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Not that long ago, before Netflix became a household name, “premium TV” referred to HBO, Showtime and Starz. They, and their brand extensions, were all subscription-based, advertising-free networks with edgier programming that couldn’t be found elsewhere on the dial. Showtime had plenty of hits over the years, with shows like “Dexter,” “Billions,” “Shameless,” “Weeds” and “Ray Donovan” earning...
There was plenty of news in the TV/streaming industries this earnings week. First up we discuss Comcast raising the idea of spinning off its cable TV networks to shareholders. A move like this has been speculated about for years, as the networks are buffeted by cord-cutting. Comcast also said Peacock gained 3 million subscribers in Q3, benefiting from the Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile Alphabet...
Disney reported a $47 million operating profit in its direct-to-consumer (DTC) segment in its fiscal third quarter 2024. The profit comes one quarter earlier than Disney had forecast. The $47 million profit reverses a $517 million loss in the year ago quarter.
While the optics of the profit are indeed positive, in this week’s podcast Colin and I do a deep dive into the profit’s true quality...
We’re happy to have Jonathan Carson, CEO and co-founder of Antenna, join us to discuss the firm’s Q1 ’25 State of Subscriptions report, which provides insights on premium SVOD in 2024.
Among the topics we discuss are growth of SVOD services last year, which ones gained the most subscribers, churn stabilization, the role of “re-subscribers” (people who rejoin a service within 6-12 months of...
This week we’re pleased to share our interview with Roku’s Senior Director, Global Ad Platform Partnerships and Business Development Miles Fisher. We do a deep dive into Roku’s recently announced partnership with Amazon Ads, which appears to be a potentially significant milestone in CTV realizing its ultimate potential as a full funnel medium.
As Miles explains, key to the partnership’s...
Deloitte released its 2025 Digital Media Trends report this week. On the podcast Colin and I discuss our key takeaways related to social’s role in how consumers discover TV programs, sensitivity to SVOD price increases and churn, plus budgets for streaming services.
Thanks to this week’s sponsor, Looper Insights. Their new report is available here.
Listen to the podcast to learn more (31...
In May, 2025 a milestone was reached according to Nielsen’s The Gauge: total streaming viewership surpassed total broadcast plus cable viewership for the first time. Streaming had a 44.8% viewership share while traditional TV had a 44.2% viewership share. To put these numbers in context, back in May 2021 streaming had a 26% share and traditional TV had a 64% share.
As we discuss, there have...
This week we discuss a number of new developments that contribute to streaming sports’ momentum. These include NBCU making its RSNs available to Peacock Premium subscribers; Disney looking to buy NFL Media which could become a valuable piece of the flagship ESPN app slated to launch later this year; Comcast extending its Olympics rights through 2036, which benefits Peacock; Fubo adding the...
This week Antenna’s Co-Founder and CEO Jonathan Carson joins us for an exclusive interview to discuss the firm’s top streaming insights from 2024. Antenna’s research has become a go-to source of data for executives from around the industry.
In the interview we dive into a number of findings, including the shift in subscriber growth from paid to ad-supported streaming services, how sports...
Colin has been in London participating in a CTV conference, and this week he shares some of his observations about how the competitive landscape in Europe compares with the U.S. Among the topics we discuss are why FASTs are unlikely to grow as quickly as in the U.S., the burgeoning market for TV OS’s, and the introduction of broadcasters’ “super apps.”
The discussion is a great reminder that...