Digital Media M&A Trends -- Matt Gielen (Co-Founder & CEO, Electric Monster)

Matt Gielen is the Co-Founder & CEO of Electric Monster, a portfolio company of digital content properties in the general entertainment and kids and family space. Matt started his career in production and audience development at Driver Digital, then served as VP of Programming & Audience Development at Frederator. In 2016, he founded Little Monster Media Co., an agency that helps brands and publishers build out their YouTube audience, which was later acquired by his latest venture Electric Monster. In this episode, Matt and I talk about the growth of creator-driven business and the recent flurry of digital media acquisitions. From consolidation among digital publishers (Vox and Group Nine, Vice and Refinery29) to creator-first media companies (Mythical Entertainment and Smosh, Moonbug and Cocomelon), M&A activity has reached record heights over the last 12 months. Matt offers some insight into Electric Monster’s acquisition of React Media (formerly Fine Bros. Entertainment) and their future ambitions. Finally, we talk about the growth of YouTube Shorts, increasing the level of transparency from social platforms, and why creator funds don’t pay very well. Host: James Creech LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He currently serves as SVP, Influencer Strategy at Brandwatch, the world’s leading digital consumer intelligence company.

Austin Petersmith is the Founder & CEO of Racket, an app for creating and sharing 99-second audio clips. Austin started his career in journalism before becoming a developer evangelist for early SaaS products. In 2014, he started an email newsletter called ReadThisThing that was acquired by Inside.com, where he ultimately served as President & GM. He then co-founded Capiche, which was acquired by Vendr, before dedicating his time to building Racket. Austin is also a General Partner at Coughdrop Capital, investing in early-stage startups with his brother Stu. In this episode, Austin and I explore the evolution of digital audio. We discuss a few of podcasting’s inherent problems, the competition among social networks to roll out audio formats, and how much the Clubhouse-inspired hype cycle mirrors reality. We also touch on the “building in public” trend and other transparency movements among early-stage SaaS companies. Finally, Austin shares his approach to startup investing and offers advice to those looking to write their first angel checks. Host: James Creech LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Paladin, the essential influencer marketing platform for brand and agencies.

Adam Frank is the Founder & CEO of Wisio, a platform that enables creators to offer their followers individual guidance via personal videos. Adam served 5 years as an Intelligence Officer in the Israeli Air Force before studying computer science and business at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prior to Wisio, he worked at social news startup Tok Media, where he rose through the ranks from junior developer to CTO. In this episode, Adam and I discuss his journey from Israeli Air Force officer to Ninja Warrior, Instagram personality, and entrepreneur. We explore several trends that have shaped the creator economy, such as the cultural shift from institutions to individuals, the impact of social media on our online identities, and the evolution of fandom from passive viewer to engaged supporter and now owner-investor. Finally, Adam shares his vision of making anyone accessible to their online audience, facilitating connections between not just digital creators but also politicians, business leaders, and sports icons. Host: James Creech LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Paladin, the essential influencer marketing platform for brand and agencies.

Teresa Phillips is the Co-Founder & CEO of Spherex, a technology company that uses machine learning to adapt entertainment content for international audiences. Teresa started her career in the U.S. Army, serving tours of duty at the Pentagon and NATO’s Allied Command Operations. She later worked as a Group VP of Business Operations at Time Warner Cable and VP of Business Intelligence at Yahoo before launching her first company, an educational video marketplace called Graspr in 2006. She then served as SVP for V2 Solutions before co-founding Spherex in early 2018. In this episode, Teresa and I discuss the challenge of localizing and cultural fitting content for international audiences. Entertainment companies must navigate complex regulatory, economic, and cultural environments in each new market, so it’s no surprise that cultural missteps are fairly common – from Netflix running afoul of the Singaporean government for hosting drug-related content to the infamous Cuties movie poster debacle here in the U.S. In response, Teresa shares how Spherex uses technology and human expertise to help media companies successfully localize and extend their content to foreign markets. Finally, we comment on Netflix’s recent foray into gaming, ARPU differences between AVOD and SVOD platforms, and future M&A targets as media consolidation continues. Host: James Creech LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Paladin, the essential influencer marketing platform for brand and agencies.

Larissa Rydin is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Tiltify, a fundraising platform for live streamers to raise money for charities. Larissa has spent over a decade working for non-profits, including Children’s Home Network, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Autism Speaks, and the Alzheimer’s Association. Prior to Tiltify, Larissa served as the Vice President of Strategic and Brand Partnerships for the United Way. In this episode, Larissa and I discuss the evolution of online giving, particularly in the context of creator-driven fundraising campaigns. Larissa highlights how the pandemic accelerated non-profits’ digital transformations while broader cultural changes and ongoing social justice movements have led more brands to lean into cause marketing. Larissa’s advice to modern CMOs is “Your brand needs to stand for something,” so she encourages all companies to put together a social impact strategy. Host: James Creech LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Paladin, the essential influencer marketing platform for brand and agencies.

Rex Woodbury is a Principal at Index Ventures, focusing primarily on the creator economy. Rex started his career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, during which he time he also co-founded Worthy, an LGBTQ+ mentorship organization. Prior to Index, he worked in impact investing at the Rise Fund, growth investing at TPG, and growth strategy at Airtable. He publishes a weekly newsletter called Digital Native to share his thoughts about the intersection of people and technology. In this episode, Rex and I explore the forces shaping the future of the creator economy. We discuss the generational shift from Millennials, who grew up believing content should be free (that is, ad supported), to Gen Z, which is embracing subscriptions and online commerce. This coincides with the move from a centralized Web 2.0 era to a more decentralized Web 3.0 future. We’ve also witnessed the loss of public trust in institutions, from government to corporations. This has led to a surge of populism in everything from politics (see Trump, Bernie, AOC) to finance (GameStop, Dogecoin, AMC). As Rex quips during our conversation, “What is Tesla [stock] other than a social token for Elon Musk?” As the Elon example illustrates, power is shifting to individuals. It’s easier than ever to be an independent creator, freelancer, or entrepreneur. Artists like Dave Chapelle and Taylor Swift are challenging powerful institutions like cable networks and record labels (and winning!). All of this is playing out on social media in real time. If the 2010s were the decade of online status, the 2020s are about belonging. Today’s fans relate more to the authenticity of Charlie D’Amelio than the idealized perfection of Chloe Kardashian. Upstarts like Poparazzi, Dispo, and BeReal are challenging the Instagram status quo as we rethink social norms about what we share online and with whom. So what does the future hold? Rex and I debate how Facebook should respond to its innovator’s dilemma, and we predict continued business model innovation as the Internet shifts from an advertising to commerce-driven model. Finally, we analyze three of the most hotly contested battlegrounds in social media: (1) live audio, (2) short-form video, and (3) AR/VR. Host: James Creech LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Measure Studio (next-gen social media analytics) and Paladin (the essential influencer marketing platform).

Steve Gottlieb is the Founder & CEO of Shindig, a video chat platform for large-scale online events. Prior to Shindig, Steve was the Founder & President of TVT Records, an independent record label that helped launch the careers of Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Pitbull, and other popular artists. Steve was also a founding member of the American Association of Independent Music and has been an active angel investor and advisor to several companies over the years. In this episode, Steve and I discuss the future of online events, from industry conferences to music festivals. We explore the rise of participatory entertainment, such as Twitch live streams and HG Trivia, and Steve shares Shindig’s mission to reinvent virtual events to give the audience more of a voice. Finally, we examine how the pandemic accelerated digital trends around content creation and consumption, and Steve predicts this will lead to even greater interactivity for both virtual and hybrid events going forward. Host: James Creech LEAVE US A REVIEW! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review! https://ratethispodcast.com/allthingsvideo LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Measure Studio (next-gen social media analytics) and Paladin (the essential influencer marketing platform).

Christopher Erwin is the Founder of RockWater Industries, a strategic growth advisory firm for next-generation consumer brands. Chris started his career in finance and M&A before going to business school and transitioning into media and entertainment. Prior to RockWater, he served as the COO of Big Frame before and after the digital talent agency’s acquisition by AwesomenessTV. Chris is also the creator and host of The Come Up, a podcast featuring untold stories from entrepreneurs and leaders. In this episode, Chris and I discuss the ever-increasing value of sports media rights, opportunities to personalize live entertainment experiences, and how sports betting companies are getting into the media game. Chris also shares his enthusiasm for live stream shopping – pointing to leading indicators from Asia and highlighting the key differences in Western markets. Finally, we debate the future of the social audio space and argue that all brands must ultimately become content companies. Host: James Creech LEAVE US A REVIEW! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review! https://ratethispodcast.com/allthingsvideo LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Measure Studio (next-gen social media analytics) and Paladin (the essential influencer marketing platform).

Evan Britton is the Founder of Famous Birthdays, a website that profiles celebrities and social media stars in what Evan describes as "Wikipedia for Generation Z." Prior to Famous Birthdays, Evan founded Site Launcher to offer services to web domain registrants and later founded ResourceWebs, which operated a network of educational web properties. In this episode, Evan and I examine the collision of traditional celebrities and Internet personalities. Actors, musicians, and pro athletes are now building large social audiences and collaborating with online influencers, like Will Smith bungee jumping with Yes Theory or J. Lo’s music video with Charlie D’Amelio. Evan’s team has followed these changes closely; Famous Birthdays originally featured high-profile celebrities but quickly responded to user demand to add YouTube, Vine, and Instagram creators. Finally, Evan and I discuss the rise of new social networks and debate whether creators and brands should seek to build relationships and monetize their fans on or off social platforms. Host: James Creech LEAVE US A REVIEW! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review! https://ratethispodcast.com/allthingsvideo LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Measure Studio (next-gen social media analytics) and Paladin (the essential influencer marketing platform).

Jim Louderback is the GM & SVP VidCon at Viacom, overseeing the world’s largest event series for online video creators, fans, and industry executives. Jim began his career in consulting and publishing, helping companies navigate the transformation to online media. In 2007, he became the CEO of Revision3, one of the first online video networks, which Discovery acquired in 2012. Since then, he’s spent his time investing in and advising early stage companies before joining VidCon full time in 2017. This is a special round 2 episode with Jim, who originally joined me back in January 2019! In this latest conversation, we talk about how the pandemic has sparked yet another digital transformation in Jim’s career. He started off working in magazines at the dawn of the Internet, then spent time in radio and TV when content started going online, and now he’s helped VidCon evolve from a live event business to a company that builds online and offline communities. Jim and I also explore the rise of audio social platforms, from Clubhouse to Fireside and Twitter Spaces. Some are championing the spontaneity and exclusivity of live ephemeral experiences while others are taking an asynchronous approach to promote scaled and shareable online conversations. Finally, we examine the recent hype around non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and their place in both the physical and virtual worlds. Jim predicts that as we increasingly colonize the metaverse, our NFTs will live there, primarily as a means of self-expression. Host: James Creech LEAVE US A REVIEW! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review! https://ratethispodcast.com/allthingsvideo LISTENER SUPPORT If you’d like to make a small monthly donation  to help support future episodes, please visit https://anchor.fm/allthingsvideopodcast/support ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media. Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Measure Studio (next-gen social media analytics) and Paladin (the essential influencer marketing platform).