John Attanasio

#LatinMusic #Streaming “Amid a slowdown in the growth of #US recorded music revenues, #Latin music remains a bright spot. According to the latest mid-year report from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Latin music wholesale revenues hit $490.3 million in the first half of 2025, up 5.9% year-over-year. That growth rate is more than six times as fast as overall wholesale revenues in the US, which grew 0.9% YoY to $5.59 billion in H1 2025, according to an earlier report from the #RIAA. In all, 98% of Latin music revenues came from streaming, with paid streaming accounting for $271.1 million, up 11.2% YoY. That compares to a growth rate of 6.3% YoY in paid subscription revenue for all genres in H1 2025. Free (ad-supported) streaming of Latin music brought in $174.1 million, up 0.6% YoY. In the “other streaming” category, which combines payments for digital and customized radio services under statutory licenses, including #SoundExchange distributions, revenue grew 0.5% YoY to $36.4 million.” “Latin music in the US continues to gain popularity and generate increased value thanks to the incredible artists whose music connects across language and geographical barriers with support from creative label partnerships,” said Matt Bass, VP of Research at the RIAA….” Read the article for more: #RecordedMusic #Licensing #MusicLicensing #Vinyl #Creators #Artists #Songwriters #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #RecordLabels #MusicRoyalties #USA

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Today’s acquisition of IndiCue marks a transformative day for Cineverse. For the last decade, our shared vision at Cineverse has been to establish a next-generation studio specifically built to compete in the modern streaming era, this isn't an easy task and doesn't happen overnight.  It happens piece by piece... Today's announcement brings us closer to fulfilling this vision. There is substantial value this acquisition brings us, it places us in a very unique position within the industry were we now control the underlying data pipes from end-to-end. This means that everything we do during the content mastering process, as it relates to metadata enrichment, can now make its way through the entire supply chain and flow all the way to the ad platform and subsequently to our back-end AI content analytics & reporting platform. Contextual advertising has been attempted by various companies over the years with limited success. A big part of their inability to bring an effective solution has been due to the highly fragmented nature of the media supply chain that precedes the monetization end-points. We believe we can solve this problem and are excited to bring cutting-edge innovation to the advertising ecosystem. A huge congratulations to the IndiCue leadership team consisting of Nicholas Frazee, John Marchesini and Yuriy Gorokhov! Congrats to the entire IndiCue team and a hearty welcome into the Cineverse family! #cineverse #matchpoint #indicue #adtech #ott #videostreaming https://lnkd.in/gySsEJbZ

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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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"iambeastnetwork expands global reach with launch on Roku & Amazon Fire TV". ​iambeastnetwork/iambeastradio founded by Andre "The Beast" Crayton, is proud to announce its official launch on Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices. This expansion places the iambeastnetwork and iambeastradio network’s diverse catalog of programming into over 90 million Roku households and 250 million Fire TV devices globally. ​Operating on Roku & FireTv Devices, the network features a powerhouse lineup including The Miller Experience Xcalibur Miller, Jessica Javens Talk Podcast, The Psych With A Mic Jennifer Paweleck Bellingrodt, Change The Narrative Podcast Marion Rivera iambeastnetwork remains committed to providing a platform for voices that inspire, educate, and entertain. ​Users can now add the iambeastnetwork channel directly from their device’s app store. Search 🔎 iambeastnetwork Pluto TV Samsung Networks Paramount Tubi Crackle Disney Experiences Plex, Inc. Hulu Starz CBS Fox Networks Group NBCUniversal Netflix

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Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t the story. The media operating system is. • This showdown is a fight between theatrical preservation and streaming sovereignty. • A Netflix-WBD outcome likely accelerates the fastest collapse of U.S. syndication economics in decades. • When syndication weakens, local stations and cable ad models lose their last durable cash engine. • The hidden casualty is ecosystem diversity: WBD has supported content breadth across FAST and multi-platform mixes. • A Netflix absorption could compress that breadth into a single-platform gravity well. • If Paramount wins: three-horse era (Netflix–Disney+–Paramount+). • If Netflix wins: one-strong, one-mid, two-weak (Netflix 1-strong, Prime /Disney+ 2-mid, Peacock/Paramount+ 2-weak). • For Korea/Asia, a Netflix-WBD deal may tighten regional rights and incentivize global-slate efficiency over local optionality. This is less about ownership and more about what media pluralism still looks like after consolidation.

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Ludon Lee, a veteran of the digital entertainment field, is launching High Score, a specialized arcade in San Francisco that focuses on a "Play-2-Earn" model. Unlike traditional venues, this establishment allows patrons to engage in skill-based competitions and tournaments to win actual currency. The project aims to help revitalize the downtown district by attracting both residents and tourists to a competitive gaming environment. To fund this venture, the company is utilizing equity crowdfunding, offering various tiers of investment to both accredited and non-accredited individuals. Supporters can gain passive income returns or exclusive gaming perks as the business taps into a rapidly expanding global market. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to merge professional gaming talent with a unique physical destination for social entertainment. https://lnkd.in/gJjmFHz2

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SXSW is a wrap. It was great. And while I’m tired, I learned a lot and connected with so many people. We had 5 Creators on panels. Alexis Ramos, our Head of Sports and Partner, spoke on two panels. I also moderated and spoke on two panels. And Lighthouse Studios launched Lyrical Lemonade TV, a media network for a new generation. A few of my observations: 1) Creators and Hollywood are merging, but also separate! Panels and activations were more creator-packed than I can remember. IP ownership. Business models. What I found most interesting is that both sides need each other - just for different reasons. Some Creators still crave the validation that Hollywood represents. Hollywood needs Creators to stay culturally relevant. But here’s my actual take: Hollywood needs to take bigger bets and move faster. And Creators need to start building real prestige IP that leads to longevity. Both sides will keep merging. But Creators are also just fine on their own. That part gets overlooked. 2) Go to the dinners and intimate gatherings. Skip the parties. People go to the parties to say they went. That’s it. No real business happens. No real relationships form. Everyone’s orbiting the same room, waiting in long lines for a drink. The dinners and curated events were different. Smaller rooms. Actual conversation. People who can finish a thought without having to yell. Food has a way of bonding people that a 200-person open bar simply cannot. I left those dinners with real relationships, which almost never happens in a free-for-all concert. And I left the smaller parties, like the Lyrical Lemonade party, having truly bonded with people. 3) AI has a new publicist or sentiment is slowly changing. Every conference runs an AI panel or 20 now. But the tone felt different this time. The “AI is taking our jobs” panic has quietly shifted to “this makes me better at my job.” For Creators, the realization is setting in that authentic voice is the differentiator. The people winning with AI aren’t replacing creators. They’re using it to lean into comedy, science, pop culture - things that still need a real human perspective to land. The doom narrative didn’t disappear. But it definitely got quieter. 4) Panel etiquette is apparently optional now. I moderated one panel, spoke on another, and went to a dozen. All were great, except for the people loudly having full conversations while speakers were presenting. Audience members. And at times, the people throwing the event and their staff. I’ve spoken at a lot of conferences and I’ve never seen this before. I’m loud. If I’m having trouble hearing myself, something has gone very wrong. These speakers are unpaid. They’re giving you their time and their thinking. The least you can do is act like you want to be there or leave. And next time I’m on a panel and the person who asked me to be there is having a full conversation in the front row, I’ll take that as my cue to wrap early and let them take it from here.

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Sports content on streaming platforms continues its meteoric rise, up 52% year-over-year, according to new data highlighted by Señal News. This surge underscores how central live sports and related programming have become in the battle for audience attention among major SVOD services. But there’s another side to this trend that deserves attention: the parallel rise in non‑authorized live events streaming across social media platforms. As legitimate sports content grows on licensed services, we’re also seeing increasing misuse of social networks to broadcast live games without authorization, creating complex challenges for rights holders, platforms, and regulators. As the industry continues to evolve, strengthening content protection, improving platform accountability, and educating users will be key to ensuring that innovation and accessibility don’t come at the expense of creators’ and distributors’ rights. Original article here: https://lnkd.in/evRFijaQ

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What’s one way to know your prediction hits the mark? When @faultline’s @ Tommy Flanagan writes “we wholeheartedly agree.”   In his latest issue, Tommy ponders an important question about the growth of short-form content: will its adoption go behind tier-1 broadcasters to niches streamers? I’d argue AI-driven shorts are a necessity for niche and tier-1s alike who want to compete (and win) against the creator economy. The reality is, viewers need more reasons to stay engaged within broadcasters’ ecosystems. AI-driven shorts give them the velocity and intelligence needed to break viewers’ habits of scrolling through their TikTok feed, and instead staying within their O&O platforms.   Simply put, the conversation has moved beyond how to participate in the creator economy to where that economy lives. In 2026, the streaming wars will pivot from a battle over library depth to a fight for the discovery funnel.    What do you think?

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From growing at 15.6% in 2023, the music industry grew at only 6.2% last year—the first year in which revenues fell short of expectations. So where is the growth - new streaming markets, new models to monetize music, video content, and superfans offer potential for the industry to expand its revenues. https://lnkd.in/gtE-rH79

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