Amazon Eyes Ohio State Football, Faces Rights Hurdles
Easy to see Amazon wanting a football version with Ohio State, for example, but vastly more difficult to execute/media partner agreement But in the next rights cycle …
FCC Chair Calls NAB's ABC Objection Unprecedented, Notes Division
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, about NAB's statement objecting to the ABC license review "nearly unprecedented," said, “NAB’s gonna say what the NAB’s gonna say, I get it… I guess Disney’s a member of NAB. But broadcasters are not all with...
ABC Renews Shifting Gears, Scrubs Revivals Under Disney
#ABC has renewed comedy series #ShiftingGears for a third season and the #Scrubs revival for a second season. Both produced by #Disney’s 20th TV. $DIS
Mandalorian's $80M Memorial Day Debut Beats TV Expectations
Mandalorian and Grogu is tracking for an $80M debut over the 4-day Memorial Day weekend. Compared to previous Star Wars movies, that'd be a disaster. For a theatrical movie based on a TV show, that's not bad at all.
CEOs Urged to Defend First Amendment, Disney Praised
.@AGomezFCC speaks to CEOs running parent companies of broadcasters: "We need the corporate parents of these broadcasters to stand up for our First Amendment and to push back" -- she praised Disney for pushing back against FCC
Roku's New Home Screen Boosts Ads and Subscriptions
Roku’s content forward home screen will drive ads and subscriptions $ROKU The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 311. With @BrandoLightShed and @WaltLightShed https://t.co/IzuCFFHsaP
TTD Slowdown Misread; Fundamentals Remain Solid
$TTD slowdown is misunderstood - Dominant independent DSP for open internet ads - Growth slowed in '25, stock crushed - Amazon/AI fears overblown - Advertisers still need independent DSP platforms - No scaled comps ~$10B mkt cap, $1.3B net cash, ~$1B FCF Pitch by Saga Partners https://t.co/EyIxIZoKfB
Netflix Adopts TikTok‑style Tactics, Stays Distinct
Netflix is trying to take a page from TikTok - without becoming TikTok. A top exec explains: https://t.co/ut0xElf6xR
How I Cracked 8M Views on a New Channel
Here’s the story of how I got 8,000,000 views on one video on a new channel: https://t.co/Qqr1ObErIM
Spotify's Verified Badge Distinguishes Humans, Not AI‑Free Music
To address the flood of AI-generated artists on the platform, Spotify is rolling out a “Verified by Spotify” badge to help listeners more easily identify authentic human artists. This will become increasingly commonplace across platforms. That said just because the artists...
Key Sports Media Moves: ESPN, CW Streaming, Fever, Derby Preview
This week's @SBJ Sports Media Pod: 🔲Disney’s decision to hold ESPN -- for now 🔲 @TheCW gets a streaming solution 🔲@IndianaFever games are national, but still local 🔲And a chat with @ChurchillDowns CEO Bill Carstanjen ahead of the @KentuckyDerby https://t.co/ZUvyMNWz2b
Zelnick Discusses GTA 6 Risks, Zynga Revival, Original IP Focus
Take-Two Interactive’s Strauss Zelnick on ‘GTA 6’ Jitters, Zynga’s Turnaround and Investing in Original Properties https://t.co/9iZLqWGPnM
Meta Beats Estimates Yet Shares Slide 10% Pre‑Market
Despite beating consensus on Q1 revenue and Q2 guidance in its earnings release last night, Meta's stock is trading down nearly 10% pre-market this morning.
YouTube Dominates Living Rooms, 10M Shorts Channels Daily
And from the earnings call about YouTube (it's a beast): YouTube on TVs: *In the living room, U.S. viewers are watching over 200 million hours of YouTube content daily. And Shorts galore: *As of March, we’ve reached a new milestone with over 10...
Disney's Late‑Night TV Under Scrutiny Amid Leadership Test
“It will be very interesting to see how Josh [D’Amaro] navigates this — does he show a willingness to confront some really tough decisions,” said Rich Greenfield, a founder of LightShed Partners... “I hope this catalyzes deeper discussions about what...
NAB Skirts Key Names, Focuses on Licensing Process
D.C. Memo: @nabtweets Allegedly ‘Lambasts’ @BrendanCarrFCC in Statement That Failed to Mention Carr, @Disney, ABC, or @JimmyKimmel by Name; NAB’s statement said a lot about TV station licensing process but nothing about Jimmy Kimmel’s rude commentary on...
WBD CEO Zaslav’s Compensation Triples to $165 Million
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s Pay More Than Tripled in 2025 to a Staggering $165 Million https://t.co/aQyR5hj1nx via @variety
Meta's Ad Impressions Surge, 40% of Reels Are Ads
It keeps surprising me how $META can continue growing its ad impressions at these rates (Ad Impressions +19%). I just opened Instagram and scrolled through ten Reels (of which four were ads; 40%). Makes sense now.
First-Time Watches of Classic Shows Now More Valuable
Who remembers NBC's famous 1997 mantra 'If you haven't seen it, it's new to you'? Now in 2026, AMC suggests NBC may have been ahead of its time, and is making the case that first views of even older shows...
Box‑Office Hit “Michael” Poised for Oscar Run
As an aspirational box office success ($116M in 5 days) that industry folks potentially liked more than critics, in an oft-nominated genre (the music biopic) from a studio (Lionsgate) unlikely to have other FYC priorities, MICHAEL has an inside track...
Meta Q1 2026: 33% Ad Revenue Surge, New MCP Support
Meta Q1 2026 earnings: 33% ad revenue growth, MCP support for ad buying agents https://t.co/50uwbFSTVE
First-Time TV Series View Is Premium Inventory
Many fans don’t watch TV series when they are first available, soAMC Global Networks has suggested to advertisers that the first view of a series is worth more, and should be seen as a premium piece of inventory — even...
AMC Shifts From Prestige Dramas to Sports Programming
AMC Global Media is known for high-level dramas such as “Mad Men,” “Dark Winds” and “Better Call Saul.” Now the peak-TV purveyor thinks it can make a scene by playing sports.... https://t.co/7AjcbSe4FC
Game Studios Turn to Latin America for Stability
Game companies seeking stability come to the Latin American market. At Gamescom Latam. How times have changed. https://t.co/yDJACY7ZJ2
Opening‑Weekend Obsession Damages Film Revenue
Hollywood’s hyper-fixation on opening weekend isn’t just bad for discourse. It’s actively hurting film financials.
Stablecoins Power Creator Payouts via Stripe, Meta
Creator payouts are one of the killer use cases for stablecoins Excited for @tempo to be working with Stripe and Meta to payout to shiny @link wallets
From Kickstarter to $150M: Ghost Empowers Publishers
On this day, 13y ago, @ghost started as an idea on kickstarter 5,000+ people backed the project to help bring it to life and support the future of media and journalism Today, Ghost has generated over $150M for independent publishers all over...
Meta Pays Billions in USDC to 100M Creators
"100 million people being paid in USDC to the tune of billions of dollars is amazing." 😍 -- @kaiynne on Meta paying creators in stablecoins https://t.co/WRtMtepjzU
Meta Shifts Creator Payments to Stablecoins, Expands Instagram Payout Engine
On Meta paying creators in stablecoins 😮 "The Instagram industrial complex must be one of the largest creator payout systems." -- @kaiynne https://t.co/WRtMtepjzU
Meta Posts 33% Revenue Jump, $26.8B Profit Before Layoffs
Meta Q1 Revenue Soars 33% in Q1, Net Profit Hits $26.8 Billion Ahead of Mass Layoffs https://t.co/XY24l3vt2Q via @variety
Meta to Spotlight AI-Powered Ad-Serving in Earnings Call
$META will highlight its AI investments in ad-serving on tonight’s earnings call. I’ve spent a lot of time recently synthesizing their disclosures to better understand these systems. I'll share some resources in this thread that are hopefully useful in making...
Gonzaga Retains Valuable ESPN Partnership in New Deal
Focus here is on football, obviously. But: the deal allows Gonzaga to keep a connection to ESPN that has been immensely valuable to both entities for many years
Apple TV Debuts Two New Original F1 Series
Apple TV launches two new original F1 series. Circuits in Focus puts Nico Rosberg & Emelia Hartford on track preview duty. After the race, The POV, with ex-Red Bull technician Calum Nicholas & engineer-creator Christina Roki break down key moments.
Latin American Game Market Report Highlights Growth Opportunities
Glad to see this special report on the Latin American game market. Aron Garst and the rest of the team worked hard on it. https://t.co/FcQRgG5Syl
New Roku Home Screen Could Boost Q1 Growth
Five Strategic Questions for Roku's Q1 2026 Earnings Call $ROKU #1 How Will New Home Screen Accelerate Growth? Roku has been actively beta testing a new home screen that it plans to launch widely later this year... https://t.co/zh5OcdbwBL
Michael Jackson's Estate Reverses $500M Debt, Says Troy Carter
Michael Jackson was over $500 million in debt at the time of his death. The estate has put in work to turn things around. Here’s Troy Carter on the estate’s impact:
Seeking Experts on Creator Economy’s AI Shift
Looking for sources for an article: Who should I talk to about how the creator economy is adapting to changes that come with consumers shifting to using AI for search and discovery? (No agencies, plz.) #Journorequest #sourcerequest
Spotify Doubles Gross Profit, Keeps Opex Flat
"Back in 3Q’22, Spotify’s LTM Gross Profit was EUR 2.8 Billion. They nearly doubled the LTM gross profit from 3Q’22 to 1Q’26 and yet, the opex is largely flat." $SPOT https://t.co/vfl4l8Wwjo
Prada's Modest Debut Outlasted Superman's Blockbuster Reboot
#BoxOffice REWIND: 20 years ago, The Devil Wears Prada opened strong in #2 spot behind another new release, big-budget reboot Superman Returns. FRI-SUN portions of long holiday launches were $52.5M vs $27.5M. But nobody at the time knew that of the...
NFL Media Deals Reshaped
The Varsity * Yahoo hires a new head of sports. * Main Street Sports RSNs aren't going dark this week. * A bull case for college basketball. Guggenheim analyst Mike Morris assesses how the negotiating table has shifted for the NFL and its media...
Sports Bundles Split Across Three Streaming Platforms
The sports bundle is being rebuilt. The problem is it's being built in 3 places. ESPN: NFL Network, https://t.co/8Jco4DeBci, CW Amazon Prime: NBA League Pass, Peacock, Paramount+ YouTube TV: Easy channel-flipping, smaller networks https://t.co/5hmzyDiIBo
Meta's China Risk Low Despite $21.8B Ad Spend
What is Meta’s China exposure? China has ordered Meta to reverse its Manus acquisition, threatening technology transfers and advertising revenue. It invites an interesting question: what is Meta's exposure to China? Despite an estimated $21.8BN in advertising revenue in the country,...
Mike Morris Unpacks NFL’s High‑Stakes Rights Negotiations
New pod: A conversation with analyst Guggenheim analyst Mike Morris about the myriad questions swirling around the NFL’s looming, blockbuster rights negotiations. https://t.co/6VmcON2TgU
CW Partners with ESPN, Opts for Bundling over Solo Streaming
The CW will stream its 800 hours of sports content on ESPN's broadband service, a sign that bundling may be a more attractive prospect for some TV outlets than launching yet another stand alone streaming option.... https://t.co/EBd41pyqp6
Start Sync Licensing by Partnering with Local Indie Filmmakers
The easiest way to get your feet wet in sync licensing? Find local indie film creators The 2nd way ↴
Tony Dokoupil's CBS News Hits Record Low Viewership
Scoop: Tony Dokoupil's "CBS Evening News" ratings keep getting worse. Last week was his lowest-rated week on record, averaging only 3.7 million viewers. He has now posted three consecutive weeks under 4 million viewers—reliably slipping below a once-unthinkable threshold.
Free Webinar: Expert Advice to Protect Creators
The BX Academy is a complimentary webinar series because I hate seeing bad advice given to content creators and influencers. I’m a professional creator with 10 years working with brands, I’m an Influencer Marketing Director for a Fortune 100...
Half of U.S. Creators Earn Under $10k Annually
Nearly half of all U.S. creators are earning less than $10k/year. The barrier to entry is low, but the path to a sustainable, professional income is being hollowed out.
FCC Cracks Down on ABC over Trump‑offending Kimmel Joke
TV Talk: FCC targets ABC after another Kimmel joke that upsets President Trump, via @TribLIVE - https://t.co/ksESO4djyx https://t.co/K3wsJiOGBp
Twitch Trials Weekly Badge that Boosts Watch Rewards
Twitch is testing a new Weekly Rewards Badge. The badge upgrades the more you watch each week, and rewards additional channel points.