OTT Executive Podcast with Brian Mahony

 1) Career background including academia and political psychology; 2) Working for General Mills and then Microsoft; 3) Where does short-form video fit in? 4) The creator economy and how to decide whether to launch a show via short form or traditional channels; 5) Conservative vs. liberal viewing habits; 6) Role of AI for creation and reducing costs (e.g. simulating location); 7) What are the limits of AI and why do consumers hate being "fooled"? 8) Why Natasha doesn't think AI is "HAL" (yet); 9) Natasha's love of fitness and old films; 10) Favorite character from "Little House on the Prairie" Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

 1) Growing up the child of Hollywood parents; 2) Love for soccer; 3) Learning the business world at Enterprise Rent-A-Car; 4) Mometu is "more for me and you"; 5) Working with young creators; 6) Starting new film festival; 7) Subbing and dubbing strategy; 8) How is AI helping independent film makers? 9) Perspectives on WBD-Paramount deal; 10) Bryan's love for working out and golf. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Christy's career background; 2) Launching streaming for CBS News; 3) Starting Swerve TV; 4) Distribution strategy (Roku and Pluto initially); 5) Freestyle Trampoline Association example- why there should be a “cut” of women’s content for many sports; 6) Analyzing the data to understand viewer engagement; 7) Biggest industry challenge right now—content discovery; 8) Constantly changing KPI’s (e.g., subscriber growth vs. profitability); 9) Monetization strategies- “the best way to monetize is to create unmissable content”; 10) Creator economy- can media channels/platforms/networks still create audiences or does the audience need to come with the show?; 11) AI buzz vs. reality? "removing the drudgery of the industry and allow humans to do creative things”; 12) Christy’s love for skiing and snowboarding.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

 1) Johnny's career background; 2) Launching CLEO TV at TV One; 3) Content distribution strategy; 4) How to embrace the "creator economy"; 5) How is AI changing the media & entertainment industry; 6) How to overcome the content discovery challenge; 7) Importance of embracing YouTube and social video; 8) Shift towards unscripted content; 9) We've always had playlists, "the only difference is you don't know what's coming up next"; 10 Johnny's love for tennis. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

 1) Cathy's beginning in the cable industry (starting at Warner Bros. Television, Cablevision Magazine, ESPN, TV Guide, Food Network); 2) Starting Rasenberger Media consultancy; 3) Launching 28 cable networks; 4) Moving to launching FAST channels; 5) Launching FreeLiveSports.tv and 120+ channels; 6) Role of complimentary content on FAST networks; 7) Importance of live sports; 8) Keeping fans engaged between seasons; 9) Using AI to personalize EPG; 10) Launching GluedIn community engagement tool; 11) Integrating FAST for in-car infotainment-- "laying the foundation for driverless cars"; 12) Cathy's "hobby"? Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Moving to Colorado; 2) Background in cable, insurance, and farm equipment; 3) Role of Fathom as distribution "window" option; 4) Theater "magic" is still alive; 5) Fathom's rebrand; 6) Growth in live events; 7) "The Chosen" phenomena-- episodic in theaters for the first time; 8) Faith-based genre strength; 9) International growth strategy; 10) Tangled up in Ray's passion for fly fishing. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Greg's early childhood and entry into Olympic gymnastics trampoline; 2) Yearning for more freedom and self-expression; 3) Meeting Trish McGeer; 4) The first GTG Games- the sport "launched on Instagram"; 5) Creation of global brand and first World Championships; 6) Freestyle trampoline community and athlete "vibe"; 7) Growing ecosystem including live events, new Flippin' TV, e-sports, training center, action sports camps, etc.; 8) Greg's vision for the future of the FTA; 9) Greg's creative hobbies. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Ren's start from a "summer camp" kid to music/opera, to MTV, to content producer; 2) Literally started in the mailroom; 3) Origins of the "faith-fueled" PRAYZN story; 4) Building a faith-fueled pervasive community; 5) Phase 1: launching the faith-based MTV; 6) Phase 2: adding scripted and unscripted programming; 7) Phase 3: imbedding all other engagement touch-points (social, dating, live events, merch, etc.) to become "the soundtrack of their lives"; 8) Describing his dream team; 9) Ren's passion as a "voracious vegetizer".Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Beth's start as a theatre director; 2) The art of storytelling and creative collaboration; 3) Comparing FAST channels to old-school curated "mix tapes"; 4) FAST strategy started with single-series such as "Antiques Road Show"; 5) What is the balance between creative/intuitive curation and science/data analytics in programming FAST channels?; 6) What role should AI play? --"technology is a gift"; 7) BBC Studios viewer acquisition strategy; 8) Dual-screen engagement strategy; 9) Should we bake social media UX features into FAST channels? 10) How do we overcome current industry challenges to improve profitability, engagement, and consumer satisfaction? 11) Beth's "adorable" passion project.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Srini's career background; 2) Amagi's roots as an advertising marketplace in India; 3) Facing down a major company crisis; 4) Pivoting to become a global FAST tech vendor; 5) Managing lightning-fast growth; 6) How to maintain your company culture at scale; 7) How to segment your customer base; 8) Managing core vs. custom product development; 9) Fixing the inefficiencies of the DTC (direct-to-consumer) strategy; 10) Srini's super sophisticated pastime-- reading books.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Esther's career background; 2) Design lessons from a can opener; 3) Why UX design should get C-suite attention; 4) Design differences between music and video; 5) How to integrate UX for all content forms-- short clips, long-form, live events, etc.; 6) Using user feedback and directed input vs. passive inferential design; 7) Should consumers be able to toggle between different UX experiences? 8) Esther's passion for painting. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Interning for "Late Night with David Letterman" -- can people still start their M&E careers that way? 2) CNN Digital role; 3) Launching first live news streaming service; 4) The "Great Big Story" story; 5) CNBC and NBC News OTT products; 6) Partnership with Pluto; 7) What was the inflection point where streaming became "real"? 8) Current Allen Media Group role as President of Digital; 9) What is the future of "local" in streaming? 10) Current state and future of streaming UX; 11) Role of AI to improve content management and UX-- "AI will eventually build the ultimate streaming service"; 12) Michael's passion for writing, being creative, and using AI to create new logos; 13) Michael's advice to people starting their M&E careers "ask how can I be helpful"-- take action, be humble, be useful. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Paul's career background-- Technicolor, Disney, Discovery, Struum; 2) Paul's mentor and move into strategy; 3) Getting the call from Disney; 4) The "moment when my career trajectory changed"; 5) How to use viewer data to be cool at cocktail parties ; 6) QuickPlay's focus on Tier 1 customers; 7) QuickPlay's USP: architecture and culture; 8) QuickPlay's new AI programmer tool; 9) Paul's passion for tennis and his beef with the Tennis Channel bundle; 10) Meet Paul's puppies Betsey and Sophie.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Kevin's background at Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts, Walt Disney Pictures, and Zynga; 2) Learning about merchandising, gaming, and communities when launching the Pokémon franchise to the USA; 3) Why EA (Sims franchise) and Zynga (Words with Friends) highlighted the powerful combination of content, gaming, and communities; 4) Genesis of Bold Baking Network; 5) How "baking" is different from "cooking"-- it's about joy and love; 6) 500 million video views and 8 million monthly unique viewers; 7) What does it mean to build a content "universe"; 8) How Star Wars created a "cross-generational" community; 9) Role of mobile for building out your community; 10) Bold Baking Network's plans for a new FAST channel; 11) Working with SpaceMob for OTT platform and distribution; 12) Viewer acquisition strategy; 13) Importance of including live content for the baking audience; 14) Gamification of the UX; 15) Kevin's passion for cinema.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Scott's career background starting with device drivers at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC); 2) Current role leading SeaChange's advertising team; 3) SeaChange's end-to-end streaming platform; 4) Advertising solutions including pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll and creating custom FAST channels on the fly; 5) Innovations such as side-by-side advertising, clickable events, and QR codes; 6) Trade-offs of server side vs. client side advertising solutions (or both); 7) Role of big data to match ad inventory to user behavior; 8) Scott's 22-year support of the Pan-Mass Challenge (192 mile bike ride) to benefit cancer research. PMC this year will hit the milestone of $1 billion raised for cancer research.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Steve's career background- "Silicon Valley meets Hollywood"; 2) The problem to solve-- universal search within the OTT operating system; 3) How is it possible your title doesn't show up in search even if it's in your library? 4) Why/how the search algorithm optimizes the platform's monetization-- not the apps; 5) Search vs. CTV/platform marketing- what has better ROI? 6) How Steve's team works to index/optimize your content library; 7) In an ideal world, who's job is it to optimize search results to maximize UX, engagement, monetization? 8) "The search engines and CTV OS wars are obfuscated and secret..."; 9) How to optimize your title names/tags for search; 10) Sometimes it's better to negotiate a bad deal so the streaming platform optimizes your content in their search algorithm; 11) Why you might need a search partner to get access to CTV/OS engineering teams; 12) ROI = 500% to 1000% increase in app downloads and titles watched.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Evan's 2023 wrap up; 2) The media universe "death stars" getting bigger; 3) Consolidation of advertising market under Google, Meta, and Amazon (60%); 4) Why are the media giants getting into sports in a huge way? 5) "We left the last era of media four years ago when Disney went to DTC.... chasing Netflix towards a business model that doesn't work."; 6) Good churn vs. bad churn; 7) The paradox of consumers wanting choice-- AND bundles; 8) 2024 M&A predictions-- Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, Disney; 9) Data/identity will trump content in 2024; 10) Additive role of Gen AI in 2024; 11) 2024 investment best bets- Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, NVIDIA-- be careful of AI bubble.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Keith's background in theater and film; 2) Moving into digital media and then streaming media; 3) Space Mob's focus on creating FAST channels and creating series; 4) FAST market under pressure as platforms are cutting back channels; 5) Focus on entertainment sports streaming such as pickle ball; 6) Minimum viable FAST channel needs 150 hours to start; 7) Revenue share model with content partners; 8) Merchandising opportunities; 9) Smaller production companies will likely exit the business; 10) Keith supporting his kids' Pokémon passion. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Katherine's pre-Vizio career background; 2) First job at Vizio 11 years ago; 3) Current role; 4) Vizio as full-service media company including hardware, content, data, advertising, distribution, mobile; 5) Vizio content vetting process; 6) Higher bar for content partnerships, but still lots of new "white space"; 7) Elements of a good content deal; 8) Vizio's key UX metrics; 9) Role of voice in search and navigation; 10) FAST and other industry trends; 11) Katherine's love of fitnessAlso watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Rachel's career background; 2) Rachel and husband met in kindergarten? I forgot the follow up question about this! 3) Recognizing the wedding video opportunity; 4) Getting started building a large social community; 5) Anatomy of a content licensing deal; 6) Advertising strategy and lack of data visibility; 7) Partnering/competing with CTV and distribution platforms; 8) Why Rachel doesn't worry about content and distribution saturation; 9) Content curation strategy; 10) "Content discovery" vs. "search"; 11) The easy CTV distribution era is over; 12) Building communities around video content; 13) Rachel's love of precision skating.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Natalie's current role; 2) Career background from JP Morgan to ESPN; 3) Vevo's global operations-- streaming across 34 distribution platforms including YouTubeTV, Samsung TV+, Pluto, Roku, and Amazon FireTV-- over 800,000 pieces of content; 4) Launching FAST channels; 5) Embracing a data-driven environment; 6) The promise vs. the reality of addressable advertising; 7) The process of data and advertising experimentation; 8) When will measurement become standardized and reliable?; 9) Future of FAST and role of CTV; 10) Personalization of the "long tail"; 11) Natalie's renewed love of horse-back riding.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Stephen's role and background on Robosoft Technologies; 2) Marquee customers including Discovery+, Magnolia, Global Cycling Network, Food Network, and ESPN; 3) Creating "communities" to enhance engagement and monetization; 4) Engineering and software development outsourcing vs. staff augmentation vs. innovation centers of excellence; 5) Cross device/platform brand integration; 6) 25 year history including first customer Apple; 7) Creating emotional engagement via human-centric design; 8) UX best practices; 9) Stephen's love of travel.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Background on Imagicomm and INSP "5th ranked cable channel in the U.S."; 2) Media conglomerate including cable, original content distribution, and 13 broadcast networks; 3) "Lunge-free" family/friendly content including "The Cowboy Way", "Legal Action", and Christmas movies; 4) Charlotte-based studios/distribution; 5) Tell family stories without being preachy; 6) Jonathan's background including MGM and Walt Disney Studios; 7) From directing to producing/business side; 8) Advice for college grads trying to break into media & entertainment industry; 9) Status of industry right now during tough economy; 10) AVOD vs. FAST business; 11) Future challenge for niche streaming services vs. bundled content; 12) Moving beyond just content libraries to building a community; 13) How to improve tune-in rates and watch times; 14) Jonathan's "Southern" kids- "Y'all see that yella cat?" Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Jason's finance/private equity background; 2) Problem statement- simplifying streaming; 3) Win-win-win three-tiered approach- consumers, streamers, and broadband providers; 4) MyBundle watch list; 5) Partnering with cable providers for cord-cutters selecting broadband; 6) "Find MyBundle" tool; 7) Dominance of smart phone over TV remote as content discovery tool; 8) Difference between "search" and "browse"; 9) The "WD-40" of streaming; 10) Role of AI; 11) FAST vs SVOD app monetization; 12) Jason's unrequited love for golf vs. his kids being "his world".Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Teresa's background at Rakuten launching new channels; 2) Dearth of channels in Europe; 3) Need for localization (local content, local language); 4) LoveTV Channels one year anniversary; 5) Distribution with Samsung, Xumo, etc.; 6) Finding new distribution in U.S. market; 7) Love the Planet channel about sustainability; 8) Next stage focused on viewer acquisition; 9) Role of European telcos in streaming FAST channels; 10) Teresa's passion for cooking. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Acquisition of X Games from Disney/ESPN; 2) Steven's background from Twitch and NBC/NFL; 3) Role of community on Twitch; 4) Focus on expanding X Games events to distribution and streaming; 5) What to do with 18 years of VOD library? 6) Augmenting event content with athlete personalities; 7) Use of social for shared real-time experience; 8) X Games content discovery strategy; 9) StreamTV big trends-- CTV and FAST; 10) Steven's hobbies-- Will we see extreme scuba diving X Games event?Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) J. Alexander's background including co-founding FUBU; 2) Opportunities in streaming media; 3) Signing with Cineverse; 4) Future of FAST; 5) Writer's strike pushing move back to reality TV; 6) Role of AI in streaming; 7) Focus on building his businesses; 8) Future plansAlso watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Thoughts on StreamTV Show in Denver; 2) Colin's career background from "structural engineer specializing in water-retaining concrete design" to Xumo leader; 3) Xumo's roots in digital ad-tech; 4) Comcast acquisition; 5) Comcast-Charter joint venture; 6) How does Xumo fit into Comcast's portfolio including Peacock, Xfinity, Flex, Xumo App, Platform, OS, etc. 7) What does the future of FAST look like? 8) The role of free/ad-supported video; 9) Importance of content discovery; 10) Meet Colin's rescue dog "Flounder" (who comes to work with him everyday); 11) "Sneaking" into the "VIP" Xumo reception.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Brad's background from local radio, to cable and broadcast, to streaming; 2) Launching MTV; 3) How "South Park" put Comedy Central on the map; 4) Early forays into streaming with Bloomberg and Scripps; 5) Creating Eagle Dock Media (and not getting sued by LeBron James); 6) Is content exclusivity/walled gardens going away? 7) Experimenting with content monetization strategies; 8) Is re-aggregation the future? 9) Brad's love for live music (40-50 live shows a year!)Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Jeremy's career beginning with "knocking on doors" for Continental Cablevision; 2) Launching Google Fiber; 3) Launching YouTube TV; 4) Content piracy; 5) Launching Stern Digital Strategies; 6) Role of AI; 7) Status of Local TV industry; 8) Industry cost-cutting as "natural evolution"; 9) Growth of OTA and ATSC 3.0; 10) Jeremy's passion for Blues guitar.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Background on Cinedigm; 2) Cinedigm content strategy; 3) The power of "enthusiast" content (anime, family, horror, etc.); 4) Cineverse "Big Umbrella"; 5) Building communities around video content; 6) FAST as a "throw-back linear approach"; 7) Celebrity-based channels; 8) "Wall Street whipsaw from growth at all costs" to "focus on the bottom line"; 9) Erick's passion for Finger Lakes fun. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Sara’s background; 2) Working for Mr. Rogers; 3) Non-profit focus on experimentation vs. commercialization; 4) PBS Kids and gaming; 5) PBS distribution/device strategy; 6) PBS podcasts; 7) How to stay the course despite cutbacks in kid content; 8) PBS content strategy; 9) Show curricula- Curious George as Engineering teacher?; 10) How to make content more accessible for audiences; 11) Sara’s built-in “focus group” at homeAlso watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Background on Robert; 2) 15 years since Hulu launch; 3) Can the industry sustain massive content investment amid huge losses? 4) Avoid the "collapse of the middle" through scale or focus; 5) BritBox viewer acquisition strategy; 6) Why a dedicated BritBox service vs. licensing through other services? 7) How rise of CTVs changes things; 8) Robert's passion for pizza and pizza ovens.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Mike Bloxham's background; 2) New study on streaming subscriber churn; 3) "Intentionality of churn"; 4) Six different churn segments; 5) Why are "Hypers" both highly engaged and most likely to churn? 6) How "good/bad churn" is like cholesterol; 7) Moving to a "subscribed months" metric; 8) Why churn isn't correlated to income; 9) Churn segment "portfolio management"; 10) SVOD vs. FAST churn; 11) Mike's passion for Scotch whiskey. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Kieanji's background; 2) Genesis of Nakx; 3) Streaming opportunity for independent films; 4) Nakx business model; 5) Linear programming strategy; 6) Nakx distribution strategy; 7) Nakx launch plans; 8) Future plans for original content; 9) Kieanji's foray into reality TV (watch her on "The Blox").Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Marc Zand background; 2) What are multicast/diginet/D2-D3 networks? 3) How did multicast networks get their initial content? 4) OTA content discovery; 5) How did Marc grow Ion Media Networks? 6) How was multicast a pre-cursor to FAST channels? 7) The tension between content exclusivity and wider distribution; 8) What are the various aspects of content licensing deals? 9) The era of the "grown-ups" taking charge and focusing on profit margins; 10) How Marc used divorce and paternity law as an entre into the entertainment industry.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Background of Tony Mugavero; 2) Merger of ROW8 and Rad; 3) Video applications of blockchain, web3, smart contracts, etc. 4) What is NFTV and premium transactional VOD? 5) Marketing aspects of video/music NFTs; 6) Extending video content via merchandising, collectibles, etc. 7) Do blockchain smart contracts replace DRM? 8) How to make video blockchain/NFTs mainstream; 9) Tony's EDM passion-- search "DatGuy" on Spotify to hear his music. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Donna's background; 2) Democratizing content creation; 3) New studio and tech stack; 4) Greenlighting 50 new shows; 5) Distribution strategy; 6) A "billionaire in spirit"; 7) Is the content market saturated? 8) Storytelling; 9) Donna's favorite things; 10) Bonus: Will Brian and Donna create a new show together?Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) FITE distribution strategy; 2) new FAST channel FITE 24/7; 3) Unique aspects of PPV; 4) Getting added to the Roku Channel; 5) Expanding into soccer and rugby; 6) Viewer acquisition strategy; 7) Fighting content pirates; 8) 2023 predictions; 9) Bonus: Did Michael catch William "the Fridge" Perry during WrestleMania 2?Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Two college students talk about their media and entertainment habits; 2) Discussions include Apple, Disney+, YouTube TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Hulu, FuboTV, Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat, etc.; 3) Favorite shows and ways of watching; 4) Music comes first, followed by social and video; 5) No interest in cable TV or OTA; 6) Switching from Apple Music to Spotify; 7) What if there was a Spotify Wrapped for video?; 8) Ads vs. subscription services; 9) When you graduate, what services would you get and what are you willing to pay?Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Interview with Adam Ware, SVP Growth Networks, Sinclair Broadcast Group; 2) Career background; 3) Differing viewer acquisition strategies across broadcast and streaming services; 4) Resilience of Over-The-Air (OTA); 5) ATSC 3.0 "Next-Gen TV"; 6) Content discovery strategies; 7) Discussions including Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Hulu, Peacock, etc.; 8) TV channel "brands"; 9) Rise of ad-supported business models; 10) BBC's plans to merge broadcast and streaming; 11) Adam's passion outside of work.Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) E.J.'s career recap; 2) Background on MolQ Entertainment; 3) MolQ Films and MolQ TV launch plans; 4) Growth in advertising business models; 5) Role of NFTs for marketing and engagement; 6) UX strategy; 7) International launch plans; 8) Things about E.J. you might not know. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Background on Isabel; 2) Language, culture, or geography-- how do you define the "Hispanic" market? 3) Programming and content curation; 4) "Peak streaming"-- how will the limit of subscribers/viewers impact growth? 5) Role of original content vs. licensed programming; 6) One thing about Isabel you may not know. Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive

1) Evan Shapiro dispels “tentacle” rumors; 2) Disney’s CEO revolving door amidst “peak TV”; 3) How bad will the media industry “impression recession” get? -- two leading indicators to look for; 4) Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Roku, Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, 5G, Pay TV, and Triple Play discussions; 5) Why Amazon overpaid for NFL Thursday Night Football; 6) How to manage your career during industry contraction; 7) The future of content— advice for creators and storytellers; 8) One thing about Evan you might not knowAlso watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ottexecutive