The LightShed Podcast

[0:00] I Wanna Be Sedated.

[1:40] A week in the ring with Mike Tyson.

[3:25] The early standouts for LightShed’s Q3 Earnings Call Scorecard.

[6:59] Tech giants battling for metaverse.

[15:47] Roblox outage is concerning.

[20:08] T-Mobile added Paramount+. What’s next for Netflix?

[24:43] Valuable kids content is a must-have for any broad SVOD service.

[27:31] Mayer/Staggs are building a content war chest with optionality.

[32:12] Sinclair still won’t admit it has no DTC path for regional sports.

[34:02] Roku’s TV cost inflation claims don’t pass the sniff test.

[40:38] Ligado karma for AT&T and Verizon as C-Band rollouts delayed.

[44:43] Fanatics will likely need an acquisition to enter NY gambling market.

[46:29] Unsustainable amount of free money flowing through the sports betting industry.

[49:14] Snap follows TikTok’s lead in embracing the power of audio.

[52:49] Live demand strong while pricing increases.

[55:46] Walt’s Peloton victory lap.

[57:08] INDUSTRY BABY.

[0:00] Let’s Go Brandon.

[5:39] VR is an arrow in the metaverse quiver.

[13:45] Brandon admires Zuck’s pivot.

[16:24] Not enough attention is being paid to audio advertising.

[17:47] Are surveys helpful on podcasting share or anything?

[23:11] FCC nominations don’t move agency too far left.

[26:40] Did wireless take subs from cable broadband? 

[30:45] Spectrum auction at $21b.

[31:04] T-Mobile’s caving to Dish.

[33:12] Google and Amazon are fighting to take back tvOS.

[36:30] Can Netflix attract talent to New Jersey? 

[38:41] Chipotle connects Roblox to IRL stores.

[43:59] Peacock is waiting for NBCU to fuel it with content.

[47:14] Fubo adds RSN fees as the rest of the industry pushes back on price.

[50:20] Sinclair is still battling ransomware.

[55:28] Collectibles aren’t the most interesting aspect of NFT’s.

[57:20] Denis Villeneuve likes streaming after all. 

[58:42] Thriller.

0:00] We Appreciate Power.

[1:25] Walt goes on the road.

[3:33] What does Upstart do?

[6:14] Trump’s SPAC = Web 4.0.

[10:57] The metaverse and the evil monopolist.

[13:25] Tech platforms are all building their (different) visions of the metaverse.

[15:59] Spectrum auctions and tinfoil hats.

[19:55] Hard to imagine Roku being without the YouTube app going into the holidays.

[30:51] Verizon's fixed wireless opportunity.

[35:17] Apple doesn’t have to follow Google’s app store fee lead.

[37:50] App store changes could lead to more gaming subscriptions.

[40:19] Apple leverages music to compete with Amazon Echo.

[43:17] Sports Leagues do not need Sinclair as they move to DTC streaming.

[47:51] Netflix’s ability to highlight and propel content is unmatched.

[52:10] Behavioral changes brought on by covid are sticking with us.

[53:24] Music content on Roblox is part of a major opportunity for labels and live.

[56:30] Walt and Brandon filibuster Rich.

[59:03] Making sense of PayPal + Pinterest.

[1:02:33] Expect Discovery+ to eventually fold completely into HBO Max.

[1:04:37] Elon’s crypto price targets.

[1:06:00] Waking Up in Vegas.

[0:00] STAY.

[2:00] Kadarius Tony or DeVonta Smith?

[3:31] LightShed Ventures investment in Space Perspective.

[8:21] Rob Manfred tears down Sinclair’s DTC ambitions.

[11:23] Can Sinclair monetize its spectrum?

[14:29] Don’t expect ESPN to go fully OTT for at least 3 years.

[18:31] Spectrum auction logic.

[22:22] Nielsen facing a tough 2022.

[24:16] Roblox developers create Squid Game games long before Netflix can.

[30:47] Disney’s move to international content.

[33:44] T-Mobile’s brass knuckles extend to Cox. Where are the regulators? 

[37:50] Apple’s large physical reminder of its content ambitions.

[41:56] Will Roblox become AOL if they don’t eventually open up the platform?

[49:01] Epic’s content and metaverse ambitions.

[53:27] Twitter’s managed dissatisfaction.

[55:22] #CHOKEonTHAT?

[58:14] Space Oddity.

[0:00] Butts, Butts, Butts.

[0:50] Brandon’s broken tailbone.

[2:42] Facebook’s metaverse and video pivot driven by lose/lose dynamics of news.

[10:34] Peacock does not belong in the cable bundle.

[12:08] Why are broadband companies still in video?

[12:54] Verizon does not want to lose the MSGN broadband subs.

[20:28] Charlie Ergen should offer five channels and call it Blockbuster.

[22:10] Is the path to owning the living room low margin hardware?

[33:20] Spectrum auction still anyone’s guess.

[36:35] Squid Game breakthrough could never happen on Disney+.

[39:03] Amazon should ramp international content creation.

[42:35] Live Shopping set to take off, but is Twitter the right platform?

[46:18] MoPub sale is a “win-win” for Twitter and AppLovin.

[47:30] Top streamers making big dollars on Twitch.

[50:00] Tinder steps up gamification with virtual currency tests.

[51:56] Most NFT ownership is about speculation, not community.

[56:27] China does not need Hollywood.

[59:20] Can 2 movies save American theaters?

[1:01:55] Diamonds.

[0:00] Finsta fool.

[1:01] I Like To Move It.

[3:45] Facebook’s tough week starts with them.

[6:23] Snapchat might be immune from government attention.

[8:28] DISH will only carry the RSNs if they are tiered.

[11:30] Comcast’s affiliate carriage inconsistency.

[15:15] MSG Entertainment assets insulated from an MSGN bankruptcy.

[17:15] RSNs need a new business model.

[18:32] Peacock needs programming not a marketing campaign.

[23:25] Tik Tok 1bn users reinforces need to shift ad dollars from TV.

[25:31] TV Premiere Week Quiet as Netflix Global Hit.

[27:00] ManningCast affirms the power of alt audio.

[34:41] Will the FCC spectrum auction fail?

[38:06] Amazon’s hit video game.

[40:27] Amazon already marketing its new TVs ahead of other brands.

[42:20] Roku ramping content to differentiate its tvOS.

[44:03] Oxenfree is the right game for Netflix.

[46:59] Superheroes are not enough for Disney+.

[53:36] Endeavor and CAA have diametrically opposed strategies.

[56:12] Fanatics is expertly using their platform to weave into everything sports-related.

[59:22] Ozy is the next Fyre Fest doc.

[1:01:05] Iron Man.

[0:00] Hava Nagila.

[0:55] The benefits of marriage.

[6:08] Alternative feeds drive ratings.

[14:51] The NFL is still king.

[17:36] Disney should use their films to negate production delays and drive Disney+ subs.

[21:34] Streamers need for diverse content and/or super service to lean into ARPU.

[24:00] What ails Kabletown and what happens next?

[27:06] Progressives vs beltway could define the next FCC chair and what that means for broadband rate regulation.

[32:08] Fanatics’ puzzle coming together.

[35:37] DraftKings’ pursuit of Entain the latest proof that scale is key.

[37:22] The metaverse is a legitimate priority for Facebook.

[39:28] Music industry has recognized that 3D interactive will be the next major media platform.

[40:00] Brands will not be late to Roblox.

[43:05] Zynga is platform-agnostic.

[44:00] Avatars are a critical initial building block of the metaverse and Facebook has no traction.

[45:20] Roblox continues to add features to deliver better experiences and age up the platform.

[46:34] UFC’s low fighter splits could mean opportunity for deep pocketed competitor.

[49:15] LYV’s unlimited international rollup potential.

[51:40] HBO is doing what Disney is not: using their content heft to drive subs.

[54:19] Clubhouse.

[55:35] I Gotta Feeling.

[0:00] Idioteque.

[1:05] Happy Anniversary LightShed!

[1:53] Wander off groom.

[5:56] Apple/Epic ruling.

[19:47] Facebook’s Smart Glasses.

[24:50] 3D interactive experiences are (currently) the most tangible part of metaverse development.

[27:20] VR will be a function of the metaverse but not the be all end all.

[27:46] Verizon’s early NFL exit creates opportunity for a sportsbook.

[32:57] No one is paying attention to the disappearance of DVDs and digital downloads.

[36:07] AMC’s new marketing campaign – Nicole Kidman in an empty theater.

[38:11] Would Disney have generated more value by streaming Shang-Chi?

[39:14] Management turnover.

[44:06] Brian Robbins taking over Paramount is bold move by Shari Redstone.

[46:03] AEW is becoming a real competitor to WWE.

[42:28] Comcast, not Disney, should be the eventual buyer of WWE.

[51:05] Roku leans on content to maintain its dominant position.

[53:04] Twitter continues to innovate at a much faster pace.

[54:47] Crypto conversations are dominated by price and speculation, not use cases.

[1:01:38] The Final Countdown.

[0:00] Since I Left You.

[1:06] The origin of Labor Day.

[5:16] John Skipper’s Bishop Sycamore analogy.

[8:28] ESPN is desperate for new revenue.

[12:15] Sports betting CAC is irrationally high.

[13:20] Bet on Barstool to embody gambling’s talking head culture.

[16:57] PGA takes a page out of F1’s book in the post-Tiger era.

[21:21] App store changes don’t fully solve the problem.

[25:50] Apple is clearly trying to build out an ads business.

[27:40] iPhones and LEO’s.

[32:33] Amazon escalating the tvOS wars.

[38:25] Locast is dead.

[41:28] Theatrical-only releases cannot make enough money.

[44:54] Walt takes the over on a $50 million Shang-Chi opening.

[46:55] Should the FCC tax Big Tech?

[51:22] Social platforms need to create features that actually fit the platform’s utility.

[54:02] The new Yahoo is a sports betting play, not advertising.

[56:15] #WeAre.

[0:00] MMMBop.

[1:37] Brandon and Jessie’s role reversal.

[5:30] Celebrating Jeff Bezos’ big day.

[5:56] OnlyFans’ crossroads: have a business or have investors.

[8:49] Netflix’ foray into gaming is not a strategic change, it is an evolution.

[19:43] Nielsen is in big trouble as NBC is serious about alternatives.

[24:44] Is there differentiation in wireless?

[38:45] Apple settles a court case but the actual impact is unclear.

[43:37] Metaverse-ey platforms.

[48:30] The biggest studio in the world did not show up to CinemaCon.

[55:04] As Penn enters NJ, the competition’s total marketing spend is surprising.

[56:54] Investors need to pay more attention to Fanatics.

[59:56] Can government funding narrow the digital divide?

[1:01:00] Still no FCC nominee from Biden.

[1:02:17] The continued collision between content, marketing, and live stream video shopping.

[1:03:50] We are growing more concerned with US entertainment companies’ access to China

[1:05:13] Will crackdown in China impact Apple?

[1:06:20] Let’s #Unpack adjusted reported results.

[1:07:30] Like a damn sociopath.