#1 - Avoiding The Media Apocalypse with Evan Shapiro

Neal Zuckerman, Senior Partner and Chair, Global Institute for the Future of Television at BCG, shares his unique journey from military service at West Point to thought leadership in media and journalism. We explore the challenges facing legacy media, the decline of local news, shifting consumer habits, and the disruptive impact of emerging technologies. From his perspective on advertising's attention economy to the government's role in addressing market failures, Neal offers his bold vision of the future. 00:00 Meet Neal Zuckerman 05:34 Legacy Media's Growing Pains 12:41 Challenges Facing Local News 32:41 How Emerging Technology Will Shape Media 37:23 Rapid Fire Questions Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments to [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts Amagi is an award-winning media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi supports 800+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and 5,000+ channel deliveries on its platform in over 150 countries. Learn more about us at www.amagi.com

Stuart McLean, founder and CEO of Fast Studios, charts the journey of crafting engaging content and driving brand engagement at scale. He explains how Fast Studios builds streaming TV brands that deliver a dynamic mix of live gameplay, highlight-based programming, and story-driven narratives. McLean underscores the vital role of storytelling in sports and advocates for expanding coverage of women's sports. He showcases the success of the Women's Sports Network and details partnerships with Team USA and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. McLean emphasizes the growing shift toward streaming and spotlights the unique opportunities for brands to connect directly with consumers through compelling content. 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:08 Building Streaming TV Brands 08:31 Empowering Women's Sports 15:03 Partnering with Athletes and Sports Organizations 23:46 The Challenges of Programmatic Advertising 37:32 Coverage of the Olympics and Team USA Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments to [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts Amagi is an award-winning media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi supports 800+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and 5,000+ channel deliveries on its platform in over 150 countries. Learn more about us at www.amagi.com

What do rescuing a two-legged dog from Lebanon and redefining Europe's CTV landscape have in common? Everything, if you’re Sarah Lewis. On today’s episode, we chart Sarah's remarkable journey and explore the future of ad-supported streaming in Europe. 00:00 Introduction to Sarah Lewis and Her Journey 03:05 The Role of Advertising in Public Broadcasting 06:00 Nonprofit Advertising and Its Unique Challenges 09:01 Programmatic 101 11:58 The State of CTV in Europe 14:46 The Impact of Free Content on CTV Growth 17:47 Live Sports in European Streaming 23:22 Navigating Regulatory Frameworks in Europe 34:05 The Impact of AI on Advertising and Content Creation Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments to [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts Amagi is an award-winning media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi supports 800+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and 5,000+ channel deliveries on its platform in over 150 countries. Learn more about us at www.amagi.com

Ben Goodfriend sits down with Moe Chughtai, Head of Advanced TV at MIQ, for an insightful discussion tracing Moe’s journey from teaching to ad tech. They explore industry challenges, including the art of simplifying programmatic advertising’s technical complexities for diverse audiences—ranging from media professionals to everyday viewers. The conversation addresses pressing issues like unfilled inventory in live sports streaming and showcases innovative ad formats such as QR overlays and pause ads. They close by emphasizing the need to balance innovation with user experience and privacy, charting a thoughtful path forward as the streaming and advertising industries evolve. 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:48 Teaching and Transition to Advertising 08:24 Programmatic 101 11:16 Unfilled Inventory in Live Sports 20:11 Interactive Ad Units 29:29 Privacy Concerns and User Perception 32:53 Pause Ads 46:42 Political Advertising in CTV 53:33 Transparency 56:02 AI's Impact on Advertising Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments to [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts Amagi is an award-winning media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi supports 800+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and 5,000+ channel deliveries on its platform in over 150 countries. Learn more about us at www.amagi.com

Dan shares his journey from the Air Force to fixing Apple computers and producing some of the first live streamed concerts. He details the fragmented sports streaming ecosystem, explores media's myriad metrics, and poses a critical question: "Why do we watch what we watch?" 00:00 Dan's Journey 16:36 The NFL's Dominance 30:00 Understanding Financial Metrics in Streaming 39:38 The Rise of FAST Channels 44:14 The Fill Rate Problem 55:24 Advice for the Industry Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments at [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts Amagi is an award-winning media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi supports 800+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and 5,000+ channel deliveries on its platform in over 150 countries. Learn more about us at www.amagi.com.

Our host, Ben Goodfriend, chats with Kathy Argyriou about her early childhood and her journey into the ad tech world. Together, they explore the complexity of live streaming infrastructure. Kathy shares what it's like explaining programmatic advertising to her grandparents, diversity in the industry, and advice to the next generation. 00:00 Introduction to Kathy Argyriou and Freewheel 02:11 Kathy's Journey from Greece to Ad Tech 06:10 Explaining Programmatic Advertising 09:25 The Data Currency Dilemma in Streaming 14:01 To Fill or Not to Fill? 19:25 The Future of FAST Channels 20:25 Challenges of Live Streaming Events 25:02 Interactive Innovation 26:05 Diversity in Ad Tech 29:33 Advice for the Next Generation in Ad Tech Find us at www.amagi.com. Send us questions and comments at [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts Amagi is an award-winning media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi supports 800+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and 5,000+ channel deliveries on its platform in over 150 countries. Learn more about us at www.amagi.com.

From a small town to Hollywood: Ben Goodfriend and Frank Jung dive deep into Frank's journey through the fast-paced world of representation, the evolution of digital media, and the launch of FMC (Franchise Media Collective)—navigating the future of Entertainment and the Creator Economy. 00:00 Meet Frank Jung 09:20 The Birth of CAA Digital Media 23:27 New Modes of Distribution. 26:54 Introducing FMC and Cultural Salons 37:53 Exploring the Potential of FAST 49:14 Embracing AI 56:22 Rapid Fire Questions Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments at [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts

Ben Goodfriend and Scott Rosenberg, key architect of Roku's media and advertising business, explore the birth of FAST, the OS wars, and Data's tragedy of the commons. 0:45 Scott's journey to and through media. 3:42 Building Roku 14:50 The Birth of FAST 19:31 The OS (Operating System) Wars 26:08 Roku and Amagi 27:20 The Future of FAST 29:37 AI and Personalization 33:09 Data's Tragedy of The Commons 39:26 Premium Live Sports 43:49 Rapid Fire Questions Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments at [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts

Ben Goodfriend and Chris Williams, Founder and CEO of Pocket Watch, discuss AI, Kids Programming's linear legacy, the internet's "hunger games," and more. 0:45 Introducing Pocket Watch 5:15 Pocket Watch and FAST 9:10 Linear Legacy 13:00 Advertising in Kids and Family 19:50 Ancillary Revenue 22:45 The Growth of FAST 24:10 Monetization and Artificial Intelligence 31:55 Pocket Watch Syndication 33:50 What’s Next for Pocket Watch Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments at [email protected] Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts

Ben Goodfriend and Evan Shapiro discuss Evan's quixotic journey, the genesis of the media-utility bundle, the future of FAST, and more. 00:35 - 04:40 Evan’s Biography 04:40 - 05:40 Storytelling and Portlandia 05:40 - 09:45 Triple Play and The Media Apocalypse 09:45 - 12:15 FAST and Media Ergonomics 12:15 - 13:42 News 13:42 - 14:50 Viewing Behavior: Linear Tolerance 14:50 - 16:36 Retail Media and Ad Innovation 16:36 - 20:05 Personalization and Data Cooperation 20:05 - 22:50 User Experience 22:50 - 26:00 Rapid Fire Questions Find us at www.amagi.com Send us questions and comments at [email protected]