Alex Lebl

When the new National Hockey League (NHL) season starts next month, fans of the Dallas Stars will be able to watch matches on Victory+, a free ad-supported #streaming platform that launched this summer. It joins other team-focused sports streamers that have emerged recently and that are aiming to attract the most loyal and local sports fans. The trend isn’t just a signal of a changing #sportsmedia landscape. It’s also a reflection of the shaky status of regional sports networks around the U.S. whose business models are being threatened by cord-cutting; the owner of the largest RSN portfolio in the country, Diamond Sports Group, is under bankruptcy protection. Meanwhile, national sports rights are commanding bigger deals than ever before, and national sports viewership is at a fever pitch. “At the same time that the RSNs are running into trouble, the interest in the content is higher than ever before and people want to watch it in different ways,” says Wim Sweldens. For my latest for The Current, I took a look at the state of RSNs and the future of local sports rights:

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🚨 Just released! Sports Innovation Lab’s 2025 Winning Audiences Media Planning Guide is here (https://lnkd.in/gSKv2U4E)! 🎉 This isn’t just another playbook—it’s your data-driven roadmap to reach and convert the most valuable sports and entertainment consumers in 2025. 📈 From all the major sporting events and categories, we’ve broken it all down with actionable insights, audience recommendations, and even a complete 2025 major events calendar to simplify your planning. Some highlights: 🏈 Super Bowl LVIX: Find out how OTT and Sports Betting markets surge during the big game, plus how to connect with the ultimate up and coming fanbase: Swiftie NFL Fans! ✨ 🏀 March Madness: Unlock strategies to connect with the unique, passionate fan communities that rally around one of the most exciting tournaments of the year. 📺 Streaming & OTT: Discover how sports fandom drives subscriptions and boost conversions with customized audiences. 💰 Sports Betting: Target the most valuable bettors and explore niche audiences like International Sports Fans and Collectibles Enthusiasts. 🏋️‍♂️ Fitness: Dive into advanced segmentation with personas like Luxury Lifters and Wellness Warriors to make every campaign count. After all, New Year's resolutions are coming... 🌟 Women’s Sports: Tap into this booming market with insights on audience growth, key events, and strategies to authentically connect with fans who are reshaping the sports landscape. Whether it’s Youth Sports, preparing for the World Cup, or tapping into behavioral trends, we’ve got you covered. Pro Tip: Your media team will thank you for this. Download the guide here: https://hubs.la/Q02Z28g60, or send me a note and I'll send you a copy. Get in the game—we’ve already done half the work for you. 😉 🏆

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𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝟱𝗽𝗺 - This week's top stories that sparked my interest. 𝟭. 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝘀. 𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗳𝗹𝗶𝘅 Tonight, boxing legend Mike Tyson takes on internet sensation Jake Paul in an exhibition match streaming on Netflix. This unusual pairing has sparked significant interest, blending the old-school skill of Tyson with the social media draw of Paul. It’s a must-watch for fans of both boxing and social media drama. --> https://bbc.in/40Ql7Lq 𝟮. 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗲, 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 Amazon announced it's planning to close down its Freevee streaming platform, with its content moving exclusively to Prime Video. This strategic move aims to consolidate Amazon’s streaming offerings and streamline its service, making Prime Video a one-stop destination for its subscribers. It's an interesting shift in the crowded streaming space. --> https://lnkd.in/dw87vHJ8 𝟯. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗜-𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘁 Apple is rumored to be working on an AI-powered smart home tablet, with capabilities that could rival other major players in the smart home market. Designed to serve as a centralized control hub, this device would seamlessly integrate with other Apple products, allowing users to manage their homes with ease. This could be Apple’s answer to Google Nest and Amazon Echo. --> https://lnkd.in/deaWUm_B 𝟰. 𝗔𝗱-𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 As viewers turn to streaming platforms for live sports, ad-supported services are gaining traction. Platforms like Peacock and Paramount+ have found a new niche, offering affordable options for sports fans looking to catch games without the high costs of traditional cable. The rise of live sports on ad-supported streaming could shift how we watch our favourite games. --> https://lnkd.in/dRSyvxNf 𝟱. 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝘆’𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻-𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 Sony recently launched its first in-game ad campaign but even this tech giant needed some guidance. As the gaming industry explores ways to incorporate ads without disrupting gameplay, Sony’s journey highlights the challenges and opportunities in creating engaging in-game advertising. This campaign may set the tone for future in-game advertising standards. --> https://shorturl.at/AP9bf #TysonVsPaul #BoxingOnNetflix #MustWatch #AmazonPrime #StreamingWars #Freevee #InGameAds #SonyGaming #AdTech #StreamingSports #LiveSports #AdSupportedStreaming #AppleSmartHome #AIInnovation #HomeAutomation

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Sports media is evolving, and ALLCITY Network is leading the charge. With a $12 million Series B raise and a key partnership with TEGNA, ALLCITY is set to launch in Dallas—its 5th market this month. 📈 What’s the big deal? ALLCITY is tapping into the local sports content goldmine, delivering 6-10 hours of live, city-specific sports talk daily. They’re already dominating podcasts with a 50-minute average listen time and have major brands like Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Corporation on board. 📊🎧 With plans to expand to 30 U.S. markets, ALLCITY is transforming how fans engage with sports. Keep an eye on this game-changer. 👀🏆 More from Joe Pompliano below:

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It seems Spotify ads are going to be no longer skippable in 2025! https://lnkd.in/ejweQKdY "Some avid listeners of The Joe Rogan Experience have subscribed to an ad-free experience on Spotify, but have recently been served non-skippable ads during the episodes. In the past, fans could skip the ads – which is seemingly now not the case." - Becca Monaghan Spotify needs to make ads unskippable because advertisers are demanding it. I have long said podcast advertising is the "Emperor's New Clothes". i.e no one is listening to the ads but advertisers are still paying. We all know users skip them when they can. However, podcasters are still selling advertisers on outdated download numbers to convince them about listener engagement. Remember a download is NOT a listen. Downloads numbers are just an indication of intent to listen ie how many episodes have you auto-downloaded and not listened too? Advertisers are now demanding actual listen time and percent completed for their ads and if they are not then more fool them. Both Spotify/YouTube have first party data showing the listen/watch time for their shows but more importantly the listen/watch time for adverts. And I bet the data is showing people skipping ads and advertisers finally realising they are paying for ads that no one is listening too. As I said on stage at the London Podcast Show early last year, one solution is to pay listeners for their time and attention . i.e listeners need a cut of the advertising revenue, our time and attention is not free which is why we skip the ads even if they are contextually relevant. Podcasting 2.0 already has the technology, its called Value Time Splits aka Wallet Switching. So while I listen to an advert I get paid a small micropayment directly from the advertiser but as soon as I skip listening I stop being paid. This is great 1st party engagement data for advertisers. i.e A. did I start listening and not skip because I am being paid B. how long did I listen or how much did I get paid before I skipped. TrueFans is already testing this new advertising direct payment model. However Spotify doesn't have anything like this so they have to stop users from skipping ads to appease advertisers. In Web 2.0 Meta stole our time and attention and monetised it with adverts but kept all the revenue for themselves. That is not the advertising model for Web 3.0 In 2025 fans will demand a (micropayment) cut of the creator's revenue in exchange for their time and attention or they will continue to skip the adverts.

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Bob Iger accidentally let info on Disney+ subscriber numbers slip this week so let's talk about them. About 1/3 of D+ subscribers are on the ad supported tier of the platform. This proves out that ad supported viewership is quickly making up ground amid a space that is still dominated by ad free viewership. The pressure of continuous price increases across the streaming sector seems to be driving views back into the ad supported space at a rapid pace. It will be interesting to see if the trend continues. https://lnkd.in/dKbNy4es

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Excited for CES Vegas 2025! Heading to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to explore innovation and maybe sneak in a game of "Texas Hold'm Poker"! Amidst tech demos and caffeine boosts, I'm on a mission to solve your programmatic trade challenges. Here's how we can help: - Offering flexible integrations like oRTB 2.5/2.6, VAST, HB (Prebid.JS + Server) - Complete White Label solution with Publisher logins - Expertise in creating and managing WL Prebid.JS / Prebid Server adapters - Seamless integration with top buyers (Pubmatic, TripleLift, etc.) - Dedicated account managers for personalized support and success strategies - Robust API functionality for reporting and platform updates - DSP tools for running direct campaigns - Optimization Manager for enhanced performance - Unlimited QPS and more... If you're also at CES, let's connect! Drop me a DM or comment below to schedule a coffee meetup, a chat, or a friendly poker game. P.S. Catch me around Aria and Cosmopolitan hotels. Can't wait to see you in Vegas! 🎉 #CES #techevents #lasvegas #limelightinc #AdTech #advertisingindustry #networking

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1) Fox Corporation reaps benefits from its news/sports strategy. 2) The ad market for live sports is busier than ever. 3) A couple of sports biz all stars served as honorary captains for Michigan's football team last weekend. 4) Why did NASCAR pick Mexico City as the place to have its first international Cup race? 5) Nobody knows what will happen to NBA TV or NBA Digital Plus, Bill Cohan's excellent piece on the future of Comcast’s cable networks. https://lnkd.in/eH_m7Z3G

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The gaming industry thrives on passionate communities.   As Vice President of Brand Partnerships at Fixated, I'm constantly seeking innovative ways to connect brands with these dedicated audiences.   Enter Instagram Broadcast Channels!   This exciting new feature empowers creators to build a more intimate space for interaction with their most loyal followers. Here's how it can revolutionize your influencer marketing strategy:   🚀 Gather valuable audience insights. Leverage creator polls and Q&A sessions within broadcast channels to understand gamer preferences and tailor campaigns accordingly. 🚀 Fuel excitement with live event updates.  Partner with creators to share exclusive behind-the-scenes content and generate buzz around brand activations or esports tournaments. 🚀 Boost brand visibility across platforms. Encourage creators to promote brand content and social media channels within their broadcast channels, driving targeted traffic. 🚀  Unlock exclusive content and offers. Explore Instagram Subscriptions, allowing creators to offer premium broadcast channels with early access announcements, discount codes, and product reveals. 🚀  Refine campaign strategies. Integrate broadcast channels into your influencer briefs, outlining expectations for content creation and brand messaging.   Maybe it’s time to embrace Instagram Broadcast Channels and unlock a world of deeper connections, valuable insights, and more impactful brand experiences.   #Gaming #InfluencerMarketing #Instagram #BroadcastChannels #BrandPartnerships

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The Disney-Fubo deal got me thinking about what live sports represent for culture, the media industry, and the business of connection. Live sports remain one of the last shared cultural experiences, with major leagues like the NFL and NBA dominating, while niche sports like Formula 1 continue to grow and attract passionate audiences. Streaming enables personalization but also fragments attention and experiences. Live sports highlight a larger paradox: in a fragmented world of infinite options, we crave both personalized experiences and shared moments of connection. I think it’s valuable to reflect on what this tension means for the future of entertainment—and for anyone trying to build connection in fragmented times.

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RFP season is officially here! Despite the "Esports Winter" blues, there are still major opportunities for impact with strategic partnerships in gaming & esports. If your brand is looking for opportunities, or your organization is slammed working on proposals, Justin Palacios and I are here to help! We have years of experience in partnership strategy. We help craft proposals that make brands put their hands on their head and say, "Why didn't we think of that?" We know how to effectively communicate your organization's potential and get brands excited about opportunities with your team. Don’t hesitate to reach out — let me know if you'd like to chat and I can send our calendar link to make it easy! #esports #gaming #marketing #partnerships

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I coach multiple CEOs on agency operations. This is their most common question... "How do I hire someone to run my business?" Tbh, I wish there was a single, universal answer. But it depends what a good operator looks like to you. If you’re looking to find your operator, answer these 5 questions to figure it out: 𝟏. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐭? To help you refine whether you can afford (or need) a senior operator i.e a COO to execute the current strategy. If not, identify the level of operator you need, this could simply be an Ops Manager, Ops Director or even a good EA. 𝟐. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬? So you can decide what areas an operations lead should excel in, to make up for your knowledge gaps. 𝟑. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬? So you can identify where you should spend your time. i.e acquisition, finance, creative? And therefore where you 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛'𝑡 be spending your time. To determine where the Operator you hire needs to have strengths and knowledge already. 𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀? For your Operator to support in problem-solving… Give these scenarios in the interview stage to understand how they'd approach them before joining. 𝟱. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵? Because you’ll be spending a whole lot of time with this one. Whether that be ideating, trouble shooting, executing, decision making. So it better not be someone who gets on your last nerve! Answer these 5 questions and you’ll have a much clearer picture. — Hey, I’m Sarah. 👋 I’m sharing all my lessons from leading ops at a $100M agency. If you liked this content, hit follow for more - Sarah Brougham

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Connecting with creative industry leaders at the BrXnd.ai conference was refreshing. Two takeaways: 1) A.I is a feedback machine, not a generation engine. Marketers don't need more ideas. We need to get to better ideas faster. 2) Hallucinations are a feature, not a bug. The A.I conversation has taken a serious tone over the past year; let's not forget it's all-new, so have fun and experiment. *Shameless plug* the McKinney EDIB team built out a Custom GPT in February; it's an awesome example of having fun with tech. (link to the GPT below) Yes, the robots are here. Let's party 🕺 🤖 Anita Schillhorn van Veen, Jasmine Dadlani, Gerald Flannory, Darcy McCarthy, Lea Lashley, Piper Hickman https://lnkd.in/eU3NkWsD

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This hits so true as we (I) determine what brands and people we want partner with at Doe-Anderson - the oldest indie agency in the US! "Independence registers in a deep sense of partnership. We treat our client’s success with the utmost care....any indie that considers pitching or running your business is investing its most precious and limited resources to do so—time, energy, focus, and heart." https://lnkd.in/gf9uf2iJ

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✅🖥️ Variety (7/1): “ Pay TV. SVOD. AVOD. Social video. They aren’t often grouped together, but the latest data in the new Variety report “Social Video vs. SVOD: The Race to Replace TV” suggests they can be thought of as a series of historical shifts in U.S. audience viewing behavior. First, the cable business broke broadcast TV’s stranglehold in the 1980s. Thirty years later, Netflix led a field of successor streaming services that siphoned eyeballs at equally sizable scale from linear TV. And now even though streaming is hardly done in terms of its growth relative to broadcast and cable, there are signs of a paradigm shift already in motion: a third wave of fragmentation in which social video begins to eat into the market share of major streaming services. Data keeps mounting that video consumption on the big social platforms — primarily YouTube, TikTok and Instagram — is growing strongly, with users spending more time on these platforms each year. In this report, Variety provides a data-driven probe into how this viewing may impact time spent with subscription video.” ⬇️ #streamingtv #ctv #ott #upfronts #socialmedia #tv3 #cordcutting #genz https://lnkd.in/eUbfGa_D

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𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. In 2025, media strategies will unite emotional connection with measurable outcomes. Learn how brands are making every ad dollar work smarter in Kroger Precision Marketing’s 5 Retail Data Trends for 2025. #MarketingStrategy #KrogerPrecisionMarketing @8451

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