Sean Coar

The Meaning of vinyl outselling CDs • Physical sales keep growing but there is a hidden problem about streaming music that labels are about to address. • 3 strategic ideas music radio stations can employ to get in on the trend. • How young consumers are in the midst of changing the way they enjoy music (again). • The user-generated tools that will soon become available to allow music fans to control the speed of the music they hear and these other factors. • TikTok and Instagram Reels have forced a new approach that will make sure labels get paid. https://lnkd.in/eX4aKwQc

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Transparency is a concern for buyers of streaming ad inventory. The challenge often begins with buyers dedicating substantial budgets directly to streaming platforms, marking a departure from the conventional TV landscape where advertisers typically concentrate their buying efforts directly with networks and channels. #FAST #CTVAdvertising https://lnkd.in/g4SPkYW5

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Very good insight! I agree, the landscape is shifting. Adapt or die. As a TV and movie production company we can align with the streaming platforms, and with half a dozen companies reach HALF of the entire world's population. By doing so we can also control our own destiny and costs. That is alluring. The media distribution marketplace will dramatically change in the next 36 months. Is there a place for cinema, theatres, streaming, and other alternative delivery methods to co-exist? Time will tell, we all adapt, we all evolve, that is the nature of business. Here is a prelude of things to come...

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Range Media Partners just raised big $$ from Liberty Global, Wildcat Capital Management. It's an M&A warchest so they don’t fall behind their peers.  Let’s break it down… BACKGROUND ON RANGE • Mgmt and prod co founded in 2020 by Peter Micelli and other top agents from CAA / WME / UTA • Goal = extend beyond trad film / TV representation • Has expanded into music, sports, gaming, digital, music pub M&A + CAP MARKETS HISTORY • Merged with film / TV prod co Automatik in Jan 2023 • Bought upstart athlete mgmt co Stoked Management Group in Sep 2023 • Existing investors incl Steve Cohen’s Point72 Ventures and A+E Networks (also has prod deal) NEW INVESTMENT • Last week closed significant minority investment by John Malone’s Liberty Global, TPG founder’s Wildcat Capital, and family entertainment co Playground Productions • Former CAA film finance exec Rick Hess, and The Forest Road Company were also involved (either as investors or advisors, can’t tell exactly from press release) • Use of Funds: M&A, scale in US, int’l growth, add more talent rep and prod services What you need to know about this deal 👇... It's not surprising when you consider all the other fundraising and M&A amongst Range’s peers in talent representation.  The influx of capital and high dealmaking volume is driven by a belief that outsized returns will go to rep firms who are fastest to scale, in a winner-take-most market. Because scale makes it easier to sign more talent clients, work with the largest brand marketers, hire the best talent agents and managers, package up the largest Hollywood projects, and launch the most exciting new talent-led ventures. Particularly in a world where scaled access to audience (which talent and influencers bring in a post ATT world) is the top driver in capturing share of high-growth IM spend, which is est at $7B in 2024, up 15% YoY. So it’s a race to the top. And that race is being fueled by large M&A war chests from big investor backers… Companies to watch here are: - Crestview-backed Gersh (just bought A3’s digital team) - Coral Tree-backed Loaded (just bought GG Talent) - Providence-backed Wasserman (13 deals in 2 years) - TCG-backed Night (just bought LFM and Roost Podcast Network) - The big 3: CAA, UTA, Endeavor And after last week, I expect Range Media to ramp up its acquisition activity. Particularly in athlete and digital-native representation. Curious to see what they do next with the $$. Will definitely add them to our buyers list as we bring more deals to market. —- I’m the founder of RockWater Industries. We do M&A and strategy advisory for media, agencies, and creator economy. My DMs are open. #media #agency #creatoreconomy

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UTA just promoted 24 new partners. What's driving this? Promotions can be part of a retention strategy as competition for talent, and their reps, heats up. Particularly when new firms like Range Media Partners, which was the result top agent defections from the Big 3 Hollywood agencies in 2020, are growing fast and raising growth capital (see my analysis 👇). Some questions worth asking... - How is the agency's employee retention rate trending? - How does the % of promotions compare to prior years? - What agency depts are seeing more promotions? e.g. fast-growing areas like digital? - What are the benefits of being a partner? - What type of commitment is required from partners, if any? - How does all this compare to peer agencies? Many talent reps are thinking through decisions about staying VS leaving at bigger co's, starting their own firms, staying independent, and more. This is important info to track. For both those starting out their agency careers, and more seasoned agency execs thinking about their next career step. #media #agency #creatoreconomy

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I couldn't agree more with Jason Kilar, CEO of WarnerMedia prior to the Discovery takeover: the #streaming business can be incredibly attractive for media companies and investors. Kilar recently quoted Charles Darwin, stating, “It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." We see this natural selection playing out in the #Media industry today. Some companies are adapting, while others are leaning back. To be clear: there is a path to growth, scale, and attractive margins for legacy media companies in streaming. But it requires leaving behind many old management practices and thinking and embracing change and innovation. #Strategy #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #MediaEconomics #Netflix #Leadership #Investing

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The stage was set at the NAB Show 2024. Hundreds of products battled for supremacy in the ever-evolving streaming video arena. Tensions were high as the industry's elite judging panel meticulously evaluated each offering. Then, a true champion emerged from the fray. Vimond's VIA App Builder captivated the experts with a perfect fusion of power and elegance. Features that dazzled: - Lightning-fast development capabilities that make deploying streaming services across devices a mere formality. - An interface so intuitive even a novice could wield its might. - Unparalleled content management that monetises like never before. In an epic clash of innovation, the VIA App Builder reigned supreme – conquering the "Next TV" category to seize the coveted Best of Show honour. A thousand competitors stood in awe. This was more than just an award. It was a statement of Vimond's unwavering commitment to streamlining video streaming for the modern era. An undisputed mark of quality that will shatter industry conventions. The victory horn has sounded. All others have been put on notice. Brace yourselves for the VIA App Builder's continued dominance, as it leads content creators to a new era of broadcast supremacy. https://lnkd.in/gssvefKG

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ICYMI - The Week In Review looks at why most of The Trade Desk's "Top 100 Publishers on the Open Internet" list consists of streaming TV services and networks with URLs and why the list resembles a big consumer brands' media plan circa 1987. We also look at Nielsen's plans to measure Lionsgate's FAST channel and wonder why we're the only ones asking "Okay, but how?" https://lnkd.in/e8kpPVBE

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Recent research shows that nearly 50% of pay TV users find live sports "very/extremely important," with the NBA leading the way at 68%. As the NBA explores expanding its broadcasting to platforms like Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal, annual rights fees could soar to $2.5 billion each. While this strong viewership attracts top-tier advertisers, the question remains: Will long-term contracts align with evolving consumer behaviors? The rise of AI in media planning might shift ad dollars to social media and digital audio, challenging traditional TV and streaming services. The stakes are high, and the game is on. 🏀  

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We're seeing a steady increase in the number of consumers and advertisers gravitating toward CTV and streaming. It's the fastest-growing advertising channel right now and is expected to reach $30.1 billion in spending this year. To succeed during this shift, advertisers will need to leverage their first-party data, focus on smart buying practices through premium channels, and embrace sound measurement solutions. #Advertising #DigitalAdvertising #CTV

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"Cable TV-style streaming bundling" Comcast, the No. 2 (and once No. 1) cable TV in the U.S., has turned to streaming as a way out of the crisis. You're offering a discounted streaming bundle to Xumo internet subscribers (TV). Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said at an event that internet subscribers can now get discounts on core streaming, including "Peacock, AppleTV+, and Netflix. Comcast called this product "Streamsaver". But now that the viewing trend has shifted to streaming, the product could be a "cable saver." Of course, bundles are also important for streaming providers, who can only compete with Netflix if they band together. The timing of the service is also exquisite. At the end of July, when Peacock will be broadcasting the Paris Olympics, Stream Saver will also be launching. #Comcast, #streaming #netflix #peacock #cable TV #directmedialab https://lnkd.in/dggG68HX

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The Cumulus compensation ploy • May 2nd Cumulus had their annual shareholders meeting and they were not talking about what their angry investors did. • They approved one thing – their account firm. • When asked to re-elect their board of directors, a surprising and resounding outcome. • The company is still laying employees off and shrinking operations so when they asked shareholders to show a financial vote of confidence in them, an even greater surprise. • What’s really going on here – a questionable debt exchange deal, a second bankruptcy and a growing rift between investors and their top management. https://lnkd.in/gQRZYCWq

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I had to read this line a few times.... "Audio is a key part of the daily lives of all Americans, and this is true for sports fans, as well. In fact, sports fans spend six hours and 26 minutes with audio content each day—that’s over two hours more than the average American spends listening to audio." On first read I was trying to figure out how anybody has 6 hours and 26 minutes a day to consume sports content. Then eventually I understood this to mean that sports fans spend 6 hours and 26 minutes with ANY audio content. Essentially, sports fans are listening to music as well and have other interests beyond sports. But, being a sports fan skews your appetite for more audio consumption up. There is big opportunity here. But, there is also a lot of competition. #podcasting #sports #audio #radio

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Cumulus Expense Cuts Coming • What cuts Cumulus had to promise to re-fi their debt. • What about selling existing assets? • The Cumulus employees most directly caught in the crosshairs of this deal. • How it affects executive pay. • The unusual timeframe of these promised cutbacks.

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Post-podcast bubble it looks like deals are being made again for real businesses. The PodX model is to roll up profitable audio businesses with real revenue. Given that greed and fantasy led everyone to imagine their loss-making audio division was the next Tesla, or that their revenue alone was worth multiples of total valuation, it’s good for the industry that sanity and hard cash is returning. After pets dot com and the yo app there came Amazon and Tik Tok. From what I know of the podx people they are savvy, and the Swedes know a thing or two about audio. #podcast #business #uk https://lnkd.in/gU-MCkVT

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Another study confirming the impact that audio advertising has when combined with digital campaigns. Uplift in reach, and as they occupy different levels in the consideration funnel there must also then be an uplift in conversion. Shifting digital only budgets tona combo budget is a better plan. Says Neilsen.

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Paramount - WTAF is going on? "I have tremendous confidence in George, Chris and Brian... I am extremely excited for what their combined leadership means for Paramount Global and for the opportunities that lie ahead..." writes Shari Redstone to all Paramount Employees. Yet she knows, and they know, and she knows that they know, that she sees no future for their combined leadership. You're looking at three of the greatest leaders in the business being played as the Three Stooges. Despite tanking the Paramount share price from $55 to $12 a share, Bob Bakish did a tremendous job following Redstone's bidding to go headlong into the world of streaming with Paramount+. It's a great brand, brilliantly executed with world class content, and sits well alongside flanker FAST brand Pluto TV. It's all a bit 2021, when the Wall Street Ponzi Scheme opportunists were pushing all the Studios to do, to hell with sustainable profit models and theatrical, when there's easy money to be made through blowing their own bubbles. Turned out the only people to boost the Paramount Global share price were the Reddit activists, who propelled the share price to almost $100, making holding (and divesting) Paramount shares quite interesting for a few weeks. Since then it's been downhill all the way, but Redstone is still holding out like Captain Ahab with the promises of a pot of gold at the end of the streaming rainbow. It's hard to the value in the Skydance deal for anyone but Redstone's pride and her own shareholding, given she'll get a huge premium on her shareholding which will be mostly denied to the commoners holding non-voting stock. David Ellison is an insanely smart guy, so there's clear value for Skydance here, although given Skydance are a major supplier to Paramount it'd be challenging to make savings there. Maybe there's a plan to feed the whole Paramount library into an Oracle AI and make trillions, or maybe it's simply a ruse to try and heat up a bidding war? Sony and Apollo offering $26bn make the most sense, given the clear duplications and synergies to be made, with Paramount being a great production label with world class IP. Removing the Office of the CEO alone would save tens of millions right away, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I can't see why Sony would want to go near streaming, but they'd be well placed to offload P+ onto the highest bidder, and those 71m customers would add scale to WB's Max or Comcast's Peacock or maybe even Apple+. Worth a couple of billion dollars to someone else, rather than being a share price drag as it currently stands. Or maybe Comcast would come all-in, and outbid Sony to get their hands on the bigger prize? I can't speak for the TV business, but given the standout performer on the last earning call was CBS' Superbowl, it goes to show there's huge potential for TV - maybe without, rather than with, the trappings of the broader group? Or is it simply a case of "The Centre cannot hold, things fall apart..."

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These are precisely the types of challenges that Arcadian helps resolve for streaming media companies. Without casting shade on other industry players (and I can't vouch for the accuracy of this article), we understand that ensuring every component is in place for a flawless streaming experience is no simple task. There are numerous intricate details that require careful attention, and that's where Arcadian excels. 

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