What is the future of Web3 content distribution?

This is the fourth installment in the Evolution 
of Content series presented by Solis and   Cointelegraph. This series of panels explores 
how content creation, distribution and engagement   Are evolving. Featuring a curated selection of 
producers, actors, directors, artists, creators   And founders with traditional and Web3 experience. 
Today's panel explores how Web3 will transform the   Ways content is distributed to audiences. 
Featuring Andrea Berry of THETA.tv, Josh   Otten of Ronin, Stephen Murray of Bingeable and 
Mihai Crasneanu of Beem. Hosted by Cointelegraph's   Anastasia Drinevskaya and Brett Claywell of Solis. 
This is the future of Web3 content distribution. Welcome. I am Brett Claywell from Solis and joined 
by Anastasia Drinevskaya from Cointelegraph.   We're producing a series on the intersection of 
traditional and Web3 media, looking forward and   We have a panel for you today on: what is the 
future of content distribution? So I'm joined   Here on Zoom by our friend Mihai Crasneanu from 
Beem. I have Josh Otten from Ronin, Andrea Berry   From Theta and Stephen Murray from Bingeable. So 
maybe I'll let you get into the first questions. Yeah, let's start. Web2 brings value 
through data and Web3 brings value   Through cryptocurrency. How will this 
impact content distribution, actually? Well, I'd like to say with some of these broader 
questions, it's like, we don't know, we don't know   Yet, which is exciting. I think we're all in 
these industries and thematically we're tied   Together all the different companies because 
we're creating new paths forward in this space.   Simply to answer your question, it would 
be that tokenomics allow for businesses,   Content owners, the creators to drive 
incentivized behavior that they want to see,   Right? And there's all of these earn-to-watch, 
to-play models that are possible with this. So   That would be like my most literal, simple answer, 
although it's very difficult to stop there. The terms are overriding the technology or 
the opportunity, right? So it's more about,   You know, speaking to what you 
just said, Web2 was about data,   But what is Web3 about more 
broadly in distribution maybe? I actually embrace Web3, not because of 
the technology, not because of some sort of   Format. I embrace Web3 because of its moral 
construct. It is about shifting the balance of   Power. It says that the creators and the community 
they build are more powerful than the pipes that   Deliver their work. And the entertainment 
industry is structured exactly the opposite,   Where the value is in the ability to market 
and distribute, thus undervaluing the ability   To create. As it relates to the technology that 
underlies it, we'll see what that turns into,   You know, NFT that is connected to a 
movie, I don't think that's called an NFT,   I think that's called a movie because the consumer 
doesn't have any idea or care what the format is.   We need to maybe stop naming the technology 
as the thing and name the thing the thing. Josh, a lot of companies over the 
past decade have shifted to digital,  

But you're still focused on television in a lot 
of ways, right? How is Web3 going to affect the   Television experience versus maybe what a 
lot of people are focusing on in digital? Yeah, I mean, I think the way that we see the 
landscape we launched ALTRD.tv and we're launching   A couple of those TV networks. I think it's going 
to take a long time to shift the actual content   Consumption behaviors, right? It's very difficult 
to shape or shift consumer consumption habits,   Whether it's television or shopping experiences. 
You can sort of make them better or easier,   But to do a full paradigm shift where I'm now 
all of a sudden changing how I view things   Or watch things or consume them. All that 
being said, I think what I love about Web3,   And it's sort of both what you guys are saying, 
I think is a heavy influence on it is the utility   Around it. So I think what does Web3 enable both 
from maybe philosophical of the philosophy of   More control from the content creator and a 
deeper and more direct connection to the consumer.   And at the same time, we have to make sure 
that we're making it easy to onboard and   Actually forcing a change of consumption 
on the content side, but augmenting it. It's like choice. We're giving them more choices, 
we're giving them more opportunities to have,   To kind of create their own experiences. Mihai, 
to pull you into the conversation, I think a lot   Of what we've seen pioneered is in that space. So 
if we're looking at traditional live streaming,   And traditional live streamers or content creators 
in that space who have already been successful,   What would be your argument to why Web3 is 
going to be a better opportunity for them   Based on what we already see and the 
success they may already be enjoying? Everybody is fighting for the last 20, 30, 
40 years for people to pay for content.   That's the main problem of every streamer, right. 
And they were juggling with all the distribution   Models, because at the end of the day we realize, 
you know, and after 20, 25 years spent in   Streaming, you know that well, nobody really likes 
to pay for content, right? People want to pay to   Support a creator, but they especially want to 
pay for an experience and a form of utility. But   Mostly they want to pay for belonging to a group, 
to belonging to a certain subset of fans. Right?   They want to experience something. It's where as 
humans, we live experiences, essentially. When you   Talk about streamers, you know, we all know that 
you need big numbers because nobody pays too much.   Nobody wants to pay too much. It's a fight for 
price. And at the end of the day, the creators   Don't get much of that share. So you really need 
to reach billions of people to make some money. In   The world of Web3, we need thousands of people who 
are really passionate and love the experience, and   Because they love the experience, are happy to pay 
from their pocket ten times more, 100 times more   Than being fed a stream of content. Look at music, 
look at art, look at anything. People are, the   Fans crave to give their money, but please give me 
an experience. Give me authenticity. And I think   That's what brings to the entire paradigm shift 
in entertainment and distribution in general.

There are always back and forth to the community 
question like how community changes with time and   With technologies. And I do have a question to 
you, Josh, in terms of television, I think it's   Very, I'm very curious how you're fighting with 
the streamers for audience for the community,   Because it's obvious for everyone that television 
lost at some point the community. Because   Back to the years, television was the 
only one resource after the radio to   Have in use. And now we have so many media 
and in terms of what media means, we have   So much inside. So how will this experience 
change the television in your point of view? Yeah, what's interesting, I mean, even what is 
television anymore versus what is film, right?   So the reality is at the end of the day, we have 
a place where we go to consume content. And right   Now about 95% of that, especially in a post-COVID 
world, is a TV that's on your wall. But you bring   Up a great point, which is also how do you acquire 
audiences when you have a massive fight for those   Eyeballs, whether it's Hulu or Netflix or all the 
Disney+, all these places. And so, number one,   I think it's difficult, but you have to deliver 
something unique, you have to have a unique   Audience, you have to have a unique point of 
view. And I think that's what's exciting. Again,   One of the reasons we're excited about Web3 is 
it's going to have basic utilities that's going   To allow us to empower smaller communities to 
be more involved and engaged. One of the sort   Of secret sauces of TV versus even social media 
is that either through a revenue standpoint or   Through a sort of a power standpoint, you know, 
150,000 people watching an hour of content in   A TV environment is worth a million people or 
2 million people or 3 million people watching   Maybe even a TikTok or an Instagram reel, whatever 
it is. So the power dynamics aren't the same. So   You're going to get a more engaged, longer 
audience and there's more ways to monetize   That. I think that's going to be the last thing 
to shift. But I think again, the best thing to   Do now is how do we incentivize these clusters 
of audiences in the groups of tens of thousands,   One hundreds of thousands, and who are watching 
specific things and get them into the fold of   Web3 by using utility incentivization, 
tokenization, all these other things. I think too often Web3 is focused on disruption, 
right now, right? And I don't think that's what   The focus should be on per se. I think it's 
about being additive. But what probably most   Excited about in terms of the monetization 
and distribution is musicians have always   Had the ability to go directly to their fans. 
Right? Ludacris went gold out of his trunk.   Right. That's the ability to engage, and us as 
content creators, we've never had that ability   Until now maybe. So how, knowing that 
the infrastructure is going to be   Very slow to change, how is Web3, what 
can we take from what music has taught   Us to slowly advance this direct 
to consumer opportunity we have? I started a little record company out of my, 
literally built a recording studio in my back  

Yard and started a record company, a little indie 
rock label in Nashville, Tennessee, back in the   Day. And the way we marketed all of our bands was 
we used street team marketing. And the idea was   Relatively simple. We would go to college campuses 
and certain markets, and we would find kids that   We thought were really into music, and we'd give 
them a baseball hat that had our record company   Logo on it and say: "Yeah, you live in Sheboygan, 
but you're now in the record business and you can   Tell all your friends that you're in the record 
business and you can say, "Hey, my band's coming   In and playing this weekend," and if you get 
enough people to come to the show, you're going to   Get backstage and the band will thank you for all 
of your work." That was catnip for a fan. It was   Like, this is the coolest thing that they could 
do. And when I started seeing this shift where   The ability to distribute was becoming less and 
less the purview of the entertainment industry,   In other words, when it shifted from terrestrial 
distribution to digital discovery and consumption,   That was an opportunity to take that model of 
street team marketing and bring it into the   Digital realm. So starting in 2007, I created a 
company called Amplifier, and the idea was that   If you speak to your community the right way, if 
you empower them, if you align their interests,   They will go do so much marketing for you that 
you can reduce your traditional marketing spend. And now we're bringing that into kind of the 
Web3 world. So, this is something Mihai and   I talk about quite often, and even Andrea and I 
have talked about it. You know, is Web3 right now   The origination or the destination? Right? 
Meaning that is this where projects can be   Created, but maybe not necessarily where we are 
expecting the community to come to consume that,   It's not the destination, it's the origination 
of these projects, setting them up in such a   Way where the creators are in control, they own 
their own IP and they have built a community of   People where the new logo hat is an NFT that 
identifies you as part of that community,   As part of that team, and it aligns your interests 
to go and actively amplify that project to people   Who know nothing about NFTs, who know nothing 
about crypto, who know nothing about Web3,   And maybe are even scared of it, but they have 
the ability to go and reach those audiences.   The best way to convert an audience is to 
not have to find them first, but simply to   Just engage them and give them something that 
they already want and an easy way to get it. Entertainment is the greatest gateway drug 
to getting consumers to adopt new technology   That's ever existed. The revolution of Web3 
will be led by entertainment and by creators,   100%. But right now, you know, there's an old 
rule in business: if you want somebody to adopt   New technology, it better make something they 
already do easier, not harder. And right now,   We're asking them to buy the limited edition 
Blu-ray of a movie that you've never seen that   Hasn't come out yet, and oh, by the way, 
you have to jump through a lot of hoops,   And by the way, you can't use money. You know, 
you've got like it's really complicated, it's  

Confusing. If we fix that, then we can shift from 
Web3 being the origination to the destination. Well, I think there are two things too. I 
think we started, the challenges right now   Are twofold. So number one, I'll go back to 
how I found out about NFTs. I was sitting,   This was about a year and a half ago, 
someone explained it to me. I thought   It sounded ridiculous. I was one of those 
'right click', 'save as' things I didn't,   You know, I didn't understand it because what 
was being sold to me at the time as an outsider   Was this concept of digital ownership. And the 
problem I had with what I was owning was absurd. I didn't care about it. And so 
what I quickly realized was: "Oh,   These people are creating intellectual property,   But they have no idea how to create intellectual 
property." They are creating IP, i.e. a monkey,   Bored Ape, and then you're digitizing it and 
you're creating ownership structures and all these   Things. But the people creating the intellectual 
property had no true understanding, in my mind at   The time, of actual intellectual property. They 
didn't know how to monetize it or distribute it   Or what IP actually is and what it means. And 
so you kind of go down this rabbit hole of the   People who are most engaged in the community and 
the people that are creating the most things are   Creating it within this super small, exclusive, 
non-inclusive bubble where they're just speaking   Down to and amongst them their own sort of 
converts. And so when I got involved, I was like,   Media is the only vehicle that will convert 
the non-converted into this ecosystem. It's   The only thing that will work. It translates, it's 
analogous because you have intellectual property,   I.e. this Bored Ape, and then it goes there. So 
I was like, there has to be a video that's based   Off of this. And we ran into the team that did 
the Red Ape Family, and so it was based of the   Bored Ape Yacht Club. And so we distributed the 
content and they had a really interesting model. They raised money, they had the IP, they own 
the NFT, they created an animated series.   The problem was the economics were heavily focused 
at the time on these sort of "Web3 tokenomics"   Where you charge a lot of money for the NFT and 
that financed everything and I was like: "No, no,   Guys, you should be giving this away." Like, why 
are you, you shouldn't be charging anything for   It because the goal is if you can drive 100,000 
people and incentivize them to watch an hour of   Your content a day, I can literally show you 
through math how you'll be making $6 million   A year in revenue that you can then distribute 
back to your owners, even if it was free. Long   Story short, where we are today, again, I keep 
going back to the thought process of, okay,   Web3 not as a destination, but as a utility, as 
the thing that adds value to the consumers, has to   Be so seamless and easy that we're not requiring 
you to change how you consume content. Someone   Has to pay for it, by the way. You're either going 
to pay for it or an advertiser is going to support   It. So one of the people, you have to monetize it 
in some way. And it has to be, I shouldn't have  

To have a wallet, I shouldn't have to understand 
cryptocurrency, but there needs to be some value. And we're experimenting with you on a project   Where we launched the content 
before we've launched NFTs. Exactly. Yeah. Because we're building the 
community through the content. Exactly. And then the content, the community 
will get engaged with that and start   Participating. And now you give them 
something to further that experience. We have position right up front and then convert. And we've talked a lot, Stephen, about how we 
built Solis is you don't have to have a password,   You don't even know you have a wallet, 
you're going to buy an NFT and not even   Know you bought an NFT. You just participated 
in some way. You support it in some way. Now   You own something. But the technology behind 
it too often has led versus just been there. Well, the entertainment industry sees the 
audience as an inverted pyramid. There's   The audience, the people who are going 
to watch it, there's the fans and then   There's the collectors. And Web3 right 
now has flipped it over. And it's like:   "No, it's the collectors." And I'm like: 
"That's just by far the hardest path." But Star Wars didn't start with all 
the collectibles, they built the world,   The people got enthusiastic about 
the world. And now, you know,   The collectibles have skyrocketed in value versus 
the opposite of what we've seen in the NFTs,   Where they skyrocketed and then plummeted 
because you had nothing to hold that up. And if you're implying that NFT ownership in some 
way in these projects, for some sort of shared   Ownership of the IP or anything like that, that's 
awesome as long as it stays in this world. But the   Second you put it into the traditional system 
where they acquire the intellectual property,   It's no longer yours, which means it's no longer 
your NFTs holders either. So it breaks the whole   Thing. There has to be something that allows that 
to exist, and that's going to come as a new model. I want to get to Mihai real quick. Because I want to involve Mihai real quick. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. With what Mihai is doing with Beem 
is that, you know, something I think where   Web3 is starting to emerge and we talk 
about this a lot at Solis is, you know,   When I was an actor, I felt like an indentured 
servant. I felt like I've been, you know,   Never in control of my own career. And that was 
always a problem. I got fired with my reel in   My hand when I was on One Life to Live, like 
literally going in to turn in my because I was  

Pre-nominated and I lost my job that day. So like, 
even when you're being recognized for good work,   You don't have control of your career. And I 
think we built this entire company based on   This idea that we want to give power back to 
talent in some way, give them control, give   Them at least a voice in their own IP. And I think 
that applies not just in front of camera talent,   But we see a lot of streaming platforms are giving 
less and less ownership to IP creators. So what   You're doing with Beem is really exciting, 
I know you have an interesting perspective.   How is Web3 giving power back to creatives 
and in what ways is that most exciting to you? I think we reached a point where we can't go 
any further with the platforms, right? We were   Dominated by five social media platforms and we're 
dominated by five streamers. The problem with that   Is that creators don't own much. They're slaves 
of an algorithm, of a corporation of, you know,   The contracts that they have to sign to make a 
living. Web3 is the first technology that the   Human race invented in millennia of history that 
allow organization an exchange of value without   A central authority and without trusting it to 
anyone. Because we love people, but we know that   They're not, we cannot trust them with power and 
money especially. And that technology allows us   That, right? For the first time in our history. So 
let's use it in a smart way. And that's true. And   Users might not care about fundamental things. 
They want to enjoy their entertainment. So it's   Up to us to put a nice wrapper around it. But 
fundamentally, the essence, I think, is there. Is it worth to force engagement of audience to 
Web3 space? Because if we have this power to   Change it, we have platforms for users to change 
it. But you think like they still can be engaged   At some point, but maybe we can force it, not wait 
for when they will behave themselves naturally   In Web3 space. Maybe we can force educational 
process. What do you think about this, Andrea? I think you kind of alluded to it earlier. 
I don't think we can force consumers to do   Anything. And we have to build good products 
and good experiences that are seamless. And,   You know, we have clients all the time who 
ask us: "Can we not call it an NFT?" And   They expect us to push back and want that. And 
we're like: "No, let's brainstorm. Like, please,   Please." Maybe they will be the ones to understand 
what the new term is or how to make it term less,   I guess. But I don't think we can force consumers 
to do anything they don't want to do. And in fact,   You know, 10 years ago, even 20 years ago, for 
sure, nobody asked about: is this built on AWS   Or Microsoft Azure? Nobody even knew. Nobody 
cared. I think it's good that people care now,   But we're almost overjudgmental of this space 
thinking we learned how Web2 has burned us and   Things that are happening with privacy 
and data. And so I think that's created   Like PTSD for people to be more skeptical 
about any new technology. So in one way,   That's good, right? We want that. We want 
people to be empowered with the knowledge,   However, at the end of the day, so that 
won't drive, won't make forcing it possible.

At the end of the day, though, if we build 
great, exciting technology, you know, when   Snapchat started, like that was weird. It was kind 
of odd. My little sister taught me how to use it,   And then it was super intuitive. At least when 
it launched, it was very intuitive. And it was   So cool that it was creative and it didn't 
matter how it worked or what was behind the   Scenes. I'm waiting for that next Snapchat or 
tech, and one of my favorite things that I was   Telling Stephen about the other day is these 
'aha' moments that I'm having with friends   And family who are skeptics. And I asked them: 
"When's the last time you went to a sporting   Event? Right? How did you buy your ticket?" 
They said: "I got it from my friend." I said:   "Oh, they sent you a screenshot?", "No, I had to 
log in, transfer ownership." And I'm like: "Yeah,   That's Web3. That's an NFT what you described." 
They were like: "Nooooo." And I was like: "Yeah!"   And then I, you know, pull out my Apple wallet. 
And that's a really great education piece too,   To show people like: you're already kind of doing 
this, but it's actually better for you if this is   An NFT, because I could send you a screenshot of 
my Starbucks card and you can walk in and use it. If that was an NFT, that would be impossible, 
right? And I think we're all talking about   Creators and we're like, you know, this is 
better for the creators. And that's right.   But it is better for traditional businesses, 
too. It solves real problems. And that's a   Lot of my focus in my industry. That's my 
career of empowering these executives with   More information of how video technology 
works because it's really complicated.   You know, it's easily underestimated. 
It's a behemoth of a beast. And it's,   You know, I could go into it, it's like today, I'm 
sure you're dealing with this now, building your   Platform and having to use some Web2 elements 
and some Web3. Web2, it's like Frankenstein,   And the business intelligence is all scattered. 
The margins get really difficult. Web3, of course,   You can use different elements, but it doesn't 
look like Frankenstein stitched together. I think   Where executives, traditional media executives 
get spooked is they think they're losing control   And power of what they know. And I'm trying to 
educate them of, no, this is where everybody wins.   You can build better products. You can have NFTs 
or mini-contracts directly with your consumers. You know, we're still in an era where we're 
looking for mass adoption of something that's   Micro adoption right now. And we're in an 
era where we all probably still know someone   Who won't buy something online because 
they don't want to put their credit card,   Right? They see you tap your phone 
to something and their mind is blown,   But they still know how to go see a movie. 
They still know how to turn on a TV and watch   Something. That experience doesn't change. 
And that's what we're talking about here,   Right? Keeping that consistent, just 
changing the mechanisms behind the door. One of the challenges that we have right now 
in this space is that what Web3 does really  

Well is it solves a problem for creators, 
financiers, I think that's a big part of   What we focus on is de-risking, utilizing 
what Web3 is good at to actually de-risk   Financiers. I don't know that Web3 is really 
solving a problem for consumers yet. Right   Now the lift is higher than the benefit. And I 
think that will change. This is just, you know,   It's Moore's Law, you know, a version of Moore's 
Law. Things will get better, they'll get faster,   It'll become more frictionless. But, you know, I 
mean, the reason why Netflix destroyed Blockbuster   Was not with technology, it was with the US Postal 
Service. They recognized that getting in your car   And driving to Blockbuster and standing in line to 
rent your movie and then bring it home and then,   God forbid, don't forget to bring it back 
or else you pay a huge late fee — that   Was a pain in the ass. And they were like, 
Netflix was like: "We'll mail it to you." So if we're talking 2000s, it's like Pets.com, 
right? It's like the reason Pets.com failed.   The infrastructure wasn't set up. The 
delivery, the overnight, the postage,   All the things that made what is now Amazon 
drone dropping off cat food overnight or the   Same hour. You know it took two decades to 
get there. So consumers are ready to adopt   As soon as it fits into their existing content or 
consumer purchasing decision making trees, etc. So I agree with you. I think from a business 
case, it's like the ability to finance content,   Distribute royalties, transfer ownership, contain 
digital goods and digital sort of assets, and then   Utilizing that cross-platform, NFTs are amazing 
for that. But this needed to happen. We needed to   Have a complete implosion of the crypto economy to 
stop it in its tracks because it became a Ponzi,   You know, as I like to say, maybe it's not pyramid 
scheme, but it's pyramid-shaped ecosystem that fed   Itself and was communicating to the converted and 
was just stock trading for companies that had no   Basis in actual value or value creation. So now we 
have to go back to the basics. We're starting over   And it's like, okay, let the dust settle, now 
it's time to build real utility. And a couple   Of things too is like, number one, you know, 
this sort of NFT craze is 2 years old. I mean,   Maybe if you're an OG, it's 3 years old. You 
know, I've been in the media business for 20   Years. It's always going to be easier for me 
to at least comprehend and adopt and adapt a   2 or 3 year old technology and utilize it for 
my business expertise as it is for someone   Who's only been in the NFT space for 2 or 
3 years and understand 20 years of media. And if we tie it back in to what you said, 
what we've all talked about, like if you talk   About how Netflix has disrupted, how long did they 
deliver DVDs before they became what they are now? Sure. Right? So you have to continue to innovate, and 
we talked about this in earlier panel, listen   To really to evolve and continue 
to move forward to find where that,   If we are looking at disruption, where 
that disruption and that comfortability is.

As Andrea rightfully put it, people don't even 
imagine what they could do with NFTs because they   Don't even understand that. Why would they? Right? 
But until you didn't hold an iPhone in your hands,   You just consider that your flip phone is amazing. 
Until you have that in your hand and say: "Oh my   God!" Right? Well, until you experience something 
that's really cool like that, you don't need any   More. So I believe that we should understand 
where we are in time, right? We are pretty   Much in 1998. People were like: "Why do I need 
the Internet? I mean, I need to buy a computer,   A modem. For what? You know, the yellow pages. 
I have them here. Why do I need email? You know,   My auntie has a fax machine, too, so it's easy." 
I think we're going to get there. But, you know,   Step by step, we're going to realize all 
those things how they're going to happen. We can still hear the dial tone of the 
dial up and we hear that mee-mee. Like   That's what we're hearing right now, and we're 
still playing a little bit of Minesweeper,   A little bit of Solitaire. We're figuring it out. The stories are their own utility. Yes. Right. Don't forget that. I mean, 
like if it can make you change your   Mind or make you feel something 
or make you stand up and yell,   That's utility. And that's the power of 
entertainment to really bring people into this. We want to empower creatives with this technology 
because they will be the ones to build the cool   Sh*t. Sorry. But it's true, right? Because I'm 
a technologist, and technology people can only   Build so much and understand the consumer. That's 
really what my job is, is to help business groups   Understand technology groups and vice versa. But 
the more that we empower creators and help them   Figure it out, they're going to go build the 
next Snapchat. They're going to go figure out   What this new creative product that's going 
to have mass adoption, because that's their   Specialty, right? They're creative. We're the 
builders. And I think that's really important. Serve the creatives and the 
audience will follow. Yeah,   Look, we could talk about this 
forever and we kind of have. We should. We have and we will. I think the whole point of 
this series is conversation starters. But that's   The point is like we are, we are still in the 
infancy and we will be figuring it out as we go. But that's exciting. And it is exciting and honoring both creatives 
and audience, the entire, and not necessarily   What's in between, which I think has been too 
much of the focus over the past few decades.   So, thank you all for joining Mihai from Beem, 
Stephen from Bingeable, Andrea from Theta,   Josh from Ronin and Anastasia from Cointelegraph. 
I'm Brett from Solis and thanks for watching.

Thank you.