Murray Levison

Have you also been curious about the ongoing Paramount acquisition drama? The sudden termination of the Paramount-Skydance merger reflects complex financial pressures, strategic misalignments, and internal power dynamics at Paramount Global. Redstone's decision to demand a shareholder vote, a move to mitigate lawsuit risks, not only showcases a proactive approach to shareholder relations but also highlights the aggressive nature of the proposed deal. Paramount's ongoing financial struggles, particularly the heavy losses incurred by Paramount+, show the broader industry challenges of transitioning from traditional media to digital streaming. The company's considerable debt load and reduced profitability necessitate extreme measures, including cost-cutting, asset sales, and exploring joint ventures. Introducing a tri-part CEO structure is an unconventional approach aimed at leveraging the strengths of the company's top operational leaders. It could provide the collaborative leadership needed to guide Paramount through its current challenges. However, it also raises questions about potential internal conflicts; its success will depend on the trio's ability to work cohesively and align their strategic priorities. Historically, Paramount's decline in value reflects broader industry trends and strategic missteps, such as excessive focus on streaming at the expense of traditional revenue streams. What do you think lies ahead for Paramount Global?  For a more detailed read, check out Variety's in-depth article by  Cynthia Littleton and Todd Spangler, link below and in the comments section. Artwork Credit: Hokyoung Kim for Variety #paramount #skydance #mediacompany #streamingwars #paramountplus #corporatestrategy #contentdevelopment #leadershipchange #mergersandacquisitions #financialstrategy #mediaindustry #entertainmentbusiness #strategicplanning #mediaconsolidation #contentproduction #streamingservices

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Mission: Impossible—Troika Force Logline: In a world where media giants wrestle for dominance, Paramount Global entrusts its fate to ‘THE TROIKA’— 3 visionary leaders tasked with a high-stakes mission to rescue the studio from the brink. Through strategic cuts, covert partnerships, and bold innovations, they race against time to save PARA from collapse. Will they succeed in this epic quest, or will their efforts be the final act in a storied legacy? Originally seen as a temporary fix, ‘THE TROIKA’ is now set to steer the ship through some stormy seas and possibly redefine Paramount’s future. With PARA’S $14 billion debt & lagging stock, ‘THE TROIKA’ are tasked with making tough decisions, including significant layoffs & asset sales. Their goal? Transforming Paramount into a leaner, more agile company. Despite the unconventional setup and skepticism from some analysts, the team has a unified vision & close working relationship, always a good omen — if sustained. Cough. However, their success could end up paving the way for JUST 1 of them to take the helm — solo — eventually. #ParamountGlobal #Leadership #MediaIndustry #BusinessTransformation #filmindustry #entertainment #media #business #news

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Wow. Sony Pictures (with Apollo Global) might acquire Paramount (Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, Nickeldoeon, Showtime, Comedy Central, CMT, Flix, PopTV, The Movie Channel, SmithsonianTV, Nickelodeon Animation, TV Land). This is not a done deal, but is not a rumor. Wow. Just to be clear David Ellison's (son of Larry's Ellison) Skydance Media is still in talks with Paramount Global. Sony/Apollo now join them with deeper pockets. Paramount Global: Wikipedia: https://lnkd.in/gijAAr36 Variety: "Paramount Global to Pursue Simultaneous Talks with Sony/Apollo and Skydance as M&A Drama Drags On. Warren Buffett confirms Berkshire Hathaway has sold its Paramount shares: 'We lost quite a bit of money'" Variety: https://lnkd.in/gWz5yrfs #streamingwars #mna #industryconsolidation #mergersandacquisitions

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"Cable TV-style streaming bundling" Comcast, the No. 2 (and once No. 1) cable TV in the U.S., has turned to streaming as a way out of the crisis. You're offering a discounted streaming bundle to Xumo internet subscribers (TV). Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said at an event that internet subscribers can now get discounts on core streaming, including "Peacock, AppleTV+, and Netflix. Comcast called this product "Streamsaver". But now that the viewing trend has shifted to streaming, the product could be a "cable saver." Of course, bundles are also important for streaming providers, who can only compete with Netflix if they band together. The timing of the service is also exquisite. At the end of July, when Peacock will be broadcasting the Paris Olympics, Stream Saver will also be launching. #Comcast, #streaming #netflix #peacock #cable TV #directmedialab https://lnkd.in/dggG68HX

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Here are four interesting sync opportunities available for music submissions... Currently, we have 90+ active briefs worth more than $295k in sync fees. Here are four interesting opportunities we recently developed with our licensing partners. If you have music that is potentially a good match you should consider checking them out on our Patreon. ● Indie Thriller Needs Tense Instrumental ($3800 sync fee) ● Podcast Needs Classic 8-bit Music ($2200 sync fee) ● Fashion Brand Needs 90s R&B ($6500 sync fee) ● Comedy Series Needs Lighthearted Jazz ($4200 sync fee)  To read the 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 for these briefs and submit your music that best match, follow the 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Why join? It's only $𝟱 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 and $𝟭𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for 𝗣𝗿𝗼.  This allows us to provide a service and share our licensing partner relationships with our members. It also helps support the work required to get new placement details for you each week, review all the submissions, send the client potential music to consider, then finally connect you directly with the client if / when your music has been selected for licensing. 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 of your music to each brief. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆. You will have access to multiple new placement opportunities each week. Our goal is to add 10 or more new opportunities every week. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀. If your music is selected for a placement you keep all the rights you own and 100% of the sync fee available for that opportunity. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: Submitting your music to any opportunity or joining the Sync Opps. Patreon channel does not guarantee a placement for your music. *Link in the comments to join! #music #placement #sync

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Here are four interesting sync opportunities available for music submissions... Currently, we have 90+ active briefs worth more than $295k in sync fees. Here are four interesting opportunities we recently developed with our licensing partners. If you have music that is potentially a good match you should consider checking them out on our Patreon. ● Organic Pest Product Needs Hip Hop ($3700 sync fee) ● Family Comedy Needs Indie Folk ($4500 sync fee) ● Puzzle Game Needs 90s Jazz ($3000 sync fee) ● Crime Series Needs Suspenseful Track ($4800 Sync Fee) To read the 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 for these briefs and submit your music that best match, follow the 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Why join? It's only $𝟱 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 and $𝟭𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for 𝗣𝗿𝗼.  This allows us to provide a service and share our licensing partner relationships with our members. It also helps support the work required to get new placement details for you each week, review all the submissions, send the client potential music to consider, then finally connect you directly with the client if / when your music has been selected for licensing. 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 of your music to each brief. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆. You will have access to multiple new placement opportunities each week. Our goal is to add 10 or more new opportunities every week. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀. If your music is selected for a placement you keep all the rights you own and 100% of the sync fee available for that opportunity. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: Submitting your music to any opportunity or joining the Sync Opps. Patreon channel does not guarantee a placement for your music. *Link in the comments to join! #music #placement #sync 

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Paramount's Q1 earnings performance highlights both opportunities and challenges within the dynamic #streaming landscape. Most notably making recent headlines, the potential merger with Skydance suggests a strategic repositioning, aiming to strengthen Paramount's portfolio with high-quality content that could enhance its competitive stance in a crowded market and enhance Paramount's capabilities in producing and offering blockbuster films and acclaimed TV series on Paramount+. This move is a strategic effort to amplify Paramount's content offerings in both traditional and streaming formats, potentially improving its market share and appeal to a diverse viewer base. The recent introduction of international ad-tier subscriptions broadens Paramount's market reach outside of the U.S., attracting cost-conscious consumers with more accessible price points and tapping into new ad revenue streams. Introducing ad-tiers will capture global markets, reaching new demographics and analyzing consumer engagement habits. By integrating ads, Paramount will build valuable partnerships with advertisers looking to reach international audiences while increasing its global footprint. A key emphasis on providing original content and #livesports such as The Masters Tournament and National Women’s Soccer League are drivers of subscriber growth and consumer engagement on streaming platforms. The company's ability to enhance its original programming and secure compelling live sports rights will be decisive in its efforts to compete with industry giants and attract a global audience, ultimately improving its bottom line. Additionally, Bob Bakish, Paramount CEO, is stepping down today, signaling a pivot in Paramount’s overall corporate strategy and governance. New leadership may bring a different perspective on addressing the challenges of digital transformation in the #entertainment industry as we move away from traditional #cable and legacy media. This change could catalyze a more aggressive push into streaming and technology, and an increase in direct-to-consumer services, areas where Paramount must evolve to remain competitive with streaming giants like Netflix, Hulu and Prime Video & Amazon Studios. #LITrendingTopics #Q1Earnings #Streamers #Content #CordCutting https://lnkd.in/gt6_nFWN

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This week, for my Artist Representation Course, I have chosen to highlight an article written by Dade Hayes for Deadline, which discusses a surge in Paramount shares after a meeting with a potential investor. According to the article, Paramount's stock saw a 13% rise after a meeting between Apollo Global Management and Sony Pictures Entertainment hinted at the two joining forces to take Paramount. Shares reached their highest point since earlier this year in February, which may also give investors a potential look into the future if this partnership pans out. But, investors shouldn't be holding their breath, as Skydance Media will in a negotiating window with Paramount for the next two weeks. Apollo has had several preliminary conversations about both Paramount Pictures and Paramount Global, but none have particularly stunned Shari Redstone, who has 77% of the voting power at National Amusements, Paramount's parent company. Overall, Paramount has a lot of issues, which I have slightly covered in my weekly coverage, so it is interesting to see growing interest in the company. Though Apollo and Sony aren't offering what some say the company is worth, I don't think the other investors will count them out as fast as Redstone. Esquire Group Inc. Eva Casey Link: https://lnkd.in/gJEVn4uh

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I'm always excited to talk about our latest innovation; the SoundMac Music Distribution API. Designed to revolutionize the African music industry, our API is a reliable tool empowering music distributors, labels, and businesses. Our API simplifies music distribution by enabling users to upload content once and effortlessly distribute it across all major streaming platforms. Say goodbye to multiple uploads and platform specific management, saving you valuable time and resources. With complete ownership of the creative process, music distributors and labels can easily upload, track performance, and update content through a single interface. This level of control allows creators to focus on what truly matters, making exceptional music. For businesses, the SoundMac API opens up a world of possibilities. Seamlessly integrate music into apps, services, or projects to enhance user experiences and drive deeper engagement. Accessibility is key, which is why our API offers a cost effective solution for all users, empowering both established entities and aspiring talents to reach a global audience. Ready to revolutionize your music distribution? Let's connect! Send me a DM or visit www.soundmac.co for more information. #SoundMacAPI #EmpoweredDistribution #MusicIndustryRevolution"

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📺 Video streaming is evolving, with integration into production becoming more efficient. ⚽Live events like sports and TV demand high quality, reliability, and minimal latency. 📱Lagging on your latency is really not done anymore in 2024 for any serious OTT provider. 📡Obviously low latency is also crucial for contribution. This session with JWP (JW Player) in Eindhoven explores solutions and their performance. This evening I'm driving to LAB-1 at the Keizersgracht 19 in Eindhoven to attend the event https://lnkd.in/eampY5f9. The following agenda is planned; - Peter Bruggink from Media-Anywhere: Discussing Subframe Latency Web Streaming technology as an alternative to ST 2110. - Erik Buitinga from NPO: Addressing Low Latency Streaming for live subtitling. - Andy Wilson from M2A Media: Orchestrating live streaming events for a global audience. - Jeroen Elfferich from Livery Video: Presenting a different approach to live streaming. - Marco van de Veen from JWP (JW Player) : Mastering Live Event Workflows in OTT Apps Looking forward meeting some of you and listening to your inputs! Also looking forward seeing familiar faces!

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Here are four interesting sync opportunities available for music submissions... Currently, we have 80+ active briefs worth more than $285k in sync fees. Here are four interesting opportunities we recently developed with our licensing partners. If you have music that is potentially a good match you should consider checking them out on our Patreon. ● Drink Brand Needs Original Pop ($5800 sync fee) ● Arcade Game Needs Classic Music ($3200 sync fee) ● 80s Music Podcast Needs Retro R&B ($2500 sync fee) ● Independent Thriller Needs Synthwave ($5400 Sync Fee) To read the 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 for these briefs and submit your music that best match, follow the 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Why join? It's only $𝟱 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 and $𝟭𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for 𝗣𝗿𝗼. This allows us to provide a service and share our licensing partner relationships with our members. It also helps support the work required to get new placement details for you each week, review all the submissions, send the client potential music to consider, then finally connect you directly with the client if / when your music has been selected for licensing. 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 of your music to each brief. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆. You will have access to multiple new placement opportunities each week. Our goal is to add 10 or more new opportunities every week. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀. If your music is selected for a placement you keep all the rights you own and 100% of the sync fee available for that opportunity. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: Submitting your music to any opportunity or joining the Sync Opps. Patreon channel does not guarantee a placement for your music. *Link in the comments to join! #music #placement #sync

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I would like to get a look at the complete analysis. I know from my own observations and discussions with broadcasters that are implementing NextGen TV, one of the biggest challenges is bandwidth availability to take full advantage of ATSC 3.0’s potential, meet the FCC mandates for simulcasting their primary ATSC 1.0 service, and maintaining their digi-nets. Without some form of relief, a full implementation is impossible and no one wants to promote the service’s capabilities and then not be able to deliver or have to reduce ATSC 1.0 services which are available to the entire population to provide expanded to services to the early adopters.

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Après Bakish, New Opportunities for Paramount Paramount Global, the home of streaming service Paramount+, lost its CEO Bob Bakish on Monday. He resigned and was replaced by controlling shareholder Shari Redstone with a newly formed “Office of the CEO” with three executives: George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS; Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks; and Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. After a few failed stabs at writing this essay since Sunday night, I have finally realized why Bakish’s departure has felt like a moving target to analyze. Part of the problem is that the news cycle that started with rumors he would be fired continued through Tuesday morning. But, I had not realized that he is the first C-Suite departure of the “streaming wars” era who is leaving because of an ill-conceived streaming strategy of their own (more below). As I told Brandon Katz —then of The Observer, now at Parrot Analytics—back in 2021:  “Sports plus breaking news plus kids plus Pluto is a business,” Rosen surmised. “Everything else they’re better off selling to Netflix.” The point was that Paramount+’s “A Mountain of Entertainment” tagline—reflecting an exclusive library of content and originally reflected more than 2,300 movies and over 750 TV series—betrayed a weakness: The Paramount+ platform failed to offer customization and personalization like Netflix or YouTube. For that reason, its value proposition was, effectively, “Find Your Favorite Needle In a Haystack”. That made its ambitions to compete with Netflix dead on arrival. Three years later, that problem persists on Paramount+, which at 71 million subscribers reaches only 26% of Netflix’s current subscriber base. As Deloitte wrote in its 18th annual Digital Media Trends Report for 2024, U.S. consumers “may not be willing to give up the degree of customization they gained from unbundling pay TV, or the personalization they enjoy from social media.” That mistake lies with Bakish, but it ultimately falls at the feet of Shari Redstone, who pushed for the merger of CBS and Viacom over the protests of shareholders five years ago. Her rationale—similar to Disney CEO Robert Iger's decision to acquire the film and TV assets of 21st Century Fox for $71.3 billion—was that a bigger company with a bigger library could compete with Netflix. With Bakish out the door and Redstone rumored to be open to selling Paramount’s controlling shareholder National Amusements to someone other than Skydance, the next owner of Paramount has the opportunity to restart with a retail-first, consumer-first strategy. What should that owner do? [See comments for link to essay] ****Key Takeaway**** Shari Redstone's preference to keep Paramount intact is right in the sense that “Today’s problems will not be solved tomorrow nor anytime soon.” But, with CEO Bob Bakish gone, a unique opportunity to solve Paramount's problems has emerged.

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https://lnkd.in/exCbFhpv #SonyPictures buys an exhibitor. It's a great move. The (re)vertical integration enables Sony to claw back consumer data insights that were lost to disintermediation between the Studios and the Exhibitors as a result of the Paramount Consent Decrees. Not having a direct relationship with one's audience is what makes theatrical marketing cost prohibitive. With the Consent Decrees now expired here’s the result! This is a DATA play that will ultimately lower advertising costs as the studio gets smarter about its audience and begins to reengage it directly. Should this proof of concept work out well, watch as the circuits get consumed by the studios — not something conventional wisdom would have seen coming. 🎥🍿 #SonyPictures #AlamoDrafthouse #EntertainmentIndustry #VerticalIntegration

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SiriusXM reported its Q1 earnings this morning, and the headlines are justifiably focused on its loss of subscribers (nearly 500k). Like all radio, its subscription business is highly vulnerable with the move to digital audio, especially in cars. But a bright spot? If you paid attention to Spotify's earnings, you wouldn't be surprised: "off-platform revenue." For SXM, this includes Pandora and podcast revenue, which saw a 7% revenue increase. During their investor call, they signaled the growth for podcasts, explicitly saying, "Podcasting revenue saw a 22% year-over-year lift in the quarter, while programmatic podcast revenue increased 12% sequentially and 97% year over year." I'd love to see SXM break out the podcast numbers even further, but if you look at what they do provide, it's easy to conclude that podcast revenue is growing much faster than other segments. For example, Pandora continues to bleed users (64k paid subs in Q1 alone), so podcast revenue seems to be the tide lifting all "off-platform" boats. When asked about their podcast initiatives, Scott Greenstein said, "One is, you know, the podcast thing and industry is really still in the second or third inning, so it's evolving." He is 100% right. SXM also signaled that it will continue to license more podcast content and is not closing the book on exclusive content. One more fun nugget: On today's call, podcasts were mentioned 30 times. Pandora was only mentioned ten times, SmartLess nine times, and Howard Stern... zero point zero. Where do you think their priorities are moving forward? Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRQTM2Kq ---- 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! #podcasting #audio #siriusxm #sxm #earnings #investor #investing #podcasts

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INSIGHT of the day: streaming market still bleeding financially, besides Netflix and Akamai. Looking at Dan Rayburn reports of Q1 earnings and adding few more that came more recently, I wanted to share profitability ratio: profit/revenue per SEC filing of leading companies operating in the streaming space. On the streaming side, the company the most in trouble is Peacok that shows a 58% loss ratio. Next come Paramount+ at 23% and FuboTV at 14%. Disney had not reported yet, but last quarter loss ratio was 6%, the closest to profitability end of 2024 calendar year, ending in mach’25. You might say, those are newly launched services, they are now optimizing their business model. That is true, but we have yet to see the impact of raising price & reducing the library size, RDV end of the year. As CDN is an important element of the financial equation, knowing video is still an important part of CDN revenue (not separately disclosed thought), I have looked at the 2 recent newcomers in the CDN space. Fastly is the most in trouble with a 32% loss ratio and Cloudflare is doing better with a 10% ratio. Still no sign of profit here and do note that video is the less profitable business compared to security and web acceleration, meaning streaming caching would show even worst numbers. If we dig on next piece of spending, the media processing side, looking at Harmonic, the largest listed company that publishes its video financials, the loss ratio is 15%. So to summarize on the demand side, we see loses, on the transport side we see loses, on the supply side we see loses, except for the historical players such as Netflix and Akamai. Does it mean this market needs to mature to reach profitability or that the early players have built the proper business model (and scale) that make new entrants struggle, or simply that streaming has come to maturity stage and that price erosion is the name of the game?

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