In 2019, I wrote a lot and across more outlets than ever. So I (finally) launched a website that categorizes/archives it all in one place. You can now find everything on Disney, Netflix & OTT Video, IP & Storytelling, Gaming, etc. on dedicated pages.

I’ve also just soft-dropped a new essay: 11 Lessons from the Success of Disney+. I also co-wrote a few pieces for The Economist, including two with editor Gady Epstein, Disney’s triumphs, trials, and trip-ups with ‘Star Wars’ and a review of ‘Rise of Skywalker’, as well as a Top 12 Shows of 2019 with editor Rachel Lloyd.

In 2019, my most popular three pieces were:

  1. Fortnite is the Future, but Probably Not for the Reasons You Think This is probably the most important piece I wrote, too (and Epic Games has since been fairly public about the fact the Metaverse is, indeed, its goal). I have a big sequel coming in January

  2. Nine Reasons Why Disney+ Will Succeed (And Why Four Criticisms are Overhyped) The speed of change in SVOD is clear when one considers that when this was published in March, it was contrarian! (I also called the super low Disney+ pricepoint, too)

  3. The Absurdities of 'Franchise Fatigue' and Sequelitis (Or, What Is Happening to the Box Office?!) Since this was published in August, the box office has only become more ruthless and seemingly unwinnable

If asked which pieces are the most important relative to readership, I’d say:

  1. Disney, IP, and "Returns to Marginal Affinity": A framework for how to think about story/IP-based media companies, the upsides and risks in story ecosystems, and the strongest bear/bull case for Disney’s immediate future

  2. Hollywood’s Video Game Blind Spot: As Hollywood empties its bank accounts for more TV and film assets, it continues to ignore the most ascendant media category. And it can’t afford to do so much longer

  3. The Mining of Media (or The "Streaming Wars" are Just a Battle) If media matters to consumers, but they won’t spend a lot on it, the efficient use of content is to drive other businesses that have better (and bigger) economics. And this is exactly what’s happening

My favorite is a multi-part series I co-wrote with Jonathan Glick, “THE MARVELIAD”: For millennia, the most popular stories on earth were epic tales of Gods and heroes. Five thousand years later, human culture remains similarly transfixed, albeit on a more modern epic: the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Why was it such a surprise? What made it a success? Why is it so beloved? Just how successful is it? Why has no one been able to replicate it? Or get *near* it? Can it last?

Other Key Pieces:

Lastly, there’s no better way to exit this decade than a quick recap of how absolutely dominant Disney was during this last one…. [here]

See everyone in 2020. MB