Nicholas Wodtke

STREAMING VIDEO: Despite being a market where broadcasters are making great strides in moving to a streaming model, and with TV manufacturers such as SAMSUNG reporting that a high percentage of TVs sold in Australia are never connected to an antenna, Australian consumers wanting to migrate fully to IP still face some restrictions. Even whilst Hubbl's current marketing is promoting TV without cumbersome coax cables, those attempting to watch free TV in Australia without a digtal terrestrial antenna or satellite TV service may find their sports viewing options are somewhat limited. Anyone trying to watch AFL games on Channel 7 via IP, be that via a PC browser, via the 7Plus app on smart TVs, streaming devices or a Hubbl that's not connected to DTT are greeted instead with repeats of Border Patrol with this scrolling message: 'Sorry! We don't currently have the rights to stream the AFL on 7plus. To watch the game, tune in on broadcast via your aerial, or find more of your favourite shows on 7plus. Stay tuned - the AFL rights are coming, live and free, from season 2025'. Sometimes I think it is useful to flag and illustrate these occasional exceptions so we can better understand the challenges of legacy sports and other content rights agreements in a rapidly changing TV landscape. 7plus (seen via an IP connected Hubbl) June 2024 #7plus #afl #iptv #sportsrights #streamingvideo #samsung #australia

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Roku appears to be gaining positive momentum, recently announcing a 14% jump in streaming households in Q2 & this latest report from Pixalate shows it with a dominate position in the global connected TV (CTV) programmatic advertising market. Another big winner was Apple, which increased its share of programmatic CTV ads delivered to the Apple TV from 5% to 13% over the last year, leapfrogging Amazon's FireTV. According to Pixalate measurement, Samsung Electronics share fell 45%, while arch rival LG Electronics grew its share 68%. To compile the data, Pixalate says it analysed programmatic advertising activity across 100k+ CTV apps & nearly 6bn global open programmatic ad transactions in Q2 2024.

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𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 One of the biggest challenges facing niche sports today is the daunting task of content monetisation. Without the vast audiences that mainstream sports enjoy, and often limited by less lucrative broadcasting deals, these smaller sports leagues and events struggle to generate significant revenue. It’s a tough game, where every viewer and every penny counts. At Recast, we've seen firsthand how traditional monetisation models often don't fit the unique needs of niche sports. These sports have passionate followings that, although smaller in size, are no less enthusiastic than those of larger sports. The challenge lies in effectively tapping into that enthusiasm in a way that's profitable. That’s where microtransactions come into play. 🚀 Imagine a platform where fans can access their favourite niche sports content, not through an expensive subscription model, but via small, manageable payments. Whether it’s watching a live match, accessing exclusive training sessions, or reliving historic game moments, fans can pay for just what they want, when they want it. This pay-as-you-go approach not only respects the fans’ preferences and spending capabilities but also opens up a steady revenue stream for content creators. Recast leverages this microtransaction model to turn every view into a potential earning, ensuring that even the smallest niche sports organisation can monetise their content effectively. This isn’t just about making money; it’s about creating a sustainable ecosystem where smaller sports can thrive and grow their fanbase globally. The beauty of this approach is its simplicity and immediacy. It is completely free to get started. There are no setup fees, no hidden costs—just a straightforward platform where content is king and every interaction counts. And the content sits right there on your own site! So, to all niche sports organisations out there struggling to find your footing in a crowded market: It’s time to rethink your strategy. Let’s chat about how micro-transactions can transform your monetisation approach and help you connect more deeply with your fans. #NicheSports #SportsMonetisation #Microtransactions #DigitalContent #Recast #InnovationInSport

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The Magic Formula for Fair Streaming Creator Payments - Former BBC Studios executives Simon Brown and Adrian Wills aim to revolutionise how streamers compensate creators through their Content Valuation Report. Using a simple formula — streaming revenue multiplied by a show’s viewership share — they determine fair payouts for IP owners. Highlighting underpaid successes like Peaky Blinders, they advocate for creators to leverage data-driven negotiations and bridge the gap in equitable payments for streaming hits.

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DAZN’s Acquisition of Foxtel: A Bellwether Kickoff to 2025 2025 begins with a bang in the world of sports streaming and legacy Media, as DAZN’s acquisition of Foxtel for AUD 3.4 billion sets the tone for a transformative year. The sale-valued at a compelling 7x EBITDA—congrats Newscorp- marks the end of an era for a legacy pay-TV business that faced a 50% decline in cable subscribers since 2015. This move isn’t just a financial win; it signals a broader strategic pivot. By exiting the sports rights bidding wars, News Corp is derisking its portfolio and relinquishing decades of dominance in Australian sports and entertainment, including its hold over cultural staples like AFL, NRL, and cricket. But this story is about more than News Corp’s shift—it’s about a defining moment in the battle for sports viewers globally. Australia, one of the most sports-obsessed nations in the world, is now a testing ground for DAZN and the transitioning of Sports rights to streaming platforms. With Australians spending more per capita on live sports content than nearly any other nation, DAZN’s challenge will be to succeed in a fiercely competitive and highly fragmented streaming market. The deal provides Immediate Scale for DAZN ( 2.3 million streaming subs via Kayo + Binge) and access to iconic Sports rights (AFL and cricket) and robust local infrastructure. A caveat is Australia’s anti-siphoning laws which mandates free-to-air availability for marquee events, limiting exclusivity and forcing DAZN into a shared-rights ecosystem. DAZN can counter this by providing a global platform for Australian leagues like AFL offering international reach Global sports rights expansion is costly, and monetising premium content in Australia’s saturated market will be no small feat. 75% of Australian households subscribe to at least one streaming service, the market is both lucrative and saturated. Yet, anti-siphoning regulations pose a challenge for streamers like DAZN, requiring creative approaches to stand out—think supplementary content, personalized experiences, and global promotion of local sports. Note: News Corp isn’t completely out of the game, retaining a 6% equity stake in DAZN—hedging its bets on the future of sports streaming without the operational complexities. The acquisition is more than just a financial exit—it’s a bellwether for the intensifying clash between legacy local media and global streamers in 2025. DAZN’s play for Australia will be a key test case for global sports strategy in one of the most passionate and challenging sports markets. Will DAZN rise to the challenge, or will anti-siphoning and fierce competition stall its ambitions? Will we see other legacy media following Newscorp's example and voting to opt out of the critical sports rights arms race? Share your thoughts below!

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As our smart TV home screens gravitate to global viewing, it stands to reason that expanding the Geo-Block ban on the audio-visual sector must include expiration of regional licences and introduce one single content licence. Not just for Europe, but for every streaming territory as a whole. Although much can be said about content quotas, they are in fact near-sighted to the fact that technology and consumers are driving this demand because of the content choices audiences are making. Netflix features content in over 60 languages, with 80% of the platform’s users claiming to use subtitles at least once a week. This implies that content providers would be compelled to make movies and TV shows unlicensed in one country but sold in a neighbour available on the same streaming service on the same device in Amsterdam or Sydney. For those interested, 'Streaming Without Borders' is a panel topic at this year's Ad Forum event in Sydney. #CTV 🌏

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SiriusXM reported its Q1 earnings this morning, and the headlines are justifiably focused on its loss of subscribers (nearly 500k). Like all radio, its subscription business is highly vulnerable with the move to digital audio, especially in cars. But a bright spot? If you paid attention to Spotify's earnings, you wouldn't be surprised: "off-platform revenue." For SXM, this includes Pandora and podcast revenue, which saw a 7% revenue increase. During their investor call, they signaled the growth for podcasts, explicitly saying, "Podcasting revenue saw a 22% year-over-year lift in the quarter, while programmatic podcast revenue increased 12% sequentially and 97% year over year." I'd love to see SXM break out the podcast numbers even further, but if you look at what they do provide, it's easy to conclude that podcast revenue is growing much faster than other segments. For example, Pandora continues to bleed users (64k paid subs in Q1 alone), so podcast revenue seems to be the tide lifting all "off-platform" boats. When asked about their podcast initiatives, Scott Greenstein said, "One is, you know, the podcast thing and industry is really still in the second or third inning, so it's evolving." He is 100% right. SXM also signaled that it will continue to license more podcast content and is not closing the book on exclusive content. One more fun nugget: On today's call, podcasts were mentioned 30 times. Pandora was only mentioned ten times, SmartLess nine times, and Howard Stern... zero point zero. Where do you think their priorities are moving forward? Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRQTM2Kq ---- I'm the CEO and founder of DWNLOAD Media, a fund focused on acquiring majority stakes in podcast companies. With continued audience and revenue growth, podcasting continues to be the most under-valued medium, making it time to invest in audio. If you're interested in investing in the podcast space, DM me! #podcasting #audio #siriusxm #sxm #earnings #investor #investing #podcasts

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Very insightful article shedding light on the interplay between SVOD and FAST services. Some consumers are shifting from subscriptions to FAST platforms, while others are finding new programs and subscribing to services. The hope is for both types of services to become more complimentary in the future. Great read!

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It's a money story, after all. South Korea has recently entered the era of "paid sports streaming" with the launch of a pro- baseball streaming package (5,500 won per month, Tving). The debate over the appropriateness of the price has been hotly debated in Korea. "The viewing value of professional baseball is 5,500 won per month The United States, long accustomed to paying to watch sports events, has recently seen the extremes of sports streaming. It has seen the rise of 'super sports streaming', which has taken over 85% of the total sports broadcast market. It's no secret that sports are good for streaming subscriptions. This joint venture platform between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery could certainly attract a lot of subscribers. If the NFL, NBA, NHL, etc. are all on one service, it's going to get a lot of attention. You don't need AI replays or anything like that. The sports themselves are immersive. FuboTV-Led Coalition Asks Congress for Hearing on Disney-Fox-Warner Sports Streaming Platform "How much is an all-in-one sports package worth?" But the question is price. How much would Americans be willing to pay for an all-in-one sports package, and who would seek it out? It's not going to be all ESPN subscribers, and it's not going to be all ESPN subscribers. DirectMediaLab will find the right price for your sports package, but of course it has to be less than the average price of a cable TV package ($80/month). https://lnkd.in/gpghyF-H

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WBD - Iceberg ahead "Warner Bros. Discovery to split its streaming and studio units from its legacy TV networks as one option to boost its lacklustre share price. The FT reports chief executive David Zaslav was weighing strategic options, including spinning off its Warner Bros movie studio and Max streaming service into a new company unburdened by most of the group’s current $39 billion net debt." Clearly something is going wrong at WDB, it seemed a while ago a streamer with incredible potential, and Zaslav at Discovery was a key adovcate of the eco-system idea, at a time when Disney under Chapek was going all in on streaming, and cutting ties with the world of #paytv and #lineartv Now, in proposing this spin-off, it seems that roles are reversed, that Disney under Iger once more is looking more stable as they look at building partnerships again and licencing content, and WBD are looking at outlandish ideas. "A break-up appears to be the strongest option with most of its debt remaining with the mature pay-TV networks business (where most of the cashflow still is) in such a scenario. But analysts at Bank of America have warned that such a split could have a “potentially devastating” impact on bondholders, and WBD rival Lionsgate recently faced a creditor revolt after separating its Starz pay-TV network." The spin-off doesn't seem like it would solve the problems. While unloading the debt would help the shareprice, it doesn't boost Max's chances going forward in a competitive environment, where they've entered late into the game in most markets, and in European Sky markets UK, Germany Italy haven't even come in yet. Also, what kind of red tape bureaucracy would that create between the pay-TV side of the business and the SVOD platform when licencing content. Remember also, as the article says, the bulk of the revenue is with the legacy business. So either the SVOD service rapidly grows subscribers & sells advertising and becomes profitable, or it could end up looking like Disney, hitting a roof quickly and then struggling to move forward and entering into a maliase. It doesn't make sense to me at least. Perhaps Zaslav could look at himself, and what he has brought or not to WBD. He's one of the best paid TV executives in the world, getting record raises year-on-year and yet commercially, WBD have been doing worse. This outlandish path could lead to more problems down the line too, as the market is so fragmented and competitive, de-linking Max from the pay-TV side could bring negative consequences for the business. #tvindustry #television #streaming #streamingplatforms #streamingmedia #max #wbd https://lnkd.in/eAymF5Be

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Premium #FASTChannels require a #premium #FAST model, #ViewTV #Cloudcomputing platform is doing 65/25/10 with content owners to make this work, rather than the 10/10/80 that currently exists. Stop following the #FASTchannel hype, #adtech greed kills it all - https://viewtvx.com

The stage was set at the NAB Show 2024. Hundreds of products battled for supremacy in the ever-evolving streaming video arena. Tensions were high as the industry's elite judging panel meticulously evaluated each offering. Then, a true champion emerged from the fray. Vimond's VIA App Builder captivated the experts with a perfect fusion of power and elegance. Features that dazzled: - Lightning-fast development capabilities that make deploying streaming services across devices a mere formality. - An interface so intuitive even a novice could wield its might. - Unparalleled content management that monetises like never before. In an epic clash of innovation, the VIA App Builder reigned supreme – conquering the "Next TV" category to seize the coveted Best of Show honour. A thousand competitors stood in awe. This was more than just an award. It was a statement of Vimond's unwavering commitment to streamlining video streaming for the modern era. An undisputed mark of quality that will shatter industry conventions. The victory horn has sounded. All others have been put on notice. Brace yourselves for the VIA App Builder's continued dominance, as it leads content creators to a new era of broadcast supremacy. https://lnkd.in/gssvefKG

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