This week, we detail Amazon's confirmation that it has started blocking sideloaded apps on Fire TVs that it deems are being used for piracy, in an effort to restrict users from accessing pirated content. We also discuss ITV's confirmation that it is in talks with Comcast-owned Sky about a potential acquisition of its broadcast business, valuing the company at £1.6 billion. We review the latest financial numbers and subscriber counts from Q3 earnings reported by WBD (HBO Max), Xperi, EchoStar (Sling TV), Altice, and AMC Networks, and highlight the strong earnings results from Akamai and Fastly.

Note: I incorrectly stated 'Hulu+ Live TV' when I meant to say 'YouTube TV', and on a second occasion, I meant to say 'YouTube' instead of 'Amazon'. My apologies for the confusion.

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This week, we detail Netflix's plans to offer live, dynamic ad insertion (DAI) for NFL games on Christmas and why this is a significant development for the industry. We also debated their new ad viewing definition and the announcement that ads on Netflix now reach more than 190 million MAUs globally. We break down the latest developments on the YouTube TV and Disney Carriage Dispute and how both companies are being disingenuous with users. 

For Q3 earnings data, we highlight Fubo's improving balance sheet, with its net loss shrinking to $18.9 million, while also reducing churn by 50% compared to last year. We also detail how Disney will take over advertising sales across Fubo, with Fubo integrating its inventory into Disney’s ecosystem and ad server. Additionally, Fubo announced plans to utilize Disney to grow internationally over the next 18 to 24 months. 

Finally, we dicuss how, in their latest earnings reports, Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon have announced plans to increase their AI spending in 2026 to a combined $ 400 billion, but with no details on what percentage of their AI spend is going toward internal projects, versus selling cloud AI services to other companies. Additionally, quick updates on earnings from Broadpeak, Harmonic, Qwilt's new CEO, as well as Bending Spoons' $710 million equity raise at a $11 billion pre-money valuation.

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This week, I cover the launch of Fox One and ESPN Unlimited, which appeared to go smoothly, with few user issues reported. I detailed the news of the week, including price increases for Apple TV+ and BritBox, the launch of a new $20 bundle from Sling TV, and news from Netflix, YouTube, MLB, Fubo and NBC Sports. Finally, I discuss the expected upcoming layoffs at Paramount and their implications for the industry.

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This week we discuss the topic of FAST and how as an industry, we have almost no details on revenue growth amongst the FAST platforms. With Plex’s recent round of layoffs and too many FAST channels in the market, we make the case that popularity, without profitability, is a problem for FAST operators. We also discuss YouTube TV's business including their outage that took place during the NBA playoffs, their decision to drop SNY and the MLB network, and YouTube's experiments with ad-blockers. Finally, we break down why Microsoft announced it will shut down Azure Media Services in 2024 and exit the video workflow business.

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This week we peel back the layers of NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV dissecting the potential implications and benefits for the streaming media industry. We discuss the criticality of promptly addressing technical glitches before mainstream media taints the image of streaming technology. Learn how YouTube TV's new 'multiview' feature could amp up the NFL Sunday Ticket experience, or just add another layer of complexity.

We also scrutinize Netflix's future advertising plans and their proposed creation of a new ad format similar to a half-hour commercial drawn out over days. Also covered is the rollout of YES Network's single-screen interactive stats on connected devices in partnership with Ease Live. Tune in as we delve into the fiery debate taking place in Europe with ISPs suggesting that content providers including Netflix, Apple, and Google should pay ISPs to carry their video traffic. 

I also call out Sandvine for continuing to publish garbage data on the topic, stating opinions as facts, using high-level marketing terms with no definitions, and using the debate to push the need for companies to pay them to use their platform - a severe conflict of interest.

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What do TikTok's video lengths and user engagement tell us about the future of content consumption? Join us this week as we uncover the surprising data behind this social media giant and its innovative audience. We'll also dive into the growing trend of long-form content including movies and TV shows being chopped up into bite-sized pieces for a more interactive and engaging viewing experience.

As the demand to get to profitability with DTC services grows, content owners are slashing millions in infrastructure costs through optimization of their video workflows, especially around encoding, storage and delivery. We discuss how advanced codecs and content adaptive technologies are enabling reduced bit rates without sacrificing quality. You will also learn about Netflix's multi-year technology and workflow transformation, and the increasing importance of purpose-built silicon in the race for 4K streaming.

Lastly, we tackle the issues of media inaccuracies and AI hype within the industry. From the sensationalized reporting surrounding Disney's CFO's leave of absence to Microsoft's questionable AI claims, we emphasize the importance of accurate information and transparency. Discover the potential impact of AI on the streaming industry and Microsoft's relationship with Open AI – all in this eye-opening episode.

Articles mentioned in the podcast:

TikTok's becoming a TV platform. One pirated clip at a time
https://www-cbc-ca.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6874102

With Streaming Services Cutting Bitrates to Save Money, Vendors That Bet on 4K for Revenue Growth Have Lost
https://www.streamingmediablog.com/2023/06/cutting-bitrates-4k.html

MSVP: Meta’s first ASIC for video transcoding
https://ai.facebook.com/blog/meta-scalable-video-processor-MSVP/

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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This week we discuss the recent increase in Netflix's stock price which hit a 52-week high, all based on "assumptions" in new sign-ups based on four-day’s worth of data from third-party firm Antenna. We also question if YouTube TV is cracking down on password sharing ahead of NFL Sunday Ticket, with more users reporting pop-up messages reminding them that they need to return to their home location. We discuss how Telly, the company that plans to give away a dual-screen TV for free, has the ability to deactivate the TV if consumers don't use the TV as they want them to. Finally, we detail the launch of a new commercial CDN offering from Orange, for CDN services within France specifically.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Orange, IPL, Antenna, YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, Telly, Vizio, Vimeo, Edgio.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we discuss the Netflix password sharing notifications that have started rolling out in 103 countries and territories and the challenges users are having in understanding how Netflix will enforce the rules and what exactly classifies as a violation. We also detail the roll out of Max, with less than .1% of HBO Max accounts having technical issues and highlight some new details from YouTube TV around NFL Sunday Ticket regarding simultaneous stream counts, multiview and video quality. We also breakdown the laughable comments by Elon Musk and others at Twitter who suggested they "broke the internet" and "melted their servers", due to 600,000 users trying to stream live the audio of Ron DeSantis announcing his 2024 presidential bid on Twitter Spaces.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Disney, Twitter, Max, YouTube TV, Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max, AOM, Beamr.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week I discuss the technical issues that YouTube TV, Apple TV and Netflix all had in the past 30-days with a live event/stream on their platform. I also break down all the key numbers from Disney’s earnings including the 3.8 million sequential decline of Disney+ Hotstar subs, their comments that the price increase for Disney+ without ads had no meaningful negative impact on churn, and the latest non-news on ESPN going DTC. Also highlighted are comments from FOX’s CEO on why they don’t have a D2C sports offering and Netflix’s announcement that their ad-supported plan has nearly 5M monthly active users globally.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Disney, ESPN, Hulu, Peacock, NFL, IPL, FOX, Apple TV, YouTube TV, MLS Season Pass.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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This week we highlight the Q1 earnings news from Brightcove (will lay off 10% of company), Vimeo (CEO could get $800,000 bonus), Paramount (+  added 4.1M subs), Comcast (Peacock subs up 2M), Warner Bros. Discovery (expects DTC business to be profitable this year) and the latest cord cutting numbers with over 1M pay TV losses in Q1.

We also discuss problems we are seeing with many resumes and LinkedIn pages by those looking for new jobs in the industry. We share feedback on what you should be doing if you are looking for a new job and how you should be setting yourself up for success.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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This week we highlight some of the news from the NAB Show and detail the technologies and business models we heard talked about the most. We also discuss the trends we saw at the show, vendor messaging, specific data shared from speakers and what impressed us. We also cover some numbers you need to know on cord cutting, P&L and ARRU from earnings related to Roku, Comcast (Peacock), Amazon, Verizon, Meta, Netflix and others.

Companies and services mentioned: Roku, Netflix, Amazon, Verizon, Peacock, HBO Max, Comcast, Brightcove, Harmonic, Haivision, Amagi, IMAX, Bitmovin.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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This week we breakdown the number from Viacom18 of 16 million concurrent streams for the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Jio Cinema, highlighting that the bitrate was around 1Mbps, making comparisons to other events difficult. We also discuss potential new DTC streaming strategies the WWE and UFC could take since their rights deals with ESPN, FOX and NBC Universal all expire by 2026. We recap some industry news that Apple has acquired Wave One, a startup specializing in AI-based video compression with a method for analyzing video files and learning the best way to compress them. And the news from AMD of a new media acceleration solution, that’s targeting video streaming applications that are highly personalized and interactive by nature, demanding low to ultra-low latency.

Companies and services mentioned: Viacom18, Jio Cinema, Endeavor, UFC, WWE, NBC Universal, Peacock, FOX, Disney, MLB, WWE, CBS, Pac-12, Roku, Apple TV, Netflix, Wave One, Apple, AMD, IMAX.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we discuss the recent price increase at YouTube TV which will now start at $73 a month, which in some cases, is only a few dollars cheaper than cable TV in a triple-play bundle. We also highlight some recent news from Apple including rumors they may be partnering with studios to put more titles in theaters; Paramount+ announcing it will offer mobile-only plans in Brazil and Mexico; a detailed report on the challenges Twitch is facing; and a notice of proposed rulemaking from the FTC it dubs “click to cancel,” requiring companies to make ending a subscription equivalently simple to signing up for one.

Companies and services mentioned: Apple TV+, Paramount+, YouTube TV, Twitch, Netflix, Microsoft, MLB, Fire TV, MLB, FTC.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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Marty Kagan, co-founder and CEO of Hydrolix, joined me for a detailed conversation on the importance of delivering better end-user QoE with real-time telemetry and the challenges that come with CDN observability. Marty highlights why more hot data is crucial for AIOps and challenges that M&E customers face today, including the need to discard data due to storage costs. Marty presents a compelling argument against the notion that most data is irrelevant and that content owners only need to retain a small percentage as a sample. We also discuss why Hydrolix isn’t an AI company and Marty's plans to continue growing its streaming data lake platform in verticals outside of video.

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Eric Black, who for more than 20 years, was a leader for NBC Universal’s media technology strategy across a host of digital properties during pivotal moments in the evolution of live streaming, joins me for a discussion about  the sports streaming market. We discuss licensing costs, bundling and packaging of sports content, user personalization, the impact of low/ultra-low latency streaming, and discuss the focus of his new job, as CTO and GM of Media for Edgio.

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This week we review Netflix’s success with their first live event from both a video quality and user interface standpoint and discuss what live streaming means to Netflix’s business since most consumers are not going to regularly tune into Netflix on a scheduled time. We also highlight a lot of interesting comments made by Disney’s CEO around the pricing and bundling of Disney+, how they are "very carefully” studying the streaming business to decide what to do with Hulu and his thoughts on what growth for Disney’s DTC business looks like going forward.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN, HBO Max, Warner Bros. Discovery, TikTok.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we detail the numbers you need to know from the Q4/full-year earnings of Warner Bros. Discovery, Vimeo, fuboTV, Vizio, Brightcove, DISH and Altice. We highlight revenue growth, free cash flow, pay TV subs lost, streaming subs gained and ARPU. We also cover some of the news around sports streaming and OTT services from MSG+, RSN licensing, NFL Sunday Ticket and Indian Premier League cricket.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, HBO Max, fuboTV, Warner Bros. Discovery, MSG+, Brightcove, Vimeo, DISH, Altice, YouTube TV, Tubi, Tubular Labs and Chartbeat.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown the problems Netflix’s is having in Canada with their new account sharing rules that are confusing, incomplete and conflicting. We also discuss the latency of the Super Bowl stream and why lower latency doesn’t equal more viewers, longer viewing times, or more ads delivered. Also detailed are all the numbers you need to know from Paramount, Roku, Akamai and Fastly’s earnings including sub growth, year-over-year revenue growth and profit and loss.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, FOX Sports, Roku, NBC Sports, FanDuel, NFL, Paramount, Nielsen, Amazon Fire TV, Disney, YouTube, DIRECTV, Akamai, Fastly.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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Gil Rudge, SVP, Video Products and Solutions at Harmonic joins me for a discussion about some of the latest deployment trends for cloud-based video workflows. We discuss the lack of adoption of 4K; the complexity of live sporting events; the trade-off between on-prem versus the cloud; and the success Harmonic has shown in diversifying the company’s revenue from hardware to the cloud.

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This week we breakdown all the numbers from Disney's Q4 calendar 2022 earnings including subscriber losses with Disney+ (2.4M); Gains at Hulu (800K) and ESPN+ (600K); announcement of 7,000 layoffs; loss of $1.1B from DTC business; latest ARPU numbers; the re-org of Disney into three divisions and the CEO's comments that Disney is not considering a spinoff of ESPN. We also discuss Sling's newly launched FAST service called "Sling Stream" and discuss why pay TV will not be "dead" in three years like some executives are suggesting.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Disney, AMC Theaters, Sling, Amazon Prime Video, Yahoo, Zoom, ESPN, Hulu.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we highlight the key numbers you need to know from Q4 2022 earnings results from Google (YouTube revenue growth declined), Amazon (AWS revenue growth of 20%), Comcast (now has 20M Peacock subs but lost $978M), Apple (Revenue down 5% y/o/y), Verizon (Lost 80, 000 pay TV subs), Charter (Lost 145,000 pay TV subs) and additional news around Netflix, Paramount+, World Cup, Liliac Cloud and Harmonic.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Comcast, Apple, YouTube, Amazon, Peacock, Paramount+, Showtime, World Cup, F5, Struum, Liliac Cloud, Verizon, Charter, Harmonic, AWS, Prime Video, CloudFront.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

Kevin McGurn, President of Sales and Distribution for Vevo joins me for a discussion around Vevo's FAST strategy. Kevin discusses the success Vevo is seeing with regards to their content programming and how it changes per region; their monetization strategy with advertising; how they are getting such high engagement numbers; the importance of multi-platform distribution; and why the largest volume of their viewership happens on the large screen.

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This week I highlight all the key numbers you need to know from Netflix’s earnings including subscriber numbers, free-cash-flow, paid sharing and projected numbers around AVOD revenue. I also give my review of HBO Max's first live sporting event on the platform with the US women's national team soccer match against New Zealand. Finally, I run through all the new sports licensing deals with NBCUniversal, (U.S. Soccer Federation), Viacom18 (Women’s Indian Premier League) and the rumors Apple will bid on the Premier League domestic television rights that come up for renewal in 2025.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, HBO Max, Nielsen, JW Player, InPlayer, DAZN, Amazon Prime Video, NBCUniversal, Peacock TV, Viacom18, Apple, Sky Sports, BT Sport, Alphabet, Microsoft.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we highlight the price increases from fuboTV, DirecTV Stream and HBO Max’s ad-free plan, with many live linear plans now being more expensive than cable TV. We also discuss news from FOX Sports who said their NFL Playoffs/Super Bowl broadcast schedule will not be broadcast or streamed in native 4K, but rather will be captured and produced in 1080p HDR and upscaled to 4K. We breakdown the new subscriber numbers from DAZN and their announcement that it now has 15 million premium paying subscribers and highlight their financial numbers reported by the media. Finally, we debate how many FAST channels are considered too many with Samsung announcing their Samsung TV Plus service now has over 1,800 channels globally and more than 200 in the US alone.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, HBO Max, fuboTV, DirecTV Stream, DAZN, Curiosity Stream, Samsung TV Plus, NBC Sports, Sunday Night Football, FOX Sports, BSD Crown, Amazon, Twitch, DirecTV.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we detail Paramount Global's seven-year deal with TKO for the rights to stream UFC fights, the impact on ESPN+ and UFC's approach to move away from PPV to expand its audience. We also discussed the new Disney and Fox bundle launching on October 2nd, which combines ESPN+ and Fox One for a discounted rate. Additionally, we list out why not all pay TV customers will have access to ESPN's new DTC service for free when it launches on August 21st. We covered Netflix's pricing increase in Australia, Sling TV's new daily, weekend, and weekly pricing models, as well as the changes to Sky Sports' coverage of the 2025/2026 Premier League season. Finally, we detail what it takes to produce quality content on LinkedIn, how to build a brand, and why to ignore many of the so-called content and SEO experts on LinkedIn.

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This week we highlight some of the layoffs across the industry (Vimeo, Amazon, Kaltura, Amdocs, JWP) and why getting to positive cash flow for vendors is and should be the number one goal in 2023. We also detail the latest ARPU numbers from OTT services and some TV news from CES, with Roku announcing the first-ever smart TV designed and built by Roku and a still unnamed partner. Finally, we discuss the extremely fragmented landscape for video advertising metrics, the news of Nielsen ONE and how every major media company has struck deals with measurement firms like VideoAmp, EDO, Comscore, and iSpot to replace or supplement Nielsen.

Companies and services mentioned: Vimeo, Kaltura, JPW, Amazon, Netflix, Disney, Nielsen, Videoamp, Amdocs, Transmit Live, Warner Bros. Discovery, Roku, Samsung, Google TV, EDO, Comscore, iSpot.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we highlight some of the tech details released around the NFL Sunday Ticket package coming to YouTube TV, which won't allow consumers to purchase the package per team or per game. We also discuss YouTube confirming that 4K video quality was not required as part of their deal with the NFL and what we think that impact could be. Also covered are the acquisitions of eCDN Ramp by Vbrick, The Switch by Tata Communications and Qumu by Enghouse Systems. We close out the podcast with our thoughts on how companies will grow in 2023, what the market drivers and restraints will be and how companies can and will grow in the New Year.

Companies and services mentioned: YouTube TV, Netflix, NFL Sunday Ticket, Amazon Prime, Comcast, Disney, Apple, ESPN+, JioCinema, Video, Qumu, Ramp, Vbrick, The Switch, API. video.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week I highlight some of the recent news around Netflix's AVOD business and the media's ridiculous suggestion that Netflix is struggling after only six weeks. I also discuss why Warner Bros. Discovery has recently decided to license certain HBO and HBO Max original programming to third party FAST services, as a smart way to save money on residuals while making money on syndication. Also detailed are a news items from Peacock TV, fuboTV, Edgio, and Vimeo.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Peacock TV, HBO Max, fuboTV, Edgio, Vimeo, Warner Bros. Discovery, JetBlue.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown the launch of AVOD on Disney+; the news by Paramount’s CEO of declining advertising revenue in this quarter; Netflix’s comment that licensing sports content isn’t profitable; NBCU’s announcement that Peacock has more than 18 million paid subscribers; how Netflix’s open source deal with GPAC gives them a competitive advantage for video packaging; and we detail Caesars streaming an NFL game via live low latency in the Caesars Sportsbook app.

Companies and services mentioned: Disney, Netflix, Peacock TV, Apple, Paramount, Microsoft, Caesars, Activision Blizzard, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, FTC.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown many of the World Cup TV and streaming viewership numbers from around the world, with most outlets not breaking out streaming only data. We also discuss the latest comments from Disney and Netflix's CEOs around their ad supported models. Also covered, Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Diamond Sports Q3 earnings (Net loss of $1.2B); Yahoo's 30-year deal with Taboola; NFL TV viewership numbers and the latest conflicting numbers around churn.

Companies and services mentioned: Disney, Netflix, Apple, MLB, Sinclair, Diamond Sports, Ballys Sports+, Yahoo, Taboola, Paramount, Antenna, Warner Bros Discovery, World Cup, BBC, FOX Sports, NBC Sports, NFL.

Link to World Cup numbers: https://www.streamingmediablog.com/2022/12/worldcup-viewership.html

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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This week we discuss Bob Iger coming back to Disney as the CEO and the impact it could have around Disney’s DTC business involving bundling, pricing, sports licensing and improving Disney's balance sheet. We also highlight the new details Apple released around their MLS streaming service, MLS Season Pass, which will offer 1080p/60 video, launching in February for $15 a month or $100 for the year. Also included in the discussion is a list of all the Black Friday streaming deals and the negative impact that has on ARPU for streaming services.

Companies and services mentioned: Disney, Netflix, WarnerBros. Discovery, Disney+, Apple TV+, MLS, MLB, Hulu, Peacock TV, Paramount+, Discovery+, Roku, DISH, Amagi.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we discuss the recent comments from Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO around profitability, retention, windowing, bundling and pricing of HBO Max and Discovery+. Profitability, not purely sub count is how they benchmark for success. We also discuss his comments on how collapsing all windows, starving linear and theatrical and spending money with abandon, while making a fraction in return on the service of growing sub numbers, has ultimately proven to be deeply flawed. On the topic of churn, we point out what the industry is getting wrong with their assumptions and highlight the recent comments from Disney’s CEO, who said that price increases don’t meaningfully increase churn or cancellations. We also recap Q3 earnings from Disney, Vizio, Akamai, Edgio, Kaltura.

Companies and services mentioned: Disney, Netflix, WarnerBros. Discovery, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock TV, Vizio, LG, Akamai, Amagi, Edgio, Kaltura, FTX.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown all the key numbers you need to know from Q3 2022 earnings from OTT companies and streaming vendors including Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Roku, Fubo, WarnerBros. Discovery, FOX, Vimeo, Brightcove, Fastly, Cloudflare, Altice, DISH, Lionsgate and AMC Networks. Learn the latest D2C subscriber numbers, ARPU per user and how much money OTT platforms are still losing (Disney lost $1.47B, Paramount lost $343M).

Companies and services mentioned: Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Roku, Fubo, WarnerBros. Discovery, FOX, Vimeo, Brightcove, Fastly, Cloudflare, Altice, DISH, Lionsgate, AMC Networks, Charter, Xumo, Tubi, NPR+.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown Fubo's decision to close and exit the Sportsbook market along with DAZN's comments that betting within streaming services isn't a reality in the next few years. We also highlight some new sports viewership numbers from NBC Sports and NFL; cover some recent pay TV losses by pay TV providers; detail Apple's new Apple TV boxes and discuss the NBA's new app that has 12-seconds of latency. Finally, while almost no video vendors are profitable, let alone seeing a positive return on their stock price over the past 12-18 months, we detail the numbers that make Harmonic the exception.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, NBC Sports, Apple TV, Harmonic, Vimeo, NBA, NFL+, MLB, Amazon Prime Video, Verizon, DAZN, Fubo, Disney.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown Netflix's soon to be released AVOD offering and the fact that the video quality is limited to 720p with no ability for downloads. Are consumers willing to sacrifice video quality for price? Will the streaming industry need to re-think how they define video "quality" if consumers are willing to accept 720p as "good enough"? We also discuss Netflix's measurement deals announced with Nielsen, BRB, IAS and DoubleVerify and what this means for advertisers. We also cover what some of the largest live streaming events on the Internet have generated from a viewership standpoint.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Peacock TV, Nielsen, DoubleVerify, Beamr, Roku, Apple TV, Disney+, BBC, Integral Ad Science, NBC Sports, Amazon Prime Video, Riot Games, Akamai, IPL.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we detail all the news from Disney's earnings, its proposed deal between ESPN and the NFL and the launch of ESPN's new DTC service this month. We also discuss the impact of Disney's decision to no longer report paid subscribers or ARPU numbers for Disney+ and Hulu, and will cease reporting ESPN+ numbers as of next month. We also discuss all the essential numbers from Q2 earnings for WBD, Paramount Global, Fubo, Altice, Akamai, Fastly, Vimeo, and highlight the upcoming launch of FOX One on August 21st, as well as recent news from Roku and MLS.

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This week we breakdown Nielsen’s confusing streaming rankings, which aren't accurately comparing  shows based on the same metrics. We also highlight Peacock's latest paid sub numbers (15 million); Google's expanded cloud deal with MLB; Mux's recent round of layoffs; Vizio's FAST ad revenue and Roku's removal of all SDK1 channels. We also discuss how many companies hiring for new positions are not doing a good job following up, list jobs no longer open and need to do a better job of putting people first.

Companies and services mentioned: Peacock, Comcast, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, MLB, Google Cloud, Nielsen, Netflix, Disney+, PlayStation 5, ByteDance, Vizio, Roku, Amazon, eBay, Mux.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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This week we breakdown the viewership numbers from Amazon’s first Thursday Night Football game and the differences between all the numbers reported. (11.8M, 13M, 15.3M) We also discuss the news of Google adding HEVC support in Chrome and some cost details given out by Twitch of how expensive it is to deliver HD, low latency, always available live video to nearly every corner of the world. Finally, we highlight IMAX’s acquisition of SSIMWAVE and their goal to bring a specific level of video quality to consumers at home.

Companies and services mentioned: Amazon Prime Video, NFL, NBC Sports, DIRECTV, NFL+, NFL Sunday Ticket, CBS Sports, Bally Sports, Twitch, Chrome, IMAX, SSIMWAVE, Diamond Sports, Nielsen.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown Amazon's stream of their NFL Thursday Night Football game on September 15th and the wide variety of user experiences that were reported, both good and bad. We discuss the issue that some ISPs had resulting in poor video quality, the terrible job by Amazon support, a large group of people reporting audio and video issues and a host of other comments from viewers. We also highlight how the Amazon game is an example of why streaming will not replace cable TV as a broadcast medium with the same reliability, scalability and stability.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

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This week I’m joined by a special guest Barry Tishgart, who just left Disney Streaming Services as a SVP and GM of Technology Services. Barry joins me to discuss the current state of the sports streaming business including RSN licensing, bundling, pricing, distribution, video quality and what the consumer sports experience will look like in the future.

Companies and services mentioned: Amazon Prime Video, NFL, ESPN+, MLB, Nielsen, Peacock TV, NBC Sports, Bally Sports+, Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we discuss the recent news of Amazon’s plans to use Nielsen for TV measurement of Thursday Night Football on Prime Video and highlight problems the streaming industry faces in defining what success looks like. With no standards or agreed upon methodology, definitions or user metrics, the streaming industry is struggling to measure and define viewership from one service to another. We also recap the Walmart+ and Paramount deal; new sports licensing deals with Big Ten Conference and the UEFA Champions League and discuss more of what Netflix’s AVOD offering could look like.

Companies and services mentioned: Amazon Prime Video, NFL, Netflix, Walmart, Nielsen, FOX, CBS, Disney, Peacock, Lionsgate, Big Ten Conference, ESPN, Paramount+, UEFA Champions League, DAZN, fuboTV.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we recap all the news from Disney's April-June earnings including their D2C business losing over $1B in the quarter; their addition of 14.4M Disney+ subs globally; Hulu and Disney+ price raises; Hulu losing 3.4M SVOD subs and  100,000 Live TV subs and their launch of Disney+ with ads in December. We also cover the numbers you need to know from Akamai (Revenue up 6% y/o/y), Edgio (Initial 2023 revenue outlook of between $550-$560 million), Vizio (Platform+ net revenue up 69% y/o/y), and Trade Desk earnings (revenue grew 35% y/o/y).

Companies and services mentioned: Disney, Netflix, Hulu, Tubi, Fox, ESPN+, Paramount+, Disney + Hotstar, Indian Premium League, Vizio, The Trade Desk, Edgio, Akamai, Roblox, Coinbase.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we discuss why FAST services are overrated; the news that HBO Max and Discovery+ will launch as a single service in the U.S. next summer; we highlight the key data you need to know from Q2 earnings from Paramount (added 4.9M Paramount+ subs), fuboTV, (lost 70,000 subs), Lionsgate (added 1.8M Starz subs) and cover earnings from streaming vendors including Fastly, Brightcove and Vimeo. We also discuss why WPP, which is the world's biggest advertising agency group, raised its revenue growth targets for 2022.

Companies and services mentioned: Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max, Discovery+, fuboTV, Netflix, Tubi, Pluto TV, Paramount+, Sling TV, AMC Networks, F1, Lionsgate, Starz, Roku, Canal+, WPP, Liberty Media, Altice, Fastly, Cloudflare, Vimeo, Brightcove.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown the key numbers you need to know from Q2 earnings at Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Comcast, Roku, Charter, Meta, Microsoft and Samsung. We cover the "significant slowdown in TV advertising” seen by Roku and others; Meta's price per ad falling by 14%; Peacock TV subs being flat quarter-over-quarter; cord cutting from Charter (lost 240,000 pay TV subs) and Comcast (lost 521,000 pay TV subs); and YouTube's slowest ad revenue growth in over two years.

Companies and services mentioned: YouTube, Netflix, Apple, Meta, Comcast, Charter, Peacock TV, Alphabet, Microsoft, Panopto, Kaltura, Shofify, Google Cloud, Quest 2, Samsung, AWS, Roku, Amazon, Apple TV+, NFL, Amazon Prime Video.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we discuss the latest advertising numbers from Twitter and Snap's Q2 earnings, which saw slowing demand for their platforms and had declining revenue. We also highlight the rate of Verizon's cord-cutting numbers, with the company losing 86,000 pay TV subscribers in Q2 and have now lost 8.1% of all their pay TV subs in the last 12-months.  Also discussed, Qwilt's deal with the NCTC to deploy CDN caches inside 100+ rural ISPs that combined, reach 34 million households.

Companies and services mentioned: Disney, ESPN+, Apple TV,  fuboTV, Verizon, Twitter, Snap, MLB, ESPN+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Qwilt, Vimeo.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we discuss the key takeaways from Netflix's Q2 earnings report including subscriber losses for two-quarters in a row, what Netflix expects for growth going forward and the current state of Netflix's balance sheet. We also detail what we've learned about their plans to offer an ad-supported tier and why we believe this is a real opportunity for Netflix, rather than a challenge as some are suggesting.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, I outline the key numbers you should know regarding subscriber gains and losses, as well as the profitability of D2C businesses for Peacock, Roku, Paramount, Sling TV, and Fubo. I also cover the revenue growth from cloud providers Amazon and Microsoft, and break out the capex spend of Meta and the hyper-scalers, totaling more than $250 billion this year, driven by AI-related infrastructure. Finally, I highlight some news relating to Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Instagram and DAZN's deal with the NHL.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown a preview of what to look for in Netflix’s Q2 2021 earnings including subscriber losses/gains, ARPU and an expected update on their advertising strategy. We also discuss what the impact of Stranger Things Season 4 might be on churn and retention being Netflix split the release of the series across two financial quarters. We also detail the IPL Media streaming rights (2023-2027) auction won by Viacom18 and why Disney said they didn't compete on the rights, at the priced needed to win the auction, based on the content not offering enough long-term value to their Disney+ Hotstar service.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Disney, Viacom18, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Fire TV.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week we breakdown some financial news including the proposed sale of Deltatre, which is expected to generate $180 million of revenue in 2022 and Pixelot's raise of $161 million in funding. We also discuss Limelight’s final sale price for Edgecast, which ended up valuing the company at $135 million. Mark and I also breakdown Netflix’s confirmation that it is not buying Roku, details on how the Apple and MLS deal will work for viewers, and we highlight what NBCUniversal’s CEO said about Peacock no longer being free for Comcast customers in the future.

Companies and services mentioned: Netflix, Roku, Peacock, Deltatre, Endeavor Streaming, Firstlight Media, Edgio, Pixelot, Apple, MLS, Bally Sports Plus, NBC Sports, ESPN+, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Adobe.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

On this episode, we discuss how sports events (NBA, NHL, Indy 500, PGA, Premiere League) are seeing record viewership on cable TV, with sports leagues and broadcasters making no mention of streaming viewership. We also discuss the new NESN 360 sports streaming service and the impact of Disney potentially losing the IPL (Indian Premiere League), which would impact Disney+ Hotstar’s growth. We also talk about funding problems some streaming vendors are having, with the larger impact in the financial markets making it difficult to secure capital. 

Companies and services mentioned: Disney+, Netflix, NESN 360, Netflix, Roku, NBA, NHL, Indy 500, PGA, Premiere League, Apple TV+,  Melvin Capital, Tiger Global Management.

Questions or feedback? Contact: dan@danrayburn.com

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media