Morning Brew Daily – 2026 Lookahead: World Cup, Moon Travel, Grand Theft Auto VI and More

Hosts: Neal Freyman (A) & Toby Howell (B)
Date: January 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This special episode of Morning Brew Daily sets the stage for the year 2026, unpacking major upcoming events, trends, and “spicy hot predictions” about politics, technology, culture, sports, and entertainment. Hosts Neal and Toby blend wit, informed banter, and forward-thinking analysis to help listeners get ready for a year packed with historic anniversaries, landmark events, and evolving business and economic landscapes.

Key Discussion Points

1. America’s 250th Birthday & Anniversaries

[01:53 – 05:30]

• Semiquincentennial: America celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. Expect nationwide celebrations: fireworks, parades, historic reenactments, and a bid for the largest flag-waving event.

  • Neal: “There will also be a lot of reflecting about what it means to be an American and what America means to the world. 250 years after TJ wrote about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” [01:53]
  • Noted decrease in patriotism: Only 58% of Americans “very or extremely proud” today vs. 87% post-9/11.

• City Rivalry: Philadelphia (historical epicenter), Washington, D.C. (political), and New York (media, cultural) are all vying for attention as the symbolic heart of the celebrations.

  • Toby: “Each one of those cities is trying to become like the main venue…so it'll be interesting to see how they play their cards. This is a national celebration though. It’s going to touch every single state.” [03:01]

• History Media Boom: Surge anticipated for history-focused productions (e.g. Hamilton tickets, Ken Burns documentaries).

  • Neal: “It’ll be a time where people revisit history...History is a booming business and I think that’s only going to get bigger this year.” [03:55]

• 100th Anniversary of Route 66: “The Mother Road” from Chicago to LA will have its own cross-country celebrations.

  • Toby: “All these businesses and states and cities along Route 66 are going to be doing celebrations for the 100th anniversary of that road.” [04:58]

2. U.S. Midterm Elections – The Politics of Affordability & AI

[05:30 – 10:29]

• Affordability Dominates: Escalating costs for necessities plague voters, reviving 2024’s “inflation election” dynamics.

  • “Affordability will be the top concern for many voters this year.” [06:30]
  • Parties in power everywhere lost vote share in 2024 due to cost-of-living frustrations.

• Electricity: ‘The New Eggs’: AI data centers massively increase energy costs, thrusting electricity bills into the political limelight (“electricity is the new dozen eggs” – Neal [08:45]).

  • AI industry becomes a political battlefield, with new super PACs advocating for pro-AI policies.
  • Local opposition to server farms is rising: “From national to just your local town hall, electricity and data centers and AI will be a huge battleground.” [09:17]

3. Global Sporting Events

Winter Olympics (Milan Cortina, Italy)

[10:29 – 12:11]

• Big storylines: Chloe Kim’s attempt at a third consecutive gold, NHL’s return, new sport debut (“skimo”).

  • Toby: “I'm really pumped for Skimo…they’re literally hiking up a mountain on cross-country skis…we look pretty good actually. I have high hopes for Skimo.” [10:29]

• Olympics Media Coverage: Anticipation for NBC’s expanded “Gold Zone” whiparound format.

World Baseball Classic

[12:11 – 12:59]

• “Sport’s brightest stars” unite; underdog stories like the Czech Republic team (mostly amateurs) remain fan favorites.

FIFA World Cup (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

[12:59 – 13:41]

• Expanded field: 48 teams, 104 games.
• Logistics puzzle: Emphasis on how U.S. infrastructure will handle the huge influx of fans.
  • “Logistics just always is the main storyline…Other than the fact that this is a giant sporting event.” [13:41]
• U.S. hopes: “Please just make it to the knockout stage. Pretty pleased.” – Neal [12:59]
• Toby's on-air bet: “If we don’t make it out of the group stage, I’m moving to Canada.” [13:41]

4. Moon Missions & Private Space

[13:41 – 16:55]

• Artemis 2: NASA’s crewed return to the moon (albeit without landing), possibly as early as February.

  • “Victor Glover will be the first black astronaut to fly around the moon. And Jeremy Hansen will be the first Canadian astronaut to participate in a lunar mission.” [15:27]
  • Neal: Skeptical, “It never goes to plan…it is rocket science. It's very hard.” [15:27]

• Private Sector Initiatives: Companies like SpaceX, Nvidia, Google, Bezos/Musk plan AI/data centers in space to ease energy pressures on Earth.

5. Pop Culture & Entertainment in 2026

[16:55 – 18:16]

• Movies: Major titles lined up, from prestige dramas (Wuthering Heights), blockbusters (Super Mario Galaxy, Toy Story 5), to franchise sequels (“Avengers: Doomsday”, “Dune 3”).
• TV: Anticipated releases for “The Pit” (HBO), “Industry”, “Game of Thrones” prequel, “Bridgerton S4”, “Euphoria S3”, “Scrubs” reboot.
• Video Games: Grand Theft Auto VI finally (perhaps) releases after years of memes and anticipation.
  • Neal: “They have to. And when it comes, it should be one of the best, if not the best-selling game of all time.” [18:29]
  • Toby jokes about GTA VI possibly including a moon landing feature: “Grand Theft Auto will have a moon landing feature and then it’s two birds with one stone.” [18:45]

6. Other Major Anniversaries

[19:42 – 20:21]

• Apple Computer’s 50th (founded 1976)
• 25 years since 9/11
• 10 years since Brexit
• **500 years since Mughal Empire’s founding (“Shout out the Moogles. Also shout out us. It’s the third anniversary of Morning Brew Daily.” [20:21])

7. Toby’s Spicy Predictions for 2026

[21:09 – 27:26]

1. OpenAI Will Not Exist by Year End

   • “The economics just don’t make sense. How can a startup compete…with national scale level spending?” – Toby [21:09]
   • Neal retorts: “When was the last time a company collapsed when its product was being used by 900 million people every month?” [21:43]
   • Some nuance: potential for Microsoft to absorb OpenAI or for a rapid demise via failed funding rounds.

2. Netflix Buys AMC Theatres

   • “Netflix has pinky promised to preserve [theatrical releases]…Buy up the biggest movie chain theater in the world.” [22:26]
   • Neal questions the growth plan; Toby concedes it may not make strict business sense but could have cultural impact.

3. TikTok Falls Out of Top 10 Downloads

   • “Turning it basically into an affiliate slop fest at this point” due to TikTok shop. [24:11]
   • “You can find more culture on Instagram reels now…TikTok fatigue.” [25:19]

4. Time’s Person of the Year: Timothée Chalamet

   • “For saving theaters…He will marry Kylie Jenner. He will star in Dune. He might buy AMC theater chains himself. The year of Chalamet will be 2026.” [26:42]

• Final confidence ratings and recaps given, with plans to revisit the predictions in 2027.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Neal (on American identity and history media):
  “I think people, it'll be a time where people will revisit history…history is a booming business and I think that's only going to get bigger this year.” [03:55]

• Toby (on Route 66):
  “My embarrassing fact about Route 66 is that I, I thought it came from the movie Cars.” [05:30]

• Neal (on elections):
  “Electricity is the new dozen eggs.” [08:45]

• Toby (on Olympics):
  “I got really into a Skimo Instagram rabbit hole…we look pretty good actually.” [10:29]

• Toby (on World Cup logistics):
  “We keep talking about the final being at the Meadowlands in Jersey and how it's a nightmare to get there…Imagine Europeans going to a place like Dallas. How are they going to fare on a six lane Texas highway?” [13:41]

• Neal (on space missions):
  “Hopefully Artemis 2 goes at some point this year so that Artemis 3, when we actually land on the moon for the first time since 1972, will happen before, you know, we kick the bucket.” [15:27]

• Toby (on TikTok Shop):
  “It was supposed to be, you know, the new search engine…But since there's this buck to be made there, it's attracted an e-com crowd, which don’t necessarily drive culture.” [24:11]

• Toby (on his own predictions):
  “I keep arguing against myself. By the end of these, I got… I'll do a poke and then you just spiral.” [24:13]

Timestamps for Segments

• 01:53 – America's 250th (Semiquincentennial)
• 04:58 – Route 66 Centennial
• 05:30 – Midterm Elections & Affordability
• 07:32 – AI Data Centers & Electricity Politics
• 10:29 – Winter Olympics Overview
• 12:11 – World Baseball Classic Preview
• 12:59 – FIFA World Cup Preview
• 13:41 – Artemis 2 & Moon Missions
• 16:55 – 2026 Movies, TV, GTA VI
• 19:42 – Anniversaries: Apple, 9/11, Brexit, Mughal Empire
• 21:09 – Toby’s 2026 Predictions
• 27:26 – Wrap-up and call for feedback

Episode Tone

• Conversational, playful, insightful: Regular playful jabs and self-deprecating humor are balanced by thoughtful breakdowns of trends and forward-looking analyses.
• Accessible yet informed: Complex themes (AI, data centers, global politics) are distilled in clear language, always with an eye for practical takeaways and audience engagement.
• Pop culture savvy: The episode frequently references memes, social media trends, and industry gossip, firmly rooted in both business and mainstream spheres.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This lookahead episode is a lively, candid roadmap for 2026: expect major national celebrations and a media boom around history, contentious midterm elections shaped by affordability and AI-fueled power demands, massive sporting events with unique logistical and cultural stakes, a loaded pop culture slate, and a handful of bold predictions (with a wink) about the companies and personalities primed for headlines. The show balances a pragmatic pulse on global trends with engaging banter and plenty of sharp, memorable observations.

Listen to the full episode or check back next year to see how the predictions fared!