Hot List: 20 Executives On Social, AI, Fragmentation, Culture, And More
"Feudal Media has very rapidly replaced mass media. It's leaving advertisers baffled as to how to find customers, content creators unsure how to find fans, and consumers confused as to how to find anything." - Alan Wolk
Welcome back to Hot List, your weekly round up of perspectives from analysts and executives, made complete with news you may have missed and original research that shines a light on the TV industry in new ways.
This week, in addition to bringing executives together to sound off on fragmentation: we explore the tensions between TV and social walled gardens through an interview with Comcast Advertising President James Rooke , some fresh data showing the rise of India’s Entertainment sector on YouTube.
We touch on the role of audio in the mix through Alan’s exploration on Spotify’s Ad Skipping updates and what it might mean for creators and Stingray’s David Purdy.
And as TV and streaming move the conversation to outcomes in advertising, the latest installment of AI and Outcomes series with Open AP features an exclusive interview I did with Craig Brommers, the American Eagle CMO who makes the good point that driving actual impact from TV isn’t as simple as buying the broadest reach or having good targeting.
Finding success on any screen requires some understanding of the culture and subcultures of audiences and delivering creative storytelling that conveys information in a narrative worth our attention. This simple point is Explained to a Teen by Tinuiti CEO Abbey Klasssen and rounded out by a guest column by Sofie Sue Rutgeerts, who urges the industry to go beyond big flashy numbers and think about the KPIs that matter.
Speaking of numbers, we have the X+Os on local consolidation under the microscope 3 ways this week: Tim Hanlon’s Proximity column and podcast with TVND’s Kirk Varner explore what it means for our news infrastructure, and a special discussion from our partners at The Measure between Madhive’s Jim Wilson and Evan Shapiro underpin what’s at stake for local businesses.
Taken at a high view, all these conversations underline just what a fragmented marketplace the media has become (and why we’re so excited for Alan Wolk’s forthcoming book on Feudal Media to help make sense of it all).
Who said August is slow?
Amazon’s Ad Revenue Hits $76B Over the Past 12 Months[Adweek]
TL;DR: Amazon's advertising revenue hit $76 billion over the trailing 12 months, with Q2 ad revenue reaching $20 billion (up 26% year-over-year), while overall Q2 net sales were $200.6 billion (up 20%) and AWS revenue grew 37% to $42.2 billion.
Tubi Hits 110 Million Monthly Users as Fox Streamer Delivers Highest Revenue Quarter Yet [The Hollywood Reporter]
TL;DR: Fox-owned free streamer Tubi now has more than 110 million monthly active users and just reported its highest-revenue quarter in company history, with annual revenue now topping $1 billion.
Free tiers are Hollywood’s next big idea in the streaming wars [Business Insider]
TL;DR: According to an internal presentation viewed by Business Insider, Paramount's flagship streamer plans to expand access to movies and shows available without a subscription, while Disney's Chief Product & Technology Officer reportedly told staff Disney+ could add a free tier, though no timeline or content scope was shared.
Hot Links
Josh D’Amaro’s vision for a Disney+ super app is taking shape — but comes with clear risks - [Alan Wolk quoted in Business Insider!]
Paramount Execs Reveal Why They Believe They'll Win WBD Merger Trial [Adweek]
Genius Sports' media surge shows shift beyond sportsbook data [CNBC]
Universal Ads Adds Audience and Mobile Measurement Partners to Premium TV [Martech Vibe]
Fox Appears to Block NFL’s Effort to Re-Do Massive Rights Deal [Variety]
Google Loses Bid to Block UK Class Action Over Search Ads [Bloomberg]
Disney Wraps Upfront, Super Bowl Sells Out [MediaPost]
FIFA tests the limits of private equity in sports with World Cup subsidiary sale [CNBC]
Study Finds More Than Half Of CTV Programmatic Served On Large Screens [MediaPost]
Fox’s World Cup Coverage Broke Records For Both Linear and Streaming [AdExchanger]
June Ad Market Re-Accelerates Thanks To World Cup Spending [MediaPost]
Media measurement is becoming an asset in boardroom theater [Digiday]
Samsung bans smart TV apps that share users’ internet connections with strangers [TechCrunch]
Coke and Visa Score, Adidas and McDonald's Fumble on Pricey World Cup Sponsorships [Adweek]
Hanlon’s Local Links
E.W. Scripps To Cut 268 Jobs, Launch 24/7 Streaming Model- [TVNewsCheck]
Refounding Scripps For The Future - Adam Symson [LinkedIn]
FCC Reviewing Recent Affiliation Swap Announcement, Chairman Carr Says - Matthew Keys [TheDesk.net]
What If Losing The Network Was The Best Thing To Happen To Your Station? - Kirk Varner [TVND.com]
I Helped Create The FCC’s Ownership Cap. Here’s How We Did It. - Tom DeLay [Daily Wire]
Is NHL Hockey On The Radio A Dying Art? Veteran Broadcasters Worry About Its Future - Aaron Portzline [The Athletic]
A Community Can Have Local Newspapers And Still Lack Local News - Jennifer Nehrer [Poynter]
Meet Wrinkles, An App That Uncovers The Hidden Stories Of The Places Around You - Aisha Malik [TechCrunch]
