Hollywood isn’t just negotiating deals — it’s fighting for its future.

In this episode of Next TMT Talks, David Bloom and Daniel Frankel break down the escalating Netflix vs. Paramount showdown, why billions in debt are colliding with falling content costs, and how AI may quietly be rewriting the economics of the entire media business.

As studios chase consolidation, niche streamers discover unexpected AI revenue, and tech platforms reshape distribution, one question hangs over everything:

What is a media company actually worth now?

🔥 Topics Covered

• Netflix forcing Paramount to show its hand

• The real risks behind Hollywood’s biggest merger fight

• AI training data deals creating new revenue streams

• Why Amazon aggregation keeps winning

• Apple Podcasts moving into video territory

• ByteDance’s AI video tools spooking studios

• NBC’s sports dominance and Peacock’s strategy problem

• Xbox and the slow disappearance of the console era

What happens when every company becomes a media company — and audiences stop behaving like audiences?

In this episode of Next TMT Talks, hosts David Bloom and Daniel Frankel welcome media guru David Lieberman, media management professor at The New School and author of the upcoming book Citizens of Content, for a wide-ranging conversation on how AI, fragmented audiences, and creator communities are reshaping the media business.

From the collapse of shared mass-media culture to the rise of community-driven engagement, this discussion explores why traditional media strategies no longer work — and what replaces them next.

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🔎 Topics Covered

• Why “every company is now a media company”

• AI’s impact on media careers and management

• The decline of mass audiences and water-cooler culture

• Community-driven media vs traditional fandom

• How younger audiences consume news via Instagram & creators

• FAST channels, local TV, and broadcast’s uncertain future

• Why engagement — not ROI — may be media’s new strategic asset

• Inside Citizens of Content and the future of audience relationships

Next TMT Talks explores the intersection of media, technology, telecom, and entertainment economics — built for industry insiders, executives, and creators navigating a rapidly changing landscape.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Vertical dramas are no longer an experiment — they’re becoming a real business.

In this episode of Next TMT Talks, hosts David Bloom and Daniel Frankel sit down with Dana Posyschak, a writer, director, producer, and founder of the LA Vertical Drama Market, to break down why short, vertical storytelling is exploding across Hollywood.

From low-cost production to new monetization models, this conversation explores how vertical dramas are reshaping content creation, talent pipelines, and studio strategy — and why this moment feels like a gold rush.

Topics covered:

• Why vertical dramas are gaining traction in Hollywood

• How this market differs from Quibi — and why it’s working

• Monetization models: subscriptions, coins, and in-app purchases

• SAG-AFTRA’s new contract for low-budget vertical productions

• How creators use verticals as a testing ground for IP

• Budget realities, crew sizes, and production economics

• The influence of Chinese vertical drama models vs. U.S. filmmaking

• What comes next for studios, apps, and independent creators

Next TMT Talks delivers smart conversations at the intersection of media, technology, telecom, and entertainment economics.

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00:00 The Rise of Vertical Dramas

02:32 Monetization and Market Dynamics

05:01 Cultural Differences in Content Creation

07:54 The Evolution of Vertical Dramas

10:24 Production Insights and Budgeting

12:39 The Future of Vertical Dramas

15:02 Industry Reactions and Cultural Commentary

22:53 Global Expansion of Sports and Entertainment

25:48 Market Dynamics and Antitrust Issues

28:03 The Murdoch Media Empire

33:44 Disney's Strategic Moves in Gaming

39:23 Challenges in the Data Center Market

44:39 Skepticism Towards Elon Musk's Ambitions

Short-form video, AI, and live sports are colliding — and the streaming business is being reshaped in real time.

In this episode of Next TMT Talks, hosts David Bloom and Daniel Frankel are joined by Paul Pastor, executive at Quickplay, to break down how shorts, micro-dramas, and AI-driven content tools are transforming media, marketing, and monetization.

The conversation covers:

• Why short-form and micro-dramas are exploding globally

• How AI metadata, discovery, and social clipping are changing content strategy

• What the Super Bowl + Olympics convergence signals for advertisers and streamers

• The real economics behind Peacock, Charter, Comcast, and bundled distribution

• How creators are becoming the next IP pipeline for studios

• Sundance’s move from Park City — and what it says about festivals, brands, and scale

Paul Pastor explains how AI-powered workflows are helping streamers and studios identify high-impact moments, publish faster across platforms, and compete in the attention economy.

Next TMT Talks delivers smart, insider conversations at the intersection of media, technology, telecom, streaming, and advertising — built for executives, investors, and decision-makers.

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00:00 Introduction to Quick Play and the Entertainment Landscape

02:54 The Rise of Short Form Content

05:47 AI's Role in Content Creation and Distribution

08:29 Navigating the Super Bowl Olympics and Branding Trends

11:23 The State of Streaming Services and Market Dynamics

16:54 Sundance's Last Run and Future of Film Festivals

23:49 Exploring Park City and Boulder: A Cultural Shift

26:30 The Future of Sundance: Growth and Accessibility

27:37 Pay TV's Resurgence: Bundling Strategies and Consumer Experience

30:13 Miami's Boom Town Energy: A New Media Hub

36:43 The Role of AI in Content Creation: Innovations and Challenges

41:33 Closing Thoughts: The Future of Media and Community Engagement

Next TMT is a weekly podcast covering streaming, media, technology, and telecom. Hosted by Daniel Frankel and David Bloom, the show delivers executive-level analysis on the business strategies shaping the global media landscape.

Topics include:
Streaming platforms & monetization • Media M&A and antitrust • Advertising and ad tech • Telecom and broadband • AI, data centers, and energy demand • Sports media • FAST channels • Wall Street vs. Hollywood

Featuring sharp commentary and interviews with industry leaders, Next TMT is built for executives, investors, and decision-makers navigating the future of media and tech.

Subscribe for concise insights on where media, technology, and telecom collide.

00:00 Introduction to Streaming Conversations

02:18 The State of Streaming Ratings

05:01 The Impact of Major Films on Streaming

07:59 The James Bond Franchise and Its Future

10:20 Live Events in Streaming

13:13 Comparing Streaming Platforms

15:37 The Future of Television Series

18:26 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Netflix delivered strong earnings — rising revenue, expanding margins, and growing scale — and the market barely blinked.

In this episode of Next TMT Talks, David Bloom and Daniel Frankel unpack why Wall Street continues to punish Netflix even as its fundamentals improve, how the Warner Bros and Paramount–Skydance deal pressure is weighing on the stock, and why CEO Ted Sarandos is now openly framing YouTube and TikTok as real TV competitors.

The conversation widens to Larry Ellison’s growing media footprint, including TikTok and CBS News, and the uncomfortable questions raised about surveillance, AI, and centralized data power. From Super Bowl and college football ratings to the collapse of broadcast TV production, immersive media pullbacks, and AI’s growing role in advertising, the episode captures an industry in flux — where performance no longer guarantees confidence.

This is a wide-ranging look at who actually holds power in media now, and why investors, regulators, and audiences may all be paying attention to different signals.

Topics Covered

• Netflix earnings vs Wall Street reaction

• Why strong fundamentals didn’t move the stock

• Netflix’s Warner Bros strategy and deal overhang

• Larry Ellison’s growing influence in media

• TikTok, data power, and surveillance concerns

• AI’s expanding role in media and advertising

• Who controls distribution, data, and attention

• YouTube and TikTok as “real TV” competitors

• Sports ratings, Super Bowl, and streaming scale

• The shifting balance of power in media and tech

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Next TMT and Current Events

01:11 Larry Ellison and Surveillance Concerns

05:48 Netflix's Earnings and Market Reactions

09:02 The Competition: YouTube TV and Streaming Landscape

10:43 Super Bowl Matchups and Ratings Predictions

13:04 College Football Playoff Changes and Financial Implications

21:30 The Launch of the California Post and Media Landscape

26:36 The Financial Viability of Media Ventures

28:52 The Impact of Celebrity Projects on Media

32:23 The Decline of Traditional Television

35:01 The Future of Talk Shows and Political Discourse

37:50 The Role of AI in Advertising

40:28 The Evolution of Immersive Experiences in Entertainment

Netflix has gone all cash in its bid for Warner Bros — but investors aren’t convinced.

In this Media Play News × Next TMT episode, Daniel Frankel and David Bloom break down why Wall Street is questioning Netflix’s strategy even as the company doubles down. Larry Ellison has stepped in to personally guarantee financing on the Paramount–Skydance side, lawsuits are flying as discovery tactics ramp up, and a key tender-offer deadline is approaching — yet uncertainty keeps growing.

The conversation digs into why CNBC investors say they “don’t get it,” what Netflix’s stock reaction signals about market confidence, and why this moment feels less like a traditional merger debate and more like a structural shift in the media business. The hosts also explore how AI-driven content economics are quietly reshaping the value of long-form media, complicating consolidation just as deals get bigger and riskier.

Key topics include:

• Netflix’s all-cash Warner Bros bid

• Investor skepticism and stock-market reaction

• Paramount–Skydance lawsuits and discovery strategy

• Larry Ellison’s personal financing guarantee

• Tender-offer timing and deal pressure points

• Why this feels like Netflix’s next existential moment

• How AI is changing the logic behind media consolidation

Chapters

00:00 Netflix's Earnings and Strategic Moves

05:26 The Impact of AI and User-Generated Content

11:17 Warner Brothers Acquisition and Market Reactions

This week on Next TMT Talks, Daniel Frankel and David Bloom unpack a fast-moving media and telecom landscape where regulation, streaming strategy, AI, and franchises are all colliding.

The conversation begins with California pushing back on the FCC, as state regulators reinsert DEI-related conditions into Verizon’s $20B acquisition of Frontier — setting up a broader fight between federal authority and state power. From there, the episode moves through Hollywood, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley, examining how legacy franchises, streaming economics, and AI tools are reshaping the business.

Along the way, the hosts dig into Netflix’s theatrical strategy and earnings scrutiny, Disney’s Star Wars reset after Kathleen Kennedy’s exit, the growing influence of AI tools like Claude, and why streaming platforms are now delivering audiences once thought exclusive to linear TV.

The episode closes with reflections on Wikipedia’s role in a fact-fragmented world, Sundance’s AI reckoning, Paramount+’s breakout hit Landman, and what record-setting NFL streaming audiences signal for the future of sports media.

Topics:

• California vs. the FCC and state-level regulatory power

• Verizon–Frontier $20B acquisition and DEI conditions

• Federal preemption vs. state oversight

• Disney’s Star Wars franchise after Kathleen Kennedy

• Avengers trailers and franchise-driven attention

• Netflix’s theatrical strategy and earnings pressure

• Investor skepticism and Wall Street signals

• AI in media, including Anthropic’s Claude

• AI guardrails, warfighting concerns, and regulation

• Sundance and the unanswered questions about AI

• Wikipedia at 25 and the fight over shared facts

• Paramount+’s Landman and streaming visibility metrics

• Record-breaking NFL and college football streaming audiences

• The shifting economics of sports, streaming, and attention

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Technology, Media, and Telecom News

01:43 Verizon finally getting California approval to buy Frontier, DEI Policies

06:09 Star Wars franchise with the departure of Kathleen Kennedy

10:49 Netflix's Theatrical Strategy and Filmmaking Challenges

12:55 Disney's eye popping attention from a set of Avengers trailers

14:32 Netflix, Ted Sarandos commits to winning in theatrical exhibition

15:33 Matt Damon grouses that he and Ben Affleck had to tweak their script for The Rip for Mobile users

17:37 quarterly earnings today Netflix and three guesses what everyone's going to want to talk about

18:30 It's Wikipedia's 25th birthday

20:40 Sundance starts this week with an interesting doc on all the questions we should be asking about AI but aren't.

21:08 Pete Hegseth wants to know why he can't use Anthropix Claude AI tools to commit war like he wants

23:22 The Success of 'Landman' on Paramount Plus

23:47 Looper Insights says Paramount Plus's Landman, is the show of the month

25:52 Critique of Character Development in 'Landman'

29:41 The Evolution of Sports Broadcasting

Daniel Frankel and David Bloom break down CES takeaways, Golden Globes signals, Apple Vision Pro’s immersive sports moment, and why Netflix’s next move may require Warner Bros as AI reshapes content and competition.

Topics

• Streaming Media

• Media & Entertainment Industry

• Sports Media & Rights

• Advertising & Monetization

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Media Regulation & FCC

• Netflix Strategy

• Broadcast Television

• Tech, Media & Telecom (TMT)

• Live Sports & Events

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Technology, Media, and Telecom Trends

01:23 Insights from CES and the Role of Agentic AI

07:06 Brendan Carr's Speech and Its Implications

09:22 Versant's Market Debut and Future Prospects

10:36 NBCUniversal's Legendary February and Advertising Strategies

13:02 Apple Vision Pro and Immersive Sports Experiences

17:59 The Impact of AI on Content Production

25:37 Netflix's Golden Globe Success and Future Strategies

Agentic AI has officially taken center stage at CES 2026 — and it’s already reshaping advertising, media, and the future of work. In this CES edition of Next TMT Talks, David Bloom and Daniel Frankel break down the biggest themes from the show floor: how agentic AI differs from generative AI, why ad buying and selling may soon be handled entirely by machines, and what this shift means for jobs across media, tech, and Hollywood.

The conversation also dives into major CES moments including Nvidia’s Rubin chip, Jensen Huang’s market-moving keynote, the role of regulators like the FCC and FTC at CES, and how programmatic advertising is evolving into fully autonomous AI-driven systems. Recorded from Las Vegas, this episode delivers sharp insight into the power shifts defining the next phase of tech, media, and telecom.

🎙 Hosts: David Bloom & Daniel Frankel
📍 Location: CES 2026, Las Vegas
🔔 Subscribe for weekly analysis at NextTMT.com

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