The Dan Rayburn Podcast

This week, I cover why many articles about Netflix's Q3 earnings are delusional: they use false data, make up quotes executives never said, cite numbers with no source, and use snippets of comments without context. I explain why we shouldn't trust third-party data that doesn't disclose the region and devices measured, has a conflict of interest, or includes no methodology for what it measured.

I also discuss the news from Disney's rollout of 4K HDR in the U.S. across Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which is now being tested across all platforms, for ESPN productions of Monday Night Football, NBA and NHL, as Disney prepares to have the first Super Bowl ever to be streamed in native 4K HDR.

Finally, I detail the numbers from Comcast's Q3 earnings, which saw Peacock add no net new subs from Q2 and lose 274,000 pay TV subs, as well as the news that Prime Video and Paramount+ will release new apps for the larger iPhone Duo screen.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we cut through the noise around Netflix's recent layoffs with facts, as many incorrectly claim Netflix's business is "collapsing" and "struggling." We note that, according to Netflix's data, engagement was up 2% in the first half of 2026, not down as many suggest, and that Netflix reconfirmed it remains on track to deliver its full-year financial forecast. We also discuss Netflix's announcement that it secured the rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup in Spain and Andorra and will stream all 104 matches.

We cover the news that Disney will stream the 2027 Super Bowl on Disney+ (English and Spanish language broadcasts) in the U.S. and more than 55 international markets, marking the first time a broadcaster has the rights to stream the Super Bowl outside the U.S. We also debate who the market is for Apple's latest 4th-generation Apple TV 4K box, considering it retails for $300, making it out of reach for most consumers.

Finally, we discuss the challenges of collecting CMCD data, Bending Spoons shares rising 47% after news that Berkshire Hathaway invested an additional $330 million in the company, and what it might take for Paramount+ and HBO Max to combine into one service.

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This month, Eric Black and Dan Rayburn discuss how the consumer sports streaming experience could be impacted by Skydance now owning all of the sports content under both WBD and Paramount, consisting of NFL, MLB, NHL, March Madness, the Masters, NASCAR, UFC, UEFA, and several major college sports conferences. They also discuss the technical challenges Paramount faces in merging multiple DTC services into a single consumer offering.

They also discuss Disney's plans to stream the Super Bowl in the U.S. and in more than 55 international markets on Disney+, a first for any broadcaster with rights outside the U.S., and a newly announced deal to bring seven NFL games per week to Disney+ in Sweden via ESPN. Other Disney news includes recent price increases for ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select, as well as Hulu+ Live TV, which now costs $100 per month.

Finally, they cover DAZN having acquired local rights to 19 teams across MLB, the NBA, NHL, and WNBA, as well as Netflix becoming the new home for WWE programming in Japan and FuboTV now offering 35 local RSN options as part of an add-on package to Fubo Sports subscriptions.

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Episode 182: Latest Paramount/WBD News; Encoding for the iPhone Duo Screen; NFL News from Disney, Netflix, NBC; AI Won't Replace People

This week, with the Skydance and WBD deal done, we detail some of the business's challenges, including nearly $80 billion in combined debt, uncertainty over who will be impacted by layoffs, and the work required to combine multiple streaming services into one offering.

We also cover the latest price increase for Hulu + Live TV, now $100 per month, and news that the Disney+ and Hulu bundle will also get more expensive. We discuss the new agreement that will bring select Disney-owned movies and television shows to Netflix globally, and Netflix becoming the new home for WWE programming in Japan.

Finally, we cover Dish's announcement that it is discontinuing Sling TV's Sling Pass, FuboTV's announcement of the launch of RSN add-on packages, why NBC Sports no longer breaks out viewership for Peacock, and Nielsen's announcement that it will once again change viewership methodology next year.

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This week, I cover the latest in the Paramount/WBD merger, with rumors that Paramount and 12 state attorneys general could reach a deal in the next few days. In other Paramount news, Comcast and Paramount, which owns SkyShowtime, are reviewing strategic options for the business, including shutting down the service.

I also question whether content owners will re-encode their video libraries to take advantage of the new iPhone Duo's square-like aspect ratio and resolution similar to QHD tablet screens, which isn't HD or 4K, but rather 2K+. I cover the latest infrastructure news from Oracle, including a new round of layoffs, its Q1 FY2027 earnings, and its $30 billion in additional AI cloud deals it closed in Q1.

I cover the latest NFL news and viewership numbers for games across Netflix and NBC/Peacock, and explain why NFL viewership is no longer comparable year over year, since methodologies and definitions vary so much, with NBC Sports already altering how it measures and reports its NFL viewership for the 2026/2027 season. Finally, I cover what happens when brands use AI to try to make an experience faster, more efficient and easier to scale without understanding what customers actually value, using the news that McDonald's will put a renewed focus on the human side of the experience, with plans to retrain more than 2 million workers on hospitality.

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This week, I cover the messy RSN business, which is only getting worse for NHL fans as six NHL teams will stream on Prime Video for in-market fans, but not all will be free. I also cover Netflix's price increase in the UK, its tenth since the service launched in 2014. I also talk about how, after price increases from Apple, Roku, and Amazon on streaming devices, the Google TV Streamer has risen from $99.99 to $149.99.

On the content side, I detail new deals, with DAZN securing the rights to broadcast Spain’s top-tier football tournament, LaLiga EA Sports, across Sub-Saharan Africa for the next three seasons, and Warner Bros. Discovery launching HBO Max in Japan through deals for distribution on Nippon TV-owned Hulu Japan and Amazon Prime Video in Japan.

Also, NBCU Telemundo secured the exclusive U.S. Spanish-language rights to the Serie A Championship, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, locking down the football market. In addition, Sony launched more than 100 live FAST TV channels on the PS5 in the U.S., but none of the content is exclusive, and Disney has added to its content deal with Groupe M6, bringing "several hundred" episodes of four shows from the French broadcaster to the service.

Finally, I cover Jio Platforms, Reliance Industries' digital platform, having received approval from market regulator SEBI to float India’s largest-ever IPO, aiming to raise about $4 billion.

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This week, we cover major OTT price increases across the industry, including Disney raising prices by $2 per month for ESPN Unlimited and $1 for ESPN Select. We also cover Peacock raising prices by $1-$3 per month, Apple TV raising prices by $2 per month, and Amazon raising prices on its Fire TV, Echo, Eero, and Kindle hardware.

We also discuss problems users reported across Netflix for the 26-minute GTA 6 trailer, YouTube's announcement of a change in how it defines a viewer, the market-sizing problems reported for vertical video, and series product functionality issues on LinkedIn.

Finally, we detail Amazon's news that it has joined YouTube's Shopping affiliate program, where U.S. creators will now be able to tag Amazon products in their Shorts, long-form videos and livestreams, making it even easier for viewers to buy the products.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This month, Eric Black and Dan Rayburn discuss the big news that all of Peacock's content will be available on YouTube Premium in the U.S. They discuss what it means for NBCU, which has now become a content licensing company and DTC service, which are very different business models. They debate that over time, Peacock may no longer be a destination for consumers when the content can be viewed on other platforms. They also discuss the announced price increases for Peacock, ranging from $1-$3 per month, on the heels of Comcast announcing during its Q2 earnings that Peacock turned its first-ever quarterly profit since the service launched six years ago.

They also discuss the news that YES Network and MSG Networks will be shutting down its Gotham Sports app, announcing a deal with DAZN that will make DAZN the exclusive home for their content. They cover the latest in the messy RSN market, dicuss consumer fragmentation and report that DAZN has secured games from the Timberwolves and Pacers, while Victory+ has lost teams from its service after failing to pay them money owed for the content.

They cover how Disney+ is starting to become a sports service, having signed a multi-year partnership with Formula E, along with the sports content they already have with the World Cup, LALIGA, NBA and UEFA in other countries. The discussion also includes Disney's CEO saying they are "looking forward to launching" a free version of their service and what it might look like.

Finally, they detail the latest news from FOX, NFL, Prime Video, Telemundo, ESPN and Versant.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we cover the Q2 earnings numbers you need to know from WBD, Roku, Paramount Skydance, Fubo and EchoStar, including net profit and subscribers. We discuss the latest bundling and content deals from Disney, Netflix, Philo, Apple TV, and Google TV.

We also detail the technical issues NFL+ experienced during week one of preseason games, the layoffs at Scripps and VideoAmp, and Dolby's acquisition of 250 patents that are at the heart of the technology that contributed to VVC.

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This week, discuss the news that eligible YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. will gain access to ad-supported Peacock Premium in 2027 at no additional charge and debate if this means NBCU will become a content arms dealer. We detail the plan for NFL Ticket to come back to DIRECTV for businesses through a new licensing deal, and DAZN plans to acquire EverPass Media.

We also highlight the YES Network and MSG Networks news that will make DAZN the exclusive home for their content, replacing the Gotham Sports App, which will be shut down. We touch on the latest news from HBO Max, Roku, Disney, SiriusXM, Prime Video, and Rogers Communications. Finally, we cover all the Q2 earnings numbers you need to know from Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Meta and AMC Global Media.

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This week, I detail Comcast's Q2 earnings, which, for the first time in six years, showed Peacock had a positive quarter, with $189 million in EBITDA. This positive news was offset by the loss of 280,000 cable TV subscribers and 167,000 broadband residential customers, with total company revenue down 1.2% YoY.

I discuss the news that Roku is raising the MSRP of its streaming sticks and boxes from $10-$50, depending on the model, noting that the largest portion of Roku's overall device unit volume comes from the sale of third-party Roku-made TVs by OEM partners, not Roku boxes.

Finally, I detail the final FIFA World Cup viewership numbers from YouTube, Cazé TV, TikTok, Fox/FOX One, and Telemundo/Peacock, highlighting the different measurement methodologies used, and mention Telemundo becoming the exclusive U.S. Spanish-language rights holder for the next UEFA men's club competitions.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, I discuss Netflix's earnings, the new numbers it disclosed regarding live streaming, confirmation that engagement didn't decline, double-digit revenue growth in all regions, and the largest share buybacks in company history. I explain that while some suggest that Netflix's business is "broken" or "collapsing," none of it is based on facts or supported by any actual numbers. (Nielsen's don't count)

I also cover Fandango's push to become a FAST platform, with its owner, Versant, having acquired rights to air Bundesliga games in the U.S., some of which stream on Fandango. I also talk about the company's goal of having what they say will be a better FAST experience, with lower ad loads and its claims that it has a unique advantage in bringing audiences in through recent theatrical releases.

Finally, I cover why I don't think a streamer will secure U.S. rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, since the largest viewing audience will require a combination of linear TV and streaming.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, I discuss Comcast's plans to split its media and technology businesses, spinning off NBCUniversal and Sky into a separate publicly traded company. I questioned why it didn't happen sooner, since for years we've seen from its balance sheet and stock price that combining its content and distribution pipelines hasn't added value. Also related to Comcast, I cover the news that ITV has agreed to sell its Media and Entertainment division, covering the ITV channels, the ITVX streaming platform, and the advertising business that funds them, to Comcast-owned Sky for up to £1.6 billion.

I discuss Meta's plans to launch a cloud business to sell AI computing power and why it makes sense, when Meta is spending so much on capex without a clear path to directly monetize it. I also use the example of Meta taking a page from Google's playbook, which successfully diversified revenue beyond just advertising by growing their cloud services over many years. Other Meta news covered is that the company took a patent license covering AV1 and VP9 from the Access Advance VDP Pool.

Finally, I cover the latest news from Netflix, which will add video content from new publishers, ranging from 3 to 20 minutes in length, and why this is not a sign that Netflix is trying to be YouTube.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This month, Eric Black and Dan Rayburn discuss World Cup viewership, breaking down the numbers between linear and streaming and the problems posed by the lack of a standard measurement. They also cover World Cup latency, including on airplanes, and ask whether viewers would pay more for Dolby Vision HDR, Atmos surround sound, and lower latency. Or, similar to customers gravitating to ad-supported subs for a lower cost, would they do the same for less interactivity?

They also cover other live streams, including the Tour de France, WNBA, Wimbledon and MLB and debate how these leagues can elevate their visibility during competing top-tier events. They also discussed the price increase for Apple TV, now priced at $199, making it unlikely to grow in the market, since less than 5% of live streams already go to Apple TV hardware. Finally, they covered the news that Fubo CEO and co-founder David Gandler is leaving the company and why the upcoming UFC Conor McGregor fight on Paramount+ might see the largest viewership on the platform, outside of NFL games.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we discuss the launch of TF1 Groupe programs and live TV channels on Netflix in France, the first such deal for Netflix. We detail the available content and explain why we think TF1 dramas, reality shows, news and sports could help limit churn among existing Netflix subscribers. We also cover viewership numbers for Paramount's UFC Freedom 250 event at The White House, review the latest World Cup viewership stats, and discuss Snap's plans to spin off an internal team that was working on AI-powered generative video into a separate company.

Finally, we cover news from Meta that AV1 is now enabled on the majority of mobile devices in Meta Real-Time Communication (RTC) applications, Apple raising the price of the Apple TV to $199, and debunk some of the latest rumors of the announced Fox and Roku deal.

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This week, we separate facts from opinions on the news that Fox Corporation has agreed to acquire Roku. We break down all the numbers, the impact on Tubi and The Roku Channel, Roku's hardware business, and all the other details you need to know. We also cover World Cup TV and streaming viewership stats released by Fox Sports, ITV, NBC Sports, STV, and others. We detail the revenue and profit numbers from Bending Spoons' SEC filing, which plans to go public this year. Finally, we go through the latest codec and protocol news, including Apple's HTTP Live Streaming enhancements, the Alliance for Open Media publishing AV2 specs, and the impact on OTT services from current codec and ABR patent suits.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

Sports streaming is kind of a big deal. So, Eric Black and I have teamed up to record a new monthly podcast breaking down the Business and Technology of Sports Streaming. Giving listeners insight into the latest content deals, viewership numbers, user experiences and technical workflows, without any hype.

In episode one, Eric and I talk about the World Cup's streaming quality, latency, piracy, free trials across OTT services and discuss the streaming rollout across FOX, ZEE5, Peacock, and FIFA+ on DAZN. We detail the renewed distribution deal between NBCU and Fubo, Fox’s expanded deal with the NFL that will bring games to Mexico, and Disney's new partnership to carry L’équipe’s TV channel in France on Disney+.

We highlight a recent interview with MLS's Commissioner, who admitted that the added paywall and timing weren’t right for the market, as well as the impact on MLS within the Apple TV ecosystem. We also discuss the impact of RTL's acquisition of Sky Deutschland on sports content, which combines Sky’s premium sports rights with RTL’s entertainment and news brands, forming the strongest local competitor to Netflix in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Finally, we recap comments from those who testified at the congressional hearing on the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, and I question why EverPass Media has been so quiet about providing any technical details to businesses or integrators who are still in the dark about how the NFL Sunday Ticket will be rolled out later this year.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, special guest Eric Black and I discuss the upcoming World Cup, detailing streaming and pay TV viewership numbers from the 2022 event and what to expect this year. We also discuss the MLS game that used Apple iPhones for video capture, noting that they were used only as camera sensors and image processors. We review the NFL's 2026-2027 schedule, calling out the newly announced exclusive games on Netflix and Peacock and detail Netflix's newly extended media rights deal with the NFL through the 2029-30 season.

We discuss the growth of Prime Video and Amazon's disclosure that Prime Video, as a stand-alone business, is profitable, without knowing how Amazon accounts for costs to the business. Eric details his recent experience with Peacock's vertical video stream, noting quality differences when the video source is Peacock versus a third party. Finally, we recap some numbers from Netflix on its monthly active viewers for its ad-supported plan, new price increases for DirecTV streaming packages, and a YouTube stat that two billion hours of Shorts are streamed on TVs each month.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we discuss a wild week in infrastructure news, with Akamai, Fastly and Cloudflare reporting earnings, sending all three companies' stock up or down by at least 30%. We detail Cloudflare's announcement that it will lay off over 1,100 employees, Akamai's new $1.8 billion seven-year contract for Cloud Infrastructure Services for AI modeling, and Wall Street's lack of understanding of the CDN business. We highlight reports suggesting that contracts involving Anthropic and OpenAI now ‌account ⁠for more than half of the $2 trillion in backlogs at major cloud providers, and how Google and Amazon reported a surge in profits in their Q1 earnings, based on the valuation of the stock they bought in Anthropic, and not any actual net profit.

We also detail the latest numbers you need to know from WBD, Disney, and Fubo earnings, and how, with WBD no longer breaking out streaming subs and Fubo no longer breaking out Hulu+ Live TV subs, it's now almost impossible to compare DTC service growth quarter to quarter. Finally, we break out the pay TV losses by Optimum and discuss the unconfirmed reports that Netflix will get two additional NFL games starting in the 2026-27 season. Finally, we highlight Sky Sports' announcement that it will remain the exclusive home of Formula 1 in the UK and Ireland until 2034 and in Italy until 2032, which prevents Apple from securing the rights to stream F1 content in those countries.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media

This week, we detail the numbers you need to know from Q1 earnings from Roku, which, for the first time, separated out revenue for its advertising and subscription business. We also cover earnings from Comcast, the latest Peacock numbers, cord-cutting at Charter, and the massive capex spend in the quarter from Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon, with AWS revenue growth at its fastest in 15 quarters.

We detail YouTube's Q1 revenue, which was down from the previous quarter and highlight YouTube TV's launch of a fully customizable multiview, including some device and content limitations. Moving on to NFL news, we also mention a rumored deal between the NFL and YouTube for a long-form contract review of a five-game package, and Comcast dropping the NFL Network and RedZone Channel from its Xfinity service due to a carriage dispute.

We share live sports viewership numbers from April, including the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game and NBA on Amazon Prime, and discuss a hardware failure that caused one of Prime's games to lose video for 20 seconds during gameplay. Finally, we discuss why Amazon’s newly announced Fire TV Stick HD, which runs its Vega operating system, is not good for customers, and how Fire TV's lack of explanation of its Fire OS strategy to the market is bad for developers and consumers.

Podcast produced by Security Halt Media