Mark Kelley

Director at LightShed Partners

[Brandon Ross @BrandoLightShed]

The opening of the MSG Sphere Las Vegas has been delayed until calendar 2023. It was supposed to open by the end of 2021.

[Brandon Ross @BrandoLightShed]

WWE got their Brodie Van Wagenen. Positive to see Vince giving up some control to someone who will likely demand it.

[Brandon Thurston @BrandonThurston]

A must-read from @BrandoLightShed @RichLightShed @MarkLightShed, questioning WWE's future media rights value, creative & star creation troubles, int'l growth potential. Qs for new CFO. Rare to find such a well-rounded view on WWE stock.
Free login req'd: https://t.co/KgqJlHV56L

[Mark Kelley @MarkLightShed]

@wrestlenomics Financials impacting character development rather than character development impacting financials (i.e. refusal to turn certain characters heel based on non-storyline reasons like merch sales), short-term booking decisions over slow character builds, and overly scripted promos

[Rich Greenfield, LightShed 🔦 @RichLightShed]

Looking at @YouTube revenue breakout for the 1st time at $15.1 billion:

Does not include

over 2 million @YouTubeTV users (thats ~1.2 bn in revenues)

over 20 million @youtubemusic / @youtube premium subs (thats ~2.4 bn in revenues)

so closer to $19 bn total in 2019

$GOOGL

[Brandon Ross @BrandoLightShed]

How Ticketmaster's Sworn Enemy, Pearl Jam, Became Its New Best Friend - syndicated to @billboard
@PearlJam @Ticketmaster @LiveNation
https://t.co/8UFrf5mfpV

[Brandon Ross @BrandoLightShed]

The problems with $WWE start with content and the pressure is on Vince McMahon to get it right. https://t.co/4dcO9s2ICm

[Mark Kelley @MarkLightShed]

As opposed to last year when they used talent to add bad contracts @BrandoLightShed

[David Lennon @DPLennon]

BVW on #Mets using good players to move bad contracts.

"We're not going to be in a situation where we're just going to dump talent for money unless it allows us to do other things that we want to do. We have some latitude to try to make the best team we can and we'll do that."

[Rich Greenfield, LightShed 🔦 @RichLightShed]

CHART: Daily use of Twitter accelerating globally -- fastest growth qtr yet 🔥
$TWTR #engagement

-- monetizable daily active user (mDAU) growth up 17% against a 9% comp in Q3 ‘18

[Dom @DomsPlaying]

Borderlands 3 has shipped more than 5 million units in its first 5 days on sale, Take-Two Interactive announced.

Up 50% from BL2.

Fastest selling game in 2K history.

70% digital.

Franchise net bookings now exceed $1 billion, unit sales ~ 50 million.

https://t.co/Nwead0sAid

[Rich Greenfield, LightShed 🔦 @RichLightShed]

Excited to announce the launch of LightShed Partners with my partners @WaltLightShed @BrandoLightShed, along with @JoeLightShed and @MarkLightShed ⚡️👀👇
https://t.co/bA7ABTUSbG

[Julia Boorstin @JBoorstin]

AppleTV+ will cost $4.99 a month and will begin to roll out shows on Nov 1. (Compared to $12.99 for Netflix's most popular plan and $12.99 for the Disney+/ESPN+/Hulu bundle). $AAPL $DIS $NFLX @Apple #AppleEvent

[Sarah E. Needleman @saraheneedleman]

Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League is using a longtime TV measurement yardstick to make it easier for advertisers to consider its programming alongside traditional sports on broadcast and cable. $ATVI https://t.co/tRAlc1vHx3

[Brandon Ross @BrandoLightShed]

Update: one of our team members is stuck in the elevator 40 mins into our first day. Another is stuck in a stairwell.

[Brandon Ross @BrandoLightShed]

World of Warcraft has 579k viewers right now on Twitch following the release of #WoWClassic. Very different games but as a source of comparison, Apex Legends had 674k at its peak on 2/12 with S1 peaking at 305k and S2 at 165k.

[Brandon Ross @BrandoLightShed]

Wow. $MSGN subs down over 6.5%. AOI down 11%, 5% after one timers. The comp was very tough but a true #goodluckbundle and #goodluckrsns moment

[Ian Begley @IanBegley]

As @brandonatTBD notes, the estimated cost for the MSG Sphere project could affect how much capital MSG needs to raise to build the venues and, in turn, could alter the amount of the Knicks/Rangers that is sold:

[Brandon Ross @BrandoLightShed]

$MSG releases first estimate of Spheres cost. Company estimate is $1.2bn each. Aecom projects $1.7bn.