Jim Bankoff

High Stakes, Higher Costs: The Dark Side of Legalized Sports Betting by Michael Levine (Media expert and best-selling author) www.BoundlessMediaUSA.com As one of America's leading media experts and a best-selling author, I must analyze trends and confront them head-on with an eye toward the broader social impact. Today, the conversation turns to the booming industry of legalized sports betting—a phenomenon that, while exhilarating for many, is quietly unraveling the financial stability of countless individuals. The allure of sports betting is undeniable. It promises quick returns, the thrill of the game, and a sense of community among fans. But beneath this glittering surface lies a more sobering reality. Recent studies are beginning to shed light on the darker consequences of this trend, particularly in personal finance. A study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies reveals a troubling correlation between the rise of legalized sports betting, increased personal bankruptcies, and lower credit scores. This study is one of the first to quantify what many financial counselors and bankruptcy attorneys have observed anecdotally for years. According to the findings, individuals who engage in frequent sports betting are more likely to encounter financial distress, leading to an uptick in bankruptcy filings and a significant drop in their credit scores. The reasons behind these statistics are multifaceted. For some, the convenience and accessibility of mobile betting apps remove traditional barriers to gambling, making it easier to place risky bets at any time of day. For others, the social acceptance of sports betting—bolstered by flashy advertising and celebrity endorsements—normalizes behaviors that might have once been considered dangerous. As we navigate this new frontier, we must balance the excitement of legalized sports betting with a clear-eyed understanding of its risks. While the industry may continue to grow, so will the need for responsible gambling education, stricter regulations, and support systems for those in financial peril. Ultimately, the actual cost of legalized sports betting may not be measured in dollars won or lost but in the financial security of those caught in its grip. www.BoundlessMediaUSA.com

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SWIFT IMPACT: POP SUPERSTAR'S ENDORSEMENT MAY BACKFIRE, SAYS LEADING U.S. MEDIA EXPERT Michael Levine Cites Poll Showing Taylor Swift's Support for Harris-Walz Ticket Turning More Voters Away Than It Attracts According to leading U.S. media expert and best-selling author Michael Levine, Taylor Swift's recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz might not be the vote-swaying move some expected. It could be driving more voters away than pulling them in. A new YouGov post-debate poll released on Saturday reveals that while 8% of voters said Swift's endorsement makes them "somewhat" or "much more likely" to vote for Harris and Walz, a staggering 20% said they are "somewhat" or "much less likely" to vote for the Democratic ticket now that Swift has thrown her weight behind it. A majority of 66% reported that Swift's endorsement will not influence their vote in November. Swift, a Grammy-winning artist with a massive social media following of 283 million, clarified her position shortly after the recent debate, stating, "I've done my research, and I've made my choice," in an Instagram post. Levine, renowned for his media and public influence expertise, suggests this polling data reflects a growing backlash against celebrity involvement in politics. "It's a fascinating example of how public figures may be miscalculating the influence they wield," Levine said. "While Swift's voice carries weight in popular culture, political endorsements may be an entirely different beast—one that could alienate more voters than it engages." As the 2024 election intensifies, this celebrity endorsement raises fresh questions about the power of star influence on American politics. https://lnkd.in/gM38yqZD #taylorswift #2024election #careeradvice #selfgrowth #motivationalcoach #businesscoach #personalcoach #michaellevineconsulting #michaellevine #whatisyourwhy #losangeles #wisdom

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Tracie is an inspiration. Her message is spot-on, and recognition is well-deserved.

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What if it’s not about replacing, but enhancing? For anyone still resistant to #AI let me help shift your mindset to what’s possible!

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The world now has an abundance of tools to help us cut corners. What previously required mindful discussion, skill, time, and attention can now be created instantly with the click of a button for a fraction of the cost. When corners are cut and these "easy-button" works are published for public consumption with little human oversight, we put society, public knowledge, and potentially our history at risk. We stand at a dangerous precipice. We need regulations on a system-wide basis and a clear understanding of disclosure requirements. There need to be rules and penalties when AI use is not disclosed properly. In the same way the food industry is regulated to tell you exactly what is in what you are buying, there should be consistent labels and language across all products. Our knowledge should be treated with the same amount of care as our health. Short of all these tools going away, this is the only way to protect the public. #ai #artificialintelligence #genai #regulation #disclosures #netflix #responsibleai

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During a conference this week, Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra stated that the business is trying to create more profitable, genre-specific streaming projects that are equivalent to Crunchyroll. Tony stated, "We would love to launch more genre-based targeted, passionate fan centered streaming services. We're really positive on that front. And that's what we're now working on. However, it will take some time for the market to stabilize." He added that Sony is not beset by legacy TV networks, in contrast to Disney and other broadcasters. When he began working for Sony, the business had 110 cable networks worldwide. However, all of those networks have since been sold, with the exception of three markets—Spain, Latin America, and India—where cable networks are continuously expanding. For licensing of content, Sony has "proposed structures where we'd get the show back after 4 years or 5 years as opposed to the much longer terms that are currently in place, but thus far, there hasn't been much development in that area." Tony said that when it comes to consolidation in the market, Sony plans to "sit back and watch what comes available to us because we're in a very stable, very comfortable position. And we think that there will be lots of businesses that pop out of these companies...we would be interested in taking on mainly in the IP area, and that's really where we'll be focused." #streamingmedia #sony #SVOD #AVOD #paytv #cordcutting

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Journalists make terrible business people. And MBAs make terrible journalists. Hence the state of legacy media today. Full conversation:

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Check out Noble People's latest mic drop, this time with an Op-ed in MediaPost penned by our very own wiseman Danny Weisman! We all know that the hours Americans spent watching streaming services last year surpassed linear viewing for the first time, but the buying opportunities are changing much more rapidly than consumer behavior.   As we gear up for the annual upfront dance next month, it's critical that marketers change their approach to streaming and invest in the future NOW.    Amazon and Walmart are now crashing the Netflix streaming party with significantly enhanced offerings, and with their collective data targeting capabilities, are going to upend the streaming market to your advantage. These three players will become known as the "Big Three" in streaming.   Danny's recommendations for a buying strategy that captures this new opportunity?   1 / You can still get in early for deals, so jump on it!   2 / Change your CTV mix to build your approach around the Big Three for the long haul.   3 / Get your measurement house in order because we're about to enter a whole new world of black boxing similar to those created by the social and search platforms. Full article here: https://lnkd.in/eQqH3TbQ #streaming #tvstrategy #video #mediastrategy #netflix #amazon #walmart #2024upfronts #tvbuying #tvnetworks #mediabuying #mediastrategy

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Ever curious about what's under the curtain? Dailymotion has just unveiled Auto Path, a groundbreaking high-impact creative tailored specifically for the Auto Industry. By leveraging our Predictive Targeting audience insights and vast scale, we've crafted activations that resonate with car buyers, all while providing measurable in-ad actions with OLV and CTV. Key Standard Features: - Custom Multi-touchpoint elements envelop your video creative - Product feature hotspots seamlessly integrated within the video environment to capture attention - Outbound click features to enhance data collection, site traffic, and conversion rates Experience an exclusive peek behind the scenes... Let us guide you on a test drive and engage seamlessly across all screens! Hit me or our exceptional sales team Brenda Rodriguez Valeria Basmagi Edivaldo Junior to introduce you to this exceptional innovation in Latin America #autopath #Dailymotion #creativeinnovation #predictivetargeting

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Very interesting "balancing act" here. We all know that live major Sports drives about 40+% of viewing on Television screens. My sense is that this new Sports SVOD service by Disney, WBD and Fox will cause alot more viewers to cut their MVPD and virtual MVPD service - and the more we experience the MUCH LOWER AD LOAD of the SVOD services, the more folks will cancel their MVPD subscriptions. Ad Supported "bundles" will help, and Disney and WBD selling together at a big discount is a first step. Comcast's plan to bundle their own services with Netflix and AppleTV+, is also a good first step (though I note that the current plan seems to only be available within the Comcast "footprint" via Comcast broadband). Really would be nice if Charter, DirecTV etc. also offered the Comcast bundle (I live in NYC and Los Angeles - all Charter/Spectrum broadband areas). OR...we can skip ahead a couple of years. WE all know these bundles will come together - perhaps time to think longer term? Also long past time to personalize and target every Ad unit, as AdGreetz does today with FAST channels.

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Check out my blog post https://wix.to/z6JyJHn When legends collide: Trump joins Rogan for an unfiltered, rule-breaking conversation you’ll have to hear to believe! This isn’t just another episode—it’s the future of media, where voices meet raw truth. Are you ready to listen? 🎙️ #PodcastingPower #EpicConversations #FreeSpeechRevolution" #newblogpost

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AI-generated dreck posing as local news, aka pink slime journalism, is proliferating. The cost of making it is practically zero. The incentives for bad actors to create it range from money -- by delivering programmatic advertising and affiliate links to unwitting readers -- to political manipulation via misinformation and disinformation. And the platforms that distribute it don't care. John Biggs at The Media Copilot recently lamented this situation. "AI isn’t just stealing our jobs," he wrote. "It’s also going to steal the truth." It doesn't have to, though. Here are two things you can do to protect the truth: 1. Give your attention to real publications. Taproot Edmonton employs actual people who you can meet in real life. We live here and we care about this place. And we put our names on what we publish. You'll never be fooled by pink slime if you intentionally read and listen to work made by humans you know instead of just consuming the news-eque junk an algorithm may serve you. 2. Help real publications pay for those people. A $20/month subscription to ChatGPT can generate an awful lot of words; a full-time employee doing the work of finding stuff out and telling you about it costs considerably more. We don't put a paywall around Taproot's work because we don't want to live in a world where only those who pay get real journalism and the rest get pink slime. That means we have to fund ourselves by other means. If you have a business, you can now buy a business membership to Taproot. That lets you easily sign up all of your employees to receive Taproot's work, which in itself will help your organization better understand the community it serves. But you'll also be helping us continue to inform and connect the people who live in this place that we love. You can sign up for a business membership here: https://lnkd.in/gRWAm_Ay. And you can learn more about what this is and why we're offering it here: https://lnkd.in/gNc3yvAW If a business membership isn't right for you, you can become an individual member for $100 per year or $10 per month here: https://lnkd.in/g6yRVG77 As Mack Male said at Taproot Publishing Inc.'s event during Upper Bound with Katrina Ingram, AI helps our responsible local news outlet scale our ability to pay attention to our community. We're excited about the technology's potential to help us do the work. But humans report and write what you read. "While human-led AI is a boon, non-human-led AI is an existential threat," Biggs writes (https://lnkd.in/gDj55fEm). "We all need to be ready to fight it." I'm inviting you to join us in the fight. #yegmedia #edmonton #yeg #edmontonmedia #futureofmedia

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AI may be the future, but the ancient art of storytelling is not going away. Far from it, communicating your message in authentic, compelling, human ways is what we think will define the second half of the ‘20s. Because while AI is changing how we live, work and communicate, it still is - and always will be - as advertised: artificial. We’re launching Goldcomm to be the exact opposite: authentic. Focused on telling our financial services clients’ stories in real, authentic ways, and being unapologetically honest about the counsel we give to make that happen: that is our mission. We believe the human mind will always be better at communicating than machines. Give us a call so we can prove it. #financialservices #publicrelations #Goldcomm

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Life in the FAST lane at Future Ops / AdMonsters #OpsNY with Addy Atienza and Rashaun Hall. TMB (Trusted Media Brands) is part of Fuse Media's Culture Collective, which features Black, Latino, LGBTQ, and other focused FAST channels. TMB brings everything from Fail Army programs to Family Handyman. There’s no Nielsen for FAST! No single source of truth for what is successful… But you can definitely tell from the platform (OEMs) what is NOT working. Samsung, LG, and Vizio are the big three, but you can make good revenue off of smaller players like Fubo. The platforms have a lot of power/control—you have to keep them as informed as possible. Good chance they will start acquiring many content channels. They’re also building their own content—FAST channels are running into “Hey, we’re not going to market your stuff cuz we have something just like it." They also want exclusive content, like Samsung with Conan O’Brien. Cross-channel PMPs is the next big frontier—blending audiences across the Culture Collective. But interesting—60% of the inventory right now is sold direct.

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Feeling the election anxiety? You're not alone. The upcoming presidential election, coupled with economic uncertainty, has consumers on edge, impacting their buying behaviors. 🚨 Prediction alert: This fall, expect a rise in "little luxuries" while big purchases will take a back seat until after the election. Marketers take note: Beyond offering fun, ease, and lower prices, highlight products in your catalog that allow for self-gifting and provide little escapes. These small indulgences will resonate deeply with consumers while anxiety is at a high. Thanks to Libby Rodney for this fun conversation on how to prepare for the upcoming Q4, and thanks to Direct Agents for making it happen. #electionanxiety #holidayshopping #ecommerce

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"What a surprise!" Said no one ever... X has significantly fewer moderators than other social media platforms following its 2022 staff reduction. According to recent E.U. transparency reports, X has the worst moderation staff to users ratio, with 1 moderator for every 60,249 users. Even considering Meta's expansive user base, its ratio still surpasses X's. Despite pledges to address the issue, such as building a new moderation center in Texas, X's efforts remain under scrutiny. The disparity in moderation staff between X and other platforms underscores concerns about its ability to address harmful content adequately. Third-party reports suggest increased rule-breaking content on X, potentially indicating a weakness in its moderation approach. In summary, the statistics suggest that X is trailing behind its counterparts in moderation efforts, reinforcing concerns about its handling of harmful content. https://lnkd.in/dTf7UYEd

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If HBO docuseries about Satoshi is a plant, why now? Election pump of course. Who is then benefiting? HBO is a sub department of Warner Bros. Largest shareholders of WB is Vanguard Group and BlackRock. It is that simple. HBO essentially is mass media no different than Bloomberg, NY Times, CNN, etc. Larry Fink has a fashion of shilling BTC on media channels, and same goes for conferences. Wouldn’t be surprised by docuseries too. Anything shared in this docuseries will have one and only one purpose: to advance the agenda of shareholders. I.e. sell BTC. Which is kinda good for insiders who already hold BTC acquired at a lower price — you and me — not so much for households at large.

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Inflation + market correction have significantly impacted the podcasting business, leading to reduced budgets for production companies. Deals that once reached $500,000 for a limited series are now halved, with most budgets ranging from $150K to $250K. This results in thinner margins, staff reductions, fewer episodes, and potentially lower quality as studios adapt to less funding. Some companies are also shifting towards becoming distributors to retain rights to their programming. An interesting read from Bloomberg: https://lnkd.in/eRbAxziC #Podcast #Business #Production

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Very excited to be back on the AdMonsters stage in just under a month and headlining Publisher Forum with a brand new keynote: I've centered it on the increasing chasm between what media owners position as premium environments and experiences, and the very different way these present to consumers. With Americans now spending close to 8 hrs per day (!!!) interacting with media, what are the first principles of advertising we must revisit to ensure that we can still engage audiences (and monetize these efforts sustainably)? As usual, we'll start with the macro view and then hone in on practical strategies media owners can tackle for sustained audience engagement and profitable growth. Who's coming to Scottsdale? #admonsters #publisherforum #scottsdale #audienceamplification #conference #keynote #advertising #media #digital

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