Jonathan Sichel

A great panel and topic tomorrow! How can News organizations, networks and local stations groups create more content, more efficiently, and with better quality? 1- Virtual #extendedreality and #augmentedreality environments on LED studios are at the forefront of the technology adoption that is making immersive experiences the gateway for a new storytelling reality. 2- How the news and local content is going to be produced to engage younger audiences in the near future is beyond today's physical and green screen studios and way closer to a gamified LED XR immersive content experience without creative boundaries.

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The Future of Streaming: Netflix, Apple TV, and Peacock Join Forces with Comcast Discover the latest power move in the streaming world as Netflix, Apple TV, and Peacock team up to offer a combined service through Comcast. Is this the new era of cable? Find out everything you need to know about this upcoming streaming sensation. #NetflixAppleTVPeacock #StreamingService #CableAlternative #ComcastXfinity #FutureOfStreaming #EntertainmentNews #DigitalStreaming #CordCutting #StreamingSensation #TechUpdates

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Quick history lesson on how much the billions from carriage and retrans fees transformed the US television industry in the 90s, 00s and 10s and how the lack of those fees in streaming impacts the financial decisions of media companies today. This is something people who are new to the space are not always aware of. #streamingTV #TVhistory #cabletelevision #sunspel #podcasts #video

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Captivating Script for Sparkx TV Instagram Reel Dialogue Imagine having an entire world of entertainment at your fingertips for just $24.99 a year. Introducing Sparkx TV on Roku – your ultimate low-cost entertainment solution! Whether you love binge-watching series, exploring new recipes, or enjoying free music videos, Sparkx TV has got you covered. We're passionate about helping small businesses and saving you money. With Sparkx TV, you'll find incredible meal prep ideas that won't break the bank. Picture this: delicious, budget-friendly meals your whole family will love. Plus, let your kids enjoy our fun and educational Kids Corner – all for free! And it doesn't stop there. Rock out with our free music video channel and radio – perfect for any mood or occasion. Why pay more when you can get all this entertainment value for just $24.99 a year? Sparkx TV is more than just a streaming service. It's a community supporting small businesses and savvy savers like you. Ready to transform your entertainment experience? Subscribe to Sparkx TV on Roku today and see the difference. Say goodbye to high subscription fees and hello to premium content at a fraction of the cost. Join us, and discover new favorites without the financial strain. Don't just take our word for it. Experience it yourself! Remember, at Sparkx TV, we're all about high-quality entertainment at an unbeatable price. So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the world of Sparkx TV now. Head over to Roku and subscribe today for just $24.99 a year. Entertainment, savings, and so much more – all in one place. Sparkx TV – your gateway to endless entertainment. Make the smart choice and join our growing community of satisfied viewers. We can't wait for you to see what we have in store. Subscribe now and let Sparkx TV brighten your days. Whether it’s cooking, music, or family fun, we’ve got something for everyone. Sparkx TV – where entertainment meets affordability. Stream smarter. Save bigger. Enjoy better. Can't wait to have you on board! Ideas for Visuals Start with a vibrant, eye-catching animation of the Sparkx TV logo. Clips of various TV shows, movies, and cooking programs available on Sparkx TV. Visuals of mouth-watering meals being prepared efficiently. Kids engaging with educational and fun content. Snippets of captivating music videos and radio snippets. Close-up shots of Roku interface with Sparkx TV being highlighted. Animated text highlighting "Only $24.99 a year!" and "Subscribe Now!" End with testimonials or satisfied customer reviews. Ideas for Captions Discover endless entertainment for just $24.99/year with Sparkx TV on Roku. Ready to save money while enjoying premium content? #SubscribeNow Transform your TV experience with small business support and budget-friendly options. Dive into delicious recipes, kids' fun, and free music – all in one subscription. Why pay more? Get Sparkx TV for unbeatable entertainment value! Image options

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We're seeing a steady increase in the number of consumers and advertisers gravitating toward CTV and streaming. It's the fastest-growing advertising channel right now and is expected to reach $30.1 billion in spending this year. To succeed during this shift, advertisers will need to leverage their first-party data, focus on smart buying practices through premium channels, and embrace sound measurement solutions. #Advertising #DigitalAdvertising #CTV

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With the media industry on the brink of more transformations (like these predictions), it's important to understand these changes to find future opportunities and stay ahead. Don't forget to listen, subscribe, and share The Hollywood Makers podcast (on all podcast platforms) where we are sharing this type of news and interviews with key people in the industry. #FilmandTV #mediaproduction #creatives #mediaentrepreneurs #streaming

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This is an update on how successful #fast and #fastchannels are reporting across the USA ….. #ctv #ottx #ott #dpp #broadcastmedia #streamingmedia #adtech

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Anyone who has ever set foot on the historic Paramount Pictures lot, must be disturbed by William Cohan 's reporting in Puck about Sony and Apollo Global Management, Inc. teaming up to buy the studio's parent company, Paramount Global (formerly Viacom). Gone will be hundreds of jobs in "marketing, distribution, business affairs, digital programming, etcetera. That might generate $3 billion in savings. " If that isn't bad enough.... the " extraordinary Paramount lot, near Hancock Park, would get sold for as much as another $1 billion." Is there a more iconic image of Hollywood and movie magic than the Paramount gate? (see below) Cohan also reports that "Paramount’s films would go to Sony Pictures, and any projects in production, on the shelf, or that need a turnaround, would also go to Sony." The consolidation of media continues to be troubling. Apollo's hand in the Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK merger hasn't been a home run for journalists or consumers. As for Sony, government regulations prohibit foreign companies from owning TV networks & stations so what would that mean for CBS. So Apollo likely would fold CBS with its majority stake in the Cox stations. But that will likely exceed the limit the government permits any one company to own. So some stations may be sold. Does any of this sound good for journalism? Consumers? The entertainment business? Probably not, but read Bill Cohan 's work because it is good for shareholders of Paramount. There is an alternative that might not be great for shareholders but has proven pros like Jeff Zucker ready to right the Paramount ship. https://lnkd.in/eNTVaNYs

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Bob Bakish steps down as CEO of Paramount Global. Amid the M&A drama enveloping Paramount Global, Bob Bakish is stepping down as CEO after eight years at the helm of Shari Redstone's media empire. Bakish resigned under pressure. The executive has been with Paramount and its predecessor Viacom since 1997. He was hired by Redstone in 2016 to help bring stability to the company amid a public legal battle between shareholders and a fight for control between Redstone and former Viacom CEO Philippe Daumanamd. The Wall Street Journal is the first media source to report the situation with Bob Bakish. Paramount's board is currently in exclusive takeover talks with Skydance Media and RedBird Capital. Another group, Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management, is poised to make a formal all-cash offer for the company next week as the May 3 expiration date of the exclusive negotiation window with Skydance approaches. As Skydance talks have dragged on for months, it's become clear that Skydance CEO David Ellison would take the helm of the enlarged Paramount-Skydance operation, while RedBird executive Jeff Shell, formerly CEO of NBC Universal and a longtime Comcast executive, would serve as Ellison's No. 2, overseeing day-to-day operations. There was no pretense of carving out a role for Bakish. Bakish will step down as CEO when the sale is completed. Whoever acquires Paramount Global does not matter. The company has been through the wringer over the past year. A falling stock price, losses in the company's streaming division, weak earnings in consecutive quarters - these are the main reasons to say goodbye to Mr Bakish. CNBC reported that Bakish's exit was hastened by his opposition to the merger plan with Skydance. Let me know, what are your thoughts about this topic. You can find a link to the full article in the first comment under this post. Follow my profile to stay up-to-date when it comes to industry news, technology updates, and market analysis. #SzymonKarbowski #StreamVX #BobBakish #ParamountGlobal #ShariRedstone #Viacom #SkydanceMedia #RedBirdCapital #SonyPictures #ApolloGlobalManagement #TheWallStreetJournal #CNBC #NBCUniversal #Comcast

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“Warner Music Group (WMG) CEO Robert Kyncl has come out in favor of a US Senate bill that would crack down on unauthorized deepfakes, arguing that the technology could ruin lives, reputations and businesses if left unchecked. Although many in the music business are embracing AI, it’s also the case that “generative AI is appropriating artists’ identities and producing deepfakes that depict people doing, saying, or singing things that never happened,” Kyncl will tell a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Commitee on Tuesday (April 30). “Through AI, it is very easy for someone to impersonate me and cause all manner of havoc,” Kyncl said, according to his pre-prepared remarks shared with MBW. “They could speak to an artist in a way that could destroy our relationship. They could say untrue things about our publicly traded company to the media that would damage our business.” #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Legal #GenerativeAi #GeAi #Music #MusicBusiness #Musicians #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicLicensing #WMG #MusicVideos #Artists #MusicBiz #Streaming #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #WarnerMusicGroup #USCongress #USA

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Over the past few years, the FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channel approach has been a significant player in the monetization of episodic TV, film content, and linear TV broadcasting. While it provided a much-needed kickstart to the industry, it has become evident that the FAST model is biased towards technology companies and fails to meet the needs of content owners and audiences alike. - https://lnkd.in/eBwdv8jW #amagi #viewtv #ottx #ott #contentstrategy #startups #fastchannels #fast #ctv #programmatic #adtech #broadcastmedia #streaming #streamingtv

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An interesting update on what Disney's streaming division profit might mean for the TV industry from Guy Bisson at Ampere Analysis "Disney's results show that that transition [from linear to streaming] is now in full swing: as with other studios (and linear channel businesses around the world), Disney's linear business is in fairly sharp decline (revenues dropped 10% in the past six months against a year earlier). There is no going back from here." Could it mean an end to this cost cutting round and a cautious return to investing in new originals? "One thing that has never changed about the on-demand streaming model, though, is its voracious appetite for fresh content. Original production is a key part of that and with pressure now easing on costs, some resurgence of original production must surely follow." Let's hope this is corner turned! Read the full article below for this and other interesting insights.....

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From Arms Dealer to Self-Sabotage: The True Cost of Licensing for Legacy Media 📉 As they struggle to find profitability, legacy media companies—particularly the major studios in the Motion Picture Association like Disney and Warner Bros.—have turned to licensing some of their best programming to competing streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple. While some investors and analysts praise this "arms dealer" approach for studios that supposedly "can't compete at scale" in streaming, I see it differently. Licensing library content to tech competitors may offer a short-term revenue boost for these studios, but it's essentially borrowing from tomorrow to pay for today. It's the media equivalent of a reverse mortgage. Crucially, the more these companies rely on library licensing to third-party streamers, the more they boost competitors, limit the growth potential of their own streaming services, and compromise their competitive advantage: the ability to attract top talent and projects. The core problem with this "arms dealer" strategy is that it conflates the ability to monetize past hits like Suits, Friends, The Office, and Law & Order with the ability to continue producing new, high-quality content at the scale and margin needed for sustainable growth. The data is clear: one of the best indicators of future revenue for a TV studio is the number of scripted series and episodes currently in production. Except for Netflix, that number has been declining for all major studios. Furthermore, the economics of TV production have shifted negatively—from deficit financing to a cost-plus model—leading to lower margins on new shows. Hollywood's MPA studios' future success is not in licensing away their crown jewels. Instead, it lies in building streaming platforms that deliver real value to consumers—as measured in increasing engagement. Keeping premium content in-house and scaling it are key components to driving operating leverage and creating lasting shareholder value. #strategy #streaming #production #licensing #disney #WBD

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WATCH NOW ☕ Perception Box: Corner Office - Episode 2 💼 🌟 The Next Chapter in the Short Form Series Co-Produced with The The Wall Street Journal and Unlikely Collaborators 🌟 🔥 In this episode, sit down with another trailblazing leader, Bob Stiller, to explore what lies beyond the titles, achievements, and success. 💭 What happens when you challenge the stories you tell yourself? ✨ This series dives deep into the Perception Box, unearthing insights that redefine leadership and personal growth. 👇 Watch now and share: What’s a story you’ve had to reexamine and rewrite about yourself? 💬 #Leadership 💡 #SelfDiscovery 🔍 #PerceptionBox 🧠 #WSJSeries 🎥

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Surprised? CONCERNED?? Although no surprises, as production is down everywhere (although it seems to be rebounding more outside of the U.S., e.g., Canada, the UK and Australia. Acknowledging Governor Newsom is doing all he can (given the political climate, and budgetary issues & concerns) Los Angeles and California will face further competition from Illinois (as announced last week, Illinois now allows National Talk Shows, (‘Jimmy Kimmel’ Live – note, ‘The Tonight Show’, ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ and “The Kelly Clarkson Show” – have already moved to NY because of incentives), Game Shows (e.g., ‘Jeopardy’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune’) and Contest Shows (e.g., “American Idol” and ‘America’s Got Talent’). Talk Shows, Game Shows and Contest Shows do not qualify for the California incentive. Also, NJ Governor just signed a new bill, further enhancing the NJ incentive – reviewing the Bill now and will summarize and share ASAP.  Also noting, there was pending legislation in other states (e.g., Oklahoma - while it didn’t pass in Oklahoma this year, Oklahoma will try again to incentivize live tv/episodic television (still LA/CA’s bread & butter!!! Entertainment Partners https://lnkd.in/gwfW572T https://lnkd.in/gB7_AjPq

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