Gavin Bridge

This edition of “Life in the FAST Lane” — the fifth incarnation in our continuing series — takes a look at the key trends within free ad-supported streaming TV in the United States. Who is providing content is assessed, as well as what is available by overarching genres, now broken out by English, Spanish and other-language channels.

Innovation within the format is covered, including channels based upon a single show or franchise (“single IP”) or those exclusive to a particular platform.… Show more

This edition of “Life in the FAST Lane” — the fifth incarnation in our continuing series — takes a look at the key trends within free ad-supported streaming TV in the United States. Who is providing content is assessed, as well as what is available by overarching genres, now broken out by English, Spanish and other-language channels.

Innovation within the format is covered, including channels based upon a single show or franchise (“single IP”) or those exclusive to a particular platform. And for the first time ever, not only are the number of exclusive channels per service shown, but so is the full breakdown of how many channels on each major U.S. FAST service are shared with one another. (Note that this is not on a channel-by-channel level, given there are now over 1,800, but within nets such as “2-5 platforms”).

The report also explores what at this point is a classic issue within FAST: measurement. Companies with FAST channels, from TV giants to studios to smaller independent channels, all frequently tell VIP+ their frustration around the opacity that surrounds viewing metrics and data from FAST platforms.

With no standardization of metric definitions — even what a viewer is can vary by service and FAST channel packager — this remains one of the biggest thorns in FAST’s paw. Luckily, there are some companies trying to shine a light on who watches FAST, and highlights from those are included.

It’s an important time to become familiar with FAST if you’re a media strategist, advertiser or content holder. This report will allow you to be ahead of the curve and thus make decisions that will yield the most possible revenue.

The format continues to build up speed, so if you haven’t already, jump into the FAST lane. Show less

Artificial Intelligence continues to be one of media and entertainment’s most talked about terms in many years. But unlike previous buzzworthy subjects in the sector, including NFTs and the metaverse, consumers seem to have a general interest level in the topic as well.

It’s for precisely that reason Variety Intelligence Platform partnered with insights expert GetWizer for our annual “Demographic Divide” study (see 2022’s wide-ranging installment), this time to conduct a detailed… Show more

Artificial Intelligence continues to be one of media and entertainment’s most talked about terms in many years. But unlike previous buzzworthy subjects in the sector, including NFTs and the metaverse, consumers seem to have a general interest level in the topic as well.

It’s for precisely that reason Variety Intelligence Platform partnered with insights expert GetWizer for our annual “Demographic Divide” study (see 2022’s wide-ranging installment), this time to conduct a detailed analysis of just what consumers think about the mainstream emergence of artificial intelligence, what fears they have of the technology and what uses they imagine having for it.

As per VIP+’s “Demographic Divide” format, the analysis has been conducted among four age groups: 15-29, 30-44, 45-59 and 60+.

One key theme that reared its head among all age demos is the need for general education around AI, as the majority of Americans are awash in headlines about its emergence and potential implications but don’t know much about it.

There’s anxiety that it will replace jobs and concern over whether it would require a great deal of human interaction to keep it in line or not need any of us at all. Demonstrating to consumers how this could be worked out will go a long way, as would providing easy training to get many up to scratch on how to use prompts. Key areas we cover include:

What AI is, exactly
Fears of AI
Chatbot awareness and use
Current and future use of AI tools
Positive and negative perceptions
Understanding of AI-powered voice assistants
Impact of AI dubbing on consuming foreign content
Deepfake awareness and willingness to view such content

VIP+’s comprehensive study lays out a road map for tech companies on how best to convey the benefits of artificial intelligence, while providing a detailed snapshot of how consumers currently feel about the technology. It’s sure to be a valuable baseline for years to come. Show less

Analysis of production and earnings trends to assess whether the WGA will strike.

Looking at the current state of the market and what's next, I covered free streaming, connected TV, TV ratings, Pay TV, sports & news, peak TV, and Metaverse.

An overview of the rise of sports gambling, driven by the increasing legalization of mobile betting, and what this means for media properties.

The most comprehensive report on FAST that you'll ever read, at least according to the many industry insiders who reached out to me and congratulated me on the report.

The media divide between generations is growing. First documented by Variety Intelligence Platform in 2021, the second version of our “Demographic Divide” special report takes an even wider lens at the key differences in media and entertainment that continue to evolve between younger and older Americans.

The report takes a deep dive into how each demographic group consumes media and entertainment, focusing particularly on the long-term implications any behavioral shifts may have on the… Show more

The media divide between generations is growing. First documented by Variety Intelligence Platform in 2021, the second version of our “Demographic Divide” special report takes an even wider lens at the key differences in media and entertainment that continue to evolve between younger and older Americans.

The report takes a deep dive into how each demographic group consumes media and entertainment, focusing particularly on the long-term implications any behavioral shifts may have on the strategies necessary for traditional media to continue competing in an ever-shifting landscape. Show less

I contributed toward this report on the following areas: NFTs, Sports Gambling, Broadband and Cord-Cutting.

The latest update of Variety's overview of and guide to the U.S. FAST market, this report features profiles of the 13 biggest FAST services as well as looking into how FAST works and why it's growing.

A look into 22 areas within media and entertainment and what the future looks like for these. I handled the following areas: Content Spend, Paid Streaming, Connected TV, Peak TV, Pay TV, Sports, and News. Basically all the TVs!

Overview of the key things to know about companies involved in media and tech, and what to look for in 2022. Companies covered:
GB: AMC Networks, Comcast, Discovery, Fox, iHeartMedia, Lionsgate, Live Nation, Paramount Global, Roku, SiriusXM, Sony, WarnerMedia, Warner Music Group.
HC: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Microsoft, Snap Inc.
KT: Meta, Spotify, Twitter.

A detailed look at the US free streaming market, with profiles of 52 companies involved in AVOD and FAST.

A detailed look at changes occurring in TV viewership as well as in TV production.

Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) in the U.S. has changed radically since my inaugural report in July 2020. The space is in a boom, with new services and channels launching frequently. This report assesses the current state of FAST, diving deep into what's available as well as looking to what's next. Readers will come away with a deep understanding of the U.S. FAST market.

Overview of key media and tech company performance in Q2 2021 and what to expect for Q3.

Not only is the media landscape changing, but so are the consumers. We’re now at the point where digital natives constitute a measurable group to compare with other generations. Entertainment consumption is undergoing a sea change as well, meaning today’s entertainment firms have to cater to audiences that don’t even share the same formats.

In order to shed light on not just how consumption varies by age groups but how media and entertainment may change in the future, Variety… Show more

Not only is the media landscape changing, but so are the consumers. We’re now at the point where digital natives constitute a measurable group to compare with other generations. Entertainment consumption is undergoing a sea change as well, meaning today’s entertainment firms have to cater to audiences that don’t even share the same formats.

In order to shed light on not just how consumption varies by age groups but how media and entertainment may change in the future, Variety Intelligence Platform partnered with leading consumer insights firm GetWizer to survey U.S. residents 15 and over on their usage habits and attitudes toward the wide-ranging spectrum of offerings.

The VIP+ special report “The Demographic Divide” covers both traditional and emerging media and entertainment spaces, with TV, movies, news, social media, video games, streaming services, music, podcasts, cryptocurrency and NFTs all featured. The data is assessed by four age demographics: 15-29 (digital natives), 30-44, 45-59 and 60+, groups that allow for the added benefit of segmenting by broad lifestyle stages.

The results of our survey show an entertainment world that’s diverging. Older viewers remain somewhat married to tradition, with lower pickup rates of any emerging platform and higher-than-average usage of FM radio and television networks. Younger generations embrace a much wider media mix as well as hold completely different concepts of what entertainment is.

This spells out a very different world than currently exists. For formats that have been slow to transition, such as local TV news, digital natives tend to see them as out of sight, out of mind. This is a stark warning that to remain relevant in future years, business strategies must be crafted now to reach younger consumers on their terms as they are clearly rejecting the structured entertainment world of yore. Show less

After introducing Variety Intelligence Platform’s “Q1 Preview Special Report,” which covered key data and analysis for 13 major entertainment and tech companies, VIP+ has updated our analysis with the “Q2 Preview.”

The “Q2 Preview” pulls out key performance information from quarterly earnings reports and the Q2 stock journey for each company, then goes on to assess each business in terms of strategy, strengths and weaknesses and the road ahead in an effort to provide the best possible… Show more

After introducing Variety Intelligence Platform’s “Q1 Preview Special Report,” which covered key data and analysis for 13 major entertainment and tech companies, VIP+ has updated our analysis with the “Q2 Preview.”

The “Q2 Preview” pulls out key performance information from quarterly earnings reports and the Q2 stock journey for each company, then goes on to assess each business in terms of strategy, strengths and weaknesses and the road ahead in an effort to provide the best possible picture of how things stand.

The comprehensive VIP+ guide to the worlds of technology, media and entertainment will inform readers of what lies ahead when the financial quarter ends and companies prepare for earnings calls with investors.

GB companies covered: AMC Networks, Comcast, Cumulus Media, Discovery, Fox, iHeartMedia, Lionsgate, Live Nation Entertainment, MGM Holdings, Roku, SiriusXM, Sony, Universal Music Group, Vizio, Warner Music Group, WarnerMedia, WWE.

HC companies covered: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Snap, Disney.

KT companies covered: Ali Baba, Baidu, Facebook, Spotify, Tencent, Twitter, Netflix. Show less

At a time when media and tech firms are increasingly invading one another’s turf, it is important to keep track of the latest developments across both individual companies and the sectors in which they operate.

Variety Intelligence Platform has conducted a deep analysis of the financial performance of 13 essential companies in media and tech as well as the nine major sectors touching on entertainment. The result is VIP’s latest special report, “Q1 Preview: 2021 Financial Outlook for Key… Show more

At a time when media and tech firms are increasingly invading one another’s turf, it is important to keep track of the latest developments across both individual companies and the sectors in which they operate.

Variety Intelligence Platform has conducted a deep analysis of the financial performance of 13 essential companies in media and tech as well as the nine major sectors touching on entertainment. The result is VIP’s latest special report, “Q1 Preview: 2021 Financial Outlook for Key Media & Tech Companies.”

The report takes a detailed look at critical figures for the following businesses: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Comcast, Disney, Facebook, Fox, Netflix, Roku, Spotify, Twitter and ViacomCBS. It also delves into sector overviews for Audio, Big Tech, Movie Studios and Theaters, Pay TV, Social, Subscription Streaming, Theme Parks, TV Networks and Video Games.

Our team of analysts applied the customary VIP rigor to a look at company and sector performance, the biggest challenges and opportunities, key success strategies, future areas to note and a look at what to expect in 2021 Q1 earnings.

The result for readers is an understanding of what issues are at play at both the company and sector level, the strengths and weaknesses and the outlook for media and tech’s principal players. Show less

An in-depth look at how sports fandom and consumption is changing in the United States, and how sports must adapt to engage with the new form of fandom that is emerging.

VIP has updated the ongoing impact that coronavirus has had upon the industry in the new special report “Riding the Third Wave.” The report measures how key sectors of entertainment, across film, TV, advertising, sports, tech and videogames, have performed in the first 10 months of 2020, and lays out what’s next for each sector.

I designed a survey that was designed to place all media video brands in the U.S. on the same scale. The Viewniverse report is the analysis of that research, finding which individual and overall corporate brands are the largest, and what this means for the future of the TV and video industry.

I spoke with Streaming Media regarding OTT bundles and what they may entail, and the results of our conversation were published in this article.

TV Guide Magazine spoke to me regarding my thoughts on how the new shows in Fall Broadcast season would fare.