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110 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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TURNING A NONPROFIT INTO A DIGITAL MEDIA POWERHOUSE
5 november 2026 · 46 min
Jubilee Media started with a failed busking attempt in a New York subway station. Ten years later it has 12 million YouTube subscribers and has become a town hall for Gen Z, and a stop for politicians before traditional media. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast features Evan Shapiro and special co-host Jamie Shapiro (sitting in for Marion Ranchet) in conversation with Jason Y. Lee, founder and CEO of Jubilee Media. They cover how Jubilee built viral YouTube formats like Surrounded, Middle Ground, and Spectrum, why YouTube on the TV screen matters, and how a 37-person team produces so much original content. They also discuss the creator economy and brand partnerships, the CNN town hall, and what comes next for Jubilee, including FAST channels, live events, and a new era of audience participation.
Key Takeaways:
1. From Haiti Fundraiser to Gen Z Town Hall
Jason Lee left a consulting job at Bain to start the Jubilee Project, a nonprofit, after a YouTube video raised thousands for Haiti. The 2017 election inspired Jubilee Media as it exists today, a media company built to bring people together in conversation that feels authentic.2. Why YouTube Comes First
Jubilee Media has 12 million YouTube subscribers and reaches roughly 200 to 300 million views a month. Jason says YouTube is the hardest place to build an audience but the stickiest, with Surrounded episodes averaging over 45 minutes of viewing and more people watching on TV.3. Build Formats, Not One-Off Viral Videos
Jason explains why a viral format that produces 100 videos beats a single viral hit, and how hackathons, quick pilots, and a “batting average” mindset drive the process. Fast feedback from digital audiences is the advantage.
4. Low Production Costs, High Authenticity
A team of about 37 puts out at least three original videos a week, and the stripped-down sets came from budget limits, not genius. Evan argues that Hollywood confuses production value with quality.5. Politics, Partnerships,…
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THE SECRET TO HALLMARK'S BILLION-MINUTE FANDOM
29 oktober 2026 · 30 min
Hallmark makes 100 movies a year in two to three weeks each, has a 70,000-person waitlist for its annual cruise, and received 84 million views in its first year on YouTube. The 116-year-old, family-owned brand shows how fandom, formula, and a “One Hallmark” ecosystem keep audiences loyal across TV, streaming, and live events. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast, recorded live at MIPCOM, features hosts Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet with Jon Sichel, head of distribution for Hallmark Media. They discuss Hallmark’s YouTube strategy and the launch of Hallmark Movies on YouTube, the Hallmark+ streaming membership, and the Hallmark Channel turning 25. They also cover the brand’s global expansion and licensing strategy, the Hallmark movie formula, and why sticking to a clear brand identity and putting fans first beats trying to be everything to everyone.
Key Takeaways:
1. YouTube Finds a Younger Hallmark Fandom
Hallmark Movies launched on YouTube in October 2025 and has already seen 84 million views and about 2.6 billion minutes of viewing time. Jon Sichel explains why the audience skews younger than the typical TV viewer.2. One Hallmark: The Fan Flywheel
From 1,000 retail stores to Hallmark+ to a cruise with a 70,000-person waitlist, Hallmark moves fans across every part of its business. YouTube viewers are pointed to Hallmark+, the streaming service, where members get store discounts, free cards, unlimited e-cards, and access to events like a Kansas City Christmas Experience that draws 100,000 visitors. It’s more a membership than a subscription.3. The Playbook Behind 100 Movies a Year
Hallmark makes about 100 movies annually, roughly 40 of them holiday films, shot in two to three weeks each. The company doesn’t spend $30 million per film, and Jon Sichel says tax credits, tight budgets, and a tried-and-true production approach make the volume possible4. Going Global
Hallmark licenses select content to Netflix and Peacock, including earlier seasons of The… -
WHY BROADCASTERS ARE PARTNERING WITH THE PLATFORM THEY ONCE FEARED
22 oktober 2026 · 31 min
Three years ago RTL Deutschland had no relationship with YouTube. Today, 200 old episodes of a 1996 action series are driving 123% more first video views and 26% more subscriptions on RTL+. This YouTube and RTL partnership case study shows how legacy TV can monetize its back catalog and grow streaming subscriptions. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast features Evan Shapiro in conversation with Pedro Pina (Vice President of YouTube EMEA) and Stefan Schmitter (CEO of RTL Deutschland). They discuss how RTL treats YouTube as a partner of equals instead of a threat, and why the cannibalization fear doesn’t hold up. They also cover YouTube monetization and revenue share, the Cobra 11 catalog strategy, Ad Alliance and the packaging of YouTube, linear TV, and streaming ad inventory, creator collaborations, and news on YouTube. Together they make the case for a “third golden age of television” built on thinking like a creator.
Key Takeaways:
1. YouTube Is a Partner, Not the Villain
RTL had no YouTube relationship three years ago and now treats it as an additional channel with a clear role, strategy, and room for trial and error. Stephan argues that audiences increasingly live in “bubbles” (YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, TikTok), so a traditional media house needs partnerships to reach younger age groups. On the other hand, YouTube doesn’t produce content, so it only succeeds when its partners do.2. Cobra 11 Turns a Burnt-Out Catalog into a Subscription Funnel
RTL put about 200 full episodes of the action series Cobra 11 (on air since 1996 and sold to 120 countries) on YouTube after they had run out of value in its own ecosystem through repeated reruns. The episodes earned around 30 million views in 365 days from an audience that is 83% male and about 30 years old on average. The content produced 123% more first video views on RTL+ and about 26% more RTL+ subscriptions, and Evan notes it all happens one click away from the YouTube app on the TV screen.3. Ad Alliance …
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FINDING YOUR AUDIENCE FROM THE COUCH TO THE TOILET
15 oktober 2026 · 33 min
Premium streaming lost 89% of the subscribers that signed up for new subscriptions last year, and the audience it’s chasing is watching video in the bedroom, on the bus, and on the toilet. Evan Shapiro’s keynote makes the case that media has to redefine broadcast and follow the whole consumer. Lees meer
In this keynote episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast, recorded on stage at Jupiter Festival in Miami, Evan Shapiro unveils the newest Media Universe map and the Creator Ecosphere map. He walks through cross-screen attention data from 23 regions, including why YouTube, TikTok, and vertical video are winning the phone-first audience, how the creator economy is shifting toward the affinity economy, and why the “cannibalization” fear is a myth, using World Cup viewership as proof. He also covers streaming retention, the rise of advertising over subscriptions, vertical premium television, employee-generated content, and how brands and media companies can win by thinking like creators in the user-centric era.
Key Takeaways:
1. The User-Centric Era Is Here, and the Phone Is the Remote Control
81% of the world’s population is 54 or younger, and phones beat television sets for video time by more than two to one in the US and more than three to one in Brazil and Mexico. In the 23 regions surveyed, the bedroom was the top place to watch video, and 75% of the Indian Premier League cricket final was watched on phones.2. YouTube Wins by Serving the Whole Consumer
The new de-duplicated cross-screen attention index (index.eshap.tv) puts YouTube first in the US because it is the only platform on both television sets and phones, with a vertical product. Among under-55s TikTok ranks second, and among under-25s TikTok wins total attention in the US.3. Premium Streaming Is Plateauing as Advertising Overtakes Subscriptions
In the past year SVOD added 175 million subscribers and lost 156 million, a net retention of just 11%. PwC data shows advertising surpassing subscriptions in global reven… -
HOW TO FIX KIDS CONTENT
8 oktober 2026 · 49 min
YouTube built the kids content economy, then broke its own monetization pipeline. Now it's time to fix kids content. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast features hosts Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet with kids media analyst Emily Horgan (The Kids Streamersphere), breaking down her latest Netflix Kids Content Performance Report. They dig into why Netflix isn't building new kids IP, YouTube's broken monetization pipeline for children's content, and how what's actually working for creators and franchises in a brutally competitive kids' content landscape can be the roadmap to fixing kids content.
Key Takeaways:
1. Netflix Is the Stage, Not the Lab
Netflix's recent kids hits (Gabby's Dollhouse, Creature Cases) mostly originated five-plus years ago, and newer breakouts like Ms. Rachel and the digital-first animation flooding Netflix (Sheriff Labrador, ChuChu TV) were built elsewhere, mainly on YouTube. Emily Horgan argues Netflix is "North Starred on streaming" rather than franchise-building, licensing proven IP (Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Miraculous Ladybug) rather than developing new characters from scratch.2. YouTube's Kids Monetization Pipeline Is Broken
Advertising revenue for kids content on YouTube has collapsed over the past five years following FTC regulation (COPPA enforcement) and cooling advertiser appetite even though kids content represents roughly 15% of platform usage. This has throttled the pipeline that once produced hits like Cocomelon, making it far harder for "the next Ms. Rachel" to emerge.3. Old IP Still Dominates (But Legacy Live-Action Is Resurging)
Decade-old Nickelodeon live-action shows like The Thundermans and Sam & Cat continue to perform strongly on Netflix, a trend Emily Horgan's team began tracking closely around the Paramount-Warner Bros merger. Shows like SpongeBob and Bluey show that durable franchises, often 20+ years old, dominate the kids top 10. New entries can take 28 months or more to build an audience.4. AI's Double-E…
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THE END OF THE PARAMOUNT SAGA AND THE TECH-BROS OF THE APOCALYPSE
1 oktober 2026 · 54 min
An Anthropic engineer warned AI could destroy humanity, but Silicon Valley's sudden AI "safety" panic looks a lot like a marketing campaign. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast with Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet breaks down how California's attorneys general settled in the Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger, what the deal's mandates actually require, and why the AI industry's sudden doomsday messaging conveniently coincides with OpenAI and Anthropic's IPO troubles. Plus a look at how Europe is positioning itself in the AI race.
Key Takeaways
1. The AI "Safety Panic" Marketing Campaign
A former Anthropic engineer's viral tweet warning that AI companies were racing toward "recursive self-improvement" was quickly echoed throughout Sillicon Valley. But the timing argues the timing (right as OpenAI delayed its IPO citing cash problems and Anthropic prepared to raise at a $2 trillion valuation) makes the warnings look more like hype-driven marketing than genuine risk.2 Meta's Muse Shows the Gap Between Hype and Reality
Meta's new AI app Muse became the top downloaded app in app stores days after launch, despite requiring access to users' email, texts, and banking information. But within a single day, security researcher Patrick Wardle hacked his own instance of Muse and planted malware.3. Europe's AI Position: Enterprise Over Frontier Models
Mistral has pivoted away from competing directly with OpenAI and Anthropic on frontier models, focusing instead on enterprise distribution and infrastructure. Marion Ranchet notes Mistral's most recent $3 billion funding round, led by Samsung, values the company at $21 billion, a fraction of Anthropic's and OpenAI's valuations, but Europe is still finding places for its own AI.4. The Paramount-Warner Bros Deal's Mandates
Attorney General Rob Bonta settled the merger under political pressure, securing commitments including 30-32 theatrical film releases per year, a $25 million independent film fund, mandatory sepa… -
THE AFFINITY 100: THE MOST IMPACTFUL CREATORS OF 2026
24 september 2026 · 20 min
Blair Imani just beat MrBeast on a brand-new ranking of creator influence and and the metric behind it could change how brands spend their money on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Lees meer
This episode of The Media Odyssey Podcast, recorded outside at IBC, features hosts Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet with special guest Shira Lazar. They unpack the newly released Affinity 100, a ranking of the most impactful creators of 2026 built on a new metric called the Affinity Quotient, developed with Whalar Group and Foam.
Key Takeaways:
1. A New Way to Measure Influence
The Affinity Quotient weighs likes and comments, adds shares at double weight, and divides by views to measure engagement per view rather than engagement per post. It captures depth of impact rather than raw reach.2. Blair Imani Tops the List, MrBeast Ranks 85th
Educator and historian Blair Imani (fewer than 1 million total followers) ranked #1, while MrBeast, the world's biggest creator with half a billion followers, landed at 85. The list shows a shift from "creator economy" to the "affinity economy," where depth of engagement matters more than scale.3. Indie and Expert Creators Are Rising
The list highlights "indie creators" and niche experts (a finance guru, a film reviewer, a makeup artist turned inclusivity consultant) showing that creators with as few as 10,000-50,000 highly engaged fans can build sustainable, meaningful businesses.4. Brands Still Chase Follower Counts Despite the Shift
Even as the industry talks about quality over quantity, brand briefs still specify minimum follower counts (e.g., "250K-plus"). Shira Lazar argues B2B and knowledge creators are starting to shift that mindset, since the people following niche experts are often the ones making purchasing decisions.5. The Creator Ecosphere Map Returns in October
Evan Shapiro will unveil the second edition of the Creator Ecosphere Map on October 8th at the inaugural Jupiter Festival in Miami, sponsored by YouTube. The new version will … -
80% WEEKLY REACH, SHRINKING BUDGETS: EUROPE'S PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA
22 september 2026 · 26 min
Europe's public broadcasters are losing over 5% of their funding on average, and some budgets are being slashed by up to 70%. It's not because of economics, but ideology. Lees meer
This bonus episode, recorded live at SME Live 2026 in Amsterdam, features Marion Ranchet with Serge Schick (France Medias Monde), Lieven Vermaele (VRT), Christophe Chantraine (RTBF), and Bastiaan Toering (NPO), discussing the funding pressures and strategic countermeasures reshaping European public service media.
Key Takeaways
1. Public Service Media Reach Is Massive, But Funding Is ShrinkingPSM reaches over 80% of Europeans weekly (close to 70% among 15-24 year-olds) at a cost of just €3.60 per citizen per month. At the same time, average funding fell more than 5% between 2019 and 2024, with some countries like Switzerland cutting budgets by 70% despite no public deficit, reflecting political and ideological pressure rather than economics alone.
2. Broadcasters Are Cutting Costs to Protect Content
RTBF is reducing its workforce by 10% over four years mainly through attrition, cutting a radio station, and some sports rights. VRT is rationalizing its brand portfolio down to three core digital platforms (news, sport, audio-visual) while keeping 65% of its budget tied to content production.3. SVOD and Partnerships Are New Revenue Levers
NPO's NPO+ SVOD service, launched in 2016, has driven a decade of added revenue, and its co-production "Wolven" with Disney+ shows public broadcasters increasingly open to streamer partnerships. This mindset shift wouldn't have happened five years ago, contrasting with France's failed Salto SVOD venture.4. YouTube Strategy Varies by Broadcaster
France Médias Monde treats YouTube as essential reach across 18 markets it can't cover alone, RTBF uses release-window delays to protect its own platform while benefiting from a large audience halo effect outside Belgium, and NPO/VRT build YouTube-native content designed to funnel viewers back to their own platforms.…
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THE STREAMING PLATFORM RATIO
17 september 2026 · 29 min
Streaming platforms are spending anywhere from 9% to 30% of revenue just to run their tech stack and a new study finally puts real numbers behind the guesswork. Lees meer
Don’t miss this special episode recorded on stage at Streaming Made Easy Live with Jonas Engwall (CEO of Bedrock Streaming), Bjarne Andreas Myklebust (NRK, Norway's public broadcaster), and Rowan de Pomerai (CEO of the DPP). They unpack the new Streaming Platform Ratio study benchmarking 16 European platforms against Netflix, why public broadcasters are outperforming commercial ones on tech efficiency, and the coming wave of premium vertical video.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Streaming Platform Ratio Benchmark
Bedrock and the DPP surveyed 16 mostly-European streaming platforms to measure tech spend as a percentage of streaming revenue, anonymizing all results. They used Netflix as the public baseline and its publicly disclosed tech and development spend comes out to roughly 10% of revenue, a figure that's held steady for the past five to six years.2. Scale Is the Biggest Cost Driver
Platforms with revenue above roughly $100 million showed nearly half the proportional tech cost of smaller platforms. Public broadcasters performed slightly better than commercial players overall because larger organizations benefit from fixed costs spread across more revenue.3. Legacy Broadcasters Are Still Paying Two Bills
NRK reports that traditional DTT distribution still consumes about 90% of its budget, while OTT already accounts for 20-25% of consumption. Public broadcasters that started streaming early (echoing BBC's iPlayer) built in competitive advantages like NRK running three CDNs with annual price competition to control distribution costs.4. Buy, Don't Build
Panelists agreed that most platforms are shifting from CapEx to OpEx, buying software and licensing CDN capacity rather than building in-house infrastructure, since content is where broadcasters create value. The DPP noted that no broadcaster builds its own t… -
WE KNOW WHAT MEDIA DID THIS SUMMER
10 september 2026 · 51 min
The 2026 World Cup shattered streaming records worldwide, Paramount and Warner Bros are locked in a multi-billion-dollar antitrust standoff, and Meta just settled a landmark child-safety case for $18 billion. The Media Odyssey podcast is back and we know what you did last summer. Lees meer
This episode marks the Season 3 premiere with hosts Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet catching up after their summer break. They cover all the biggest news of the last month including the World Cup's record-breaking viewership clip culture, ESPN’s faulty sports rights math, and Disney’s stale IP. They also discuss how the Paramount-Warner Bros merger battle with 12 state attorneys general suing to block it and Meta's $18 billion child-safety settlement with state AGs.
Key Takeaways
1. The World Cup's Record-Breaking, Clip-Driven Reach
CazéTV in Brazil broke the world concurrent-streaming record five times, peaking at 24 million concurrent streams, while Globo drew 70 million live TV viewers. In the US, TikTok clip culture (24 billion hours watched) dwarfed YouTube's full-match viewership (2.4 billion hours), signaling that conversation and clips now outpace matches themselves.
2. Paramount-Warner Bros Heads Toward Trial
Twelve state attorneys general are suing to block the merger under the Clayton Act, citing monopoly concerns in cable and film. Paramount owes a $7 million-per-day ticking fee starting October 1st and a $7 billion breakup fee if the deal collapses — and Larry Ellison's $40 billion personal backing puts the whole deal at risk.
3. Meta's $18 Billion Child-Safety Settlement
Meta admitted to feeding harmful, addictive content to minors and agreed to structural changes: capped scrolling time, blocked notifications during school hours, and no app access for minors overnight. The hosts debate whether the settlement (the largest child-safety settlement in history) meaningfully changes behavior or just avoids public disclosure of internal wrongdoing.
4. Disney's Aggregation E…
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REGIFTED: MY DRAMA AND THE VERTICAL TAKEOVER
3 september 2026 · 33 min
Happy Summer Break from The Media Odyssey podcast! Lees meer
What if the future of entertainment fits in your pocket and a six-year-old startup from Ukraine is already building it?
Welcome to the Media Odyssey Podcast, recorded live at StreamTV Europe, featuring Bogdan Nesvit, founder of HOLYWATER TECH and the microdrama platform My Drama. What started six years ago as an interactive fiction app has quietly evolved into one of the most data-sophisticated entertainment companies operating today. One that is now partnering with Fox Entertainment and eyeing a full theatrical release.
If you've ever wondered how a media startup goes from zero to 7 million monthly active users without a single piece of traditional distribution, Bogdan doesn't just tell you what HOLYWATER TECH built, he gives raw data and operational transparency you almost never get from a founder.
Beyond content strategy, Bogdan pulls back the curtain on the business model to detail the full transition from microtransactions to subscription, how the platform runs over 1,000 A/B tests per year, and why he believes proprietary user data (not product or AI) will be the defining competitive advantage of the AI era. He also touches on the Fox partnership, the road to ad monetization, and his personal philosophy around meditation, focus, and leadership.
Key Takeaways:
1. Scale is Accelerating Fast
My Drama currently has close to 300 titles on the platform, targeting 500 by the end of 2026 and 1,000 by the end of 2027. Each title contains around 90 one-minute episodes, effectively repackaging a full 90–120 minute film into bite-sized vertical content.
2. The Subscription Model Dominates
The platform fully shifted away from microtransactions with more than 90% of customers subscribing. Subscription users retain at 2x the rate of in-app purchase users and consume 3x more content. Users on an ad-supported tier consume an average of 1.5 hours of content per day, a striking engagement metric.
3. AI Slashes Product…
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REGIFTED: HOW DISNEY KILLED BROADCAST WITH KIMMEL
27 augustus 2026 · 52 min
Happy Summer Break from The Media Odyssey podcast! Lees meer
Jimmy Kimmel is at the center of the conversation where politics, free speech, and billion-dollar mergers collide.
In this episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast, hosts Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet unpack the dramatic suspension and reinstatement of Jimmy Kimmel—a flashpoint that highlights the collision of politics, regulation, and the crumbling power of broadcast TV. Shapiro explains the FCC’s limited authority, why Chair Brendan Carr’s threats crossed constitutional lines, and how Disney’s rapid cave-in to political pressure triggered a fierce backlash.
The discussion broadens to late-night’s decline, the chilling precedent for free speech in U.S. broadcasting, and the looming wave of media consolidation involving Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery, and possibly Netflix. Marion draws contrasts with Europe’s regulatory environment, where broadcasters face different pressures but free expression is protected in opposite ways.
Key Takeaways:
The Kimmel Affair and FCC Overreach
Kimmel was suspended after discussing how MAGA has used activist Charlie Kirk’s killing for political gain, despite committing no FCC violation. Shapiro details how FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who is aligned with Project 2025 and pending affiliate mergers, used threats to coerce Disney and affiliates into action. The result: a blatant clash between politics and the First Amendment, costing Disney billions in market value before Kimmel’s reinstatement.Broadcast’s Dying Grip
The controversy underscored how fragile broadcast TV has become. Kimmel’s late-night audience is under 2 million, dwarfed by his YouTube reach—and by Joe Rogan’s podcast empire. Shapiro argues that Kimmel and others should abandon dying formats and embrace direct-to-consumer platforms where free speech and financial upside are greater. Marion warns that it is not an easy, overnight transition.Media Oligarchs and Consolidation
The hosts connect Kimmel’s ordeal to broader… -
REGIFTED: INSIDE THE MIND OF A CREATOR WUNDERKIND
20 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 1 min
Happy Summer Break from The Media Odyssey podcast! Lees meer
244 million followers and a six-month content calendar: Jordan Schwarzenberger explains why showing up daily is the only strategy that matters. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast.
In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet break down the Nielsen/MRC measurement crisis that rocked the US advertising industry, then sit down with Jordan Schwarzenberger, CEO and co-founder of Arcade Media and manager of the Sidemen. The conversation reveals how the entire US advertising market transacted on flawed data for a year, while simultaneously showing how creator-led media companies are building sustainable businesses by thinking like traditional media. Rather than defending old systems, Jordan makes the case for why daily content and ritualistic consistency combined with treating YouTube channels as distinct brands is the only path forward.
The episode is a reality check on how broken measurement has become in traditional media, while creator-led companies are professionalizing their operations, building real media plans, and capturing budgets that were previously reserved for legacy broadcasters.
Key Takeaways:
1. Nielsen and MRC Hid Flawed Measurement Data for Nearly a Year
The Media Rating Council discovered problems in Nielsen's methodology almost a year ago but said nothing to the industry. The entire US advertising industry transacted in the Upfront on data they knew was not properly vetted. Sean Cunningham from VAB stated this cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars.2. BBC Hired Matt Brittin, Ex-President of Google Europe
The BBC hired Matt Brittin, former president of Google in Europe, as their new CEO. This represents a shift toward hiring digital natives to lead public service media organizations. Brittin previously worked in traditional broadcasting before a successful career at Google, making him someone who understands both the BBC culture and big tech.3. The Sidemen Have 244M Followers a…
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REGIFTED: IS 2026 MEDIA'S DARK AGES
13 augustus 2026 · 42 min
Happy Summer Break from The Media Odyssey podcast! Lees meer
CES isn’t about gadgets anymore, but who controls the interface between audiences, data, and distribution.
Welcome back to The Media Odyssey Podcast! From CES, Evan Shapiro and Alan Wolk, Co-Founder and Lead Analyst of TVREV, unpack what this year’s show revealed about the future of media, entertainment, and technology while expanding on their predictions for 2026.
Beyond the hype of AI demos and hardware announcements, the conversation centers on power shifts: who owns how we get information, who controls discovery, and which companies are quietly positioning themselves as the new gatekeepers.
Rather than signaling a breakout moment, CES reinforces a familiar reality. Platforms are consolidating influence, AI is moving into the background, and media companies face shrinking control over how audiences find and engage with content.
Key Takeaways:
1. Media Is Entering a Prolonged Era of “Feudal Fragmentation”
Alan predicts that the monoculture is gone for the foreseeable future, replaced by thousands of disconnected content bubbles with their own truths, celebrities, and norms. This fragmentation isn’t new, but it will deepen through the rest of the decade, making shared cultural moments increasingly rare.
2. There Is No Longer a Single Source of Truth and That Has Consequences
The loss of mass media gatekeepers means audiences now operate from entirely different realities. News can be fully ignored, expertise is routinely dismissed, and misinformation thrives because there is no longer a common reference point for facts.
3. The End of Expertise Is Both Dangerous and Liberating
Traditional experts and institutional authority are losing power, but this also enables creators and outsiders to build massive media businesses without permission. The upside is democratization, the downside is the erosion of trust in skill, craft, and knowledge.
4. Power in Media Is Decentralizing Away from Hollywood
Alan predic…
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REGIFTED: WHO WILL WIN 2026?
6 augustus 2026 · 51 min
Happy Summer Break from The Media Odyssey podcast! Lees meer
The media industry isn’t heading for a clean recovery but bracing for another year of pressure, recalibration, and structural change.
Welcome back to The Media Odyssey Podcast with a special thanks to Spectrum Reach! In this first part of their 2026 predictions, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet lay out what the coming year will likely bring for media, technology, and entertainment. They cover ongoing layoffs, fragile ad markets, the rise of global distribution strategies, and a new phase of AI-driven discovery. 2026 will test which companies have truly adapted and which are still relying on outdated assumptions.
2026 is not a breakout year, but a proving ground, where survival depends on cost discipline, platform fluency, and the ability to monetize audiences directly rather than through legacy intermediaries.
Key Takeaways:
1. 2026 Will Be Another Brutal Year for Media Economics
Evan predicts that advertising markets will remain soft, public service media will continue to face funding pressure, and layoffs will persist across the industry. There will be no broad recovery, only isolated winners and many organizations forced to do more with less.
2. Discovery Will Matter More Than Content Volume
Marion predicts that success in 2026 will be defined by distribution and discoverability, not by how much content companies produce. Media organizations that don’t adapt to YouTube, FAST, social, and AI-driven discovery will struggle to reach audiences at all.
3. The AI Bubble Will Pop
Both predict that generative AI and large language models will reshape discovery, navigation, and search long before they meaningfully change creative workflows. The biggest short-term impact of AI will be invisible but existential for traffic-driven media, but the hype and direct-to-consumer models are unsustainable.
4. GEO Will Undermine Traditional SEO-Based Media Models
Evan predicts that Generative Engine Optimization will repl…
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REGIFTED: FRONTLINE PUTS PBS ON YOUTUBE
30 juli 2026 · 49 min
Happy Summer Break from The Media Odyssey podcast! Lees meer
Public service media isn’t outdated, instead, it’s fighting for relevance, trust, and survival in a fractured global information ecosystem.
Welcome back to The Media Odyssey Podcast. In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet sit down with Raney Aronson-Rath, Executive Producer of Frontline and Editor-in-Chief of Documentaries at GBH, for a conversation on the future of public media. From political pressure and funding cuts to platform expansion and audience trust, the discussion explores why public broadcasters must be everywhere audiences are without sacrificing journalistic integrity.
Through Frontline’s transformation into a broadcast-plus-streaming powerhouse, the episode examines how YouTube, social video, theatrical releases, and global distribution have become essential tools for sustaining factual storytelling in an era of misinformation and declining institutional trust.
Key Takeaways:
1. Public Media’s Survival Depends on Platform Expansion, Not Retrenchment
Public broadcasters can no longer rely solely on linear TV. To stay relevant and trusted, they must meet audiences on YouTube, social platforms, streaming, and in theaters. They need to be wherever public conversation is happening.2. YouTube Is Additive, Not Cannibalistic for Public Service Media
Frontline’s experience shows that YouTube doesn’t replace broadcast audiences. In fact, YouTube extends reach over time, attracts younger viewers, and builds long-tail viewership that linear TV alone cannot sustain.3. Streaming Requires a Long-Term Mindset Shift
Unlike broadcast’s appointment viewing, streaming rewards longevity. Frontline films often grow for years, accumulating millions of views with high watch time, forcing teams to think beyond premiere-night metrics.4. Community and Trust Are the Core Competitive Advantages
Public media’s strength isn’t scale but credibility. Building engaged, thoughtful communities around factual conte… -
H1 2026 PART 2: BUBBLES, BALLS, & BIG AGGREGATION
23 juli 2026 · 28 min
Two-thirds of the world watches more video on their phone than on TV, TikTok is beating Netflix in most markets under 55, and traditional media is ignoring 60% of its own audience's attention. It’s The Media Odyssey’s season two finale! Lees meer
Evan and Marion zoom out on the biggest trends of the year so far they haven’t covered yet: the AI investment bubble, the creator economy's growing pains, the state of kids' content, and the measurement crisis at the heart of the streaming and social media landscape. It's one of their most data-rich, openly argumentative episodes of the season.
Part 2 goes deep on Evan's brand-new ESHAP Cross-Screen Attention Index, the first attempt to measure total video attention across screens in eight global markets, and what it reveals about where audiences are actually spending their time in 2025.
Key Takeaways:
1. The ESHAP Cross-Screen Attention Index
Launched at index.eshap.tv, this is the first publicly available tool to measure total video attention across screens in eight global markets (US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico), cross-collateralizing TV measurement data (Nielsen, Barb, AGF, Kantar), handset data (Sensor Tower, Comscore), and consumer diaries (GWI) to de-duplicate simultaneous screen usage.Key finding: 81% of the global population is under 55 and for that group, the phone, not the TV, is the center of gravity for video consumption.
2. TikTok Is Bigger Than You Think
In almost every market studied, TikTok ranks #2 in total attention among consumers under 55. This means TikTok beats Netflix, Disney, Paramount, NBCU, and Warner Bros. Discovery. In several markets, it beats YouTube among viewers under 34. When TikTok gains share in a market, it takes it from streamers. When YouTube gains share, it takes it from traditional media. These two dynamics are running simultaneously and are why every major streaming platform is now rushing to launch a vertical feed.3. The Phone, the TV, and the Whole Consumer
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H1 2026 PART 1: BUBBLES, BALLS, & BIG AGGREGATION
23 juli 2026 · 33 min
AI infrastructure is now two-thirds of US GDP with 90% of companies investing in it reporting almost no ROI, and the media industry is frozen in place waiting for a merger that may never close. Happy H1. Lees meer
This is the Season 2 finale of the Media Odyssey Podcast (split across two parts) with a deep dive into H1 2026. Evan and Marion zoom out on the biggest trends of the year so far they haven’t covered yet: the AI investment bubble, the creator economy's growing pains, the state of kids' content, and the measurement crisis at the heart of the streaming and social media landscape. It's one of their most data-rich, openly argumentative episodes of the season. Part 1 covers the macro forces reshaping media and the creator economy.
Key Takeaways:
1. The AI Bubble
AI infrastructure investment in the US has reached two-thirds of GDP, driven almost entirely by demand from two unprofitable companies: OpenAI (which lost $38 billion last year) and Anthropic. SpaceX's post-IPO valuation dropped 34%, and a subsequent $25 billion bond offering collapsed shortly after launch. 90% of companies that have made significant AI investments report negligible productivity gains, with costs far outweighing benefits. A correction is coming in the next six months, and it will ripple through the entire media industry.
2. Creators vs. Brands: A Broken Partnership
Creators were the dominant conversation at Cannes Lions. Unilever even committed to having a creator in every zip code. But the economics remain broken: brands consistently undervalue and underpay creators, creator posts are declining in efficacy, and agencies are buying creator platforms (Whalar, Influential) without truly understanding how to use them.
The emerging model to watch: brands acting like creators like the Kit Kat Heist and companies hiring creators in-house rather than as contractors.
3. Kids' Content: Despair With Green Shoots
Streamer commissions for kids' content are down significantly from their peak, YouTub…
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THE ART OF THE CAREER PIVOT
22 juli 2026 · 51 min
We’re back with another Media Odyssey LIVE! In this episode, Evan and Marion are joined by former media executives Tony Goncalves and Ami Angelowicz to discuss how to pivot your career after corporate media. The panel shares their personal stories of navigating layoffs, “misalignment burnout”, and finding satisfying careers completely in their own control. The conversation dives into building personal intellectual property, actionable daily habits for transition, and why taking a leap of faith on yourself is the best investment you can make. Lees meer
Key Takeaways:
1. Misalignment Burnout
Ami Angelowicz breaks down "misalignment burnout"—the disconnect between your daily professional activities and your innermost values. She shares how moving into upper management often pulls creatives away from making things, leading to deep dissatisfaction, and why her layoff ultimately served as a turning point to start running her own agenda.2. Optimizing for Freedom
Tony Goncalves discusses his departure from Warner Brothers Discovery and the crucial realization that he needed to separate his personal identity from his corporate title. He emphasizes the importance of explicitly defining what you are optimizing for in your next move: title, money, or freedom.
3. The Creator Pivot & Personal IP
Evan highlights the trap of subverting your personal brand for a corporate one. He advises professionals to start building their personal brand before they actually need it by "shipping value to the universe for free," which eventually attracts organic opportunities.
4. Treating Yourself Like a Startup
Marion shares her strategy for launching her consulting business by viewing herself as a startup. By identifying a specific industry problem—US companies trying to launch in Europe—and creating specific content pillars around it, she positioned herself as the solution and bypassed traditional business development.
5. Daily Habits for Growth
The panel shares actionable strategies for stayi…
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MEDIA SHARK WEEK
16 juli 2026 · 39 min
Comcast is splitting in three, Fox just bought Roku for $22 billion, and the Paramount-Warner merger still hasn't closed. Welcome to Media Shark Week. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast is Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet's deep-dive into the wave of media mergers reshaping the streaming and broadcasting landscape in real time. Recorded in early July, it covers four major deals in rapid succession: the Comcast-NBCUniversal split, the Sky acquisition of ITV, the Fox-Roku deal, and the stalled Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Without guests (or filters), Marion and Evan are comparing notes, disagreeing openly, and calling their shots on what each deal actually means for the future of streaming media, cord-cutting, digital advertising, and the balance of power between legacy media and big tech.
The throughline: vertical integration in media has repeatedly failed not because the theory is wrong, but because the execution never happens. Comcast never integrated NBCUniversal just like AT&T never integrated Warner. The companies that are winning (Fox in particular) are the ones building digital content and advertising flywheels while everyone else is digging holes and filling them back up.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Comcast Three-Way Split
Comcast is splitting into three companies: a connectivity/broadband entity, a spun-off NBCUniversal/Sky entertainment group, and the already-separated Versant. One read: this is a prelude to selling NBCUniversal, with Netflix and Apple as the most likely buyers. The combined Charter-Cox-Comcast broadband entity would control 70–75 million US homes, effectively controlling how most Americans access all streaming content.2. The Sky-ITV Deal
Sky acquired ITV's broadcast network for £1.6 billion, leaving ITV Studios as a standalone content producer through 2032 under an existing supply deal. The combined Sky-ITV package could solve Netflix's ad sales weakness in its two biggest markets (US and UK) in one move. ITV Studios cou… -
VERTICAL PREMIUM TV: THE NEXT BILLION DOLLAR IDEA?
9 juli 2026 · 45 min
The growing vertical video landscape has potential far beyond microdramas. Two TV veterans just built the studio to take vertical premium all the way with true crime, dating reality formats, scripted drama, and a 12-step AI process to get there. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast with Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet features Guy Hameiri and Lior Friedman, co-founders of RoseBerry, a vertical premium television studio built on the belief that mobile is the new cable. Guy comes from 25 years in traditional TV production (Survivor, X Factor, Shtisel on Netflix). Lior comes from Amagi and the commercial side of streaming media. Together they're building a start-to-end studio producing originals, repurposing legacy TV catalogs for vertical, and distributing through their own first-party app, Epis.
The episode covers RoseBerry's full model: deals already signed with Fremantle, Banijay, All3Media, and A&E to repurpose existing catalog IP into vertical short-form; a proprietary 12-step AI-assisted conversion tool called Red Snapper; originals; and EPIS as a test-and-learn platformt. The Neighbors case study (an 18-year-old Fremantle soap reformatted for vertical featuring a young Margot Robbie) is presented live on the pod as proof of concept.
Key Takeaways:
1. Beyond Microdrama
The current vertical market is dominated by melodrama tropes with high churn and low retention. RoseBerry is betting on genre expansion including true crime, dating reality, soap, and scripted, to target an underserved audience. Paywall conversion on top-performing shows is already exceeding 50%, with 70% of those converting to subscribers.2. Red Snapper
RoseBerry's proprietary 12-step AI-assisted conversion tool takes horizontal long-form TV and reformats it for vertical. It handles frame cropping, pacing, graphics, storyline focus, and music rights. The process started manually with human editors to establish craft standards, then was automated at scale. It's the core IP that makes r… -
BLUEY, LEGO, AND CROSS GENERATIONAL FANDOM
2 juli 2026 · 39 min
Two nearly century-old brands. One brand-new animated series. And a first-of-its-kind partnership that's never been done before. Lees meer
This special episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast was recorded on the Croisette at Cannes Lions, hosted inside BBC Studios' headquarters, and features three guests across two breaking news announcements. Jasmine Dawson, SVP of Digital at BBC Studios, returns for what's become an annual tradition on the pod to unveil the Affinity advertising network. Affinity is a five-vertical, fandom-first ad sales operation expanding globally with a major push into the US.
Dan McGolpin, Director of iPlayer and Channels at BBC, joins to announce a new internal BBC Group partnership that will see BBC Studios' digital sales team represent public service BBC YouTube channels outside the UK for the first time.
And Anna Rafferty, SVP Digital Consumer Engagement at the LEGO Group, joins to break the news of a first-of-its-kind Bluey x LEGO co-commissioned content series dropping on YouTube the same day the episode publishes.
The throughline across all three conversations is the same: fandom, trust, and the growing conviction that reaching audiences isn't enough, you have to move them.
Key Takeaways:
1. Affinity's Five Verticals
BBC Studios has launched Affinity, a fandom-first advertising network built across five verticals: Family (anchored by Bluey), Auto (Top Gear), Travel & Food, Entertainment, and Our World (anchored by BBC Earth, built over 10 years across IP including Blue Planet and Big Cats). Each vertical is built around existing trusted BBC IP, with third-party studio IP (Magic Light Pictures' Zog, Acamar's Bing) layered in to deepen the offering.2. The BBC Group YouTube Expansion
BBC Studios and BBC Public Service are launching 50+ new YouTube channels in 2025, roughly half through BBC Studios, half through public service. Dan McGolpin describes a strategic shift from treating YouTube as a marketing tool to actively building communities, pa… -
AI SLOP, GATEKEEPERS, AND THE KID'S MEDIA CRISIS
25 juni 2026 · 32 min
Demand for high-quality kids' content has never been higher, but the supply has never been more broken. And YouTube, the most powerful kids' platform on Earth, is running it like an algorithm, not a network. Lees meer
This live panel episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast, recorded at the Media Universe Summit, features Evan Shapiro and Jamie Shapiro alongside Andy Donner, Head of Partnerships at Common Sense Media, and Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President & General Manager at PBS Kids. The conversation centers on Evan and Common Sense Media's joint report on the state of the kids' content industry.
The picture it paints is stark with millennial and Gen Z parents demanding more high-quality, trusted kids' content than ever, while streaming platforms have cut series orders by 25%, public media is being defunded, and YouTube Kids remains under-monetized and under-curated despite being the most-watched kids' platform in the world. The panel covers co-viewing trends, the collapse of the independent kids' production ecosystem, the rise of AI slop in children's content feeds, and what it would actually take for a major streamer or YouTube to step up and fill the gap.
Key Takeaways:
1. Supply vs. Demand
Demand for quality kids' content has doubled among parents (70% of whom are now millennials or Gen Z) while the number of series orders from streamers has dropped 25% from its 2022 peak. Streamers figured out kids' content reduces churn but doesn't drive new subscribers, and largely stopped commissioning it. Public broadcasters like PBS, BBC, and ABC Australia now produce 54% of kids' content worldwide.2. The YouTube Kids Problem
88% of parents of kids under seven say their children prefer YouTube over any other platform, yet kids' content represents 15% of total YouTube usage and just 2% of its monetization. YouTube Kids has the lowest co-viewing rate of any major platform and AI-generated slop is regularly making it through content filters. The American Academy of Pediatrics war… -
THE WHOLE CONSUMER: A CARTOGRAPHER'S BLUEPRINT
22 juni 2026 · 27 min
59% of people now watch video on their phone first. If your content strategy doesn't account for that, Evan Shapiro has a message for you: you're already losing. Lees meer
This keynote episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast features Evan Shapiro's live Stream TV Europe presentation. It is a fast, data-driven breakdown of where streaming media, social media, YouTube, and TikTok are headed next. Built on original research from MX8 Labs and Evan's new Cross-Screen Attention Index, the talk argues the media industry is now entirely consumer-driven, and most legacy companies haven't caught up.
Through real-world case studies (Duolingo, Kit Kat, PBS, RuPaul's Drag Race, Toonstar) Evan makes the case for what he calls the "affinity economy": brands and creators win by building loyalty and fandom, not chasing scale.
Key Takeaways:
1. Phone-First Is the Default
59% of consumers age 13+ say their phone is their primary video device — nearly 2x television. For Gen Z, the bathroom ranks third among top video-watching locations.2. YouTube Leads, But Faces Pressure
YouTube ranks #1 in total attention per Evan's new Cross-Screen Index, but Meta overtakes it when Instagram and Facebook are combined. TikTok ranks #2 among under-55s and is bigger than Netflix, Paramount, NBCU, and Warner Bros. Discovery combined.3. Retention Reveals a Loyalty Gap
The average premium streamer has 11% retention, gaining 175 million subscribers last year while losing 156 million. WOW Presents Plus, home to RuPaul's Drag Race has a smaller subscription base, but maintains just 4% churn.4. Fan Engagement Drives Real ROI
Coach's UGC campaign drove a 142% rise in company value. Duolingo's mascot stunt drove its first billion-dollar year. PBS's Frontline now averages tens of millions of YouTube views, with donations up 61%.5. Vertical Video Is a White Space
Disney, Netflix, and Paramount are all launching vertical feeds. Evan argues most vertical content is low-quality leaving room for premium creators will… -
VALERIE'S PLACE WITH VALERIE BERTINELLI
18 juni 2026 · 47 min
Valerie Bertinelli has been a content creator since she was 12 years old. She just stopped asking permission to make the shows she wants. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast features special guest co-host Valerie Bertinelli — television icon, actress, author, and Food Network — alongside Billy Cooper, CEO and co-founder of Visible Things, the direct-to-consumer platform infrastructure company behind Valerie's brand new streaming destination, Valerie's Place.
The episode is equal parts media business case study and candid personal conversation. Billy walks through how Visible Things works as a white-label platform technology that gives legacy talent and creators their own streaming home that Patreon, Substack, and YouTube simply can't replicate. Valerie brings the human side of it: why she got tired of being held hostage by the algorithm on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, what it actually feels like to have a real social relationship with fans versus a parasocial one, and how Valerie's Place has already produced moments of genuine connection that no brand deal or Food Network season ever could.
The conversation closes with a broader and surprisingly frank debate on why the economics of legacy television and streaming media are broken — and why Valerie thinks algorithmic fragmentation isn't the real culprit: it's wealth concentration at the very top of the entertainment industry.
Key Takeaways:
1. Own Your Audience
YouTube and social media platforms are top-of-funnel marketing tools, not businesses. Billy's core thesis: when you post on YouTube, the platform's job is to get your audience to watch something else next. Visible Things is built on the opposite logic with a branded destination where the talent owns the subscriber relationship, the email list, and the content IP outright, with no algorithm standing between them and their audience.2. The 1% Math
Valerie has 5 million combined social followers. The Visible Things model targets 1% of that, the 50… -
THE CLIP ECONOMY & HOW TO COVER A WORLD CUP WITHOUT BUYING RIGHTS
11 juni 2026 · 46 min
1.7 million subscribers. A Global deal. Live Bundesliga rights. And a studio in Brooklyn for the World Cup. The Overlap built it all without owning a single match. Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast features Scott Melvin, CEO of The Overlap, the multi-award winning sports channel, for the beginning of the 2026 World Cup. What started as a side hustle for a Sky Sports pundit itching to do long-form conversation has grown into one of the most-watched football content businesses in the UK, now backed by media company Global and expanding its creator network on YouTube and social media.
Scott walks through how The Overlap was built from the cold-open, unscripted format of Stick to Football, to the decision to own the conversation around football rather than chase expensive live rights. He breaks down the platform's growth strategy including the acquisition of Mark Goldbridge's Man United channel (2.2 million subscribers) and That's Football (1.3 million) to shortcut years of audience-building, and the Bundesliga deal that proved social clips outperform live streams by roughly 20x in reach.
The conversation also zooms out into the bigger structural questions around the World Cup and sports media more broadly: is permanently eating into live viewing, whether rights fragmentation is pushing fans toward highlights, and if the 2026 tournament can permanently shift America's relationship with the sport the rest of the world calls football.
Key Takeaways
1. Own the Conversation
Live rights for F1 cost Sky $200 million a year while Netflix paid $10–20 million for Drive to Survive and became the defining F1 content brand for a generation. The Overlap applied the same logic to football: if you can't own the rights, own the conversation around them. For any creator or media company priced out of live sports rights, shoulder content is the viable entry point.
2. Clips Beat Live
During The Overlap's Bundesliga partnership, social clips of live games outperformed the …
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MEDIA M&A MANIA
4 juni 2026 · 50 min
Full Disclosure meets Media Odyssey in this crossover episode of The Media Odyssey podcast with Roben Farzad, host of Full Disclosure on NPR and former Wall Street reporter for BusinessWeek and Bloomberg. Lees meer
The episode covers a wide sweep of interconnected stories: the proposed Paramount-Warner merger, the editorial independence implications of foreign money in US media, the GameStop-eBay bid as a case study in social media-driven market manipulation, and the state of M&A activity across the Atlantic.
From Roben's firsthand perspective on the lack of US media coverage of Iran and the effect of Gulf sovereign wealth funds acquiring stakes in major news organizations to a forensic breakdown of the Skydance-Paramount deal, Evan Shapiro, Marion Ranchet, and Roben Farzad discuss the 60 Minutes settlement, the Colbert cancellation, the Bari Weiss hiring, and the White House's reported role in pushing the merger through before a potential political shift in the fall. They close with a frank debate on the future of professional journalism and whether public media, billionaire backstops, or direct-to-consumer Substacks can fill the gap left by a collapsing legacy news industry.
Key Takeaways
1. Foreign Money in US News
Roughly 50% of the Skydance-Paramount acquisition is being funded by foreign interests, including Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds. Roben notes that editorial independence becomes structurally compromised the moment a controlling financier has geopolitical interests that conflict with the newsroom's reporting mandate.
2. The M&A Math Doesn't Add Up
Global M&A deal volume in media dropped 30% year over year, while total deal value rose 10%. This means fewer but larger bets. Warner Brothers Discovery was valued at roughly $60 billion at merger and shed close to 70% of that value before recovering, driven almost entirely by the Zaslav-engineered auction rather than operational performance.
3. Social Media as Market Manipulation
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohe…
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THE FILMTOK EFFECT: BONUS EPISODE
2 juni 2026 · 21 min
Eight episodes, $25,000, 2 million views. One indie creator just proved you don't need a studio, a streamer, or a greenlight to break into the fastest-growing format in streaming media. Lees meer
This bonus episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast features Eli Shell, founder of Sidewise Studios and creator of In-House, a vertical comedy series he wrote, funded, and launched entirely on his own. The vertical video market is almost entirely dominated by high-melodrama romantic drama and Eli saw that as a gap, not a template. In-House is a workplace comedy shot in vertical format, built on a minimum viable product mindset borrowed from his years in the Bay Area tech world: shoot a pilot season, put it in front of an audience on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts, read the signals, and scale from there.
The episode also zooms out into the broader state of the independent vertical production market from TikTok's emerging role as a serious funder to Peacock's first microdrama slate announcement, and the question of whether Netflix, Disney, and the major streamers will start acquiring independent vertical IP. Eli's answer: we're at the very beginning, the economics are still being figured out, and the creators willing to bet on themselves right now are the ones who'll be best positioned when the market matures.
Key Takeaways:
1. Expand the Genre
The vertical video market today is almost entirely romantic drama which means every other genre is a wide-open opportunity. Eli's workplace comedy In-House attracted talent willing to work at reduced rates specifically because it wasn't another melodrama. For creators and producers looking to enter the vertical space, the least crowded lane is everything that isn't a romance.
2. Minimum Viable Season
Eli spent $25,000 across eight episodes, roughly $3,000 per episode, and treated it explicitly as a minimum viable product, not a finished show. The goal was audience signals, not perfection.
3. Bet on Distribution Diversification
In-Ho…
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THE NEW PRODUCTION PLAYBOOK
28 mei 2026 · 34 min
10 billion views. 200+ episodes. A Random House deal and a streamer announcement incoming. Toonstar built it all without asking anyone's permission. Lees meer
Welcome to this episode of The Media Odyssey Podcast with hosts Marion Ranchet and Evan Shapiro featuring John Attanasio and Luisa Huang, co-founders of Toonstar, a next-generation animation studio built from the ground up to produce kids' and family content at the speed of the internet. Veterans of the Warner Bros. who got an early front-row seat to the rise of YouTube and the creator economy, John and Luisa are tacking a simple but radical question: building an animation studio designed for digital-first streaming media distribution.
The episode walks through how Toonstar works from their proprietary AI animation tech Ink and Pixel to their audience intelligence platform Spot, which translates real-time viewing data into storytelling decisions. Together, the two tools form what they call an "agile production loop" that lets them move from greenlight to first episode in 90 days. The centerpiece case study is Steven and Parker, a show born from a creator with a Snapchat filter and 9 million TikTok followers, now sitting at 10 billion lifetime views across five languages, with a Random House graphic novel deal and a streamer announcement imminent.
Key Takeaways:
1. Greenlight Yourself
The traditional development cycle doesn't just cost money, it holds your time hostage. Toonstar's model eliminates the waiting game: pilot on existing creator audiences, read the signals, and go. Find the smallest viable version of your idea, put it in front of an audience, and start there.
2. Production Meets Performance
Most animation studios can't iterate because production and performance data live in separate worlds. Toonstar's agile production loop directly tethers the two with real-time audience signals that inform weekly creative decisions about episode length, character arcs, and cadence.
3. Creator IP as the New Developme…
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UPFRONT 2026: THE CROWN JEWEL OF TV ADS
21 mei 2026 · 50 min
Pure play digital is now capturing 75% of every US ad dollar and 60% of that goes to just three companies. What's left for everyone else? Lees meer
This episode of the Media Odyssey Podcast brings in Mike Shields, founder of the Next in Media newsletter and podcast and one of the sharpest voices in streaming media and advertising analysis working today. Recorded during Upfront week, this snapshot of the advertising ecosystem addresses who's winning, who's losing, and whether traditional media advertising still has a viable path forward in the era of accelerating cord-cutting and big tech dominance.
Evan, Marion, and Mike use the Upfront to dig into the broader power shift underway in TV advertising that saw Amazon open the week, YouTube and Netflix close it, and the legacy broadcast and cable networks stuck somewhere in the middle trying to stay relevant in an increasingly creator-driven, platform-first world. They cover the major trends shaping the rest of the year: the ad industry's obsession with performance advertising and outcome measurement, the rise of shoppable TV, AI-driven dynamic ad insertion, the verticalization of streaming content, and the escalating sports rights arms race that traditional media may not be able to afford much longer.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Sports Trap
Sports rights are growing at 4–5x the rate of television revenue, with big tech projected to account for $30 billion of the $34 billion increase in rights costs over the next five years. Traditional media companies are overpaying for rights they can't fully monetize through advertising alone. Trad media will have to question whether their sports strategy is a growth play or a slow bleed. Big tech can hide the ROI inside a flywheel, but trad media cannot.
2. Performance or Perish
The ad industry has become addicted to outcome-based, performance-driven buying modeled on Amazon's retail media business, where an ad impression and a purchase can be directly connected. TV is structurally a brand-…
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THE FAN-FUNDED FILM REVOLUTION
14 mei 2026 · 41 min
What if fans could own a piece of the films they love and get paid when they hit? One company is making it happen, and Hollywood gatekeepers are not invited. Lees meer
Welcome to The Media Odyssey podcast featuring Marc Iserlis, Head of Film at Republic, a platform built one simple but radical idea: fans should be able to invest in the films and studios they care about. Evan and Marion have spent the season exploring what they call the "affinity economy," and in a streaming media landscape where independent voices are increasingly squeezed out, Marc's model sits squarely at the center of where the industry is heading.
Marc explains the legal and structural architecture making Republic Film possible, specifically the 2016 JOBS Act that created exemptions to century-old securities laws blocking non-millionaires from investing in private ventures. Republic has 3 million members and $2.6 billion deployed across industries, built the licensing infrastructure to take advantage of those exemptions and applied them to film. The result is a platform where independent filmmakers, studios, and creators can raise development or production capital from fans with real equity, real revenue sharing, and even a secondary market for trading shares.
The conversation moves through concrete case studies: Pressman Film raised $2 million from roughly 380 investors, Robert Rodriguez built a community of "Brass Knuckle Warriors" who sold out a raise in days, Eli Roth raised $6 million from 2,500 fans for his new horror studio, and Skybound (The Walking Dead, Invincible) pulling in $18 million from over 5,000 retail investors. Plus a look at Republic's partnership with XPRIZE, Google, and Range Media Partners on a $3.5 million sci-fi filmmaking competition designed to inspire the next Star Trek.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Audience Equity Model
Republic Film's approach gives fans actual equity and revenue sharing in the projects they back, transforming them from passive donors into active stakeholder…
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WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH KIDS…CONTENT, THE AI LOOP, AND FRANCE TV UNDER THREAT
7 mei 2026 · 45 min
Five companies just committed $725 billion to AI in a single year. Meanwhile, kids content is in freefall and the people who can least afford it are paying the price. Lees meer
Welcome to the Media Odyssey Podcast! Evan, fresh off a surprise Webby Award win for Best Creator Thought Leadership, breaks down Q1 earnings from the five biggest tech companies (Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple) and the AI Loop. Big tech’s collective $725 billion AI spending commitment is less a sign of innovation than a circular, self-reinforcing economy with dot-com bubble written all over it. Marion brings the European lens, walking through the political assault on France Télévisions and the France Télévisions-YouTube partnership that followed.
And then a deep dive on Evan's newly released Kids Content Landscape Report, co-produced with Common Sense Media, which draws on over a dozen data sources to paint a sobering picture of an industry in retreat with fewer commissions, broken YouTube economics, gutted public media funding, and a generation of producers caught in the middle.
Key Takeaways:
1. Big Tech Companies Committed $725 Billion in the “AI Loop”
Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple collectively pledged $725 billion, more than the Apollo program, the Marshall Plan, and the Manhattan Project combined. This “AI Loop” is a deeply circular economy, with companies essentially contracting with and investing in each other, raising serious dot-com bubble parallels.
2. Kids Content Has No Way to Monetize
Kids content commissioning is down 25% from its 2022 peak and public broadcasters are now funding more than 50% of kids content worldwide. The big streamers have pulled back dramatically, shifting from treating kids content as an acquisition tool to a retention tool and largely stopping wholly-owned commissions. At the same time, YouTube ad CPMs for kids content have bottomed out, leaving independent producers stranded between two broken revenue models.
3. Public Funding…
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MY DRAMA AND THE VERTICAL TAKEOVER
30 april 2026 · 33 min
What if the future of entertainment fits in your pocket and a six-year-old startup from Ukraine is already building it? Lees meer
Welcome to the Media Odyssey Podcast, recorded live at StreamTV Europe, featuring Bogdan Nesvit, founder of HOLYWATER TECH and the microdrama platform My Drama. What started six years ago as an interactive fiction app has quietly evolved into one of the most data-sophisticated entertainment companies operating today. One that is now partnering with Fox Entertainment and eyeing a full theatrical release.
If you've ever wondered how a media startup goes from zero to 7 million monthly active users without a single piece of traditional distribution, Bogdan doesn't just tell you what HOLYWATER TECH built, he gives raw data and operational transparency you almost never get from a founder.
Beyond content strategy, Bogdan pulls back the curtain on the business model to detail the full transition from microtransactions to subscription, how the platform runs over 1,000 A/B tests per year, and why he believes proprietary user data (not product or AI) will be the defining competitive advantage of the AI era. He also touches on the Fox partnership, the road to ad monetization, and his personal philosophy around meditation, focus, and leadership.
Key Takeaways:
1. Scale is Accelerating Fast
My Drama currently has close to 300 titles on the platform, targeting 500 by the end of 2026 and 1,000 by the end of 2027. Each title contains around 90 one-minute episodes, effectively repackaging a full 90–120 minute film into bite-sized vertical content.
2. The Subscription Model Dominates
The platform fully shifted away from microtransactions with more than 90% of customers subscribing. Subscription users retain at 2x the rate of in-app purchase users and consume 3x more content. Users on an ad-supported tier consume an average of 1.5 hours of content per day, a striking engagement metric.
3. AI Slashes Production Costs and Timelines
Live-action microdrama cost…
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STREAM TV EUROPE UNPLUGGED
23 april 2026 · 35 min
Europe’s media industry leaders gathered in Lisbon this past week for the inaugural Stream TV Europe, and the prognosis is—to everyone’s surprise—refreshingly optimistic. Welcome to The Media Odyssey podcast! Lees meer
In this episode, Evan and Marion break down the biggest moments from Stream TV including: the "renaissance" of the living room and the shift in digital strategy by global players. They are later joined by Denis Oštir to discuss V’s ambitious new V Index, a unified measurement tool designed to bridge the gap between traditional broadcast and digital streaming.
1. The Power of the Living Room Sofa
Marion shares insights from her workshop including a survey of 15,000 people across Europe, the US, and China, conducted in partnership with RTL AdAlliance. The findings highlight the continued dominance of the big screen, with 83% of Europeans prioritizing video content in the living room. The research reveals an ecosystem where different platforms serve distinct social needs: Netflix primarily caters to couples, VOD brings together larger family groups of five or more, and YouTube remains a hub for solo viewing.
2. The Optimistic Outlook
The duo discusses how the digital evolution of legacy media is fueling a surprisingly positive outlook across the sector. Evan highlights his panel featuring TF1, France’s largest broadcaster, and news creator Gaspard G to illustrate this shift. This collaboration serves as a strategic blueprint for how legacy brands can think and act like creators to maintain relevance in a fragmented market.
3. Deep Dive: The V Index & CTV Strategy
Denis Oštir joins the conversation to explain V’s role as a top-three smart TV platform in Europe with a global footprint of 50 million connected TVs. Given their reach, V aims to solve a major measurement discrepancy where the same "eyeballs" are valued differently based on signal delivery (CPMs for digital vs. GRPs for broadcast). Oštir is inviting other OEMs and industry players to join an open…
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THE SUBSCRIPTION GAP
16 april 2026 · 45 min
You have six subscriptions, can't remember what's on any of them, and still can't find something to watch. Welcome to the subscription economy in 2026. Lees meer
Get the full Subscription Signals 2026 report here: https://bango.com/reports/reserve-report/?utm_campaign=2026_Campaigns_SubscriberReport_ReserveReportMO
In this episode, Evan and Marion dig into Bango's Subscription Signals 2026 report: an annual study of subscription attitudes and behaviors across the US and UK. Then they are joined by Giles Tongue, VP of Marketing at Bango, to break down the findings.
Bango is a white-label subscription bundling platform that powers the backend infrastructure behind multi-service bundles, allowing mobile operators, retailers, and pay TV providers to offer multiple subscriptions under one bill. The report paints a picture of a subscription economy under real strain: consumers feel they're overspending, they can't remember what they subscribe to or which platform holds what content, and discovery is broken. At the same time, the shift toward third-party bundling is accelerating, and a new generation of "savvy subscribers" is rethinking the entire relationship between cost, ads, and access.
Key Takeaways:
1. UK Subscribers Spend More Despite Fewer Bundling Traditions
UK consumers average 5.7 subscriptions, spending roughly £68 ($90) a month, compared to 5.2 subscriptions and $69 a month in the US. The gap is partly because US pay TV providers like Comcast and Charter bundle broadband, mobile, and TV into a single household bill, making it appear as one subscription rather than several. The UK is catching up, with Sky recently launching a master bundle including Disney, HBO, and Netflix for around £24 a month.
2. Consumers Feel Overcharged and Gen Z Is Reaching a Breaking Point
Almost 25% of US consumers and nearly a third of UK consumers say they spend more on subscriptions than they can afford. Among Gen Z in the US, that number jumps to 41%. At the same time, attitudes to…
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THE MAKING OF A HIT PODCAST
9 april 2026 · 59 min
He helped create the most listened-to podcasts in history and then walked away from the New York Times to start over from scratch. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast! Lees meer
In this episode, Evan and Marion sit down with Brian Reed, documentary podcaster and co-founder of Placement Theory, whose career spans documentary podcasts This American Life, S-Town, and now Question Everything.
The conversation traces the origin story of Serial, which was expected to get a few hundred thousand downloads and ended up with hundreds of millions, all the way through to Brian's decision to leave the New York Times and build something new: Placement Theory, a audio production company built to support journalists and creators.
Along the way, the episode digs into a question that runs underneath everything Brian makes: can quality, independent journalism survive? As local newsrooms collapse, public media gets defunded, and audiences feel overwhelmed and burned out, Brian makes the case that the desire for truth is still very much there as a market problem waiting for the right solution.
Key Takeaways:
1. Serial Was Expected to Get "a Few Hundred Thousand Downloads” Before It Got Hundreds of Millions
When Sarah Koenig pitched Serial at This American Life, the team budgeted for a few hundred thousand downloads. It became the most listened-to podcast in the history of the format, redefining audio documentary as a medium, with hundreds of millions of downloads for the first season alone. Brian attributes much of this to the fact that they were reporting the Adnan Syed story in real time, week by week so it was breaking news every episode. It is clear the podcast played a direct role in Adnan's eventual release from prison.
2. S-Town Was Designed as an Audio Novel and Released All at Once
Brian started reporting S-Town before Serial even existed, after receiving a listener email with the subject line "John B. Macklemore lives in Shit Town, Alabama." When the subject died by suicide in…
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AIVE: EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE
2 april 2026 · 43 min
AI can't replace your editors, but it can do 80% of their most tedious, repetitive work in a fraction of the time. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast! Lees meer
In this episode, Evan and Marion open with the news that OpenAI is shutting down Sora's B2C offering, unpacking what it signals for the AI and media landscape. They welcome Olivier Reynaud, Co-founder and CEO at Aive, a platform Aive built around the central challenge facing every creator and media company today: how do you produce enough high-quality, platform-tailored video content to keep pace with the demands of social video without burning out your team or blowing your budget? Olivier draws on his background co-founding Teads, where the team broadcast billions of videos daily, to explain how the bottleneck was never video creation itself, but large-scale personalization. The conversation explores how Aive is solving that problem through proprietary meta-learning technology, and what that means for the future of creative work.
Key Takeaways:
1. OpenAI Shutting Down Sora Signals a B2C Dead End
OpenAI announced it is closing down Sora and stepping back from its deal with Disney to refocus on enterprise. The hosts argue that selling AI tools directly to consumers was never a sound business model. As Evan puts it, AI is best understood as "an arrow in your quiver, not the bow."
2. The Real Problem Isn't Making Video, It's Personalizing It at Scale
Olivier, who co-founded Teads and has spent 20 years in video, argues the hard problem isn't producing video content; it's tailoring that content for every platform and audience at meaningful scale. Aive is built specifically to solve this: taking a long-form master and generating hundreds of format-adapted clips in days rather than months.
Aive Eliminates ~80% of Repetitive Production Tasks
3. Using Match Group's Meetic as a case study
Olivier explains that Aive helped produce nearly 300 campaign variants across a full quarter, cutting production costs by roughl…
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INSIDE THE MIND OF A CREATOR WUNDERKIND
27 maart 2026 · 1 uur 1 min
244 million followers and a six-month content calendar: Jordan Schwarzenberger explains why showing up daily is the only strategy that matters. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast! Lees meer
In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet break down the Nielsen/MRC measurement crisis that rocked the US advertising industry, then sit down with Jordan Schwarzenberger, CEO and co-founder of Arcade Media and manager of the Sidemen. The conversation reveals how the entire US advertising market transacted on flawed data for a year, while simultaneously showing how creator-led media companies are building sustainable businesses by thinking like traditional media. Rather than defending old systems, Jordan makes the case for why daily content and ritualistic consistency combined with treating YouTube channels as distinct brands is the only path forward.
The episode is a reality check on how broken measurement has become in traditional media, while creator-led companies are professionalizing their operations, building real media plans, and capturing budgets that were previously reserved for legacy broadcasters.
Key Takeaways:
1. Nielsen and MRC Hid Flawed Measurement Data for Nearly a Year
The Media Rating Council discovered problems in Nielsen's methodology almost a year ago but said nothing to the industry. The entire US advertising industry transacted in the Upfront on data they knew was not properly vetted. Sean Cunningham from VAB stated this cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars.2. BBC Hired Matt Brittin, Ex-President of Google Europe
The BBC hired Matt Brittin, former president of Google in Europe, as their new CEO. This represents a shift toward hiring digital natives to lead public service media organizations. Brittin previously worked in traditional broadcasting before a successful career at Google, making him someone who understands both the BBC culture and big tech.3. The Sidemen Have 244M Followers and a 55-Person Team
The Sidemen have 244 million fol… -
TWO REPORTS, ONE EPISODE: THE PARAMOUNT INVESTOR DECK & THE STREAM
19 maart 2026 · 41 min
Get The Stream by Tubi!
US: https://tubitv.com/thestream?utm_campaign=262713069-The%20Stream%202026&utm_source=influencer&utm_medium=thought%20leader&utm_content=evan%20shapiro
International: https://app.box.com/shared/static/h0cfoaqw4paub3hoi65pv0qxwdmhexf9.pdf Lees meerParamount's $110B acquisition projects impossible growth, while Tubi data shows 80% canceling paid services. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast presented by The Stream by Tubi!
In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet dissect two reports: the Paramount investor deck projecting their Warner Brothers Discovery acquisition, and Tubi's "The Stream" report on consumer streaming behavior. The conversation reveals how Paramount's financial projections defy their own recent performance trends, while simultaneously showing why consumers are abandoning paid streaming for free ad-supported options. Rather than finding synergies that make business sense, the hosts expose a deal driven by ego and questionable foreign investment sources, even as consumer data proves the market is moving away from premium paid services.
The episode is a reality check on how corporate consolidation in media is disconnected from actual consumer behavior, with streaming fatigue driving audiences toward free platforms at the exact moment media companies are doubling down on expensive acquisitions and debt-heavy strategies.
Key Takeaways:
1. Paramount's Investor Deck Projects Revenue Growth Despite Years of Decline
The investor deck projects combined revenue growing from $66 billion in 2025 to $84 billion by 2030. However, from 2023-2025, combined company revenue actually declined from $71 billion to $66 billion.
EBITDA has been flat or down over the last three years, but the deck projects growth starting immediately. The deal includes $8 billion in tech cuts, $6 billion in business services cuts, $4 billion in real estate sales, and $3 billion in enterprise resource planning optimization over five years—yet claims no massive …
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THE SIGNAL FROM EUROPE: Q4 EARNINGS
12 maart 2026 · 42 min
Versant spins out with $2B free cash flow, ITV faces Sky acquisition, Banijay grows experiential 18%, and Canal+ hits 42.3M subscribers. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast live! Lees meer
In this earnings coverage episode, Marion Ranchet and Evan Shapiro break down results from four companies undergoing major transformations: Versant's spinout from Comcast, ITV's potential acquisition by Sky/Comcast, Banijay's post-Endemol Shine merger performance, and Canal+'s global expansion strategy. The conversation reveals the challenges traditional media companies face as cable declines, the strategic missteps in corporate separations, and how European companies are diversifying revenue streams to survive.
Rather than celebrating growth, the hosts examine whether these transformations make strategic sense or simply expose dying businesses. The episode is a reality check on how media consolidation and spinouts are reshaping the industry, with some companies finding success through diversification while others struggle to justify their existence as standalone entities.
Key Takeaways:
1. Versant (spun out from Comcast)
Versant generated $2 billion in free cash flow despite total revenue down 5% and net income down 32% year-over-year in 2025. Overall, distribution was down, advertising down, licensing business down but growth came from platforms (Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, Golf Now, CNBC streaming). Interestingly, Comcast kept Bravo (the most valuable programming brand) with Peacock instead of spinning it out with Versant, showing a lack of strategic thinking.
2. ITV
ITV saw subscriptions flat year-over-year with no growth, but digital ad revenue up 12% year-over-year, preventing a worse outcome. Sky + ITV combined would become the #2 TV outlet in the UK, second only to BBC, jumping over YouTube and far surpassing Netflix as the largest ad platform. ITV Studios is a profitable powerhouse with Love Island (the #1 streamed show last year on Peacock) and a growing US arm, yet the ac…
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THE TRANSFORMATION OF ITV STUDIOS
5 maart 2026 · 31 min
Archive content finds new life on YouTube while broadcast TV is officially "a blip in history." Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast live from MIP London! Lees meer
In this special live episode from MIP London, Evan Shapiro sits down with Martin Trickey, who runs Zoo 55, ITV Studios' digital distribution arm that launched just over a year ago. The conversation reveals how traditional broadcasters are finally waking up to the massive untapped value in their archives, how YouTube is television for older demographics as well as younger people, and why the broadcast era was just a temporary moment in human storytelling.
Rather than defending the traditional TV model, Martin makes a compelling case for why broadcasters must radically transform or become irrelevant. The episode is a reality check on how quickly the media landscape is changing, with 55% of the British population now millennials and younger who never developed traditional broadcast habits. Success now requires mastering social video alongside streaming not instead of it.
Key Takeaways:
1. Archive Content Unlocks New Value on YouTube
ITV's Zoo 55 is finding massive value in archive content that was gathering dust on shelves. Old episodes of shows like Hell's Kitchen and River Monsters are discovering entirely new audiences on YouTube who never saw them during their original broadcast runs. This represents a significant new revenue stream from content that had no previous monetization path.
2. YouTube Audiences Span All Demographics, Not Just Young People
The biggest demographic watching full episodes of Coronation Street on YouTube is 65+, and they're watching mostly on TV devices. Everybody is watching content on YouTube regardless of age. The assumption that it's only for younger audiences is false. Archive content attracts both younger viewers discovering shows for the first time and older viewers who are now consuming familiar content on YouTube instead of traditional broadcast.
3. Broadcast Television Wa…
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DISCO BROS AND NEPO BABIES: Q4 EARNINGS
28 februari 2026 · 53 min
Netflix backs out of the bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (aka “Disco Bros”), leaving Paramount Global — sorry, “Nepomount” — as the likely merger partner. Welcome to another live earnings edition of The Media Odyssey. Lees meer
In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet break down the bombshell developments between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount. Is this smart consolidation… or a true “Titanic meets the iceberg” moment?
Key Takeaways:
1. Netflix Walks Away — Political Pressure?
The timing raises eyebrows: Ted Sarandos’ White House visit came just days before Netflix exited the bid. Was there political pressure? Possibly. Regardless, the $2.8B breakup fee gives Netflix fresh optionality — whether that means acquiring Lionsgate, Xbox, Roku… or choosing disciplined restraint.
2. Two Sides of the Same Coin
Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount share strikingly similar business challenges: linear decline, streaming plateau, advertising pressure.
Can merging two structurally similar companies create real transformation? We predict significant layoffs and a battle over which brand identity survives — HBO or Paramount.
3. U.S. Political Risk in 2026
With midterm elections approaching, regulatory and political pressure could intensify. Evan suggests Attorneys General in film- and TV-heavy states may resist the merger to protect jobs and local economies. The political calendar could directly impact whether this deal closes.
4. European Market Fallout
Much like the Disney–Fox merger, Europe could see substantial layoffs and market recalibration — especially around sports rights.
Marion raises key questions:
What happens to SkyShowtime (the Paramount–Comcast JV)?
Could Max, Channel 5, and Pluto TV consolidate further?
Does this create a stronger #3 player — or just a bigger struggling one?
5. The Bigger Issue: Streaming’s Plateau
While mega-mergers dominate headlines, the core business is slowing. Streaming growth is flattening, churn remains high, and by the …
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EARNINGS SEASON: PINTEREST, TF1, & ROKU
19 februari 2026 · 39 min
Pinterest loses 14% in five days, Roku posts its first profitable year, and Netflix's market cap drops $200 billion. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Live! Lees meer
In this live earnings coverage episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet break down results from Pinterest, Roku, and TF1, while also discussing the ongoing Netflix-Warner Brothers Discover-Paramount saga.
The conversation reveals how mobile-first platforms like Meta and TikTok are crushing traditional social media, how Roku finally achieved full-year profitability after pivoting from hardware to platform, and how European broadcasters are making deals with streamers to survive. Rather than celebrating growth, the hosts examine what's really driving (or killing) these businesses and how consolidation fears are freezing the entire media industry.
The episode is a reality check on how companies that seemed invincible just a few years ago are now struggling to compete, while the bidding war for Warner Brothers Discovery is creating dangerous industry-wide paralysis.
Key Takeaways:
1. Pinterest Is Losing the Social Media Battle Despite User Growth
Pinterest reported 16% revenue growth for 2025 and monthly average users up 12% year-over-year in Q4. However, their stock dropped 14% in five days following earnings. The company cannot close direct transactions because users shop on Pinterest then complete purchases on Amazon, Meta, or TikTok.
Pinterest acquired TV Scientific, a CTV advertising company, to try to activate their shoppable e-commerce data on the big screen. The fundamental problem is that Pinterest is losing advertising share to Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Amazon, particularly on mobile where those platforms dominate.
2. Roku Achieves First Full-Year Profitability After Platform Pivot
Roku posted their first profitable full calendar and fiscal year in 2025 after pivoting from hardware-first to platform-first in 2014. Their market valuation dropped from $50 billion (at $500 per stock) in 2021 to $13 bill…
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EARNINGS SEASON: AMAZON, ROBLOX, & MORE
12 februari 2026 · 39 min
Amazon invests $200 billion in AI, Roblox pays out $1 billion to creators, and Spotify's ad sales decline. Welcome to another episode of The Media Odyssey Live! Lees meer
In this live earnings coverage episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet break down results from Amazon, Roblox, Sony, and Spotify. The conversation reveals a massive AI spending race across Big Tech, the dramatic shifts happening in gaming away from traditional consoles, and the ongoing struggles of audio advertising. Rather than celebrating growth numbers, the hosts examine what the investments and losses actually mean for each company's long-term strategy and whether the spending will pay off.
The episode is a reality check on how companies are pouring unprecedented amounts into AI infrastructure while some core businesses struggle, and how the gaming industry is splitting between platform-first models and traditional console-dependent approaches.
Key Takeaways:
1. Amazon Hits $200 Billion in AI Investment With Mixed Results
Amazon announced a $200 billion AI infrastructure investment for next year, the highest among Big Tech companies covered in recent earnings (compared to Apple's $15 billion, Microsoft's over $100 billion, and Meta's close to $140 billion).
2. AWS is growing, but the Stock Response is Muted
AWS grew 24% and advertising continued at 20%+ growth, but net income only grew 6%. Amazon reported 315 million Prime viewers, their first subscriber disclosure in two years. Amazon's stock response was muted despite strong AWS and e-commerce performance, signaling market concern about whether the massive AI investment will show returns.
3. Roblox Stands Apart from Console-Dependent Models
Sony and Microsoft's gaming divisions both had bad fourth quarters, with Sony reporting minus 4% in gaming sales. Meanwhile, Roblox had a massive year and fourth quarter, reporting 144 million daily active users (35% under 13, 38% ages 13-17, and 27% over 18). Roblox paid out over $1 billion to creators i…
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GOOGLE & DISNEY EARNINGS BREAKDOWN
5 februari 2026 · 33 min
Google crushes expectations even as YouTube slows, and Disney names a CEO to distract from its numbers. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Live! Lees meer
In this live earnings coverage episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet break down Google and Alphabet’s Q4 2025 wins and Disney's less positive performance. The conversation reveals surprising shifts in where advertising dollars are flowing, with mobile and social platforms capturing growth that once went to traditional video platforms. Rather than celebrating wins, the hosts dig into what the numbers actually reveal about maturing products, shifting consumer behavior, and the growing challenge of competing across multiple devices and formats.
The episode is a reality check on how even dominant players like YouTube are facing headwinds, while free ad-supported platforms are quietly gaining massive ground against premium subscription services.
Key Takeaways:
1. Google Beat Expectations But YouTube Growth Is Slowing
Google beat expectations on both top and bottom line, with cloud revenue growing 48%. However, YouTube revenue growth in Q4 was less than 10%, missing expectations for the first time in recent memory. This signals YouTube is becoming a maturing product, with the majority of Q4 advertising upside going to TikTok and Meta instead. Despite the slowdown, YouTube's full-year revenue outpaced Netflix's total revenue, and Google now has the same number of subscribers across Premium, Music, and Red as Netflix has total subscribers.
2. Mobile and Social Are Outpacing TV in Ad Spending
A record $13 billion in midterm political advertising is coming in 2026, with the majority of growth going to mobile-first, targeted advertising on platforms like Instagram and TikTok rather than traditional TV or even Connected TV. The money that used to flow to cable is now moving to Instagram and TikTok, signaling that mobile and social will outpace even connected television growth in 2026. YouTube needs to refocus on mobile and shorts …
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APPLE, META, & MICROSOFT EARNINGS BREAKDOWN
30 januari 2026 · 46 min
Apple, Microsoft, and Meta — with a quick detour into Comcast — have all reported earnings, and we’re breaking it down. Welcome back to The Media Odyssey podcast. In this episode, Evan and Marion ask the big question: why did the market cheer some results and punish others, even when the numbers looked strong? Lees meer
The conversation dives into iPhone surprises, AI spending anxiety, advertising dominance, and what all of this says about where big tech and media are headed next.
Key Takeaways:
1. Apple: iPhone to the Rescue (Again)
Apple posted a better-than-expected quarter, mostly thanks to strong iPhone demand — the first real year-over-year growth in four years. Much of that growth came from China, which raises questions about how repeatable it is. Services revenue crossed $100B annually, but growth is slowing, and iPhones still account for over half of Apple’s total revenue. Still cautious, Apple is taking a wait-and-see approach to AI, focusing on on-device features rather than building massive infrastructure. And finally we pose the question: with such a premium audience, why hasn’t Apple built a serious advertising business yet?2. Microsoft: Great Numbers, Nervous Investors
Microsoft delivered strong results across the board, with cloud and AI continuing to power growth. Despite that, the stock dropped as investors worried about how much the company is spending on AI, especially through its OpenAI partnership. Copilot adoption is real, but expectations were even higher — and the market wanted faster proof. Gaming (including Activision Blizzard) barely got a mention, highlighting ongoing uncertainty about Microsoft’s role in the future of gaming. Bottom line, we found Microsoft is getting punished not for weak performance, but for investing too aggressively.3. Meta: Ads Win, Spending Shrugs
Meta’s quarter was all about advertising strength — higher impressions and higher prices. Even though net income was down for the year, the stock jumped as investors bough… -
THE CREATOR BILL OF RIGHTS
29 januari 2026 · 55 min
The Creator Economy has 1.5 million creators, billions in revenue, and… zero worker protections. Welcome back to The Media Odyssey Podcast! Lees meer
In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet sit down with Shira Lazar, founder of What's Trending and a pioneer in the creator economy. The conversation covers Shira's journey from early vlogger at CBS News to building a digital media brand covering internet culture, and dives deep into her current work on the Creator Bill of Rights and mental health advocacy for creators through her organization Creators 4 Mental Health.
Rather than focusing on growth metrics or platform strategies, Shira, Marion, and Evan tackle the human side of content creation including the mental health challenges, lack of industry protections, and systemic issues facing the millions of people who make up the creator economy.
The episode is a reality check on how the creator economy, despite generating billions in revenue for platforms and brands, still lacks basic worker protections and the mental health support structures that exist in traditional industries.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Creator Economy Is a Real Industry That Lacks Basic Protections
There are 1.5 to 10 million creators in the US (compared to 83,000 steel workers) yet creators operate in what's described as the "Wild West" without established worker protections. The creator economy generates enormous revenue, with Meta alone generating more than all television on Earth, and Unilever putting half their marketing budget into creator partnerships. Despite this scale, creators lack the fundamental protections, unions, and support systems that exist in traditional industries.
2. Mental Health Crises in the Creator Economy Need Systemic Solutions
Creators face unique mental health challenges from constant platform algorithm changes, metrics obsession, isolation, and financial instability. While awareness of mental health issues exists, there's no clear infrastructure or accessible resou…
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GOOGLE, APPLE, HBO MAX, NETFLIX, RTL & SKY: NEW YEAR, BIG CHANGES!
22 januari 2026 · 48 min
Google officially beat Apple and HBO Max is conquering Europe. Welcome back to The Media Odyssey Podcast! Lees meer
In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet focus on two media milestones that didn’t get the attention you expect: Google officially surpassing Apple in scale, and HBO Max’s long-awaited launch across key European markets. Rather than treating these as isolated news items, the conversation explains why both moments matter and what they reveal about platform economics, global strategy, and competitive positioning.
The episode is a reality check on how quickly the hierarchy is changing, and how even long-anticipated launches now arrive in a far more crowded, expensive, and competitive environment.
Key Takeaways:
1. Google Has Officially Passed Apple in Size
Google, along with the rest of Alphabet, beat out Apple with a higher annual revenue and faster top-line growth. What once looked unthinkable now reflects Google’s dominance across advertising, platforms, and global scale.
Apple’s business remains strong, but it’s reliance on hardware and services tied closely to its ecosystem have kept growth down it is missing out on a core two thirds of consumers.
2. HBO Max Is Finally Launching Across Europe
HBO Max’s rollout into major European markets, a move years in the making, finally began. The launch represents a major operational and branding milestone for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Timing is a strategic Risk for HBO Max, arriving in Europe after Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, making customer acquisition more difficult and more expensive than it would have been earlier. Launching now means competing in a market where consumer budgets are tighter and subscription fatigue is real.
3. Scale Is Now the Deciding Factor
Whether it’s Google surpassing Apple or HBO Max expanding internationally, the episode reinforces that scale is increasingly what determines who can compete effectively.
Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8
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BREAKING DOWN NETFLIX Q4
21 januari 2026 · 36 min
Netflix’s earnings beat expectations, but the numbers reveal a business increasingly reliant on optics, pricing, and financial engineering rather than underlying engagement growth. Lees meer
In this live earnings breakdown episode of The Media Odyssey Podcast, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet analyze Netflix’s latest quarterly results, separating headline wins from structural concerns.
While revenue, profit, and subscriber figures all came in strong, deeper engagement metrics tell a more cautious story. The conversation focuses on growth rates, viewing hours, ad revenue contribution, and the financial implications of Netflix’s proposed Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition.
The Numbers:
1. Netflix Reported 325 Million Subscribers (After Saying It Would Stop)
Despite previously stating it would no longer report subscribers, Netflix disclosed a global total of 325M, reframing what likely ~23M net adds without explicitly saying so.
2. Revenue and Profit Growth Remain Strong
Netflix reported +15% revenue growth in Q4 and +16% for the full year, with net income up ~25% in Q4 and ~26% year over year, comfortably beating Wall Street expectations.
3. Engagement Growth Is Essentially Flat
Total viewing reached 191B hours annually, up only ~1B hours half-over-half. Average viewing now sits at roughly 1.7 hours per subscriber per day, down from ~2 hours a few years ago.
4. Netflix’s Share of Total TV Viewing Remains Under 10%
Even during an all-time high month driven by Christmas Day, Netflix accounted for ~9% of total TV usage per Nielsen Gauge data.
5. Advertising Generated ~$1.5B, Still Only ~3% of Revenue
Netflix disclosed $1.5B in ad revenue, representing roughly 2–3% of total revenue, with management signaling plans to double and eventually triple that figure.
6. Roughly 40% of New Subscribers Are on the Ad Tier
Third-party estimates suggest ~40% of recent subs are ad-supported, but Netflix provided no ARPU, churn, or engagement data tied to those users.
7. Guidance W…
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IS 2026 MEDIA'S DARK AGES?
15 januari 2026 · 42 min
CES isn’t about gadgets anymore, but who controls the interface between audiences, data, and distribution. Lees meer
Welcome back to The Media Odyssey Podcast! From CES, Evan Shapiro and Alan Wolk, Co-Founder and Lead Analyst of TVREV, unpack what this year’s show revealed about the future of media, entertainment, and technology while expanding on their predictions for 2026.
Beyond the hype of AI demos and hardware announcements, the conversation centers on power shifts: who owns how we get information, who controls discovery, and which companies are quietly positioning themselves as the new gatekeepers.
Rather than signaling a breakout moment, CES reinforces a familiar reality. Platforms are consolidating influence, AI is moving into the background, and media companies face shrinking control over how audiences find and engage with content.
Key Takeaways:
1. Media Is Entering a Prolonged Era of “Feudal Fragmentation”
Alan predicts that the monoculture is gone for the foreseeable future, replaced by thousands of disconnected content bubbles with their own truths, celebrities, and norms. This fragmentation isn’t new, but it will deepen through the rest of the decade, making shared cultural moments increasingly rare.
2. There Is No Longer a Single Source of Truth and That Has Consequences
The loss of mass media gatekeepers means audiences now operate from entirely different realities. News can be fully ignored, expertise is routinely dismissed, and misinformation thrives because there is no longer a common reference point for facts.
3. The End of Expertise Is Both Dangerous and Liberating
Traditional experts and institutional authority are losing power, but this also enables creators and outsiders to build massive media businesses without permission. The upside is democratization, the downside is the erosion of trust in skill, craft, and knowledge.
4. Power in Media Is Decentralizing Away from Hollywood
Alan predicts that media power will continue to disperse geogra…