The Media Beat Podcast

Would you believe it? Episode 60 of The Media Beat Podcast is here just in time for the weekend, and we’re celebrating our diamond episode in style. First up, Maureen recaps the wonderful panel she moderated at the Reykjavík Global Forum last week. Joined by fantastic guests, she did a deep dive into the evolution of AI and where it might take us next. In the news section, we dissect The Walt Disney Company's results—very upbeat, but how much should we trust the hype? Claire then takes us on a whirlwind tour of the media M&A landscape, covering Comcast, AMC Networks, Fulwell 73 Productions , and even a quick stop with CANAL+ Group. So much ground to cover! Our Podmoji round is as fast-paced as ever. We talk Netflix’s boxing event, The Onion’s possible purchase of Infowars, and the mass migration to Bluesky Social (or maybe not). Meanwhile, Oliver keeps busy with his idiom bingo card. One thing is certain—you won’t want to miss this episode! Find it here https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd and let us know what you think!

It’s November, and we’ve got a brand-new episode of The Media Beat Podcast for you! First up, we dive into the latest quarterly results. Maureen Kerr breaks down the numbers from Google, Meta, and Amazon, while Claire Tavernier takes us back to the Netflix earnings call and the ongoing chatter about Netflix vs. YouTube. In the news section, we start with a look at what’s happening with #FASTChannels in Europe. Maureen was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter on this topic, and you can read her detailed thoughts here: https://lnkd.in/dwGnfSMJ She gives us a sneak peek on the podcast. Then, we discuss Netflix closing their AAA gaming studio before even releasing a game. And we wrap up with some good news: record attendance at the #LondonFilmFestival. Sometimes, you just have to celebrate the wins! But that’s not all. In our quick-fire round, or Podmojis, we chat about the strange tale of the ByteDance intern, reminisce about the 30-year anniversary of Mosaic Netscape, and squeeze in some talk about #AppleTV and bundling, Gilmore Girls in autumn, and whether the world needs an AI version of Michael Parkinson. It’s all Oliver Turnbull can do to keep score! Tune in for all this and more on the latest episode of The Media Beat! https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd

Forget rainy Friday blues, here is episode 58 of The Media Beat Podcast! We dive straight into an exploration of broadcast scheduling, dayparts and the quirks of primetime definition in different countries. Why does it matter? Because scheduling is making a comeback - and the old rules of TV advertising may well be worth knowing once again. Claire Tavernier has had a lot of coffee and she loves that topic, so probably don't listen to this section in double speed... Our news section is pretty busy as well. We look at the recent strategy presentation by Universal Music Group and the return of the SuperFan - or did they ever go away? We discuss the potential sale of The Observer by The Guardian to Tortoise Media. And Maureen Kerr sheds some light on the much-commented upon deal between Lionsgate and Runway. Podmojis - or "hot or cold coffee" as they should be called when we record so early in the morning - cover Netflix's increased reliance on licensed content, as detailed in a great new report by Digital i. We also discuss how well (?) the new season of Lord of The Rings is doing on Prime Video, rumours that Qualcomm is looking to buy Intel Corporation, and the new AI tools for creators that YouTube has just launched. All in all a classic episode in which we learn more about Oliver Turnbull train journeys than we perhaps needed to... Listen, comment, like, share, tweet, thread, post, TikTok or DM, and find us, as always, here: https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd

Episode 57 of The Media Beat Podcast is up, right in time to help you survive that midweek hump! No time for a deep dive this week as Maureen Kerr and Claire Tavernier wade through a pretty bulging bag of news items. First of is an update on the Netflix ad business - and it’s not all good news for the ‘Tu-Dum’ giant (yes we are referring to its now iconic opening sound). We then cover the decreasing production spend in the UK: long term trend, or blip? We weigh in, before delving into a great Enders Analysis report on the role of films in streamers’ content strategies. We finish the news round up with a quick review of the Annapurna / Remedy Entertainment Plc saga - that’s in the gaming world if you are not an Alan Wake fan, and shenanigans have been taking place. Our quick fire round of ‘podmojis’ goes perhaps slightly off track despite Oliver Turnbull’s best efforts - but we do manage to cover the Murdochs, the Bobs (that’s Iger and Chapek), OnlyFans and the Emmys, so we should get points for effort surely. And yes we do discuss whether The Bear should be in the comedy category… Find us here and do listen, share, comment and rate! ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd

Hello Media Beat Fans! Don't say we aren't looking out for you. That's right, the latest episode of The Media Beat Podcast is now live! This week, right in time for the start of the Venice Film Festival, we’re diving deep into the world of film festivals and exploring their impact on box office numbers and awards season. Ever wondered how a festival premiere can make or break a film’s success? We’ve got you covered. Next, we look at the latest data from BARB in the UK and Nielsen in the US, discussing the new ways streaming and viewing figures are being measured and what this means for the future of media consumption. We also dissect Disney’s Q3 results and what they reveal about the entertainment giant’s current standing - looking at you, theme parks... And we cover the thought-provoking OpEd by Mark Zuckerberg and Daniel Ek in The Economist, where they share their thoughts on AI and (de)regulation in Europe. Does Claire Tavernier agree with them? You'll have to listen to find out! As usual, we wrap up with a fun and furious round of podmojis. From the Kelce Brothers' new podcast deal to Megalopolis fake quotes, buying Emily in Paris fashion via Google Lens, and yet another update on Paramount – it’s a segment you won’t want to miss, if only to discover that our very own Maureen Kerr is a huge fan of beret-wearing Emily (was the author of this post tempted to add a beret to Maureen's picture below? Yes. Yes indeed. But we are professionals here on The Media Beat Podcast). Tune in now and join the conversation! https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd #Podcast #FilmFestivals #StreamingData #Disney #AI #Podmojis #TheMediaBeat Oliver Turnbull Arthur D. Little

Hello hello! The Media Beat is back after a slightly extended summer break... Did you miss us? We missed you all! But back to business with a bumper “back-to-school” edition, just in time for the bank holiday weekend - in the UK at least. We start out with a fascinating insight into what it takes to make a short film with OpenAI’s video generator Sora - based on an in-depth discussion Maureen Kerr had with a filmmaker at the Tribeca Film Festival. Well worth listening to if you’d like to understand both the potential, and the limitations, of current video generation tools. Then we delve into the gold-medal-worthy ratings of the Olympics, and ponder whether they are replicable, and just why France is so good at judo (once again, it's all about youth clubs, confirms Claire Tavernier). We discuss the recent anti-trust ruling against Google. And we revisit, once again and to Oliver Turnbull's continued amazement, the neverending saga of the Paramount sale. Our lightning fast round of podmojis touch on Universal’s deal with Meta, the use of social media by the presidential campaign in the US and the aborted launch of Venu (formerly known, by us at least, as Spulu). We wonder if streaming is really becoming profitable and pay homage to the late Susan Wojcicki, who sadly and prematurely passed away earlier this month. Check us out on all the usual platforms - links here: https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd And please send us your thoughts, whether through LinkedIn, carrier pigeon or telepathy. We love to hear from you!

Can't face listening to another political podcast? We hear you - and have a treat for you! Episode 54 of The Media Beat Podcast is live, and it is manifesto-free. It does have a lot of media-related content, some terrible puns and a few audible shrugs. What's not to like? In this episode's deep dive, Maureen Kerr and Claire Tavernier discuss the new Parks Associates data on streaming subscribers in the US, more bundling news and some serious fundraising by FIFA for their streaming platform FIFA+. In our news section there is some gentle disagreement on the use of AI in video, with a lot of references to Doug Shapiro's great recent substack which is a worth reading! We also discuss some bad news in live music in the UK (thanks to Will Page for highlighting the slew of music festival cancellations) and ponder the UK launch of Tubi, Fox's free ad-supported streamer. Our fast and furious podmoji round reviews Paramount, the HBO/Max/HBO naming rollercoaster, a virtual Al Michaels and the release schedule of podcast favourite The Bear (which Oliver Turnbull still hasn't seen...) So take off your political pundit's hat and join us for a romp through the biggest media stories of the week! Find us here: https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd And if you are based in London, and would like to see Maureen and Claire live on stage, they will be opening the BE YOU Festival at the Ministry of Sound Thursday 11th July. Fans of the podcast even get a 20% discount code: SPEAKER20. Book at https://lnkd.in/dDcx6qAQ and enter the coupon code at checkout.

The sun is shining and all the ad execs have come back from Cannes Lions buzzing about parties... Our invite must have gotten lost in the post (again). Not to worry though because in Episode 53 of The Media Beat Podcast, Maureen Kerr and Claire Tavernier show that you didn't need to be there to know what happened at the 2024 edition of the ever-expanding annual Ad-Fest. We do a review of key news and trends, and it's all sounding quite positive - with a few notes of caution here and there (looking at you, Oracle). Don't miss it, so you can pretend that you too spent last week on a yacht! In our news section Maureen manages to squeeze in a review of the news coming from Apple about AI, before we fall into a sports wormhole - so much going on, from Euro 2024 ratings to Formula E and all sorts of legal shenanigans. We even manage to squeeze in a reference to the ill-fated Montreal Expos. Our quickfire round covers subscription spend in Europe, Paramount (again), Netflix (again) and some excellent news for our favourite astrophysicist Brian May. So if you want a quick(ish) potted summary of everything going on in media, follow the link below to have a listen on your favourite platform and don't forget to like, comment and share! https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd And a question to you faithful followers and listeners: would it be useful if we published a LinkedIn newsletter with highlights from the show after each episode? Or would you miss too much the dulcet tones of our very own, and in-AI-mitable Oliver Turnbull? Let us know in the comments or send us a pigeon - we would like to know!

Welcome to Episode 52 of The Media Beat Podcast! In which we dissect the most recent Netflix data dump (yes, that is its name, we refuse to call it the Netflix What We Watched Engagement Report…) Lots of new info there, a celebration of Adam Sandler’s enduring appeal, and we’ve added some pretty incredible stats on Gen Z’s loyalty to Netflix from the latest Samba TV data as well. Not to be missed! Of course, that’s not all, and we also debrief on the ongoing saga at Paramount, discuss recent changes in user T&Cs from Meta and Adobe and look at some stats on live sports viewing by age. The podmoji round is fast and furious and includes some sad development in newspapers in the UK, price hikes at Spotify, ads on PayPal, and what’s going on with Baby Reindeer? All in all a very packed episode that we hope you enjoy, rate and share! You can find it here: https://lnkd.in/ev65e_Dd And since we have you, a couple of announcements: - We are now on YouTube, thanks to the wizardry of Oliver Turnbull ! No video so you won’t be able to admire Maureen Kerr’s collection of sunglasses or Claire Tavernier’s wooden ducks, but it’s another way to listen to us if you so choose. Click on the link above to go to our channel. - And… feel free to vote for us at the British Podcast Awards. Only if you like the podcast, of course. But we would be very grateful. You can vote here: https://lnkd.in/evuyHz5s