👋 This is Warner. Connect with me here
🎙️ The number 1 question I get from people is: “Where is the opportunity in Entertainment right now.” So today we sit down with Melinda Petrow, the SVP of Audience Development at Mythical. Yes… Rhett and Link Mythical.
👀 Plus the rumors are true… we brought out 250 people to destroy a cubicle in Los Angeles.
💼 Looking for open Entertainment jobs? Scroll to the bottom of this email. Our Job Board now has 125+ early career Entertainment roles as well.
Not subscribed yet? Join 34,000+ of your peers. Your future self will thank you.
Last night 20th Century Studios let us build a legit rage room inside the Culver Theater. We set it up like your shitty cubicle and let people blow some steam off. People passing by were confused, probably concerned and definitely very jealous.
The big surprise of the night was when we brought out Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner, Teen Wolf, Love and Monsters) & the legendary Sam Raimi (Spider Man, The Evil Dead etc.) to intro their new movie Send Help in front of a sold out crowd.
The best partnerships happen when brands let creators operate in their authentic lane. Last night was an example of that.
We have some fun ones planned ahead. Also go see Send Help in theaters Jan. 30 it’s epic.
1) Sony Pictures Entertainment & Netflix strike a new ‘Pay-1 Deal’ for all Sony Films to be shown on the streaming platform across the globe.
WTF is a ‘Pay-1 Deal’? It’ *checks notes* the initial, exclusive streaming availability for movies after they've finished their cinema run and physical/digital sales.
Netflix will have the full global licensing rights to Sony titles by 2029. Releases will be gradual, and the contract builds off of a long-standing relationship between the 2 giants.
A24 and HBO Max (or is it just Max? HBO? Get a grip guys..) also just renewed their Pay-1 Deal.
2) Luminate shared their Year-End Music Report. Takeaways below:
The top streamed genre in the US was R&B/Hip-Hop. Bit of a surprise given a few months ago the genre fell out of the Billboard Top 40 entirely for the first time since 1990.
Credit Luminate
The highest growth genres were Rock with a +.30% increase, and Christian Music with .25%.
The top 3 most streamed songs globally were ‘Die with a Smile’ by Bruno Mars, ‘Golden’ by HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & Rei Ami, and ‘The Ordinary’ by Alex Warren.
44% of listeners said that they would be less interested in listening to music if they knew it was made with the help of generative AI.
Credit: Luminate
Our new job board features 125+ early career roles in Entertainment, including:
💼 Mailroom Assistant - 3 Arts Entertainment - Apply Here
💼 Coordinator, Content Partnerships - Pluto - Apply Here
💼 Assistant to President of Film & TV - Hello Sunshine - Apply Here
💼 Visitor Services Associate - The Academy Museum - Apply Here
💼 Influencer Marketing Coordinator - Savage X Fenty - Apply Here
💼 Executive Assistant to the SVP (HBO Production) - Warner Bros. Discovery - Apply Here
💼 Global Marketing Partnerships Creative Coordinator - Paramount Skydance - Apply Here
💼 Creative Strategist - iHeartMedia - Apply Here
💼 Seasonal Music Licensing Coordinator - NFL - Apply Here
💼 Creative Program Manager (Yahoo Sports) - Yahoo - Apply Here
💼 Executive Assistant - NBCUniversal - Apply Here
💼 300 Entertainment/Atlantic Hip-Hop Assistant - Warner Music Group - Apply Here
💼 Content Acquisition Associate - Roku - Apply Here
💼 Remote Production Support Coordinator - Disney - Apply Here
💼 Admin Assistant - Universal Music Group - Apply Here
💼 Scripted Programming Coordinator - AMC - Apply Here
💼 Brand Consulting Operations Associate - CAA - Apply Here
💼 Admin Assistant - NBCUniversal - Apply Here
AvA: You started out as a temp front desk coordinator. How important was it for you to "get your foot in the building" vs. finding the perfect first role?
Petrow: I always knew I wanted to work in entertainment but had no idea in what capacity or how I was going to get there. My mission was to get my foot in the door, be curious, be kind and say yes to everything.
AvA: You talk about balancing science and heart in marketing. When does data completely change your mind about a creative decision or vice versa?
Petrow: You can’t go all in one way or the other. Data should inform decisions, sometimes heavily, but you have to stay true to the creative vision and your brand.
AvA: How do you see marketing, especially in our industry, evolving now that AI and creators are basically running the attention economy?
Petrow: Audiences are craving unpolished realness and human connection now more than ever. As a marketer, my priority is maintaining trust with our audience by being transparent, consistent, a little messy and staying focused on community feedback.
AvA: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career, and how did overcoming it shape who you are today?
Petrow: Going from a small startup to being acquired by a massive corporation. It’s hard to let go and embrace the new (especially corporate life). However, I quickly learned that opportunities present themselves in chaos. The faster you can identify the holes and how you can bring value– take the initiative and ask for what you want.
AvA: Why are creator-led media companies like Mythical built for the long game?
Petrow: No matter where the industry goes, independent, Creator-led companies thrive on creative freedom, agility and experimentation. That authenticity and a personal ethos woven into everything they do, builds a deeply invested community that are in it for the long haul and excited to evolve with you.
AvA: Entertainment is changing faster than ever. For someone just starting out, where do you see the biggest opportunities to break in and make an impact right now?
Petrow: Start small. Find independent Creators and startups, even if they’re remotely related to what you want. Explore it all!
AvA: Show you are binging on TV right now?
Petrow: Heated Rivalry.
AvA: Favorite movie ever?
Petrow: Moonstruck.
AvA: First concert?
Petrow: Aerosmith.
AvA: Dream catering menu?
Petrow: Tables full of bite-sized desserts.
AvA: What’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself on your first day in the industry?
Petrow: Nobody knows what they're doing….seriously.
👋 See you back here on Monday
What do you find most valuable about The AvA Connection?
Want this newsletter in your inbox every week?
This newsletter is written by Warner Bailey and edited by Riley Furey and Dominik Sansevere.
Get in touch! Email us at [email protected].
Want to partner with us and reach 240,000+ music and entertainment professionals? Email [email protected]
Want to write your own newsletter? Check out our friends at Beehiiv
