FreeWheel Connects Now, Next and Beyond TV 2021

Some provocative answers to both questions turned up during quotNow Next ampamp Beyond 2021quot the first quotFreeWheel Connectsquot virtual event of the year organized by Comcast39s FreeWheel advertising platform Joining FreeWheel General Manager Dave Clark to engage with the topic at hand Kara Swisher the former editorinchief of popular technology website Recode and Dara Treseder Peloton39s senior vice president and head of global marketing and communicationsquotThis is not going to be normal Nothing39s going backquot Swisher declared when Clark asked for recommendations over what TV executives should think about this year The coronavirus pandemic quothas accelerated trends which were happening already In six months things have moved forward that would have moved forward in 510 yearsquotquotCompanies should focus on innovation and growth and sensitivity to employeesquot continued Swisher now serving as a contributing opinion writer to The New York Times while hosting a pair of techmediacentric podcasts quotUse the pandemic as an opportunity to reevaluate your lifequotOver the last year Peloton has expanded its core business of cycling machines connected to interactive video content The company39s library of fitness and exercise programming from running to dance and Pilates is now available 247 on Amazon Fire TV Roku and other smart TVconnected devices with new episodes added regularly For Treseder making the content as fun pleasurable and empowering as possible is the key to growing Peloton39s audience while tapping into the needs of specific communitiesThose qualities can be critical for content and media ventures to reach next normal status Treseder pointed out quotPeople are accepting the idea of connected fitness If you put your members first and you can be creative you39re in a better position to be successful in your businessquotquotIt39s important to be a steward with a focusquot Treseder added quotand to be aligned with a purpose You have to be a purposedriven brand instead of a causedriven brandquotPeloton quotis one of those brands where people feel like they have a relationshipquot Clark noted quotWe admire the way you39re using your platformquotNetflix is the model to track for TV39s future beyond 2021 megacontent portfolios circulating worldwide with the widest variety of formats and audiences watching them According to Swisher quotYou have to focus on what consumers want What experiences they want You have to think hard about who you should be in this new environmentquotHowever success in this next normal whether becoming a megacontent player or running a niche or set of niche services distributed through smart TV sets and gadgetry must also come with deeper respect for those general or niche audiences quotLet39s push toward compassionate inclusive capitalismquot Swisher saidIn her job Treseder is spending more time with TV and other media companies encouraging them to be more accountable with their business practices along with their audience focus quotHolding people39s feet to the fireamp8230is an important thingquot she went on quotWe can all agree certain things are not right antiSemitism racism It39s important to hold fast and brands need to be accountablequotTreseder called the arrival of other fitness TV enterprises such as Apple Fitness Plus a compliment on how well her organization is doing quotWe have a robust catalog of amazing content Imitation is the highest form of flatteryquotClark invited every executive in TV to discuss what Swisher and Treseder raised during the session quotKeep the focus on the consumer Every minutequot he suggested quotInnovation is hugely importantquotClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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FreeWheel Connects Now, Next and Beyond TV 2021

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Simon Applebaum

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FreeWheel Connects Now, Next and Beyond TV 2021

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