Unfiltered Media Podcast

Rita Ferro, President of Global Advertising at Disney, joins Media Unfiltered to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing premium media as audiences fragment and competition intensifies. The conversation explores Disney’s approach to attracting new advertisers, the importance of trust and brand safety, and how the company plans to compete for advertising spend in an increasingly complex mar...

Mark Marshall, Chairman of Global Advertising andPartnerships at NBCUniversal, joins Justin Lebbon to discuss how the company plans to sustain its growth following a blockbuster year for sports. Marshall explains how NBCUniversal aims to win advertising spend from social platforms, why expanding demand through the "messy middle" is critical, and what that strategy entails. He also explor...

Most investors overlook the game-changing signals from SpaceX's recent IPO; Elon Musk's space empire is shaping the future of tech, media, and capitalism itself. In this pre-Cannes episode, we unveil how SpaceX's valuation and Musk’s control are rewiring the investment landscape, impacting everything from AI advancements to media giants' strategies. We also discuss the real implica...

Most agencies remain constrained by legacy structures, short-term KPIs, and slow-moving processes. But a new generation of independent agencies is proving there's another way. In this episode, we speak with Ali Reed, Chief Growth Officer at Brainlabs , about why the future of marketing belongs to bold, agile, AI-powered businesses. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience, Ali explains her...

This episode features a discussion with Erez Levin, a prominent speaker and writer in the advertising industry,focusing on the concept of quality media. The conversation explores the challenges of defining and valuing quality in a landscape dominated by major platforms and unlimited impressions. Erez introduces the "quality trifecta," which includes media quality, creative quality, and audience/da...

This episode explores the fundamental shift from efficiency to dominance in digital advertising. Ian shares why the traditional ad tech model is at a crossroads, with many players facing margin squeeze or consolidation, while a few with true differentiation may thrive. You’ll discover how the biggest platforms - from Google to Amazon - are the real gatekeepers not only selling vast quantities of m...

Justin Lebbon is joined by Guideline’s Chief Insights & Analytics Officer, Sean Wright, for a deep dive into where advertising money is really flowing and why the biggest platforms continue to dominate despite mounting scandals and industry criticism. Using Guideline’s unique data tracking major agency and brand spend, they explore Meta’s resilience, the rise of Amazon in the DSP wars, the col...

An in-depth analysis of the latest quarterly results from Google, Meta, and Amazon, exploring their growth, AI investments, and implications for the advertising and media industry.

This week we discuss NBCU’s attack on Nielsen and why audience measurement has become a high-stakes power play influencing valuations, revenues, and market sentiment. This isn’t just about metrics and currency; it’s about who controls the narrative, and the money. We also explore the rise of retail media, set to hit $190 billion by 2026, and how retailers are using high-margin ad businesses to gro...

The episode kicks off with a discussion on the evolving landscape of advertising agencies, particularly focusing on Accenture's innovative approach to agency models. We delve into how traditional cost-plus models are becoming unsustainable in the age of AI, and how Accenture's shift towards a subscription-like service could redefine client offerings. We explore the challenges and opportuni...

Fresh from Future TV Sydney and a trip to New Zealand, we break down the TV industry’s comeback playbook with examples from out-of-home to broadcasters rebuilding momentum by collaborating and building what buyers want. We unpack the flawed “premium vs cheap” debate, why premium might be the wrong word to use and new agency models reflecting on Accenture’s back-to-basics remuneration structure. Pl...

Most brands think premium media is about content. It isn’t. It’s about environment. In this episode, we unpack what “premium” really means in a world of unlimited impressions and AI-generated noise and why the fight over its definition is really a fight for ad budgets. They explore how trust, transparency, and attention - not just content - are now the real drivers of effectiveness and long-term b...

This week we examine the economic impact of the Middle East conflict, how geopolitical uncertainty is influencing financial markets, and what it could mean for the media and advertising industry. We also dig into the surprisingly weak long-term growth of many major global companies, using data from Michael Farmer and others to explore why so many large firms appear to be struggling to generate mea...

Feature-rich episode this week, starting with feedback from global broadcasters following Justin Sampson’s interview last week. We then focus on M&A activity, looking at developments around ITV and Sky, while Ian explains the financial framework behind Paramount’s proposed acquisition of WBD. We also discuss content strategies and why broadcasters need to stop talking about cost-cutting- and t...

Ian and Justin are joined by Barb’s outgoing CEO Justin Sampson to discuss the growing pressures facing industry measurement currencies as media consumption fragments and digital platforms reshape the market. Hot off the heels of the Google debacle, the conversation explores the importance of independent, jointly governed measurement systems, the balance between innovation and stability in audienc...

In this episode of Media Unfiltered, Justin Lebbon and Ian Whittaker unpack the shifting deal landscape in global media, from the evolving Netflix–Warner–Paramount dynamics to the conspicuous silence around Sky–ITV. They dig into what Q4 results really reveal about the agency business, examine why music continues to outperform in a digital-first world, and debate what diversification actually mean...

This week we examine investor nerves around the colossal levels of capital being poured into AI, and whether those investments will truly pay off without fundamental change across gaming, software, and agency businesses. We also look at signs of advertisers returning to TV, following positive financial signals from NBCUniversal and Fox in the US, before closing with a discussion on the importance...

This episode covers the recent news that Google employed a 'cease and desist’ tactic to force Barb and Kantar Media to stop the viewership measurement of YouTube on TV screens. We secured private commentary from advertisers and agencies while discussing implications for YouTube around transparency. Does it even matter today? Are clients happy with the data and feedback loop they get from YouTu...

This podcast explores the turbulent financial world in 2026 reflecting on the impact it may have on media and marketing. Much to the surprise of our hosts, 2025 was a strong year for ad spend with the main victors being the platforms. What will happen in 2026? Will brands begin to resist the ease and appeal of the platforms? Will governments step up efforts to support local media and curb the domi...