Good morning, Marketer, and it’s worth figuring out the tech end of things.

“Media is not that complicated, but the tech piece is.” That’s Starz executive John Penney about the decades-long bumpy road HBO took in going from ad-free premium cable channel to “TV Everywhere” on-demand streamer, ads optional.

HBO had programming — landmark original series, recent theatrical releases, live megastar concerts. Emerging technologies, and how HBO adapted to them, became separate challenges that impacted the long-term success of the brand and their parent Warner Bros. Discovery. Satellite, cable, VCR, broadband all left their mark, as told in James Andrew Miller’s recent massive history on HBO, “Tinderbox.” And the streaming part continues to change, as HBO Max upped their pricing again and contemplates merging with Discovery+.

The same could be said for retail media networks. The tech piece is complicated, with many moving parts. Cooler Screens is expanding their smart screens beyond refrigerator doors to stitch together more of the on-site experience for retailers, brands and shoppers.

Chris Wood,
Editor

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