280: Hollywood on the Blockchain — Riaz Mehta’s Vision for Creator-Led Media with Ritestream

Riaz Mehta, founder of Ritestream, joins Sam to talk about disrupting Netflix with a decentralized, fan-funded streaming platform. He explains how Ritestream empowers creators, shares revenue with viewers, and uses NFTs and tokens to bring transparency to film financing — plus the role AI will play in reshaping media.Key Timestamps[00:00:00] Intro: Riaz Mehta shares how Ritestream is reinventing film funding and streaming[00:02:00] Journey into Web3: From early Bitcoin exposure to a Vitalik meetup in 2017[00:04:00] Why Ritestream: Solving funding gaps and ownership problems in media[00:06:00] Fan-Powered Entertainment: Letting users co-fund and benefit from movie success[00:08:00] Web3 vs Web2: Transparency, on-chain revenue, and smart contracts as game changers[00:12:00] Business Model: Launchpad fees, ad-driven revenue sharing, and token buybacks[00:17:00] Content Trends: Action, comedy, and crypto-native audiences on Ritestream Plus[00:19:00] Decentralized Curation: DAOs will decide what gets made and what gets streamed[00:20:00] Industry Blindspots: Why Hollywood still doesn’t get Web3[00:24:00] UX Matters: Reducing friction for viewers while rewarding those who opt in[00:25:00] Kryptonite TV: Web3’s Shark Tank, funded and launched on Ritestream[00:27:00] Founder Advice: Focus on real value, ignore noise, and understand timing[00:30:00] AI’s Impact: Lowering production costs, generating talent, and transforming workflows[00:31:00] Value Accrual: Future of media lies in distribution and on-chain data ownership[00:32:00] Final Ask: Community participation, fundraising, and checking out Kryptonite TVConnecthttps://www.ritestream.io/https://x.com/ritestream_iohttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ritestream/https://www.linkedin.com/in/riaz-mehta/DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/