Alex Blum

https://lnkd.in/eYxeFrwW Tired of loudness issues on streaming platforms and FAST channels? Remind you of the "bad old days" of television commercials blaring during the breaks? My colleague Costa Nikols has written an outstanding piece detailing the new California Streaming Loudness regulation and what it will mean for content providers.

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$12B in 1H25 streaming profits—but can Q3 keep the momentum going? The streaming seven found different ways of turning Time Spent into Streaming Enterprise Value in the first half. Q3 earnings kick off next week with Netflix, and the question isn't just who grew, but how quickly they can grow profits while avoiding the 'optimization trap'. Last year, these streamers collectively increased their profits by 38% from Q2 to Q3. While several were near a 'tipping point', making big swings more likely, this quarter should still bring good results overall (none of this is investment advice, though.) THE WATCHLIST FOR Q3: → Netflix: Engagement stayed healthy in July and August, with early September signals looking strong. Was it enough to lower the churn that stubbornly plagued early '25? Regardless, I expect their operating income to be in line with above Q2's. (Update: this morning, Michael Morris at Guggenheim reaffirmed their view on positive engagement trends) → YouTube: Watch for another "step up" in YouTube TV (press reports claim they've hit 10M subs; my model shows slightly below). Add YouTube Music & Premium's continued expansion, continued growth on overall engagement, monetization and margin. → Disney: Possibly the busiest quarter in recent memory. ESPN's DTC relaunched. The new Disney+ UI with Hulu integration goes live this week. Announced NFL Network and WWE deals, price increases. (Update: this morning, Steven Cahall at Wells Fargo resumed coverage of the company with an overweight rating). → Spotify: New CEOs, new products? "We think new form factors are coming." My next newsletter includes a quote from co-CEO Gustav Söderström about TV almost said in passing. The super-app strategy may be accelerating, though expect questions about which new formats are being most embraced by free and premium users. → Paramount: Forget the numbers for a second. All eyes on their Paramount+ and Pluto restructuring plans, the size of any write-offs (and whether that frees up content budget for bigger bets), plus tea leaves about their leaked WBD offer. (Update: this morning, Rich Greenfield argued Paramount should 'build', as opposed to buying WBD; he also believes it's unlikely Netflix will go after WBD) → WBD: See above (BofA's Jessica Reif Ehrlich recently published a note: "Unbundling appears to be most likely option", as opposed to a takeover before the split). → Peacock: Q3 price increases were significant; not enough to turn them into profitability this quarter, but meaningfully dropping to the bottom line. → Affecting everyone: new entrants, new formats, impact of AI. What Q3 will tell us: streaming's next phase won't be about who grew fastest. It'll be about who converts attention into enterprise value most effectively, while still taking advantage of changing behaviors, new formats and new tech. Which earnings call are you watching most closely?

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Does #MXL replace SMPTE ST 2110? NO!! During one IABM Technology & Trends Roadmap working group calls, it was clear that many of us kept hearing incorrectly that MXL (Media eXchange Layer) is a replacement for ST 2110.  While at the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) event this week in New York, I asked Felix Poulin from CBC/Radio-Canada and Vincent Trussart from Grass Valley to help clear this up. Thanks to Felix for providing a clear drawing! Help to get this detail out by reposting and sharing with your peer groups. For additional detail, figure 15 of this European Broadcasting Union (EBU) #DMF document shows the difference between streaming and exchange layer https://lnkd.in/eqsgAnxq

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Roku has launched its $2.99 Howdy SVOD service as a subscription on Prime Video in the U.S., marking the first expansion beyond the Roku platform. Howdy recently secured new content deals with Disney Entertainment, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery, but Roku isn't updating the number of available content hours; it still shows over 10,000 hours. Prime Video now has more than 100 subscription options in the U.S. Roku post: https://lnkd.in/gHpUhKY7 - #roku #howdy #streamingmedia #primevideo #SVOD #amazonprimevideo

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Up to 40% of licensing revenue is lost due to poor metadata — highlighting the important role proper metadata tagging has in a media company's success.   In my latest piece for tvTech, I explore how companies can improve metadata tagging to maximize revenue and enhance the customer experience. This includes leveraging AI to quickly review and organize content. But remember, that human oversight and quality insurance is critical to ensure all content is tagged appropriately in context.   Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/e_Xsf5hX

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🎉 StreamVX Joins the SRT Alliance to Advance Low-Latency Streaming Innovation 🎉 We’re excited to share that StreamVX is now a proud member of the SRT Alliance, a global community of over 700 industry leaders working together to make low-latency, secure video streaming more accessible and reliable across the public internet. At StreamVX, our mission is to provide robust and efficient video software solutions that meet the demands of modern broadcasters, telcos, and media platforms. We already integrated the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) protocol into our product suite as it was a natural evolution of our efforts to ensure seamless video transmission even under unpredictable network conditions. 🔍 Why SRT? SRT is a free, open-source protocol originally developed by Haivision to address the challenges of live video streaming over unreliable networks. It enables secure, high-quality, and low-latency video delivery, making it an ideal foundation for real-time broadcasting, remote production, and hybrid workflows. By adopting SRT:     •    We expand interoperability with leading IP video infrastructures     •    Our customers gain access to broadcast-grade performance across a wide range of environments     •    We continue to future-proof our solutions for the dynamic demands of the video technology landscape Joining the SRT Alliance reflects our commitment to open innovation, collaboration, and delivering technologies that raise the bar in video quality and performance. We look forward to contributing to the continued development of SRT and supporting our customers with tools that power next-generation streaming workflows. 🔗 Learn more about the SRT Alliance: https://rebrand.ly/slr2jqa (https://rebrand.ly/db9pivc) 🌐 Explore StreamVX solutions: https://rebrand.ly/s9y319e (https://rebrand.ly/jgc79l4) #StreamVX #SRTAlliance #StreamingInnovation #VideoStreaming #IPVideo #BroadcastTech #LowLatencyStreaming #OpenSource #TechPartnership #FutureOfBroadcast

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Closed (or subscription) pirate IPTV services are often so slick, with professional UIs and even live Support, that users are convinced they are paying for a legitimate package. Learn how we can stop these hugely damaging platforms.

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