Abhay Jain

#AI #WMG #UMG “Robert Kyncl has published a letter to Warner Music Group shareholders that pushes back against any under-appreciation of WMG’s value in the financial market, while talking up AI’s potential to drive that value higher. Recent context is important: despite healthy commercial momentum, both WMG and Universal Music Group shares are currently trading significantly below their 52-week peaks. Last Tuesday (February 24), a telling analyst note from Rothschild & Co Redburn argued that music rightsholders are particularly “exposed” to threats from AI-generated content….” “He writes: “With #Deezer reporting that more than 60,000 AI tracks are uploaded to its platform daily and with seven million #tracks generated per day on #Suno alone, [AI music’s] abundance has prompted understandable concern about oversupply, dilution, and the long-term value of recorded music….” Read the article for more: #WarnerMusicGroup #RecordedMusic #UniversalMusicGroup #MusicRoyalties #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #CreatorEconomy #CreatorsRights #RightHolders #MusicRights #MusicIncome #SongRights #RecordingRights #GenerativeAI #AIGeneratedContent #ArtificialIntelligence #InteligenciaArtificial #IA #InteligenciaArtificialGenerativa #IntelligenceArtificielle #KünstlicheIntelligenz #GeAi #AIGovernance #AIModels

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Paramount might actually pull this off. As mentioned last week, Paramount beefed up its $30/share bid and, with a final tender deadline of February 20, it now looks like the Ellisons may have a legitimate shot at winning the WBD sweepstakes. What once felt like a symbolic challenge to Netflix is now a credible path to control one of the deepest IP libraries and sports rights portfolios in the world. Paramount's momentum comes from more than just holding the $30/share price, it strengthened certainty with the following: • Quarterly ticking fee (~$650M in added value) if closing slips past 2026 • Commitment to cover WBD’s $2.8B breakup fee to Netflix • Fully financed offer backed by Ellison equity + major bank debt • Bridge loan flexibility to ease Warner Bros. Discovery’s balance sheet pressure The February 20 deadline forces clarity — for the board, for shareholders, and for the industry. The fight for WBD is about who controls scale in the next era of media: • Premium IP libraries • Global distribution • Live sports rights • Advertising + subscription ecosystems If Paramount wins: Traditional media proves it can still consolidate for scale and compete with tech-first streamers. If Netflix holds: The streaming-first model tightens its grip on global content power. Either way, the message is clear: media consolidation isn’t slowing — it’s accelerating. February 20th may be remembered as more than a tender deadline; it may mark the moment the balance of power completely shifted. #MediaBusiness #StreamingWars #Paramount #Netflix #WBD #MergersAndAcquisitions #SportsRights #EntertainmentIndustry #CapitalMarkets

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Insights from Luminate's 2025 Midyear Music Report are in! 📈 Global Streaming Continues Surge: Global on-demand audio streams rose 10% to 2.5 trillion in H1 2025. This surge is driven by ex-U.S. markets surging 13% to 1.8 trillion, with streaming accounting for 92% of U.S. music consumption in early 2025. 📉 Album Sales Decline Amidst Streaming Dominance: U.S. total album consumption rose 4% to 558.9 million, yet total album sales declined 6% to 41 million in H1 2025. Digital album sales notably dropped 18% to 7 million, signifying a shift from direct purchases. 💿 Physical Album Sales Show Resilience Excluding Key Artists: While overall physical album sales declined 3% to 34 million, excluding all Taylor Swift products reveals a 6% increase to 32 million. This suggests underlying stability or growth in physical formats for other artists. 🎸 Genre Dynamics Evolve, with Rock Leading Growth: Rock leads U.S. on-demand audio sharepoint growth in H1 2025, with Alt Rock driving volume change across subgenres. Christian/Gospel notably ascended to 7th place in US On-Demand Audio volume. 🤠 Country Music's Strong Performance in Current Content: Country music's Current streaming showed an 8% volume growth in H1 2025, signaling strong performance for newer releases. Conversely, R&B/Hip-Hop's Current streaming volume saw a notable 9% decline. 📻 "Recession Pop" Resurgence Signals Catalog Power: Pop songs from the 2007-2012 era grew 6% in On-Demand Audio volume in 2025, exceeding the U.S. industry's 5% rate. This underscores the enduring streaming appeal of specific catalog content, with top tracks including Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" (92M ODA). ❤️‍🔥 Super Fans Drive Deeper Engagement & Monetization: 18% of U.S. music listeners are "super fans," engaging in 5+ distinct ways. These highly engaged consumers significantly contribute to artist monetization, evidenced by higher tipping on platforms like Discord and Twitch. 🎮🎧 New Platforms Crucial for Music Discovery & Interaction: Gaming platforms are new avenues for music, tracking over 197 million Global Interactive On-Demand Streams (April-July 2025). Podcasts are also vital, with 37% of listeners playing new albums in their first week. 🎬 Transmedia Strategies and Catalog Resurgence: Transmedia strategies effectively boost music consumption, with artists leveraging film/TV roles (e.g., LISA on HBO's The White Lotus). Music documentaries, like "Becoming Led Zeppelin," are highly effective in revitalizing catalog streams, driving a sustained 23% increase in the band's global ODA, peaking at 40 million. 🤖 AI's Evolving Role in Music Creation and Industry Dialogue: 1 in 3 U.S. music listeners are comfortable with AI creating song instrumentals. Artists openly using AI, like Aventhis, have generated over 5 million global on-demand audio streams since April 2025, highlighting AI's immediate impact on the industry. Access the report in the comments below:

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Huge news - https://lnkd.in/gpF5Q33c Universal Music Group has acquired a minority stake in superfan platform Stationhead. UMG’s minority investment in the company follows Stationhead’s merger with online music event platform Mellomanic. The deal sees the two companies combine under the Stationhead name, with Chicago-based private equity firm Sterling Partners also investing. MBW understands that Sterling has a controlling interest in the newly merged entity. Alongside its minority investment, UMG has entered into a commercial agreement to use Stationhead’s technology. The major said it is supporting “an independent, industry-wide platform designed to benefit artists, fans, and the broader music ecosystem.” The deal comes as the music industry increasingly focuses on “superfan” monetization strategies, with major labels and streaming platforms alike exploring new ways to capture value from highly engaged audiences. UMG’s partnership with Stationhead arrives two years after it invested in another prominent superfan platform, HYBE’s Weverse. Most recently, in his annual New Year memo, UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge highlighted superfans as one of the company’s strategic priorities for 2026.

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The news is out! Wolf Games has partnered with NBCUniversal and raised our Series A. We’re excited to have the support of Main Street Advisors, Jimmy Iovine, Maverick Carter, Dick Wolf, Tom Werner, Rashid Johnson, and all of our amazing investors that see the same future we do. Our mission has always been simple and ambitious: to build the world’s first AI-native, creator-driven game platform where anyone can create, play, and expand the IP universes they love. We believe that the next generation of entertainment should allow fans to be able to expand the IP that they love. Writers, artists, role-players, modders… millions of creators building stories inside the universes that move them. Wolf Games exists to give these creators a creative, technical, and legal home to create deeply fun experiences. A place where their stories can become games, and their games can become canon. This next round of funding allows us to accelerate our roadmap on: - Game releases with NBCUniversal and our original IP. Each introducing new mechanics, systems, and stories - A unified Wolf Games platform linking all Wolf titles with metaplay from Public Eye to upcoming worlds. - AI-assisted creator tools that make it possible to build playable stories through natural language, remixing, and collaboration. In the long term, we see Wolf Games evolving from studio to service to ecosystem. Join us on the journey, learn more at: wolfgames.net Read about it: https://lnkd.in/gfnhp4Jy

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Legal isn’t a roadblock. It’s a growth lever. In sports and entertainment, the best legal teams unlock smarter deals, protect IP, reduce risk, and accelerate execution. Is your legal function enabling growth or just managing cost? #LegalStrategy #SportsBusiness #EntertainmentLaw #IPStrategy #GrowthLeadership

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We’ve been working on this for a while, and I’m excited the news of our partnership with HyphaMetrics is finally out! As viewing continues to sprawl across platforms, devices, and formats, too much of what matters has historically been invisible. Thanks to Hypha’s AI technology, this measurement helps us move toward a more complete understanding of how people engage with our content and platforms—across all screens, all content, and even the behaviors that were previously unmeasurable. That fuller picture enables smarter decisions and more relevant experiences for audiences. Joanna Drews https://lnkd.in/gBjHvpDh

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The concept of what data is most valuable in streaming is changing. Identity data, while important, does not allow advertisers to know who is watching what, in real time. Why does that matter? CTV is a shared device. So if you target using identity data alone, you have a 40% chance of reaching the right consumer (based on U.S. census data of 2.5 people in the avg. US HH). Net net—despite all the promise of programmatic—in streaming TV the adage that I know I waste half of my ad budget I just don't know which half—is still true! But those ad dollars won't go away—in fact more spend will come from big brands and performance buyers, if ad placement simply aligned with consumer interests and real time signals...like on Insta or TikTok. In summary...making ad placement on TV suck less doesn't require invasive surveillance capitalism. It's proven. For all kinds of brands and verticals. You don't need identity data, or to target individuals. It is more impactful to target mindset using content signals in real time. Rohan Castelino has said it best: "we are what we watch right now". He continued "the whole idea of 'You are what you watch' ...based on a historical view, does not align with who we really are. Historical viewing data, or identity data, is like the Japanese word 'tsundoku' which means buying books and not ever reading them." It is not who we are. What we are watching in that moment is the most powerful way to connect with consumers on TV. Today it might be Love Island or Love is Blind, and tomorrow it might be a documentary on The American Revolution, The Pitt, or NFL commentary on fantasy. Each one of those moments presents an opportunity for brands to align with the mindset of the consumer. We're excited to bring this capability to TUBI.

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