Podcast
The Media Odyssey
Hosted by Evan Shapiro & Marion Ranchet · EN
Each week, two of media’s most influential thinkers, Evan Shapiro & Marion Ranchet, take on the hottest media topics with their hottest takes, helping their audience chart a course through the maelstrom that is today’s Media Odyssey.
Based in the US, Evan Shapiro is the Media Industry’s official Cartographer, known for his well-researched and provocative analysis of the entertainment ecosystem in his must read treatises on Media’s latest trends and trajectories.
Marion Ranchet, French expat based in Amsterdam, has become the industry’s go-to expert in all things streaming, building a following for turning even the most complex problems into easily digestible and actionable insights.
Ranchet and Shapiro are known for their sharp-yet-accessible content on Media consumption, audience trends, and the shifting fundamentals of the business itself. Even during the toughest of topics, they each make talking about Media fun. Together every week, these two will offer entertaining, often humorous, and always educational content on today’s Media Odyssey.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
THE FAN-FUNDED FILM REVOLUTION
Today00:40:49Summary readyWhat if fans could own a piece of the films they love and get paid when they hit? One company is making it happen, and Hollywood gatekeepers are not invited.Welcome to The Media Odyssey podcast featuring Marc Iserlis, Head of Film at Republic, a platform built one simple but radical idea: fans should be able to invest in the films and studios they care about. Evan and Marion have spent the season exploring what they call the "affinity economy," and in a streaming media landscape where independent voices are increasingly squeezed out, Marc's model sits squarely at the center of where the industry is heading. Marc explains the legal and structural architecture making Republic Film possible, specifically the 2016 JOBS Act that created exemptions to century-old securities laws blocking non-millionaires from investing in private ventures. Republic has 3 million members and $2.6 billion deployed across industries, built the licensing infrastructure to take advantage of those exemptions and applied them to film. The result is a platform where independent filmmakers, studios, and creators can raise development or production capital from fans with real equity, real revenue sharing, and even a secondary market for trading shares. The conversation moves through concrete case studies: Pressman Film raised $2 million from roughly 380 investors, Robert Rodriguez built a community of "Brass Knuckle Warriors" who sold out a raise in days, Eli Roth raised $6 million from 2,500 fans for his new horror studio, and Skybound (The Walking Dead, Invincible) pulling in $18 million from over 5,000 retail investors. Plus a look at Republic's partnership with XPRIZE, Google, and Range Media Partners on a $3.5 million sci-fi filmmaking competition designed to inspire the next Star Trek.Key Takeaways:1. The Audience Equity ModelRepublic Film's approach gives fans actual equity and revenue sharing in the projects they back, transforming them from passive donors into active stakeholders with financial incentive to promote the film. Republic was built specifically to serve everyday people with a net worth under $1 million who were previously barred from participating in private market opportunities. For producers and studios, that's not just capital, it's a built-in marketing army. 2. Fan Base Democratized The 2016 JOBS Act cracked open private market investing to everyone, but the industry hasn't caught up to what that means. If you're an independent filmmaker, studio, or even a creator-led brand, you now have legal pathways to raise meaningful capital. Skybound raised $18 million from 5,000+ investors, making it the largest raise on the platform to date. Republic has sold out every single film raise it has ever run.3. The Key is Actual Equity and Revenue SharingThe distinction between crowd investing and crowdfunding is equity and revenue sharing, not just perks and donations. Investors receive real ownership stake, revenue distributions when films sell or stream, and secondary market trading rights. Republic uses blockchain infrastructure to pay out thousands of investors in real time across theatrical, streaming, and merchandise revenue without expensive bank fees.4. The Payout is More Than a Passion ProjectRepublic’s first-ever investor payout happened within six months of launch. The Pressman Film raise, focused on a slate that included new IP from the producers of American Psycho and Wall Street, paid out investors following the sale of Bad Lieutenant Tokyo to Neon, making it the first investable development slate in film history to return capital to retail investors at this scale.5. $3.5 Million For the Next Star TrekThe XPRIZE partnership, with Google, a16z, and the Roddenberry Foundation to crowdsource the "next Star Trek," is a playbook for how studios and platforms can use open competition to surface new IP, build community ownership before a single frame is shot, and attract institutional backing. For content companies thinking about franchise development, this model is worth studying.Thank you Marc Iserlis for joining the pod!Marc Iserlis - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-iserlis-02848a13/ Republic - https://www.linkedin.com/company/republic.co/ Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast (00:00) - Trading Film Shares (00:54) - Podcast Intro and Guest (01:45) - Why Republic Exists (04:48) - The JOBS Act (07:32) - Crowdinvesting Not Crowdfunding (10:16) - Platform Compliance and Blockchain (13:47) - Case Studies Pressman and Rodriguez (18:53) - Skybound and Horror Section (25:35) - What Makes Raises Work (30:17) - Cannes and Distribution Leverage (33:07) - First Investor Payouts (34:21) - Future Vision XPRIZE (36:32) - Wrap Up
Summary
WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH KIDS…CONTENT, THE AI LOOP, AND FRANCE TV UNDER THREAT
1w ago00:45:10Summary readyFive companies just committed $725 billion to AI in a single year. Meanwhile, kids content is in freefall and the people who can least afford it are paying the price.Welcome to the Media Odyssey Podcast! Evan, fresh off a surprise Webby Award win for Best Creator Thought Leadership, breaks down Q1 earnings from the five biggest tech companies (Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple) and the AI Loop. Big tech’s collective $725 billion AI spending commitment is less a sign of innovation than a circular, self-reinforcing economy with dot-com bubble written all over it. Marion brings the European lens, walking through the political assault on France Télévisions and the France Télévisions-YouTube partnership that followed. And then a deep dive on Evan's newly released Kids Content Landscape Report, co-produced with Common Sense Media, which draws on over a dozen data sources to paint a sobering picture of an industry in retreat with fewer commissions, broken YouTube economics, gutted public media funding, and a generation of producers caught in the middle.Key Takeaways:1. Big Tech Companies Committed $725 Billion in the “AI Loop”Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple collectively pledged $725 billion, more than the Apollo program, the Marshall Plan, and the Manhattan Project combined. This “AI Loop” is a deeply circular economy, with companies essentially contracting with and investing in each other, raising serious dot-com bubble parallels.2. Kids Content Has No Way to MonetizeKids content commissioning is down 25% from its 2022 peak and public broadcasters are now funding more than 50% of kids content worldwide. The big streamers have pulled back dramatically, shifting from treating kids content as an acquisition tool to a retention tool and largely stopping wholly-owned commissions. At the same time, YouTube ad CPMs for kids content have bottomed out, leaving independent producers stranded between two broken revenue models.3. Public Funding for Kids Media is At RiskThe US spends just $3 per capita on public media, compared to roughly $60 per capita in France, and a significant portion of that was just cut. The current US administration removed roughly $1 billion in public media funding, hitting local PBS affiliates hardest and most adversely affecting lower-income families who rely on free kids programming. Marion draws a direct parallel to right-wing efforts in France to cut €1 billion from France Télévisions.4. Kids Prefer YouTube, But Producers Don’t88% of US parents say kids under five prefer YouTube over any other platform, but YouTube Kids remains under-monetized and poorly curated. Despite YouTube's dominance as a kids platform, the economics for producers are broken: low CPMs, poor fill rates, and a curation system that has not been meaningfully updated in years. YouTube needs to rethink how it curates and shares revenue within YouTube Kids before the next generation of Cocomelons and Blueys never gets made.5. Co-Viewing in GenerationalCo-viewing is rising sharply, and Millennial and Gen Z parents are substantially more engaged in what their kids watch. Data from multiple sources, including Common Sense Media, Ampere Analysis, and Precisify, show a notable uptick in family co-viewing, particularly on YouTube watched via the TV set. Evan and Marion both see this as one of the few genuinely bright spots in an otherwise bleak kids content landscape, and a real commercial opportunity that platforms are currently underserving.Read the full Kids Content: Landscape Analysis https://eshap.substack.com/p/kids-content-landscape Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast (00:00) - Webby Win in Portugal (01:42) - Five Word Speech Prep (03:45) - Q1 Earnings and Big Tech (07:07) - AI Bubble and Anthropic Hype (09:50) - Altman Profile and Defense Ties (12:53) - France Public Media Under Fire (15:36) - YouTube Deal and Kids Content (23:34) - Inside the Kids Report (24:23) - Demand Up, Funding Down (25:46) - Why the Ecosystem Broke (27:48) - Co-Viewing and Parenting Shift (30:02) - Public Broadcasters Step Up (35:40) - Fixing YouTube Kids Monetization (41:11) - Who Takes the Risk Next
Summary
MY DRAMA AND THE VERTICAL TAKEOVER
2w ago00:32:42Summary readyWhat if the future of entertainment fits in your pocket and a six-year-old startup from Ukraine is already building it?Welcome to the Media Odyssey Podcast, recorded live at StreamTV Europe, featuring Bogdan Nesvit, founder of HOLYWATER TECH and the microdrama platform My Drama. What started six years ago as an interactive fiction app has quietly evolved into one of the most data-sophisticated entertainment companies operating today. One that is now partnering with Fox Entertainment and eyeing a full theatrical release.If you've ever wondered how a media startup goes from zero to 7 million monthly active users without a single piece of traditional distribution, Bogdan doesn't just tell you what HOLYWATER TECH built, he gives raw data and operational transparency you almost never get from a founder.Beyond content strategy, Bogdan pulls back the curtain on the business model to detail the full transition from microtransactions to subscription, how the platform runs over 1,000 A/B tests per year, and why he believes proprietary user data (not product or AI) will be the defining competitive advantage of the AI era. He also touches on the Fox partnership, the road to ad monetization, and his personal philosophy around meditation, focus, and leadership.Key Takeaways:1. Scale is Accelerating FastMy Drama currently has close to 300 titles on the platform, targeting 500 by the end of 2026 and 1,000 by the end of 2027. Each title contains around 90 one-minute episodes, effectively repackaging a full 90–120 minute film into bite-sized vertical content.2. The Subscription Model DominatesThe platform fully shifted away from microtransactions with more than 90% of customers subscribing. Subscription users retain at 2x the rate of in-app purchase users and consume 3x more content. Users on an ad-supported tier consume an average of 1.5 hours of content per day, a striking engagement metric.3. AI Slashes Production Costs and Timelines Live-action microdrama costs $120K–$250K per title and takes roughly four months to produce. Netflix takes 100 weeks. AI-generated content on the MyMuse platform costs only a few thousand dollars and can be produced and tested in two weeks. Scripts, however, remain 100% human-written.4. Paid and Organic Impressions Are Needed TogetherMy Drama generates two billion monthly impressions across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube using a cliffhanger-driven content preview strategy for a 70/30 paid-to-organic acquisition split. At any given month, the team runs 30,000 unique video ad creatives across Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok. Despite heavy paid spend, the company is currently profitable and growing more than 2x year-over-year.5. It’s a Growing MarketThe global microdrama market is $11–12B today, projected to reach $25B by 2030. China dominates the current market (the format originated there around 6 years ago). Outside China, the market is much smaller today but is projected to hit ~$10B, mostly driven by the US, by 2030. Holywater is betting that expanding beyond the current five core content tropes into genres like thriller, fantasy, and detective stories is essential to moving microdrama from niche to mainstream.Thank you to Bogdan Nesvit for joining the pod!Bogdan Nesvit - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bogdannesvit/ HOLYWATER TECH - https://www.linkedin.com/company/holywatertech/ Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast (00:00) - Live Podcast Kickoff (00:47) - Meet the Micro Drama Guest (01:47) - HOLYWATER TECH Origin Story (02:43) - From Books to Vertical Video (04:04) - My Drama Scale and Audience (05:19) - Micro Episodes and Library Growth (06:23) - Monetization Evolution (08:56) - Subscription Data and Retention (10:10) - Customer Acquisition Playbook (13:24) - Organic Social Cliffhangers (15:26) - Data Moat and AB Testing (16:31) - Market Size and New Genres (18:58) - AI Production and Costs (26:45) - Fox Partnership and Mindfulness Finale
Summary
STREAM TV EUROPE UNPLUGGED
3w ago00:35:29Summary readyEurope’s media industry leaders gathered in Lisbon this past week for the inaugural Stream TV Europe, and the prognosis is—to everyone’s surprise—refreshingly optimistic. Welcome to The Media Odyssey podcast!In this episode, Evan and Marion break down the biggest moments from Stream TV including: the "renaissance" of the living room and the shift in digital strategy by global players. They are later joined by Denis Oštir to discuss V’s ambitious new V Index, a unified measurement tool designed to bridge the gap between traditional broadcast and digital streaming.1. The Power of the Living Room SofaMarion shares insights from her workshop including a survey of 15,000 people across Europe, the US, and China, conducted in partnership with RTL AdAlliance. The findings highlight the continued dominance of the big screen, with 83% of Europeans prioritizing video content in the living room. The research reveals an ecosystem where different platforms serve distinct social needs: Netflix primarily caters to couples, VOD brings together larger family groups of five or more, and YouTube remains a hub for solo viewing.2. The Optimistic OutlookThe duo discusses how the digital evolution of legacy media is fueling a surprisingly positive outlook across the sector. Evan highlights his panel featuring TF1, France’s largest broadcaster, and news creator Gaspard G to illustrate this shift. This collaboration serves as a strategic blueprint for how legacy brands can think and act like creators to maintain relevance in a fragmented market.3. Deep Dive: The V Index & CTV StrategyDenis Oštir joins the conversation to explain V’s role as a top-three smart TV platform in Europe with a global footprint of 50 million connected TVs. Given their reach, V aims to solve a major measurement discrepancy where the same "eyeballs" are valued differently based on signal delivery (CPMs for digital vs. GRPs for broadcast). Oštir is inviting other OEMs and industry players to join an open standard to ensure content creators are fairly compensated as money shifts toward digital. Additionally, as Editor-in-Chief, he oversaw a "quality over quantity" shift that reduced their channel count from 100 to 80, which paradoxically led to a 20% increase in viewing time and engagement.4. Vertical Video: Couch vs. ToiletThe group debates the viability of vertical video on the big screen. Denis’ take: Vertical content is highly personalized, making it a poor fit for the social, shared environment of the living room. Evan's take: Premium vertical video has a future, but it’s for "the between times"—the bus, the doctor’s office, or the bathroom—not for the couch.Thank you to Denis Oštir for joining the pod!Denis Oštir - http://linkedin.com/in/denisostir/ V - https://v-home.com/ Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast00:00 StreamTV Europe Vibes02:04 Living Room Viewing Data with RTL AdAlliance04:25 Fragmentation and Partnerships05:29 Marion’s Favorite Panel: Super Aggregation or Super Fragmentation? 06:38 Evan’s Favorite Panel: TF1 & Gaspard G Transforming Journalism on YouTube with a Creator Mindset 08:19 Live Sports Becoming a Creator10:39 Industry Mood Shift14:58 Meet Denis Oštir, Editor-in-Chief of V17:03 V Index Measurement Fix22:57 Fixing FAST Data24:58 Trends in Viewing28:15 Editor in Chief Role29:23 Platform Monetization Model31:28 Vertical Video Debate34:58 Closing Thoughts
Summary
THE SUBSCRIPTION GAP
4w ago00:44:41Summary readyYou have six subscriptions, can't remember what's on any of them, and still can't find something to watch. Welcome to the subscription economy in 2026.Get the full Subscription Signals 2026 report here: https://bango.com/reports/reserve-report/?utm_campaign=2026_Campaigns_SubscriberReport_ReserveReportMOIn this episode, Evan and Marion dig into Bango's Subscription Signals 2026 report: an annual study of subscription attitudes and behaviors across the US and UK. Then they are joined by Giles Tongue, VP of Marketing at Bango, to break down the findings. Bango is a white-label subscription bundling platform that powers the backend infrastructure behind multi-service bundles, allowing mobile operators, retailers, and pay TV providers to offer multiple subscriptions under one bill. The report paints a picture of a subscription economy under real strain: consumers feel they're overspending, they can't remember what they subscribe to or which platform holds what content, and discovery is broken. At the same time, the shift toward third-party bundling is accelerating, and a new generation of "savvy subscribers" is rethinking the entire relationship between cost, ads, and access.Key Takeaways:1. UK Subscribers Spend More Despite Fewer Bundling Traditions UK consumers average 5.7 subscriptions, spending roughly £68 ($90) a month, compared to 5.2 subscriptions and $69 a month in the US. The gap is partly because US pay TV providers like Comcast and Charter bundle broadband, mobile, and TV into a single household bill, making it appear as one subscription rather than several. The UK is catching up, with Sky recently launching a master bundle including Disney, HBO, and Netflix for around £24 a month.2. Consumers Feel Overcharged and Gen Z Is Reaching a Breaking Point Almost 25% of US consumers and nearly a third of UK consumers say they spend more on subscriptions than they can afford. Among Gen Z in the US, that number jumps to 41%. At the same time, attitudes toward ads have shifted dramatically: in 2024, 78% of subscribers strongly opposed ads on paid tiers, but now 36% of Americans say they'd accept double the ad load in exchange for a lower price. Among Gen Z and Millennials, that figure climbs to roughly half. The era of the ad-free subscriber is ending.3. Viewers Are Loyal to Shows and Talent, Not Platforms Nearly 60% of consumers in both the US and UK say they are more loyal to an individual show than to the platform delivering it. The data reinforces this: only 13% of people who watch Severance know it's on Apple TV+, and only 18% correctly identified Game of Thrones as an HBO show. Instead, most attributed it to Netflix. This makes a free tier essential for every streamer: if consumers are going to serial churn, a free ad-supported front porch keeps them in the ecosystem.4. Content Discovery Is Broken and the Industry Is Profiting From the Problem In the US, 30% of subscribers spend 30 minutes or more searching for something to watch. In the UK it's 41%, and among Gen Z it rises to 48% in the US and 56% in the UK. Platforms are actively monetizing this search friction through home screen advertising rather than fixing it. And that will cost them in acquisition, retention, and time spent over the long run. Giles points to AI-powered discovery tools like Liberty Group's Super Search as a glimpse of what the solution could look like.5. Bundling Is the Future Over a third of US subscribers and 39% of UK subscribers now get their subscriptions through third-party bundles via banks, mobile operators, or retailers rather than subscribing directly. That number is only growing year on year. Consumers say they trust mobile operators most to deliver their bundles ahead of pay TV providers. Giles' headline warning for the industry: telcos that don't keep delivering excellent bundled experiences risk having their own customers bundled inside someone else's platform. As he puts it, "bundle or be bundled."Thank you to Giles Tongue for joining the pod!Giles Tongue - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilestongue/ Bango - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bango/ Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast00:00 Gen Z Streaming Struggle00:37 Report Drop and StreamTV Buzz01:10 What Bango Actually Does02:50 UK vs US Subscription Math06:23 Bundles and Price Pressure08:30 What People Subscribe To Now15:41 Churn, Ads, and Show Loyalty23:15 Netflix Over Attribution24:17 Talent Follows Platforms24:57 Discovery Friction Crisis26:17 Ads Invade Home Screens27:42 Bundles Shift To Telcos31:32 Meet Bango And Giles36:40 AI Agents And Takeaways
Summary
THE MAKING OF A HIT PODCAST
Apr 900:58:46Summary readyHe helped create the most listened-to podcasts in history and then walked away from the New York Times to start over from scratch. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast!In this episode, Evan and Marion sit down with Brian Reed, documentary podcaster and co-founder of Placement Theory, whose career spans documentary podcasts This American Life, S-Town, and now Question Everything. The conversation traces the origin story of Serial, which was expected to get a few hundred thousand downloads and ended up with hundreds of millions, all the way through to Brian's decision to leave the New York Times and build something new: Placement Theory, a audio production company built to support journalists and creators. Along the way, the episode digs into a question that runs underneath everything Brian makes: can quality, independent journalism survive? As local newsrooms collapse, public media gets defunded, and audiences feel overwhelmed and burned out, Brian makes the case that the desire for truth is still very much there as a market problem waiting for the right solution.Key Takeaways:1. Serial Was Expected to Get "a Few Hundred Thousand Downloads” Before It Got Hundreds of Millions When Sarah Koenig pitched Serial at This American Life, the team budgeted for a few hundred thousand downloads. It became the most listened-to podcast in the history of the format, redefining audio documentary as a medium, with hundreds of millions of downloads for the first season alone. Brian attributes much of this to the fact that they were reporting the Adnan Syed story in real time, week by week so it was breaking news every episode. It is clear the podcast played a direct role in Adnan's eventual release from prison.2. S-Town Was Designed as an Audio Novel and Released All at Once Brian started reporting S-Town before Serial even existed, after receiving a listener email with the subject line "John B. Macklemore lives in Shit Town, Alabama." When the subject died by suicide in 2015, the story transformed. Brian and editor Julie Snyder used novels as their creative model, labeling the installments chapters instead of episodes and releasing all seven at once. It was one of the first times that had ever happened in podcasting. S-Town now has hundreds of millions of downloads and is in development as a TV show at Apple TV+.3. The Economics of Serious Independent Journalism Are Hard, but People Want TruthBrian is direct about the financial reality of running an independent audio production company: they're still figuring out how to make the show profitable. Their current model blends bespoke sponsorships, listener support through KCRW's public radio fundraising, and eventual subscription offerings. The broader state of journalism is rough with thousands of local newspapers diappearing, public trust in journalists is at historic lows, and signs of media capture happening in the US.But there’s an optimistic conclusion from Brian’s on-the-ground reporting across the country: people do want reliable information. The problem isn't demand, it's discoverability and trust. This as a classic market problem that a journalism business should be positioned to solve.4. Audio Is More Intimate Than Video and That's a Strategic Advantage Worth ProtectingBrian's company Placement Theory is an audio-first production company, and that’s deliberate. Creating video versions of their work would essentially require making a documentary — a completely different and far more expensive enterprise. They experimented with video, found that they weren't posting frequently enough to build a YouTube audience, and redirected their energy to where their audience actually was: Apple Podcasts and NPR. He still sees potential in short-form video as a discovery tool, but doesn't want to sacrifice the intimacy that makes audio narrative work.Thank you to Brian Reed for joining the pod!Brian Reed - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-reed-887411166/ Placement Theory - https://www.placementtheory.com/ Question Everything - https://www.kcrw.com/shows/question-everything/all-episodesS-Town - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s-town/id1212558767 Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast (00:00) - Cancel Culture Cold Open (00:39) - Meet Brian Reed (01:32) - Why Documentary Podcasts Win (03:43) - Podcasting Origins and TV Adaptations (05:54) - Defining Documentary Audio (07:17) - This American Life Apprenticeship (11:12) - How Serial Was Born (17:50) - S-Town and the NYT Era (27:55) - Birmingham Letter Mystery (29:23) - Leaving the Times (29:49) - Building Placement Theory (31:52) - Question Everything Mission (34:04) - Making Podcast Economics Work (37:14) - Journalism in Crisis (44:08) - Creators, Audio, and Video (51:56) - Social Media Trials and Wrap
Summary
AIVE: EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE
Apr 200:43:11Summary readyAI can't replace your editors, but it can do 80% of their most tedious, repetitive work in a fraction of the time. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast!In this episode, Evan and Marion open with the news that OpenAI is shutting down Sora's B2C offering, unpacking what it signals for the AI and media landscape. They welcome Olivier Reynaud, Co-founder and CEO at Aive, a platform Aive built around the central challenge facing every creator and media company today: how do you produce enough high-quality, platform-tailored video content to keep pace with the demands of social video without burning out your team or blowing your budget? Olivier draws on his background co-founding Teads, where the team broadcast billions of videos daily, to explain how the bottleneck was never video creation itself, but large-scale personalization. The conversation explores how Aive is solving that problem through proprietary meta-learning technology, and what that means for the future of creative work.Key Takeaways:1. OpenAI Shutting Down Sora Signals a B2C Dead EndOpenAI announced it is closing down Sora and stepping back from its deal with Disney to refocus on enterprise. The hosts argue that selling AI tools directly to consumers was never a sound business model. As Evan puts it, AI is best understood as "an arrow in your quiver, not the bow."2. The Real Problem Isn't Making Video, It's Personalizing It at ScaleOlivier, who co-founded Teads and has spent 20 years in video, argues the hard problem isn't producing video content; it's tailoring that content for every platform and audience at meaningful scale. Aive is built specifically to solve this: taking a long-form master and generating hundreds of format-adapted clips in days rather than months.Aive Eliminates ~80% of Repetitive Production Tasks3. Using Match Group's Meetic as a case studyOlivier explains that Aive helped produce nearly 300 campaign variants across a full quarter, cutting production costs by roughly 80%, reducing time-to-market from two months to days, and delivering a 50% performance uplift on paid Facebook and Instagram campaigns. The savings were reinvested into more content, bigger media buys, and team training.4. The Technology Is Proprietary and Built for Enterprise SecurityAive runs on in-house meta-learning and is not trained on OpenAI, Google, or Amazon models. For clients sending unreleased films or large campaign assets, data stays within the platform and never trains outside systems. The platform is SOC 2 certified and currently designed for enterprise and mid-size agencies, not individual creators at a consumer price point.5. Netflix's 1.5 Million Trailer Versions Prove Human Editors Can't Keep Up AloneEvan opens with a striking data point: for the final season of Stranger Things, Netflix created 1.5 million different versions of their trailer for YouTube and social — a volume impossible to achieve through human editing alone. This frames the episode's central question: how do media companies and creators scale social video output to the level the market now demands, without AI doing the heavy lifting?Book a meeting with Aive: https://0icjqan647l.typeform.com/AivexTMOpodcastUse Aive’s exclusive code (NS015504) for a FREE Show Floor Pass and join them at NAB, the event redefining the future of media and entertainment: https://invt.io/1exbuo45cd4Thank you to Olivier Reynaud for joining the pod!Olivier Reynaud - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivierreynaud/ Aive - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aive/ Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast (00:00) - Netflix Trailer Explosion (01:35) - OpenAI Shuts Down Sora (02:44) - Why Consumer AI Video Fails (06:44) - Scaling Social Video Challenge (07:50) - Meet Olivier and Aive Mission (16:54) - Aive Platform Demo Reframing and Localization (21:37) - Perfect Platform Formats (22:55) - Creative Score Demo (23:51) - Voice Translation Magic (26:14) - Secret Sauce Video Data (29:03) - Personalization Without Fatigue (33:25) - Security and Who It’s For (39:28) - Industry Moves and Wrap
Summary
INSIDE THE MIND OF A CREATOR WUNDERKIND
Mar 2701:01:07Summary ready244 million followers and a six-month content calendar: Jordan Schwarzenberger explains why showing up daily is the only strategy that matters. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast!In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet break down the Nielsen/MRC measurement crisis that rocked the US advertising industry, then sit down with Jordan Schwarzenberger, CEO and co-founder of Arcade Media and manager of the Sidemen. The conversation reveals how the entire US advertising market transacted on flawed data for a year, while simultaneously showing how creator-led media companies are building sustainable businesses by thinking like traditional media. Rather than defending old systems, Jordan makes the case for why daily content and ritualistic consistency combined with treating YouTube channels as distinct brands is the only path forward.The episode is a reality check on how broken measurement has become in traditional media, while creator-led companies are professionalizing their operations, building real media plans, and capturing budgets that were previously reserved for legacy broadcasters.Key Takeaways:1. Nielsen and MRC Hid Flawed Measurement Data for Nearly a Year The Media Rating Council discovered problems in Nielsen's methodology almost a year ago but said nothing to the industry. The entire US advertising industry transacted in the Upfront on data they knew was not properly vetted. Sean Cunningham from VAB stated this cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars.2. BBC Hired Matt Brittin, Ex-President of Google Europe The BBC hired Matt Brittin, former president of Google in Europe, as their new CEO. This represents a shift toward hiring digital natives to lead public service media organizations. Brittin previously worked in traditional broadcasting before a successful career at Google, making him someone who understands both the BBC culture and big tech. 3. The Sidemen Have 244M Followers and a 55-Person Team The Sidemen have 244 million followers across all platforms and employ 55 people in their entertainment team. They plan content six months in advance, which allows them to sell to brand planners who set budgets quarters ahead. Their goal is to be bought like LabBible and Vice were—on media plans with CPMs and economies of scale. Most creators can't access major advertiser budgets because they lack the planning, consistency, and inventory that media planners require.4. Daily Content and Ritualistic Consistency Are Essential for Success Weekly podcasts are no longer enough. Audiences now expect daily content to build ritualistic habits. The Daily Wire built 900,000 paid subscribers at their peak by showing up every day with 20-40 minute shows since 2013-2014. Streamers on Twitch and Kick are "winning the most out of anyone." Getting into people's daily habits is the key to building connection in a decentralized, saturated world.5. YouTube Is Underserved and Users Run Out of Quality ContentYouTube production is hard, time-intensive, and resource-heavy compared to podcasts, so creators default to lower-effort formats. There's a massive lack of consistent, regular, high-quality programming that becomes part of users' daily rituals.6. Netflix and YouTube Combined Create the Strongest Media StrategyJordan states that the combination of Netflix and YouTube together represents the best media strategy. Netflix provides the premium, appointment-viewing content while YouTube delivers daily touchpoints and ritualistic engagement. 7. Individual YouTube Channels Should Be Content-Specific Channel 4's 4.0 made the mistake of aggregating all content on one channel instead of spinning out individual format channels. YouTube wants to find specific audiences over time, so when a viewer watches one video and doesn't watch the next 10 on an aggregated channel, it signals disinterest to YouTube and hurts the entire channel's performance.Thank you to Jordan Schwarzenberger for joining the pod!Jordan Schwarzenberger - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanschwarzenberger/ Arcade - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearearcade/ Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast (00:00) - Dropping Out for Vice (00:33) - Podcast Intro and Headlines (00:57) - Nielsen MRC Measurement Scandal (02:41) - Dash Panel Shakes the Gauge (07:33) - Why Panels Fail Today (09:25) - UK Media Leadership Shift (10:09) - BBC Picks Ex Google Boss (13:59) - Meet Jordan Schwarzenberger (15:57) - From Vice to LadBible Rise (26:18) - Building Sidemen Into a Company (32:17) - YouTube Audience Ceiling (32:44) - Netflix Editorial Boost (34:04) - Sidemen Netflix Blueprint (34:41) - Funding Risk and New IP (36:39) - Who Really Gets the Lift (38:01) - Monoculture Is Dead (43:04) - Creator Access Explained (46:33) - Selling YouTube Like TV (52:33) - Broadcasters YouTube Mistakes (57:27) - Rituals Daily Content Wins
Summary
TWO REPORTS, ONE EPISODE: THE PARAMOUNT INVESTOR DECK & THE STREAM
Mar 1900:40:47Summary readyGet The Stream by Tubi!US: https://tubitv.com/thestream?utm_campaign=262713069-The%20Stream%202026&utm_source=influencer&utm_medium=thought%20leader&utm_content=evan%20shapiroInternational: https://app.box.com/shared/static/h0cfoaqw4paub3hoi65pv0qxwdmhexf9.pdfParamount's $110B acquisition projects impossible growth, while Tubi data shows 80% canceling paid services. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast presented by The Stream by Tubi!In this episode, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet dissect two reports: the Paramount investor deck projecting their Warner Brothers Discovery acquisition, and Tubi's "The Stream" report on consumer streaming behavior. The conversation reveals how Paramount's financial projections defy their own recent performance trends, while simultaneously showing why consumers are abandoning paid streaming for free ad-supported options. Rather than finding synergies that make business sense, the hosts expose a deal driven by ego and questionable foreign investment sources, even as consumer data proves the market is moving away from premium paid services.The episode is a reality check on how corporate consolidation in media is disconnected from actual consumer behavior, with streaming fatigue driving audiences toward free platforms at the exact moment media companies are doubling down on expensive acquisitions and debt-heavy strategies.Key Takeaways:1. Paramount's Investor Deck Projects Revenue Growth Despite Years of Decline The investor deck projects combined revenue growing from $66 billion in 2025 to $84 billion by 2030. However, from 2023-2025, combined company revenue actually declined from $71 billion to $66 billion. EBITDA has been flat or down over the last three years, but the deck projects growth starting immediately. The deal includes $8 billion in tech cuts, $6 billion in business services cuts, $4 billion in real estate sales, and $3 billion in enterprise resource planning optimization over five years—yet claims no massive layoffs. Bank of America downgraded Paramount stock from buy at $13 to sell at $11, stating integration will take years and projected synergies won't materialize quickly.2. The Deal Will Create $80+ Billion in Debt With Questionable Funding Sources The $110 billion acquisition will saddle the combined company with over $80 billion in debt. David Ellison claims they'll double motion picture output to 30 films per year, which the hosts note is not logistically possible given film development timelines. For comparison, Disney and Fox combined produced only 19 movies last year (down from Fox's 25 pre-acquisition and Disney's ~15).3. Consumer Data Shows Massive Shift From Paid to Free Streaming According to Tubi's "The Stream" report with Harris Poll: 77% prefer on-demand over scheduled linear streaming (3-to-1 preference). 84% of all audiences and 90% of Gen Z would watch ads for free streaming services. 80% are canceling paid services and signing up for free services to fight rising costs. 76% would rather watch a free platform with ads than pay for a premium platform with an ad tier. 4. European Box Office Is 70% Dependent on US Films, Creating Vulnerability Close to 70% of European box office revenue comes from US movies (in 2024 it was 63% US, 33% European, the rest global). European ticket sales are down 5.5% but revenue is stable due to ticket price increases. The European box office is estimated to generate $10 billion in 2026, a 7% increase. Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast (00:00) - Welcome and Episode Setup (01:05) - Tubi Stream Report Highlights (01:24) - Streaming as Social Life (02:41) - Free Streaming and Ad Tolerance (04:37) - Creator Content Meets TV (05:34) - Back to Paramount Deal Deck (06:53) - Deck Assumptions and Synergy Cuts (16:26) - Europe Overlap and Sky Showtime (19:32) - Europe Strategy Doubts (20:54) - Tech Stack Nightmare (22:05) - Branding and Gravitas (22:54) - Pluto FAST Opportunity (24:39) - Discovery Content vs Linear (26:04) - Europe Sports Rights Edge (33:01) - Cinema Reliance and Fears (36:48) - Pushback and Wrap Up
Summary
THE SIGNAL FROM EUROPE: Q4 EARNINGS
Mar 1200:42:04Summary readyVersant spins out with $2B free cash flow, ITV faces Sky acquisition, Banijay grows experiential 18%, and Canal+ hits 42.3M subscribers. Welcome to The Media Odyssey Podcast live!In this earnings coverage episode, Marion Ranchet and Evan Shapiro break down results from four companies undergoing major transformations: Versant's spinout from Comcast, ITV's potential acquisition by Sky/Comcast, Banijay's post-Endemol Shine merger performance, and Canal+'s global expansion strategy. The conversation reveals the challenges traditional media companies face as cable declines, the strategic missteps in corporate separations, and how European companies are diversifying revenue streams to survive. Rather than celebrating growth, the hosts examine whether these transformations make strategic sense or simply expose dying businesses. The episode is a reality check on how media consolidation and spinouts are reshaping the industry, with some companies finding success through diversification while others struggle to justify their existence as standalone entities.Key Takeaways:1. Versant (spun out from Comcast)Versant generated $2 billion in free cash flow despite total revenue down 5% and net income down 32% year-over-year in 2025. Overall, distribution was down, advertising down, licensing business down but growth came from platforms (Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, Golf Now, CNBC streaming). Interestingly, Comcast kept Bravo (the most valuable programming brand) with Peacock instead of spinning it out with Versant, showing a lack of strategic thinking.2. ITV ITV saw subscriptions flat year-over-year with no growth, but digital ad revenue up 12% year-over-year, preventing a worse outcome. Sky + ITV combined would become the #2 TV outlet in the UK, second only to BBC, jumping over YouTube and far surpassing Netflix as the largest ad platform. ITV Studios is a profitable powerhouse with Love Island (the #1 streamed show last year on Peacock) and a growing US arm, yet the acquisition would potentially leave Studios behind.3. BanijayExperiential business grew 18%+ (still under €400 million but growing fast) and the gaming/sports betting business generated €1.6 billion out of €4.9 billion total revenue (nearly one-third of total revenue), growing 9.5% year-over-year and surprising the hosts. Banijay is now planning €50 million in cost synergies through integration, which means layoffs that will take time in European markets due to labor regulations4. Canal+ Where other platforms saw flat subscriptions, Canal+ grew total subscribers by 8% year-over-year to 42.3 million subscribers with the Multichoice acquisition. Now, the company operates in close to 50 countries across Africa, Asia, and multiple European territories. Their strategy paid off when subscribers under the age of 26 grew 17x since 2019 by building a €20/month package (half the typical price) with no commitment to address the "too expensive" problem.Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8Connect with us on Linkedin:Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast (00:00) - Live Show Kickoff (00:30) - Earnings Agenda Setup (01:01) - Comcast Spinout Overview (02:29) - Why Spin It Out (04:30) - Streaming Pivot Debate (07:31) - What Brands Matter (09:37) - Europe Shift to ITV (12:11) - ITV Deal and Studios Split (19:45) - Banjay and All3 Media (23:41) - Scaling Little Dot Playbook (24:30) - Gaming Revenue Surprise (25:32) - Betting and Experiential Growth (26:47) - Cost Synergies and Layoffs (27:33) - Will Regulators Approve (28:32) - Canal Plus Name Debate (30:15) - Canal Plus Strategy and Growth (34:12) - MultiChoice Deal and Africa (37:47) - Wrap Up Next Episode and Events
Summary