This is Jesse Pujji and today we are breaking down ViacomCBS. This episode has a different format - you'll hear from both an investor and from company management.   Chris Marangi from Gabelli Asset Management starts us off with a history of ViacomCBS. He goes deep into the dynamics of content creation, curation, and distribution, hitting home the value of IP. Then he helps break down how ViacomCBS is transitioning from a shrinking linear business to a growing streaming business.   Next, I sit down with the CFO of ViacomCBS, Naveen Chopra. He shares his views on the business today, how he thinks about capital allocation, and how streaming will evolve for ViacomCBS. Please enjoy this Business Breakdown.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss Show Notes - Pt 1 with Chris Marangi [00:03:31] - [First question] - What is ViacomCBS [00:04:10] - What a typical media conglomerate looks like [00:06:45] - The scale and size of ViacomCBS today  [00:09:03] - Starting as a radio business and becoming a diversified conglomerate [00:11:25] - What the competitive landscape looked like fifteen years ago  [00:14:07] - Economics of a typical cable network channel like ESPN or MTV [00:16:23] - Key differentiators between a good and a bad channel revenue-wise [00:17:22] - The important roles movies play and how the film industry works writ large [00:18:12] - Durable competitive advantages in producing strong content  [00:19:26] - How much of their market cap is their catalog [00:20:04] - Adopting a streaming model and the impact of this inflection point [00:24:33] - Thoughts on customer acquisition in movies and streaming services [00:25:33] - What has to go right for their market cap to double in the next decade [00:27:55] - What will have gone wrong if they don’t grow over the next decade [00:28:26] - Lessons for entrepreneurs and investors when studying ViacomCBS’s story [00:29:33] - Learn more about ViacomCBS and the cable industry; Cable Cowboy   Pt 2 with Naveen Chopra [00:30:27] - [First question] - Overview of the different businesses within ViacomCBS [00:34:07] - Size of the broadcast arm of ViacomCBS’s business and the costs of running it [00:37:23] - How wide the range of content expenses can be  [00:39:35] - Thoughts on making movies and the business model pre-pandemic [00:42:47] - Is the box office opening night really that important? [00:44:40] - How much box office attendance is down post-pandemic [00:46:19] - Same day releases for streaming and box office can help acquire subscribers [00:51:45] - Leveraging intellectual property to generate revenue [00:53:23] - How much Netflix invests in content compared to ViacomCBS and competitors [00:54:11] - Thoughts on the business model for streaming service revenue [00:58:01] - Scaling Paramount+ to compete and compensate for pandemic impacts [01:02:16] - What he’s most excited about for ViacomCBS and Paramount+ looking forward [01:06:00] - Things in the macro-environment that could be good and bad for ViacomCBS [01:07:54] - Lessons for entrepreneurs and investors when studying ViacomCBS’s story

This is Jesse Pujji and today we are breaking down the emerging industry of cannabis. After spending decades as an illegal drug, US states have begun to make regulatory changes and build legalized marijuana marketplaces. To help me break down this market, I am joined by Jeff Hoffman of Marathon Partners Equity Management. Jeff is co-portfolio manager of a fund, which invests in US public cannabis companies. We discuss exactly what those regulatory changes look like, the difference between federal and state laws, and companies across the value chain that are showing up in public markets. I hope you enjoy this breakdown.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss Show Notes [00:03:40] - [First question] - What is cannabis and the current size of the industry today [00:05:44] - Differentiating between THC and CBD  [00:06:46] - Whether or not the whole market is growing writ large [00:08:08] - The history of cannabis, the changing legal landscape, and key players today [00:10:51] - What the argument was for making cannabis a schedule 1 narcotic [00:11:48] - Is cannabis addictive, objectively speaking? [00:13:27] - The differing levels of when cannabis is or isn’t legal  [00:14:05] - Overview of the value chain involved in getting cannabis to a dispensary [00:15:18] - What an MSO is, how their operations work, and the marketplace today [00:20:31] - Regulatory catalysts that would allow this market to thrive [00:23:19] - The income statement of an MSO, their expenses, and how they differ from traditional businesses [00:26:44] - Different business models for MSOs depending on their geography  [00:29:31] - How the economics of MSOs compare to mom and pop shops  [00:31:30] - Normalizing margins and incentives to compete on price or participate in discount wars [00:33:48] - D2C, mobile-first, and delivery trends influencing distribution [00:35:53] - Whether or not cannabis is considered perishable  [00:36:43] - How the finance industry is evolving around cannabis  [00:38:44] - The role COVID played in helping the cannabis industry grow [00:41:03] - Will cannabis see a pullback in public interest as the world returns to normal [00:42:25] - Form factors to consider as the industry shifts from medical to mature markets [00:44:20] - What will have to happen for the cannabis market to excel in the coming decade [00:47:07] - How M&A might play out as the market continues to evolve [00:49:06] - Lessons for builders when it comes to the cannabis industry [00:51:54] - Learn more about the cannabis industry; marijuanamoment.net