An interview with analyst Michael Nathanson about streaming, cable, digital advertising, and a whole lot more.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery is a company that makes a lot of sense, both because of its content and also its strategy, which treats streaming as an additional channel, not a reason-for-being.
Amazon Buys MGM, The Streaming Opportunity, Anti-Monopoly vs. Antitrust
Amazon’s purchase of MGM makes sense strategically, but also points to bigger ambitions; it also highlights how a lot of antitrust talk is actually anti-monopoly.
Distribution and Demand
Distribution on the Internet is free; what matters is controlling demand. AT&T and Verizon didn’t understand the distinction.
AT&T’s Original Bad Deal, Discovery + WarnerMedia, The Streaming Landscape
AT&T bails on its streaming ambitions; they can’t undo the mistake of buying Time Warner, but merging WarnerMedia with Discovery is a nice recovery.
WarnerMedia to Stream Movies First Day, AT&T Versus HBO, Self-Disruption
WarnerMedia’s move to stream all of its movies on HBO Max appears to be value disruptive, but if the company is actually meaningfully responding to disruption, that was inevitable.
HBO Max Launches, Amazon and Roku, Apple in 3rd
HBO Max is confusing because of negotiations with cable carriers, which is expected, and negotiations with OTT resellers, which perhaps was not. Then, is Apple making a move?
The NBA and Microsoft, and An Interview with Adam Silver and Satya Nadella
Microsoft and the NBA are announcing a new partnership; then, an interview NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
Working From Home with Kids, What About Pay TV?, An NBA Proposal
Some tips for working from home, then wondering what the lack of sports means for pay TV. Might the NBA come to the rescue?
Recode Recap: John Stankey of WarnerMedia, Kevin Mayer of Disney
Highlights from Recode Media interviews of Warner Media’s John Stankey and Disney’s Kevin Mayer, including an extended discussion on sports.