Inside The Stream

Comcast’s decision to spin out all of its cable networks except Bravo into an independent company is a signal of more cable network consolidation to come.

Disney CEO’s slip reveals AVOD’s dominance in subscriber gains, and a Netflix announcement confirms the trend. New data shows Prime Video’s content inefficiency.

eMarketer says that 20 million more viewers will consume live sports on streaming than on pay-TV this year, with the gap more than doubling by 2027. Listen on for the implications!

This week, two big indicators of significant change in the TV/video industries: Comcast may spin off its cable TV networks, and YouTube hit a $50 billion revenue run rate.

Disney+ and Hulu dropped Apple’s App Store, IAB Tech Lab is driving new CTV ad standards, Fubo is offering premium sports services, and streamers are partnering with grocers.

Bloomberg Screentime interviews highlighted Amazon's dominance in streaming distribution, while Comcast seemed indifferent to cable TV despite NBCU's reliance on it.

Google’s Rob Caruso joins us to discuss key new features in Google TV and the new Streamer device. Can smart home and photo integration boost the TV OS’s market share?

In this exclusive interview, Antenna’s CEO shares new research on specialty SVOD services, which show robust growth, dependence on Amazon Channels, and particular success stories.

Google and Roku released new streaming media players, Disney rolled out paid sharing, Netflix is dabbling in sports, and a new initiative to measure FAST viewing has been launched.

YouTube is revamping its CTV app to emulate best practices in SVOD apps and launching a series of AI features for creators that will drive better viewer experiences.

Four topics this week: IAB raised its 2024 CTV outlook, movies continue hitting headwinds, the impact of the Charter-AMC+ deal, and Amazon jumps into NextGen TV.

Disney blacked out all its networks on DirecTV as part of a carriage dispute. The standoff seems to be part of a pattern of inconsistent and reduced customer focus at the company.

Disney, Fox, and WBD’s roles in the multi-channel bundle are a “gilded cage” that contributed to a judge issuing a preliminary injunction barring Venu Sports’ launch. What’s next?

Multibillion-dollar write-downs on Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount linear TV networks underscore the seismic changes streaming has brought to the industry.

Disney reported its fiscal Q3 ‘24 results, including its first-ever profit in its DTC segment. But we’re skeptical of the true quality and sustainability of the profit.

Early returns show Olympics viewership is up 75% from 2021. NBCU’s streaming coverage is solid, especially its management of highlight clips on Peacock and YouTube.

Peacock reduced its Q2 ‘24 loss by half but lost a million subscribers. The Olympics looks like a pivotal moment for the service and its sports agenda. Meanwhile, Netflix’s ads lag.

Antenna’s research is a must-read for streaming industry executives. Jonathan Carson, Antenna’s Co-Founder and CEO, joins us for an exclusive deep-dive into its latest report.

In this exclusive, must-listen interview, Top Wall Street media analyst Michael Nathanson dives into the major issues driving the TV and streaming industries.

New Antenna data reveals the power of streaming bundles, that annual subscriptions fail to engage, the acceptance of price increases, and ad-tiers’ ascendency.

New Magna-Roku research shows the home screen is critical in the content discovery journey. Executives from both companies join us to discuss the research and its ad implications.

Inscape research reveals that virtually all VIZIO smart TV owners are streaming. Max raised rates—but only on ad-free tiers. Streaming satisfaction scores are off the charts.

The Memorial Day box office plummeted 36%.  Latency, unnatural breaks, and slates are hurting ad experiences. Netflix’s bundling angle is unclear—all this and more in this week’s podcast.

Comcast’s $15 StreamSaver bundle is great value. Combine it with Disney’s $15 Trio Basic bundle and streaming’s value prop is stronger than ever. But who are the bundles for?

Netflix revealed it has 40 million ad-tier subscribers. Hub research says it is viewers’ top choice to drive streaming bundles. Add in the NFL, and Netflix is looking strong.