The Media Beat

Business & Finance

About

Maureen Kerr leads Arthur D Little's Media practice and Claire Tavernier is a renowned commentator and advisor on all things media. Oliver is none of these.

Episodes

  • The Media Beat Episode #95

    This episode of The Media Beat explores soap operas, Disney's super app, and developments in the music industry. It also touches on "podslop," Spotify, and Elon Musk.

  • Netflix Pivots to Attention, AI studios and a Golden Pear Affair | The Media Beat #94

    This episode features a deep dive into Netflix's strategic pivot towards user attention. It also covers news regarding layoffs, comparisons to "The Netflix of China," and discussions on Zaslav's financial situation, concluding with a segme…

  • The $64bn Music Gamble & The Death of Sora | The Media Beat #93

    This episode of The Media Beat covers the history and business of music publishing, alongside current news. It also touches on the impact of Sora.

  • The Messy Mess of Kids' Content, With Guest Emily Horgan | The Media Beat #92

    Emily Horgan, an independent kids media consultant and former Disney executive, returns to The Media Beat to discuss kids' content. As the author of the Netflix Kids Content Performance Report, she provides unique insights based on engagem…

  • The Future of Talk Shows, Big Mergers, and Netflix’s Ad Strategy | The Media Beat #91

    This episode of The Media Beat explores the evolution of talk shows from their US origins to UK innovations. It also covers recent media industry news including mergers, collaborations, and legal disputes.

  • Podcast Economics & The Art of Walking Away from $110bn - The Media Beat #90

    This episode of The Media Beat, #90, features a double header with Claire discussing podcast economics and Maureen covering M&A. The discussion is described as content-rich.

  • The "High-Stakes" World of AAA Gaming & The Media Economics Shift | The Media Beat #89

    This episode of The Media Beat covers the deep dive into AAA gaming, discussing its origins and economics. It also touches on YouTube "Skinny Bundles," news from Anthropic and Disney, and includes segments on sports and auto-romance.

  • The Post-Peak World: Luminate 2025 and TikTok’s New Reality | The Media Beat #88

    The Media Beat episode #88 covers Luminate 2025, TikTok's changing landscape, and partnerships involving Netflix, the BBC, and YouTube. The episode notes an abundance of news making a traditional deep dive impractical.

  • 2026 Media Outlook: M&A, AI Agents, and the Return of the Bundle | The Media Beat #87

    In this preview of 2026, hosts Maureen and Claire predict key media trends, strategies, and innovations for the upcoming year, including M&A, AI agents, and the resurgence of bundled media offerings.

  • 2025 Media Predictions Reviewed: How Accurate Were Our Experts? | The Media Beat #86

    This episode of The Media Beat reviews the 2025 media predictions previously made by hosts Maureen and Claire. The hosts assess how accurate those predictions turned out to be.

  • The $200bn Creator Economy, Netflix-WBD and Spotify Wrapped | The Media Beat #85

    The Media Beat episode #85 discusses the $200bn creator economy, Netflix and WBD developments, Spotify Wrapped data, and the trend of vertical dramas.

  • Spotify's Global Dominance, ITV Takeover Bids & Google Gemini 3 | The Media Beat #84

    This episode of The Media Beat covers Spotify's long history and strategy, presented by Claire and Maureen. News segments include major deals, the launch of Google Gemini 3, the TikTok Shop, and shifts in Hollywood.

  • The Media Beat Episode #83

    This episode of The Media Beat features a deep dive into Netflix, discussing the potential sale of WBD, the possibility of an AI bubble, and Disney's integration with Hulu. It also touches on AI presenters, Taylor Sheridan, and Celebrity T…

  • The Media Beat Episode #82

    Dr. Alex Connock rejoins The Media Beat to discuss his new book, "Entrepreneurship in Media and Entertainment." The episode explores the practical impact of AI on media business, including storytelling, production, and entrepreneurship, an…

  • The Media Beat Episode #81

    In The Media Beat Episode #81, Maureen explains the reasons behind media companies splitting their businesses, with additional insights from Claire. The discussion covers Paramount, Netflix, WBD machinations, new wearables, and YouTube.

  • The Media Beat Episode #80

    This episode of The Media Beat, #80, delves into the concept of paperless production in film and TV. It also covers media news including content creator disputes, SVOD trends, and features a segment by Maureen on advertising, a useful tool…

  • The Media Beat Episode #79

    This episode of The Media Beat explores the history and strategy of A24, discusses the predicted AI bust, and covers trends on Threads and Netflix, plus a corporate rebrand analysis. It also features business insights from Maureen and refe…

  • The Media Beat Episode #78

    The Media Beat Episode #78 discusses the business of streaming content, analyzes Warner Music results, and touches on European broadcasters, Paramount, and Netflix. The episode also mentions bookshops and South Park.

  • The Media Beat Episode #77

    This episode of The Media Beat examines the implementation of the Online Safety Act, the Paramount deal, the LA Times, and the distinction between good and bad faith outputs in generative AI.

  • The Media Beat Episode #76

    This episode of The Media Beat traces the history of Sky TV from its 1990 origins. It also covers a significant AI court ruling and news regarding potential collaboration between Netflix and Spotify.

  • The Media Beat Episode #75

    The Media Beat Episode 75 celebrates the 50th anniversary of Jaws. The episode also discusses business developments, including the WBD breakup and the TF1 and Netflix collaboration. Additionally, Maureen showcases new podcasting props.

  • The Media Beat Episode #74

    This episode of The Media Beat features Maureen discussing four significant gamechangers in AI-driven advertising. Topics also include the impact of dangerous hashtags, advancements in gaming devices, the presence of sports on YouTube, and…

  • The Media Beat Episode #73

    In The Media Beat Episode #73, Claire explores the popularity of the BBC and touches on various media industry news including Google's new production arm, ITV's financial results, and Microsoft's advertising ventures.

  • The Media Beat Episode #72

    This episode of The Media Beat discusses the health of the box office, explores topics like Disney and Finsyn, and touches on privacy. A new card system is also introduced for Podmojis.

  • The Media Beat Episode #71

    In The Media Beat Episode #71, Maureen explores the history of Netflix and its rise alongside Amazon. The episode also covers news regarding predictions, the relationship between government and Big Tech, and a significant deal of the year.

  • The Media Beat Episode #70

    The Media Beat Episode #70 covers Wikipedia's history and founder, the ongoing TikTok situation, and details about the Nintendo Switch 2 release. It also touches on potential UK streaming levies and features 'podmojis'.

  • The Media Beat Episode #69

    In this crossover episode, Maureen and Claire host Carlo De Marchis to discuss the current state of sports rights, bundling, viewing habits, and AI. They also cover the Netflix drama, the Samba Report on live sports streaming, and a surpri…

  • The Media Beat Episode #68

    This episode of The Media Beat, #68, traces the history of YouTube, from its origins sharing holiday videos to its current status as a dominant streaming platform that disrupted conventional TV. The discussion also touches on recent news,…

  • The Media Beat Episode #67

    The Media Beat Episode #67 focuses on a special "In The News" segment covering sports, closures, and UK broadcasters. It also includes mentions of NVIDIA and The Oscars.

  • The Media Beat Episode #66

    The Media Beat Episode #66 discusses vertical integration, its history, and current state. The episode also covers business results, including Spotify turning a profit and The Trade Desk stalling.

  • The Media Beat Episode #65

    This episode of The Media Beat covers the technical and commercial aspects of Deepseek. It also discusses Mr. Trump's tariffs, Oscar's considerations, recent Netflix results, the cost of a Super Bowl ad, and the closure of Eurosport.

  • The Media Beat Episode #64

    The Media Beat Episode #64 covers discussions on Meta and TikTok's impact on various sectors, including sports, music, and news, with a focus on AI. The episode also touches upon French cinema and WWE.

  • The Media Beat Episode #63

    In The Media Beat Episode #63, hosts Maureen and Claire offer their 2025 predictions across various media sectors including streaming, music, sports, M&A, AI, and content, along with insights for the Oscars.

  • The Media Beat Episode #62

    In The Media Beat Episode #62, hosts Maureen and Claire revisit their 2024 predictions, evaluating their accuracy regarding AI, advertising, streaming, content, The Oscars, and Gaming IP.

  • The Media Beat Episode #61

    This episode of The Media Beat covers storytelling, Ofcom

  • The Media Beat Episode #60

    In The Media Beat Episode #60, hosts Maureen and Claire share insights from chairing panels on AI and women in leadership in Reykjavik. They also cover media news concerning Disney, mergers, and updates on streaming platforms like Netflix…

  • The Media Beat Episode #59

    The Media Beat returns with Episode #59, covering the quarterly results of major media companies, Netflix's strategies, the success of FAST services in Europe, and entertainment news.

  • The Media Beat Episode #58

    This episode of The Media Beat discusses the changing concept of advertising 'dayparts' and the potential return to 'primetime'. It also covers AI advancements by YouTube and Lionsgate, the possible sale of The Observer, and the cultural i…

  • The Media Beat Episode #57

    The Media Beat covers a wide range of news in episode #57, touching on Netflix, UK production spending, film on-demand, and gaming trends. They also discuss Podmojis and the financial opportunities on OnlyFans.

  • The Media Beat Episode #56

    The Media Beat Episode #56 discusses the pleasures of watching films, TV analysis, Parisian fashion delivery, and a significant podcast deal for the Kelces, alongside a debate regarding the months included in Quarter 3.

  • The Media Beat Episode #55

    The Media Beat returns with episode #55, discussing the complexities of AI video generation with Sora, the Paris 2024 Olympics, issues facing Paramount, and the use of social media in the US Presidential election.

  • The Media Beat Episode #54

    The Media Beat Episode #54 explores streaming developments, AI video generation, the challenges facing live music, and the ongoing Paramount saga. The episode also touches on marketing issues and scheduling difficulties.

  • The Media Beat Episode #53

    In this episode, the hosts discuss global ad spend, Apple's AI initiatives, and sports news including Euro 2024. They also review Netflix's latest offerings, discuss Paramount's challenges, and engage in lighthearted debates about cricket,…

  • The Media Beat Episode #52

    This episode of The Media Beat dives into the Netflix Data Dump, exploring viewing habits and speculating on the reasons behind them. The hosts also cover news about Paramount, sports viewing, and AI, alongside discussions on newspaper sal…

  • The Media Beat Episode #51

    The Media Beat Episode #51 delves into the complexities of calculating viewership, tracing the evolution from paper forms to digital feeds. The hosts also share their opinions on Apple, Disney, ITV, the film The Fall Guy, and the issue of…

  • The Media Beat Episode #50

    The Media Beat celebrates its 50th episode by reminiscing on its journey and featuring Maureen and Claire's live performance at the DTG 2024 Conference.

  • The Media Beat Episode #49

    Maureen and Claire discuss the story of Hulu, the rise of bundling, Disney's streaming profitability, and live streaming on Netflix. They also touch upon sunglasses and Claire's comments regarding Richard Osman.

  • The Media Beat Episode #48

    This episode of The Media Beat (#48) sacrifices the Deep Dive for a news roundup, covering Netflix and Meta's performance, Apple and sports broadcasting speculation, and traditional TV advertising spend.

  • The Media Beat Episode #47

    This episode of The Media Beat, #47, explores the world of FAST channels. Claire provides an explanation of this entertainment delivery method, while Maureen discusses some of the key players involved.

  • The Media Beat Episode #46

    This episode of The Media Beat explores the phenomenon of TikTok, discussing its origins and potential future. It also touches upon current streaming trends, Apple's controversies, and personal anecdotes from the hosts.