The Best One Yet - 🎬 “Batman’s New Boss” — Netflix’s buys HBO. Dubai’s AI restaurant. Nothing’s iPhone-killer. +Giant Santa shortage

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is Nick, this is Jack. Welcome back. It is Monday, December 8th. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T-boy. The top three pop business news stories you need to know today. I'm sorry, Jack, can I celebrate three wins with you right now? You ready for this? Yes.

Starting point is 00:00:15 In the last three weeks, we've interviewed Jim Kramer, launched the first ever business-themed toy doll. And announced our live tour. You know what that means, man? Chiching button. Uh, no, to quote Lexus, this has been a December to remember, man. Besties, you're looking fantastic to start the week. Jack, three stories for today's pod.

Starting point is 00:00:35 What have we got in the show? For our first story, Netflix shocked Hollywood on Friday by spending $83 billion to acquire Warner Brothers. It's the biggest deal of the year. But plot twist, Netflix's corporate war has only just begun. For our second story, it's the hottest new restaurant on Earth. It's in Dubai, and the chef is AI. With a real surprise, isn't the AI-designed menu?

Starting point is 00:00:58 It's that the AI chef was just on a podcast. And our third and final story, there's a $1.3 billion company that's trying to kill the iPhone. And it's called Nothing. Yeah, there's something about nothing. And nothing is trending with people cooler and younger than us. Yes, it is. It's a something. But Yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

Starting point is 00:01:19 I mean, well, what a mix of stories to start the week. I love the mix, Jack. Horters' Almanac, Week 298. Ooh, things we are running out in this economy, Jack, and I've been keeping track for you. This week, we are running out of eight-foot Santa Claus. Boom, the biggest Christmas ornament in the country is M-I-A. Home Depot is famous for their fantastically large lawn decorations. I mean, Jack, remember the 12-foot skeleton that haunted you for Halloween?

Starting point is 00:01:44 It was scary. My kids love Skelly. And Skelly taught Home Depot to double down on holidays as their new profit puppy. Yeah, the investors, they're loving Skelly, too. Not just investors, not just my kids. There's a Facebook Home Depot holiday group with 166,000. members wondering what's the next huge lawn decoration. Could it be the six-foot candy canes or the seven-foot reindeer?

Starting point is 00:02:06 Hold on, pause the pod. Where are the eight and a half foot Santas? Jack, the nearly nine-foot Santas are missing this year. Home Depot's biggest seasonal product is not available for the first time in years. Because shocker, these giant Santas, they're actually made in China. Yeah, they're the biggest victim of the trade war. Literally. So now, old giant Santas from previous.

Starting point is 00:02:29 years are selling on eBay at a 7x markup. Jack and I just found one going for 1,400 bucks on the old eBay. Santa. He can fly around the entire world in one single night. He just got stopped by the Commerce Department. He's making a list. He's checking it twice. And Home Depot's Q3 earnings are going to look on as nice. Jack, let's in our three stories. Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea that caused a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is a norm. Jack Nick, that I don't even think they need to practice. 50% that's a fat tip. T-boy City on your at list. If you know, you know, because we're ready to go. We can't wait no more. So just start the show.

Starting point is 00:03:11 Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor. For our first story, Netflix, the world's biggest streamer is buying one of its biggest competitors for $83 billion in the biggest deal of the year. Does this make Netflix a monopoly? We don't think so. But does it make them a monopsony? Yes, it does. And the Targaryans would agree. Now, Yeties, Jack and I have said before that the best minds and business changed their minds. Well, Exhibit A is Netflix. Because for 20 years, Netflix pledged to have no ads, no live sports, no movie theater debuts, and no big acquisitions. Okay, but in just the last three years, Netflix has changed its mind on all of that.

Starting point is 00:04:10 And it's capped by the biggest acquisition of the year, which was announced on Friday. Netflix is acquiring Warner Brothers movie and TV studios plus HBO Max. Jack, this is Seinfeld and Friends together finally on one streamer. The Crown and Sopranos on one streamer. If Kendall Roy existed in real life, Jack, he would have been all over this deal. Well, that's funny, because Kendall Roy and Succession are going to join Netflix with this deal. I know. We can finally get that Emily and Paris and Batman crossover episode we've always wanted you.

Starting point is 00:04:40 Now, we should point out, the deal does not include the TV networks from Warner Brothers Discovery, which is the bad part of the business that's in decline because of cable TV. And this deal does include, interestingly, Netflix pledging to continue debuts of Warner Brothers movies in real movie theaters. So to recap at all, Netflix already has ads and live sports, but they just did a huge acquisition and they're going to do a whole bunch of movie theater debuts. All things they said they'd never do. Like we said, Netflix, it changed their mind a few times.

Starting point is 00:05:10 The deal is expected to close in 12 to 18 months. Netflix and Warner Brothers will live happily ever after. Unless, plot twist to beat Paramount and Comcast to this deal, Netflix had to offer 83 billion bucks. Jack, could you sprinkle on some context, please? $83 billion is three times the price that Warner Brothers Discovery was trading for just six months ago. Here's where the drama of the story comes in. Because Larry Ellison, a Trump donor who bought Paramount the movie company for his son as a

Starting point is 00:05:40 birthday gift, he's probably going to ask President Trump to block this merger. Paramount offered to buy Warner Brothers Discovery first, and they raised their offer price multiple times. They wanted Warner Brothers Discovery so bad. So yeah, they're going to complain to the White House and try to get this blocked. But even if this record setting Netflix deal does get blocked, Netflix will still kind of win, right, Jack? It's an evil genius move. Because if Warner Brother's discovery is stuck in legal purgatory for the next 18 months, then in that time, Netflix will only widen its already dominant streaming lead. And by the time Peacock or Paramount finally buy HBO Max, it would already be game over.

Starting point is 00:06:19 Now, Yeties, courts will ultimately decide if Netflix buying HBO Max creates a monopoly that's just too big, and we'll cover it on this pod. But whether Netflix ultimately owns Game of Thrones or not, it appears destined to control the seven kingdoms. because it just pulled off an evil genus move that even Circe would be proud of. Where are my takeaways? So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over Netflix? Netflix plus Warner Brothers and HBO Max is not a monopoly,

Starting point is 00:06:47 but it is a monopsony. A monopsony. You see, Yeties, even with HBO, Netflix will control just 9.5% of all TV watching time in America. So it's not a monopoly in that sense. In fact, YouTube is bigger, with 13% of TV watching time, and cable and broadcast TV, they're also bigger than Netflix plus HBO Max. But here's what fascinates Jack and I. What about the other side? Like, is Netflix a monopoly within the industry of Hollywood?

Starting point is 00:07:16 That would be called a monopsony, which is a real economic term. Yeah, it is. It's when one company controls the buy side, in this case, the workers and the suppliers of an industry. Think of it like this. Netflix plus Warner Brothers plus HBO is a major consolidation. and as one entity, it will now have all the leverage within Hollywood. Super Netflix, as we're calling it, could dictate the terms with directors, actors, and writers on their projects and drive down wages potentially.

Starting point is 00:07:44 Super Netflix could have its way with theaters and shorten theatrical windows to get to streaming much faster. Now, antitrust laws do protect consumers against monopolies, but they also protect workers from monopsonies. So, besties, Jack and I will cover this deal as it happens or doesn't happen over the next year. and a half. In the meantime, grab some popcorn. For our second story, Dubai has opened the world's first AI restaurant where the lead chef, he ain't real. What's most novel to us, though, is that this AI chef does PR appearances on podcasts. Sounds fake, but oh, is this a real story. Yet if you haven't been to Dubai, Jack and I were actually talking about Dubai because I went a few years ago. And it's basically like a theme park with an unlimited budget. It's like the Mall of America,

Starting point is 00:08:31 but very much not in America. Yeah, yeah, and you don't want to litter. But in addition to having the world's largest buildings, man-made islands, and indoor skiing. Dubai is also now home to a restaurant totally run by artificial intelligence. The restaurant is called Woohoo. Could you just break down some context to the name Woo-hoo, Jack? The AI restaurant is so wild, you say,

Starting point is 00:08:53 Woo-hoo, I guess. That's what they named the restaurant. And it all began three years ago when a restaurant tour in Dubai asked Chat GPT for a few menu ideas. The lamb dish that Chat recommended was delicious and became the restaurant's bestseller. Okay, so this entrepreneur then thought, what if I had an entire restaurant that was entirely powered by AI? That's what Woohoo is. That's Woohoo right there, yeah.

Starting point is 00:09:14 And if Invidia did an office holiday party, it'd be at this restaurant because this restaurant's their biggest customer. Hands off the shrimp cocktail, Sam Altman. We see what you're doing over there. But yet is, when this guy opened up Woohoo, he didn't use Chatchipitie anymore. No. Instead, an Amirati tech company built a custom large language. model just to be the chef. Now, the first location of Woohoo opened last month in Dubai, so we jumped in T-boy style. Despite the 130 bucks per person prefix menu, it's selling out tables so far, Nick.

Starting point is 00:09:44 Yes, it is. Now, job number one of their homemade artificial intelligence is to simply design the menu. AI does the recipes, but humans do the actual cooking. And then according to Bloomberg, 80% of that AI menu is actually the kind of stuff you've seen before, not super creative. Yeah, rock shrimp tempore. Oh, wow. So impressed, Chat Chippy T. Again, Sam Altman, off the shrimp man. But the other 20% is novel, and it's kind of wild. Like, Jack, did you see on the menu they have a dinosaur heart? What's a dinosaur heart?

Starting point is 00:10:13 Beef tartar with Japanese fugu on a rubber plate that... It pulses as you look at it. It pulses as you eat it. It's the kind of dish that no human being chef would have actually thought of. Job number two of the AI at this restaurant is to create ambiance. Not just a menu, it actually choreographs the entire dinner experience. Digital art on the walls, AI music playlists, and entire laser beam performance is all choreographed by the artificial intelligence. Which leads to job number three, which is the cost-cutting element, eliminating waste.

Starting point is 00:10:44 The AI knows who is ordering what, so it procures ingredients and supplies just the right amount, and pushes items to make sure that food doesn't get wasted, cutting food waste up to 51%. But the real fascinating part to us is that Woo-hoo is actually just a pilot concept. The goal is to license this technology to other restaurants someday. Yeah, so 10 years from now, the Olive Garden is going to be serving you up food incrated by computers made by woohoo. I hope not. But job number four of this AI is to promote the restaurant on podcasts.

Starting point is 00:11:18 And that made us sit down, stand up, and order up a takeaway. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Dubai's AI restaurant? Prepare for AII, artificially intelligent, influx. Yeties, the real innovation to us here is that they gave a face and a voice to this AI technology. They call it Chef Amon. Chef Amon is a digital avatar with a classic white chef's shirt, futuristic glasses, and a personality. But Chef Amon is not just a gimmick on the website or social media. He's also the restaurant's external PR guy.

Starting point is 00:11:52 This AI face of Woohoo Restaurant makes external guest appearances on podcasts hosted by real humans. You could be on our show. Yeah, he could be on our show. He does interviews, video appearances. He has his own YouTube channel. This is a fake person in the real world talking about a real restaurant made with fake AI. Anybody in the restaurant business knows you need good positive PR, and this is the guy who's doing it for them. Jack, it's like a robo-Bobby Flee.

Starting point is 00:12:16 It's the most innovative part of this AI restaurant concept, an AI public persona. And we think it's the first of many. Prepare for the era of AII, artificially intelligent influencers. Now a quick word from our sponsor. For our third and final story, nothing is the anti-Apple startup that has sold 7 million devices to date. If you've got one, you are cooler than us. You really are. I'm actually intimidated by you that you have one.

Starting point is 00:12:49 Yeah, we're not. We're judging ourselves. To beat Apple and Google and smartphones, you beat them with style. Now, Yeties, let's start with some context. For companies that sell electronics, the Christmas season is everything. including for nothing. Nothing is something. Yes, it is something. It's an electronic startup that we first covered on this pod five years ago. Yeah, yeah, we did a story on nothing because we just thought the name was hilarious when they launched. They launched in 2020 with earbuds that basically aren't AirPods. And then in 2022, they launched a phone that is basically not an iPhone. I'm looking at their online shop right now. Nothing basically sells Apple products that just aren't Apple. And yet is this little tech company that could just raise 200. million dollars in September at a $1.3 billion valuation. Sales rose 150% last year and

Starting point is 00:13:38 up 100% this year to $1 billion for this London-based company. Well, now nothing is on a PR blitz trying to give nothing something in terms of a reputation. I think that's the end of our puns, right? Everything we just said, Jack, I think it was the end of those. So yet he's Jack and I, over the weekend, dove in T-boy style to a Vogue magazine article about nothing the 10th. company. Because nothing is trying to become the go-to tech brand for Gen Z creatives, according to Vogue. I'm sorry, Jack, pause the pod for a second. The phone industry has bigger barriers to entry than Buckingham Palace. This is hard, man. You need billions, right? Yeah. And since nothing has one millionth the resources of Apple and Alphabet, how on earth can they compete with them in smartphones?

Starting point is 00:14:25 Well, first, to save money, the nothing phones operating system runs on top of Android. Android, this free smartphone software of Google. But to beat Apple and Google, nothing isn't trying to be a tech company. It's trying to be cooler than a tech company. For example, they just poached the CMO of the luxury label, Loeve. Yeah, Jack, that's like Tim Cook hiring Ralph Lauren to work at Apple. And they did it because they're trying to turn their phones,

Starting point is 00:14:50 their earbuds, and their other tech gadgets into runway-worthy apparel. You see, to stand out, nothing lets you see the hardware guts in the products that you buy. They have clear casing that shows off everything. that's inside. Nothing isn't hiding the engineering behind a white shell like Apple does. No, they're going full voyeur with the screws, the ribbons, the coils, the silicon. It's all visible. Yeah, and this cooler approach to tech got some pretty powerful early investors. The father of the iPod, Tony Fidel, he's an early investor. Oh, and the Reddit co-founder and current CEO, Steve Huffman, who we interviewed on this podcast, he's a current investor too.

Starting point is 00:15:26 But the real something to nothing, we think. I thought we were dumb with the puns. No, we're not done yet. We're not done yet, Jack, is in the takeaway. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at nothing? To quote Carl Lagerfeld, everything is fashion. Yeties, that's a quote Jack and I love from the famous fashion designer Carl Lagerfeld. And what he means is that everything you buy is a form of self-expression. It's not just the clothes you wear, the choice of bank account, the type of car you drive, the milk you put in your fridge. All of those are choices you've made on how to express yourself. And that's why Nothing's strategy to beat Apple and Google and tech hardware is to be a fashion brand, literally. In fact, Nothing launched an actual fashion line. We can see it right now on their web. Yeah, right beside the phones and the headphones on the Nothing website is nothing streetware.

Starting point is 00:16:13 Samsung's not selling hoodies and tracksuits next to their Chromebooks. No, no, not, Jack. But nothing is. Best is nothing is trying to represent rebellion. Rebell against conformity by not buying an iPhone. That is how you overcome the biggest barriers to entry. You make everything fashion. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us to kick off the week? Netflix is paying a king's ransom to buy Warner Brothers because it doesn't want its competition to buy it. Is Netflix plus HBO a monopoly?

Starting point is 00:16:44 No, but it might be a monopsony in the industry of Hollywood. For our second story, woo-hoo is a restaurant in Dubai with a chef that's AI. And that AI chef does PR appearances. I can't lean into that woo-hoo next time, you know what I mean? Give it a little elbow grease. Yeties, this is AII, an artificially intelligent influencer. And our third and final story. Nothing is a five-year-old startup selling $1 billion worth of earbuds,

Starting point is 00:17:09 headphones, phones, and streetwear. Because as Carl Lagerfeld once said, everything is fashion. But besties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, the biggest drama on Wall Street last week, CNBC just rebranded. That's right, CNBC just got a whole new logo.

Starting point is 00:17:28 They've had a peacock since 1989. Classic. By the way, CNBC, Consumer News, and Business Channel. But after 36 years, they just unveiled a new look. It's two shades of blue with a triangle over the letter N? Some consultancy got paid $10 million for that. And second, Viori and Jay Crew both just launched ski gear at the same time. Awkward.

Starting point is 00:17:50 It's the first time the Athleisure brand and the preppy brand have gotten into the ski industry. Okay, but wait, Jack, pause the pod. So did Skims. Kim Kardashian skims, man. Skimms just launched their second round of parkas with North Face. Ski gear, it's suddenly the hot new fashion flex, maybe, because the Winter Olympics are less than two months away. J-Crew, Viori, and Skims. And finally, consumer reports just announced the most reliable car of the year.

Starting point is 00:18:14 Jack, who's in the top five? Number five is Toyota. Number four is Honda. Number three is Porsche. Number two is BMW. And number one, to every New Englander's delight, is Subaru. Subaru, Yetis, if you're listening to us on the way to a trailhead with a kombucha in your pocket right now, congratulations, your Subaru is number one.

Starting point is 00:18:36 I'm pretty sure the whole state of Maine ratings bombed consumer reports to make this real. Bonus points have you got the peace bumper sticker with every religious emblem on it? No, no, no, no. The question is, does the coexist bumper sticker come with the Subaru or do you have to buy that afterwards? Now, time for the best fact yet, which? Because this Monday means T-boy trivia. Jack, what do we got? Last Friday 8, we told you Pantone's

Starting point is 00:18:59 Color of the Year for 2026. Yeah, Pantone chose a white color, by the way, or as they call it, cloud dancer. Now, color is actually a key subliminal message. Yes. For instance, blue signals to us humans trust. Yeah, that's why so many banking apps on your phone use the color blue as their color.

Starting point is 00:19:17 But here's our question. What is the one color that subliminally is associated with food? That's right. What is the one color that actually makes your brain feel more hungry? besties, if you've got a guess, leave it in the comments, and Jack and I will reveal the answer on Mnianas pod. Yetis, you look fantastic to start the week. And if you haven't yet, drop down to give us five stars,

Starting point is 00:19:38 a rating and review. Jack and I love reading them. Honestly, it makes our week when you kick off the week like that. And Nick and I will be back for the best one yet tomorrow. H-Y-H-T-B-O-I, if you know, you know. And before we go, a congratulations to Super Legendary Yeties, Cole Bloomfield and Carolina Mountain.

Starting point is 00:19:58 and they've been listening for years, and they just got engaged down in Dallas. Congratulations, guys. Let's see the ring picks. Happy belated birthday to Emily Lecture in San Diego. She's a brand spank a new Yetty. An Angel Alcala is turning 32 years old in Midlothian, Texas. Congrats on the birthday angel.

Starting point is 00:20:14 Happy birthday to Adrian Quack in Sydney, Australia. And Jonathan Ralston and St. Louis, Missouri is celebrating a blues birthday. Happy birthday to La Bella Myra Perez in the Ciudad de Guatemala in Guatemala. And a happy birthday to Catherine St. string them down in Arcadia, Arizona. Enjoy the best one yet. Happy eighth birthday to Axel Pirani in San Mateo, California. Hey, Silicon Valley, this kid's got scale. And to anyone else celebrating something today, make it a T-boy. Celebrate the wins. This is Jack. I own stock of Netflix and Reddit, and Nick and I both on stock of Apple.

The Best One Yet - 🎬 “Batman’s New Boss” — Netflix’s buys HBO. Dubai’s AI restaurant. Nothing’s iPhone-killer. +Giant Santa shortage

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.