Below are some recent public-to-private highlights, including a large media co deal where I did a deep analysis 👇 May 13 • Permira buying website builder Squarespace • Went public in 2021, closed 1st trading day at $5.9B valuation • $6.6 billion May 6 • EQT Group buying US digital consultancy Perficient • EQT also backs UTA, which has grown through M&A • $3 billion April 2 • Silver Lake buying diversified media co Endeavor • WME / UFC parent co TKO Global will stay public • $13 billion April 1 • Advent International buying payments processor Nuvei • Nuvie backed by celeb Ryan Reynolds • $6.3 billion Similarities across these recent deals include... - founder / CEOs staying on post deal - belief that targets are undervalued in public mkts - desire for more flexibility to grow, do M&A, and drive ent value for new owners That last point is key, as I think there's a strong desire to grow through M&A in a market where there are many sellers who can get picked up at good/fair prices VS the crazyness of 2020/2021. This is timely because... Last month I wrote about public-to-private deal dynamics in my Silver Lake / Endeavor analysis, check it out here --> https://lnkd.in/gtprBx7U I'm also working on an active client deal with similar characteristics, and it's important to know where capital is flowing, and why. Are you all seeing a similar trend?? -- I'm the founder of RockWater Industries. We do M&A and strategy advisory for media, agencies, and creator economy. My DMs are open. #media #agency #creatoreconomy

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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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“Spotify is increasing its prices for the second time in less than a year. Investors have welcomed the move, reckoning that it won’t negatively impact on total user numbers and will help Spotify in its ongoing bid to become a profitable business.” “Many in the music industry have long argued that streaming subscriptions are under-priced. So, Spotify instigating a second round of price increases in under a year would likely be widely welcomed, if it wasn't for the streaming service’s sneaky bundling tricks causing a new controversy….” Read on - #Spotify #DSPs #Streaming #Songwriters #StreamingRoyalties #Royalties #MusicTracks #MusicStreams #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz

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What a Monday! I'm currently at The StreamTV Show getting to speak alongside some incredible executives in the industry and connecting with colleagues. But the trade news has been exciting to say the least. A recap of some of the big articles + announcements I've found fascinating: 1. Netflix's CHRO Sergio Ezama has released the 2024 Culture Memo (Link here: https://lnkd.in/eDCJi7KC) which is a revamp of the famous 125 PPT from 2009. A lot of the same tenants are there, but some things have been dropped for brevity. Worth a read! 2. The New York Times "The Future of Streaming (According to the Moguls Figuring It Out)" is a HUGELY fascinating article tackling everything in the business from profitability, magic sub number (200M!!), sports rights, content spend, bundles, ad-tiers, YOU NAME IT and looking across all the big players including Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Disney Streaming, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Peacock, Sony, and of course Netflix. The double-edged sword? Customers are spending on average 41% MORE than they did on streaming one year ago. Read Here: https://lnkd.in/ew9vs4ik 3. Pixar Animation Studios + The Walt Disney Company's INSIDE OUT 2 grossed over $724M worldwide on Sunday, making it the highest grossing film of 2024 and possibly one to hit $1B at the box office. Last movie to do that was 2023's BARBIE. CNBC article here: https://lnkd.in/e3KiHYGk 4. BuzzFeed has been trying to sell First We Feast, the media company behind "Hot Ones" (YouTube sensation in which the host Sean Evans eats spicy wings with celebrities while simultaneously interviewing them) for $70M in order to pay off debt. Despite the great show, buyers are balking at the price. Lucas Shaw reports for Bloomberg: https://lnkd.in/eRCREWUH 5. Target has tapped Shopify to help drive e-commerce and recruits brands to help build out it's third-party marketplace. CNBC article here: https://lnkd.in/eFgZVcfy Last but not least, if you're at StreamTV I highly recommend you come see David Purdy, Amy Geary, Madison Wojciechowski and myself talk about Bundling, Packaging and Partnership models, moderated by Amy Jo Smith of DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group TOMORROW (6/25) at 10:30am MT! Full agenda: https://lnkd.in/etU_BCbk #streaming #streamingwars #entertainment #industry #boxoffice #Netflix #Amazon #PrimeVideo #Peacock #Comcast #Disney #Paramount #Buzzfeed #Sony #Pixar #StreamTV #Bloomberg #CNBC #NewYorkTimes

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“And we are live”…is what our daughter Lauren Ellis, Showrunner for Bloomberg Originals The Circuit with Emily Chang-Season 2 said as they launched today Wed, April 17 3pm. Bloomberg Originals #1 show The Circuit with Emily Chang first episode season 2 features Jamie Dimon,CEO JPMorgan Chase & Co. Learn about Jamie’s thoughts on AI, Bitcoin, Family, the Ecomony, our future and more. Tap the photo below to watch this amazing episode! Yes, when Jamie Dimon talks, the world listens. Lessons for all business owners from Jamie: 1) To scale your business, find your adjancenies. 2) Tech is good, how are you using it to work smarter not harder? 3) Protect your company with a Fortress Balance Sheet. 4) Who are your key relationships and don’t be complacent. 5) What is your process for decision making, how are you prepared for change? 6) You can have it all..just not all at once—how are you taking care of your mind, body, soul? The Circuit is on Bloomberg TV, YouTube, DirectTV and more! Congratulations Lauren—Season 1 and 2 as Showrunner! 🎉 P.S. Quick definition Showrumner is the person who has overall creative authority and management responsibility for a television series.

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📺 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

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"Bundling, even with would-be competitors, is not a new idea and is a tactic multiple streamers have explored as they look, in part, to grow subscriber value and reduce churn and marketing expenses." "Who is best served to deliver streaming bundles is still somewhat a point of debate in the ecosystem, where WBD sees benefits in cutting out the middleman in some cases." "Zaslav acknowledged positive results from the Verizon-offered Max-Netflix bundle, saying it’s “doing much better than expected” and provides another example of “more strength together,” with the strategy behind bundles driven by the need for change in consumer experience in a very crowded streaming space. With Disney and WBD working together, he noted the companies get all of the data, can work directly with consumers and enhance that experience, as it’s already doing for Max." "A key theme emphasized throughout the call, is WBD’s belief that amid a crowded and fragmented streaming and TV viewing ecosystem where viewers are burdened by numerous options and rising prices, consumers will follow great content." #svod #ott #video #streaming #tv #bundle #content

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I imagine those working in Production and Product Placement see this announcement by Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios as more of a “what took you so long”? There are many ways Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios Netflix Hulu The Walt Disney Company Paramount+ and the other studio based streamers can gain significant additional revenue by working with brands, other than go backwards to the traditional model of ‘adverts’, which we all know is off putting for a huge amount of consumers. - Product Placement. - Brand sponsored original content. - Brand supported events. - Brand associated Film & TV genres. The above is not just ‘ad sales’, it requires an understanding of content Production, consumer and brand behaviours, brand awareness, script reading, integration and storytelling to seamlessly integrate branding into content without the consumer feeling like it is being forced on them. Business Insider #streaming #avod #vod #productplacement #brands #brandmarketing MGM #adsales https://lnkd.in/erSzphSt

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Streaming Services- Fumbled? Danny Chan Barbara Ross This post is from a discussion started by Danny and Barbara regarding the current state of streaming services and what should happen. #Netflix is the 800 pound gorilla, but every service in this space needs to do something about the model. Cheap or expensive? It just needs to be good. The plethora of films available proves quantity is not a path to success. The content must be engaging. Rules of economics are at play. To be in demand something must have value. If the item of value is scarce it has greater value. So more, even if good, reduces value. More mediocre product kills value. And there you have the streaming conundrum. I admit to having favorite movies that are sub-par by most standards. That stated, they are the in the minority on my list of best films. Certain stories and performances sometimes just click with me. I am always glad people got work no matter how bad a production might be. However, my business sense says streaming concepts and models at this stage, call it their teenage years, are not developing into a viable mature model. Disney knows this. Paramount knows this. HBO knows this. Does Peacock? I watch one event (sports) a year on Peacock. They must do better with their engagement strategy. There is a Paradox of Choice (Barry Schwartz) that clouds the interface where choices of what to view takes hold. The search algorithms based on what I have previously viewed deliver muddy results and merge all the product (films, TV etc.) together. How can that be? The films may populate a genre, but the same film in the eight or nine categories Netflix (and others) exhibit makes them totally generic (admittedly, as some of these films are). It is correct in calling it advertising (poorly executed) but it also exposes a lack of confidence in understanding what might appeal to me. When I was a kid, Playdough had several individual colors. After I played with them it always ended up in a grey mass without distinguishable color character. Such is the case with streaming channel user experience. After all the marketing efforts to position the film, the film brand ends up diluted. #Paramount #Disney #Amazon #HBO #Hulu #Peacock

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Today's TheFutureParty article written by David Ernesto Vendrell highlights how Sugar23 is enabling brands like AB InBev to create their own film/tv content. Well-written piece David - you're on to something here! Some personal thoughts... With LVMH recently launching 22 Montaigne, their own entertainment division, and other brands such as Nike wanting a bigger piece of the Hollywood action, we will undoubtedly start to see more blue chip brands making a bigger footprint in show biz. It makes sense. Brands are rethinking their ad/marketing spend once put on getting their products just placed in the movies and shows without any real trackable results. Now they want to be the producers & financiers as well. I get it. Only one tiny problem... these brands will soon fall into the same hit-driven, unsustainable business model trap which is what got the traditional Hollywood studios in the mess they are in now. Why? The cost and risk to develop original IP will continue to be the same problems for these "new players". It's just too expensive for these traditional Hollywood folks to make anything for these brands and even if something gets made, the chances of success and good stories are low, thus the "hit-driven" model the industry is so illustriously known for. It ain't gonna work. The real innovative brands are the ones thinking beyond film and television. They want actual ownership of the IP that can be market tested quickly and told not just as a movie or tv show, but also as video games, comic books, merchandising, live experiences, etc. They care about storytelling first and connecting with the hearts of audiences through time-less characters and worlds. They care about a "Silicon Valley approach" to transmedia IP development because they know it can be tied with propulsion engines for tangible product sales and new regional market share. This is why we formed Iconic Arts. We are the premier next-gen entertainment company addressing the problems of cost and risk through our interdisciplinary team of the best storytellers, film-makers, technologists and game developers. And the brands have caught on to what we're up to... Old business models with new players don't work. You can read the full TheFutureParty article here: https://lnkd.in/eBHzeeBE And don't forget to subscribe!

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Range Media Partners just raised big $$ from Liberty Global, Wildcat Capital Management. It's an M&A warchest so they don’t fall behind their peers.  Let’s break it down… BACKGROUND ON RANGE • Mgmt and prod co founded in 2020 by Peter Micelli and other top agents from CAA / WME / UTA • Goal = extend beyond trad film / TV representation • Has expanded into music, sports, gaming, digital, music pub M&A + CAP MARKETS HISTORY • Merged with film / TV prod co Automatik in Jan 2023 • Bought upstart athlete mgmt co Stoked Management Group in Sep 2023 • Existing investors incl Steve Cohen’s Point72 Ventures and A+E Networks (also has prod deal) NEW INVESTMENT • Last week closed significant minority investment by John Malone’s Liberty Global, TPG founder’s Wildcat Capital, and family entertainment co Playground Productions • Former CAA film finance exec Rick Hess, and The Forest Road Company were also involved (either as investors or advisors, can’t tell exactly from press release) • Use of Funds: M&A, scale in US, int’l growth, add more talent rep and prod services What you need to know about this deal 👇... It's not surprising when you consider all the other fundraising and M&A amongst Range’s peers in talent representation.  The influx of capital and high dealmaking volume is driven by a belief that outsized returns will go to rep firms who are fastest to scale, in a winner-take-most market. Because scale makes it easier to sign more talent clients, work with the largest brand marketers, hire the best talent agents and managers, package up the largest Hollywood projects, and launch the most exciting new talent-led ventures. Particularly in a world where scaled access to audience (which talent and influencers bring in a post ATT world) is the top driver in capturing share of high-growth IM spend, which is est at $7B in 2024, up 15% YoY. So it’s a race to the top. And that race is being fueled by large M&A war chests from big investor backers… Companies to watch here are: - Crestview-backed Gersh (just bought A3’s digital team) - Coral Tree-backed Loaded (just bought GG Talent) - Providence-backed Wasserman (13 deals in 2 years) - TCG-backed Night (just bought LFM and Roost Podcast Network) - The big 3: CAA, UTA, Endeavor And after last week, I expect Range Media to ramp up its acquisition activity. Particularly in athlete and digital-native representation. Curious to see what they do next with the $$. Will definitely add them to our buyers list as we bring more deals to market. —- I’m the founder of RockWater Industries. We do M&A and strategy advisory for media, agencies, and creator economy. My DMs are open. #media #agency #creatoreconomy

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UTA just promoted 24 new partners. What's driving this? Promotions can be part of a retention strategy as competition for talent, and their reps, heats up. Particularly when new firms like Range Media Partners, which was the result top agent defections from the Big 3 Hollywood agencies in 2020, are growing fast and raising growth capital (see my analysis 👇). Some questions worth asking... - How is the agency's employee retention rate trending? - How does the % of promotions compare to prior years? - What agency depts are seeing more promotions? e.g. fast-growing areas like digital? - What are the benefits of being a partner? - What type of commitment is required from partners, if any? - How does all this compare to peer agencies? Many talent reps are thinking through decisions about staying VS leaving at bigger co's, starting their own firms, staying independent, and more. This is important info to track. For both those starting out their agency careers, and more seasoned agency execs thinking about their next career step. #media #agency #creatoreconomy

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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.

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Measurement remains a paramount concern for CMOs in the back half of 2024. A recent WARC survey underscores this sentiment, revealing that 78% of CMOs are prioritizing better measurement frameworks to enhance decision-making and prove ROI. Verizon Value CMO Cheryl Gresham’s commentary in Ad Age underlines these findings, emphasizing the need for robust outcomes measurement to drive ad effectiveness. Understanding the true impact of your marketing efforts is more critical than ever in today's complex TV environment. Outcomes deliver tangible results, empowering Fortune 500 CMOs like Cheryl to make informed, strategic decisions that align their organizations. Effective outcomes measurement isn’t just about proving value – it’s about shaping future strategies with confidence. Great read from Adrianne Pasquarelli. https://lnkd.in/eaKPZ53t #CMO #measurement #outcomes

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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

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