This week we discuss the holy grail of the streaming media industry, a single platform to aggregate streaming media services. With new Discover and Universal Watchlist functionality from Plex and news from Verizon about its +Play platform to centralize subscription services, we debate what might really happen in the market. We also cover some streaming viewership numbers from March Madness, the news that Disney+ is getting live content with Dancing With the Stars, and break down some of the technical limitations of the MLB stream on Apple TV+.

Correction: The MLB games on Apple TV+ will be free for the "first 12 weeks", not just the first game as I suggested.

Companies and services mentioned: Apple TV+, MLB, Disney+, Plex, Verizon, Netflix, Peacock TV, NFL.

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This week, we discuss the complex streaming sports-licensing business and the challenge sports fans now face in finding and consuming games from MLB and the NFL. With both leagues pursuing exclusive streaming-only distribution deals, many consumers will now need cable or cable-like bundles to access all games. With MLB on Apple TV+, Peacock, ESPN, TBS and some RSN services, it's getting to be a complex mess. The NFL is also getting more complex, with Thursday night games now exclusive to Amazon Prime Video and not broadcast anywhere else, even in local markets. We debate the potential impact on the NFL and MLB regarding the future of fan viewership and engagement. 

Companies and services mentioned: Apple TV+, MLB, NFL, Amazon Prime Video, MLB.TV, Sinclair, Peacock, ESPN, TBS, MoviePass.

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This week, we debate the real impact password sharing could have on streaming services' revenue and ARPU. We also try to decipher confusing data from the antenna on the conversion rate from free trials to paid subscribers. We question who’s watching AVOD services when so much of the content is old and not exclusive to any single platform, and discuss the potential financial impact on OTT services of adding a lower-priced ad-supported tier. And we touch on the launch of CNN+ and wonder who the target demographic is for the service, given that so much news content is now just commentary.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Antenna, YouTube TV, Pluto TV, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney+, CNN+, Roku, Xumo, Tubi, IMDb TV, Vizio, Discovery.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we preview some of the speakers and content at the NAB Show Streaming Summit, taking place April 25-26 in Las Vegas. Hear what companies like Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount+, Disney, Fire TV, FOX, MotorTrend, La Liga, DAZN and others will be discussing, along with some of the main topics that will be covered in the program. We also discuss how industry conferences have changed since the pandemic, the role of hybrid events, what show organizers are doing well, and what others need to improve.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount+, Disney, DAZN, fuboTV, Oracle, Red Bull Racing, AWS, Salesforce, Korea Content Platform, Adobe, Dolby, Samsung, LG, Demuxed, Roku, Fire TV, Vizio.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we discuss the Apple-MLB deal and debate the importance of sports streaming to Apple TV+'s content strategy going forward. We also highlight what the deal might mean for other sports streaming companies, such as Sinclair’s DTC service, which will have go-fenced games from some MLB teams, and we discuss the difficulty consumers have in finding sports content from a single league on a single platform. The discussion also breaks down Verizon's news about a new platform called +play, which will allow consumers to purchase and manage some of their favorite subscriptions across entertainment, audio, gaming, fitness and music, all with a single point of billing.

Companies and services mentioned: Apple, MLB, Sinclair, Apple TV+, MLB.TV, Netflix, Hulu, Verizon, Roku, Vizio, LG, Samsung, CNN+, Verizon Fios, Disney, NBCU, Peacock TV, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video, Antenna, FOX Nation, Sony. 

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For this special edition of my podcast, I sit down with Limelight’s CEO, Bob Lyons, to discuss the details of their acquisition of Edgecast from Apollo Funds in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $300 million (1x Edgecast revenue) and rebranding the combined companies as Edgio. We also discuss the current state of the CDN market, including the competitive landscape, pricing trends, the expected mix of Limelight's revenue between CDN and security, and what Limelight’s product strategy looks like going forward.

Note: The podcast was recorded the night before the news was announced, so any impact on Limelight's stock price on Monday, March 6th is not covered. The new website for the combined companies will be www.edg.io

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we highlight HBO Max's entry into the live sports market, with the news that it will broadcast more than 20 U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Soccer matches each year. We also discuss what Disney’s new ad-supported subscription for Disney+ might look like when the option launches in late 2022. We also break down AppLovin’s acquisition of CTV platform Wurl for $430 million, based on projected 2023 revenue of $75 million and the challenges and opportunities for the entire CTV market going forward. 

Companies and services mentioned: HBO Max, WarnerMedia, Netflix, Turner Sports, Disney+, Paramount+, Netflix, Vizio, Pluto TV, AppLovin, Wurl, Human, fuboTV, Roku, Samsung, LG, NBC Sports.

Articles Mentioned
- Vizio Q4 Earnings: Platform+ revenue of $105.1M, up 74%; SmartCast Active Accounts grew 24% to 15.1M; ARPU of $21.68, up 67%; Total revenue of $628.8M, down from $734.3M y/o/y.

- Turner Sports and the U.S. Soccer Federation have reached an eight-year multimedia rights agreement that will make TNT/TBS and HBO Max the exclusive English-language home to more than 20 Women’s and Men’s National Team matches each year.

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This week, we break down the 70,000-subscriber losses at Sling TV in Q4, the $4.3B injection into DAZN, and the upcoming soft launch of the Bally Sports RSN streaming service. We also cover the key numbers you need to know from FuboTV, which ended 2021 with 1.13M subs and Discovery, which wrapped up 2021 with 22M D2C subs. We also discuss what’s behind so many streaming vendors slashing revenue growth projections for this year when compared to 2021.

Companies and services mentioned: DAZN, FuboTV, Sinclair, Bally Sports, BT Sports, DISH, Sling TV, Discovery, HBO Max, Sabio, Vidillion, Haivision, AVIWEST, Kaltura, Brightcove, Fastly, Vimeo, Agora, Limelight Networks, Akamai, Qumu, Hopin.

Articles Mentioned
- Discovery Q4 2021 Earnings: Gained 2M paying D2C subs, ended 2021 with 22M; Expects merger with Warner Bros. to close in Q2
- DISH Q4 2021 Earnings: Lost 70,000 Sling TV subscribers in Q4 to end 2021 with 2.49M Sling TV subscribers; Total revenue in Q4 of $4.45B, flat y/o/y
- FuboTV Full Year 2021 Earnings: Ended 2021 with 1.13M subs; Projects to end 2022 with 1.74M total subs; Total 2021 revenue of $637M, up 144% y/o/y; Net loss of $383M for the year
- Sinclair says the DTC “soft launch" of 5 Bally Sports RSNs with MLB teams is expected in Q2 of this year, with full launch and the addition of NBA and NHL teams to take place in Q3 of this year

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This week, we break down the confusing streaming numbers given out by NBC Sports from the Super Bowl and cover what you need to know about revenue growth, profit/loss, market cap and revenue guidance based on earnings from Roku, Paramount, Fastly, Akamai and Brightcove. We also call out Phenix for their bogus ultra-low-latency claims around the Super Bowl and the narrative they are pushing with the media, claiming “sports streaming is broken” when it isn’t. Finally, we cover the latest impact on streaming media-related stocks, which had another bad week, with some seeing big declines in their stock price.

Companies, services and people mentioned: NBC Sports, Peacock TV, Paramount+, AMC Networks, Roku, Akamai, Fastly, Brightcove, Kaltura, Phenix, Chas Mastin, Alex Zambelli, Will Law, Catie Keck.

Articles Mentioned
- Q4 Earnings: Key Numbers From Brightcove, Akamai, Fastly, Cloudflare and Vimeo
- NBC Sports Confusing Super Bowl Streaming Numbers
- The Super Bowl Didn’t Offer Ultra-Low Latency Streaming Because There Was No Business Value In Offering It

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we break down earnings from Disney, including the new subscriber numbers and ARPU they announced for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, while also noting a $593 million loss in their D2C business in Q4 2021. We also detail earnings at Vimeo, along with some major problems in their business and multiple changes they announced regarding their go-to-market strategy. Other news highlights include revenue numbers from FOX Corporation, new bundling pricing from fuboTV, Brightcove's appointment of a new CEO, and the problem many in the media and industry have separating facts from opinions.

Companies and services mentioned: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, Disney Streaming Services, FOX Corporation, Tubi, Vimeo, Brightcove, fuboTV, Needham & Co., Netflix, Allure Security, Discovery, WarnerMedia, Innovid, TVSquared, Roku, Peloton.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media