Hollywood may be witnessing one of the largest and riskiest media mergers ever attempted.

In this episode of Next TMT Talks, hosts David Bloom and Daniel Frankel break down the massive $110+ billion Warner Bros.–Paramount merger effort backed by David Ellison and Skydance — and why the deal could reshape the future of streaming, sports rights, and Hollywood studios.

The discussion explores the regulatory battles ahead, the massive debt burden the combined company could carry, and why Netflix ultimately walked away from the bidding war.

• Why the Ellison-backed Paramount–Warner deal ballooned to $110B+

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• Why Netflix declined to counterbid despite early interest

• The enormous sports rights portfolio the combined company would control

• Why the NFL may reopen its TV deals early

• How streaming consolidation is reshaping Hollywood

• The political fight over sports on broadcast TV

• Why local journalism may depend on NFL broadcast rights

• The future of Paramount+, HBO Max, and a potential merged streaming service

Next TMT Talks covers the intersection of media, technology, telecom, and streaming economics.

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From AI search to micro-dramas and ultra-efficient movie marketing, the media business is changing faster than anyone expected.

In this Next TMT Talks midweek check-in, David Bloom and Daniel Frankel report from DEG InTech Fest in Los Angeles, where studio executives, technologists, and creators explored how AI is reshaping entertainment production, marketing, and distribution.

One big takeaway: AI doesn't just improve one part of the business — it improves everything at once, forcing Hollywood to rethink how content gets made and discovered

• Why AI is accelerating faster than past tech shifts like search or social

• How studios must optimize marketing for AI discovery

• The risk of AI hallucinations sending audiences to the wrong content

• Cineverse's ultra-lean model and the Terrifier success story

• Micro-dramas as an $8B global opportunity

• Why Chinese mobile-game economics are influencing streaming

• AI leverage vs traditional labor economics in Hollywood

• What DEG InTech Fest revealed about the industry's next phase

Next TMT Talks covers the intersection of media, technology, telecom, and streaming economics — built for executives, creators, and industry insiders.

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This week David Bloom and Daniel Frankel break down the rapidly evolving battle surrounding Paramount, Netflix, and Skydance — and why the outcome could reshape the future of media consolidation.

With billions in debt, competing offers, shareholder pressure, and global regulatory hurdles, the panel explains what's really happening behind the headlines and why timing, leverage, and scale matter more than ever in today's streaming economy.

Topics include: • The latest Paramount–Skydance negotiations • Netflix's strategic positioning • Debt, valuation, and deal math • Regulatory risks in the U.S. and abroad • What this means for Hollywood and streaming going forward

The Super Bowl delivered — and so did the business story behind it.

In this episode of Next TMT Talks, hosts David Bloom and Daniel Frankel, in partnership with Media Play News, break down the record-setting Super Bowl ratings and what they mean for NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, and the global streaming battle

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From Bad Bunny's halftime impact to Olympic momentum and the NBA's global push, this week's spectacle wasn't just entertainment — it was strategy.

Then, the conversation shifts to Hollywood deal drama: Paramount's latest counteroffer in the Warner Bros. Discovery merger saga — and whether Larry Ellison's camp will blink.

• Super Bowl ratings breakdown (124.9M viewers across NBC, Peacock & Telemundo)

• Why Bad Bunny expanded the audience — and why that matters

• Peacock's momentum heading into the Olympics

• NBA's "USA vs World" strategy and global growth

• Paramount's revised merger offer and shareholder pressure

• The debt math behind the Ellison-backed deal

• Antitrust politics and what happens next

Disney's CEO transition reveals a deeper truth about modern media: content alone is no longer the business.

In this episode of Next TMT Talks, David Bloom and Daniel Frankel, alongside partner Media Play News, break down Disney's leadership shift and why the company's experiences division now drives the majority of profits.

As streaming margins tighten and content costs rise, Disney is betting on live experiences, parks, cruises, and premium events — forcing the rest of Hollywood to rethink where long-term value really lives.

Topics discussed:

• Disney's CEO succession and the rise of the Experiences division

• Why content profitability is shrinking across film and television

• The impact of AI on production costs and creative economics

• Streaming churn, ESPN, and the limits of digital scale

• Why live, immersive experiences outperform scripted content

• What this shift means for studios, streamers, and investors

Next TMT Talks explores the forces reshaping media, technology, and entertainment — with clear-eyed analysis and industry context.

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Netflix continues to dominate streaming charts — but are the numbers telling the full story?

In this Media Play News (MPN) episode, Next TMT co-founders David Bloom and Daniel Frankel examine Netflix's latest streaming performance, the growing limitations of Nielsen measurement, and why comparing streaming platforms with vastly different audience sizes still distorts industry rankings.

The conversation breaks down:

• Netflix Top 10 rankings vs. Nielsen's delayed U.S. streaming data

• Why streaming measurement remains fragmented and incomplete

• Netflix's scale advantage and the rise of power-law economics

• Amazon licensing MGM and James Bond titles to Netflix

• Netflix's expanding live-event and sports strategy

• CBS renewals, franchise fatigue, and the accelerating decline of Peak TV

This episode offers clear-eyed analysis of how streaming ratings, audience measurement, and content economics are reshaping the media landscape — and what it means for studios, streamers, advertisers, and investors.

Produced in partnership with Media Play News. More streaming, media, and telecom analysis at NextTMT.com.

Netflix streaming, Nielsen ratings, streaming measurement, Media Play News podcast, Next TMT Talks, streaming industry analysis, Peak TV decline, Netflix live events, Amazon MGM Netflix, CBS renewals, media and telecom podcast

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

In this final episode, we revisit the Hollywood writers and actors strike and Netflix makes another foray into game streaming by bringing two games to PCs and TVs

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Articles:

Corporate Fence Straddling on Hollywood Strike is Entertaining

Netflix Expanding Video Game Access to Televisions, PCs, and Macs

Adam Conover Explains the SAG-AFTRA & WGA Strikes, Writing Residuals & Why He's not Scared of AI

Jazzy Abstract Beat

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

SAG-AFTRA announces a simultaneous strike with the writers of Hollywood and Disney is disrupting itself with theatrical releases tripped up by Disney+.

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Articles:

Actors Set to Join Writers in Strike Against Studios, Streamers

Disney's Harsh New Reality: Costly Film Flops, Creative Struggles and a Shrinking Global Box Office

Jazzy Abstract Beat

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

We're back with a new episode, this time covering how successful Netflix's crackdown on password sharing has been since launch. Disney+ has removed about 30 titles from its service since last month, and Apple has debuted a state of the art AR headset for…$3,500. Should you buy one to watch movies at home? Probably not! But we'll talk about details anyway.

Twitter: @podcastmpn

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Articles:

Report: Netflix Posts Big Gain in Sign-Ups Post Password-Sharing Crackdown

'Avatar 2' Due on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, 'Avatar' on 4K UHD for First Time June 20

Disney Sets Star Wars Film, Delays Marvel, Avatar Sequel Release Dates

Disney will remove over 50 shows from Disney Plus and Hulu this month

Apple Unveils Vision Pro Spatial Computer Device, Supporting Disney+, Apple TV+, Movies, 3D and Other Entertainment Content

Jazzy Abstract Beat

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay