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BFD Expert Voices - Media Deals

BFD Expert Voices

Roblox chief product officer Manuel Bronstein is in Anaheim today to present at VidCon. Kerry chatted with him ahead of time about his background and the online gaming platform's creator community. 

Why it matters: VidCon isn't just about creators who are known for their presences on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Roblox has built a massive community of amateur and professional creators who enjoy social gaming and metaverse experiences.

Catch up quick: Bronstein joined Roblox last year, but he's no VidCon newbie. He first attended in 2017, when he worked at YouTube. Prior, he was at Xbox and Zynga. 

"I joke that if you merge those three [companies] together and they had a baby, it would look like Roblox in many ways," Bronstein says. 

What he's saying: Bronstein says he became interested in joining Roblox after he saw the Lil Nas X concert in 2020, and other non-gaming experiences, on the platform.

"I think that the notion that we had a new canvas for creators to build really immersive experiences and have a large community of people who are going to join them and interact with them was super, super compelling," he says. 

Some of his favorite recent experiences include the Twenty One Pilots concert, the game Rolling Thunder, and Alo Yoga's wellness space for yoga and meditation. 

"Whatever your vibe is as a video creator, you could probably find Roblox content that you can build on top of," Bronstein says. 

By the numbers: Bronstein shared some updated statistics, including that Roblox has more than 54.1 million daily active users in 180 countries who are spending more than two hours a day on the platform. 

Its fastest-growing demographic is ages 17 to 24, and about 52% of its users are older than 13. 

About 10.5 million people have built more than 29 million experiences on the platform. 

How it works: Some of Roblox's new features stem from acquisitions. Roblox's new facial animation for avatars came from Loom.ai, a startup founded by former LucasFilm and DreamWorks staffers, which Roblox acquired in 2020.

Bronstein says future acquisitions could support two of Roblox's priorities: "aging up" their audience and international expansion. 

Of note: Bronstein joined the New York Times' board of directors last year. 

"Their mission statement about seeking the truth and helping people understand the world resonated deeply with me," Bronstein says. "The Times [is also] an amazing story of a company that reinvented itself in the digital era."

As for New York Times Games, he's a daily player of Wordle.

1 big thing: Roblox at VidCon

Photo illustration of Manuel Bronstein, Chief Product Officer of Roblox, with an image of the metaverse and abstract shapes.

Roblox CPO Manuel Bronstein. Photo illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios. Photo: Courtesy of Roblox

Khaby Lame surpassed Charli D'Amelio in followers on TikTok yesterday to become the most-followed TikTok creator, Kerry writes. 

Why it's the BFD: Being the top account on one of the world's biggest apps is quite a feat, and makes Lame an even more attractive partner for brands. 

Details: As of this morning, D'Amelio had 142.3 million followers, compared to Lame's 142.7 million. 

D'Amelio had reached the top spot in March 2020. Lame became the second most-followed account in July 2021. 

"That's one way to kick off TikTok's first year as the main sponsor of #VidCon," tweeted reporter Andrew Roth, who had called attention to the potential dethroning early yesterday. 

See also: How to hit the top on each social media platform

2. The BFD: TikTok's new top account

MILAN, ITALY - MAY 26: Khaby Lame during the ABOUT YOU Awards Europe 2022 at Superstudio Maxi on May 26, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for ABOUT YOU)

Khaby Lame. Photo: Franziska Krug/Getty Images for ABOUT YOU

Anaheim may not be as beautiful as Cannes, but VidCon can have its moments like the above. 

Anthony Quintano — an incredible photojournalist Kerry has known for years and reunited with at the Industry Welcome Reception yesterday — captured this stunning sunset by the Anaheim Convention Center.

3. #VidCon sunsets 

Sunset at VidCon, photo by Anthony Quintano 

Strapi, an Indian headless CMS startup, raised $31m in Series B funding. CRV led and was joined by Flex Capital and Index Ventures. http://axios.link/GYor

eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) agreed to buy KnowOrigin, a British NFT marketplace that raised $6m from Genesis Block Ventures, D1 Ventures, LD Capital, Sanctor Capital, and Cross Culture Ventures. http://axios.link/qmrz 

Riff Raff Entertainment, Jude Law's production company, received a "multi-million dollar capital injection" from Calculus Capital and named former media attorney and film and TV investor Stephen Fuss as CEO. http://axios.link/TDx3

Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, said he'll sell his minority stake in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, due to potential conflicts of interest related to Fanatics' moves into sports betting. http://axios.link/jPyT

SpringHill Company is launching a joint venture with Interpublic Group to pair creators and advertisers. http://axios.link/gidW

The NHL signed a multiyear partnership agreement with NFT platform Sweet to start a digital collectibles marketplace. http://axios.link/sQbo

4. Deal flow

Another Warner Bros. Discovery exit: Adrienne O'Riain, SVP, original programming for TNT, TBS and truTV. http://axios.link/Pbrw

CAA promoted six graduates of its CAA Elevate agent training program to agents. http://axios.link/YBUR

5. Movin' on up (or out)

Twitter, Activision Blizzard boost first-half media M&A, but big entertainment deals face slowdown, PwC says (Deadline)

"I think expecting another record-setting six months or a year for M&A to continue at this pace that we just saw over this trailing 12 months may be challenging given the environment," PwC's Bart Spiegel said.

MasterClass lays off 120 staffers, about 20% of its headcount (Variety)

"Our mission — to make it possible for anyone to learn from the best — hasn't and won't change. This very tough step will strengthen our position both financially and strategically," CEO David Rogier tweeted.

NBCUniversal, Google compete to help Netflix develop ad-backed tier (WSJ)

"We are still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower-priced, ad-supported option and no decisions have been made," a Netflix representative said. 

6. Channel surfing

Illustration of a TV color test screen in the shape of a wave.

🗓️ Situational awareness: If you're at VidCon, Kerry's moderating a panel about streaming and online video for news featuring NBC News executives. We'll cover the highlights in tomorrow's newsletter. 

@kerrymflynn: "Marry Me" by Jennifer Lopez and Maluma. I watched this movie on my flight to VidCon, and I cannot get this song out of my head!

Thank you for reading Axios Pro Media Deals! Please ask your friends, colleagues, and Roblox users to sign up.

June 23, 2022

1 big thing: Roblox at VidCon