So This Happened: What Actually Matters in Creative Content, Commerce & Technology

About So This Happened: What Actually Matters in Creative Content, Commerce & Technology

So This Happened... is the weekly podcast on the business of content, commerce, and technology, hosted by Jess Carlin and Nathalie Curtis Lethbridge. Each week we find the stories that slipped past the news cycle and explain what they reveal about platform power, emerging business models, and where money and control are moving across the industry. From streaming rights and sports deals to AI advertising, agentic commerce, social commerce, retail media and regulation, if it's changing how content is made, distributed, or monetised in the media and entertainment industry, we cover it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Atonik

Category

technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Jul 2026

Latest episode

21 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Oct 2026

   Fox's Roku Deal Gets Shareholder Approval, YouTube Courts European TV, MIPCOM Pitches AI to Broadcasters and more!

   This week on So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie dig into Fox's $22 billion Roku deal after shareholders approved it. Plus, a MIPCOM recap, including why YouTube spent MIPCOM wooing European broadcasters, how AI suppliers pitched savings and licensing to television, and why Omdia says microdramas and vertical video now compete with traditional TV for the same viewers. Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Shareholders Approve Fox’s $22 Billion Roku Acquisition (https://deadline.com/2026/10/fox-roku-shareholders-approve-merger-1237157625/) Tubefilter: Can YouTube's €8.4bn contribution get it a better deal in Europe? (https://www.tubefilter.com/?p=194620) YouTube blog: Creative Capital report (https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/europe-creator-consultation-creative-capital-report/) Cynopsis: YouTube wants to work with legacy TV (https://www.cynopsis.com/streamlined-10-06-2026-skydance-unveils-its-leadership-roster/) Further&Better roundup, 16 Oct: Ben Frow interview (https://furtherandbetter.substack.com/p/global-tv-film-and-media-industry-5ac) Prensario: "Vertical is no longer optional", Omdia's microdrama session (https://digitalcontent.prensariozone.com/vertical-is-no-longer-optional-omdia-details-the-25-million-microdrama-boom-at-mipcom) Prensario: Omdia's LatAm Partnership Summit keynote (https://digitalcontent.prensariozone.com/latam-partnership-summit-opened-mipcom-2026-how-short-form-content-and-youtube-shorts-are-redefining-the-industry) Variety: Mipcom trends, including Omdia's LatAm forecast (https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/youtube-consolidation-christie-brinkley-baywatch-mipcom-1236912667/) Deadline: MIPCOM 2026 takeaways, TikTok and the microdrama summit (https://deadline.com/2026/10/mipcom-2026-takeaways-baywatch-skydance-banijay-youtube-1237157888/) Media Play News: AI and vertical dramas take centre stage (Dentsu, A+E, Meta) (https://www.mediaplaynews.com/365154-2/) Prensario: ReelShort on telco bundles and branded microdramas (https://digitalcontent.prensariozone.com/reelshort-at-mipcom-2026-telco-bundles-and-branded-microdramas/) Cinema & Video International: MIPCOM wrap, FOX x Hartbeat (https://cinema.video/mipcom-cannes-2026-summary) Orange Partners With ReelShort to Bring Micro-Dramas to 17 African and Middle Eastern Markets (https://www.ecofinagency.com/news-digital/1510-59808-orange-partners-with-reelshort-to-bring-micro-dramas-to-17-african-and-middle-eastern-markets) SEA tech tracker meets microdrama (https://www.techinasia.com/sea-tech-tracker-meets-microdrama) Further&Better roundup, 15 Oct: CJ ENM–Utopai and the BBC on AI (https://furtherandbetter.substack.com/p/global-tv-film-and-media-industry-5ff) Media Play News: AI and vertical dramas take centre stage (https://www.mediaplaynews.com/365154-2/) Cinema & Video International: MIPCOM wrap, Utopai keynote and Cinemalistics (https://cinema.video/mipcom-cannes-2026-summary) TheWrap: Disney readies $20m bid for Character.ai assets (https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/tech/disney-character-ai-chatbot-bankruptcy-deal) Unite.AI: Character.AI files Chapter 11 (https://www.unite.ai/?p=484363) Timestamps: 00:08 Intro 03:16 Advertising Week NYC Recap 08:49 Shareholders Approve Fox’s $22 Billion Roku Acquisition 14:12 MIPCOM: YouTube Europe continued to schmooze the TV industry 21:45 MIPCOM: AI moves from demos to production economics 29:30 MIPCOM: Vertical video is "no longer optional" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   ChatGPT Adds Virtual Try-On, Publishers Ask AI Companies to Report What They Use, Meta Launches Forum and more

   This week on So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie dig into a new format from publisher coalition SPUR for reporting how AI companies use their content, and what ChatGPT's new Virtual Try On and Favourites features mean for retailers. Plus: why Meta's new Forum app copies Reddit and how The Drive-In lets independent filmmakers rent out their films while keeping the rights and the audience. Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com SPUR publishes AI content tracking standard, pitches OpenAI and Google to join advisory board - https://digiday.com/media/spur-publishes-ai-content-tracking-standard-pitches-openai-and-google-to-join-advisory-board/ ChatGPT can now virtually try on clothes for you - https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/01/chatgpt-can-now-virtually-try-on-clothes-for-you/ Bulk campaigns, virtual try-on, and a tracking problem for ChatGPT ads - https://www.stackedmarketer.com/p/bulk-campaigns-virtual-try-on-and-a-tracking-problem-for-chatgpt-ads Walmart gets onboard with OpenAI's ChatGPT fashion push as Virtual Try On and Favourites launch - https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2026/10/2/walmart-joins-openais-chatgpt-fashion-push-as-virtual-try-on-and-favourites-launch Facebook Groups Forum App New From Meta - https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/09/29/facebook-groups-forum-app-new-from-meta/ The Drive-In, Streaming Platform Where Indie Filmmakers Keep IP, Audience and Money, Sets Launch - https://variety.com/2026/film/global/the-drive-in-streamer-indie-filmmakers-keep-ip-money-1236875129/ Timestamps: 00:08 Introduction and guest introductions 04:09 SPUR publishes AI content tracking standard, pitches OpenAI and Google to join advisory board 11:59 ChatGPT can now virtually try on clothes for you 23:56 Facebook goes back to the Forum age with its new app 26:47 The Drive-In, Streaming Platform Where Indie Filmmakers Keep IP, Audience and Money, Sets Launch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Amazon Blocks Meta's Muse, The Digital Euro Heads to Checkout, Citi Launches Commerce Media and more

   This week on So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie dig into Amazon's decision to block Meta's new Muse AI agent from shopping on its site, and what the standoff means for retail media and the brands that pay for it. Plus: why Infillion's purchase of Foursquare could link an ad to a shop visit and a sale, how a new Sony patent would let players pay for games by tapping a card or phone on their PS5 controller, what the ECB's digital euro pilot means for payments data in Europe, and how Citi plans to sell advertising built on its cardholders' spending. Find us on LinkedIn: Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Amazon Blocks Meta's Muse AI Assistant In New Standoff Over Agentic Shopping (https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-blocks-metas-muse-ai-assistant-in-new-standoff-over-agentic-shopping/) What to know about Meta's Muse AI agent (https://abcnews.com/Business/metas-muse-ai-agent/story?id=136680507) Infillion Acquires Foursquare, Adding More Location Data To Its Ever-Growing Ad Tech Stack (https://www.adexchanger.com/marketers/infillion-acquires-foursquare-adding-more-location-data-to-its-ever-growing-ad-tech-stack/) Sony Patents a Way to Pay for Games Through Your PS5 Controller (https://patentlyze.com/patent/sony-ps5-controller-transfers-payment-info/) ECB Brings the Digital Euro to Checkout While the US Sits It Out (https://www.pymnts.com/cbdc/2026/digital-euro-gives-united-states-payments-firms-cbdc-test-case/)Citi Launches Commerce Media Platform Before Pending Kard Acquisition (https://www.pymnts.com/credit-cards/2026/citi-launches-commerce-media-platform-before-pending-kard-acquisition/) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

4. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Mastercard Takes Checkout Into WhatsApp, ChatGPT Launches Branded Agents, The EU Kids Act Hits AI and Gaming and more!

   This week on So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie dig into the EU's sweeping new Kids Act and OpenAI's sponsored agents, a brand-new ChatGPT ad format that gives every advertiser its own chatbot. Plus: why Comcast's Universal Ads is selling ordinary TV slots around creator channels, how Mastercard and Kenyan startup Flowchart are turning a WhatsApp thread into a checkout, and Google's busy week, escaping an ad tech breakup, testing payments to publishers whose content feeds AI Overviews, and adding cart transfer ahead of the holiday shopping season. Follow Us: Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Resources: The EU doesn't just want to ban kids from social media. It's blocking chatbots and gaming, too. (https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/09/16/european-union-kids-act-banning-social-media-chatbots-gaming/) OpenAI tests advertiser-sponsored agents, expands AI tools for ChatGPT ads (https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/openai-tests-advertiser-sponsored-agents-expands-ai-tools-chatgpt-ads-2026-09-16/) Universal Ads Expands Creator Content Into TV Advertising (https://www.martechcube.com/universal-ads-expands-creator-content-into-tv-advertising/) Mastercard, Flowcart Team Up To Promote Social Commerce In Africa (https://www.pymnts.com/commerce/social-commerce/2026/mastercard-flowcart-team-promote-social-commerce-africa/) Who wins and loses from the remedies to Google’s ad tech monopoly (https://digiday.com/media-buying/who-wins-and-loses-from-the-remedies-to-googles-ad-tech-monopoly/) Google Rolls Out Pay Value AI Licensing Program To Publishers (https://digiday.com/media/google-rolls-out-pay-value-ai-licensing-program-to-publishers/) Boost your holiday sales with these agentic commerce updates (https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/shopping/google-shopping-updates-holiday-shopping/) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

5. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Recap From IBC: Building the AI-Ready Media Enterprise

   This week on So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie step away from the usual news roundup to unpack the AI-ready media enterprise panel Nathalie chaired on the Future Tech state at IBC in Amsterdam. Panelists Sean King (Veritone), Marcus Edel (Collaboro) and Rory McVicar (Hydrolix) explain what media organisations still need to build underneath AI to move it from pilot to production, including data infrastructure, open source versus proprietary models, tokenomics, organisational readiness and trust. Jess and Nathalie share their own take on what it means for media companies actually trying to deploy this. Sean King (Veritone) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-p-king/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-p-king/) Marcus Edel (Collabora) https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-edel-0200391b5/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-edel-0200391b5/) Rory McVicar (Hydrolix) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorymcvicar/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorymcvicar/) Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Resources: What is an agent harness? https://www.earlyadoptr.ai/episodes/what-is-an-ai-agent-harness-how-better-ai-setup-makes-agents-more-reliable (https://www.earlyadoptr.ai/episodes/what-is-an-ai-agent-harness-how-better-ai-setup-makes-agents-more-reliable) Open Weight AI: https://www.earlyadoptr.ai/episodes/open-weight-ai-models-how-to-cut-your-dependence-on-big-ai (https://www.earlyadoptr.ai/episodes/open-weight-ai-models-how-to-cut-your-dependence-on-big-ai) Timestamps: 00:08 Welcome and IBC Reflections 03:06 Nathalie's AI-Ready Media Enterprise Panel at IBC 06:52 What Media Executives Get Wrong About AI Deployment 09:48 Open Source AI vs Proprietary AI Models Explained 09:48 Navigating the Conversation Flow 09:48 Understanding Open Source vs Proprietary AI 11:20 Hybrid AI Models: Open Source Plus Proprietary 14:48 AI Tokenomics and Data Infrastructure Costs 17:52 Using AI Metadata to Unlock Archive Content 21:26 Why "Boring AI" Delivers the Best ROI 25:04 Domain Expertise and the Human in the Loop 27:05 Key Takeaways for Building an AI-Ready Media Enterprise Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

6. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Paramount Turns Trailer Into a Playable Game, Australia Bans AI-Generated Songs From Its Charts,, Vidio Partners With Shopee to Make Streaming Shoppable, Comscore Makes OpenAI's ChatGPT Ads Measurable and more

   This week on So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie break down Depop and Spotify's move to link secondhand fashion shopping with music discovery and what Australia's decision to ban AI-generated songs from its charts means for the industry. Plus: Paramount and Legendary's playable Street Fighter trailer built inside YouTube Playables, why Vidio is betting on Shopee to turn its dramas into a shopping channel, and how Comscore's tracking tool is turning OpenAI's ChatGPT ads into a measurable market. Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Resources: Depop And Spotify Team Up To Link Secondhand Fashion With Music Discovery - https://dtcdispatch.com/2026/08/23/depop-and-spotify-team-up-to-link-secondhand-fashion-with-music-discovery/ (https://dtcdispatch.com/2026/08/23/depop-and-spotify-team-up-to-link-secondhand-fashion-with-music-discovery/) Australia’s music industry bans AI songs from charts - https://apnews.com/article/australia-ai-generated-music-charts-ban-aria-9bfb0c91166ae4405a6df1a3c4891687 (https://apnews.com/article/australia-ai-generated-music-charts-ban-aria-9bfb0c91166ae4405a6df1a3c4891687) Want People To Pay Attention To Your Movie Trailer Turn It Into A Playable Game - https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/09/02/want-people-to-pay-attention-to-your-movie-trailer-turn-it-into-a-playable-game/ (about:blank) Turning dramas into carts: Inside Vidio’s ecommerce playbook- https://www.techinasia.com/turning-dramas-carts-vidios-ecommerce-playbook (https://www.techinasia.com/turning-dramas-carts-vidios-ecommerce-playbook) Comscore Expands Its AI Intelligence to Measure Sponsored Chat Advertising and Its Business Impact- https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press-Releases/2026/9/Comscore-Expands-Its-AI-Intelligence-to-Measure-Sponsored-Chat-Advertising-and-Its-Business-Impact (https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press-Releases/2026/9/Comscore-Expands-Its-AI-Intelligence-to-Measure-Sponsored-Chat-Advertising-and-Its-Business-Impact) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

7. 

   2 Sept 2026

   YouTube Adds Amazon Shopping Tags to Videos, Twitch Faces a Lawsuit Over AI Training, X Pays Creators for Original Posts, GoWish Turns Wishlists Into Commerce Data and ChatGPT Ads Hit a Major Milestone

   This week on So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie break down YouTube and Amazon's move to make creator videos directly shoppable and what a proposed class action over AI training means for streamers on Twitch. Plus: X's overhaul of creator payouts to reward original posts, why wishlist app GoWish thinks "wish signals" are the next commerce data layer, and how OpenAI's push to build ads inside ChatGPT looks on track to pay off. Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 03:29 YouTube and Amazon partner to let creators sell a “curated catalog of highly requested and trending 09:03 Twitch Amazon Hit With Lawsuit For Training AI With Streamers Content 14:02 X Creates A New Revenue Model For Creators But Will It Actually Win Them Over 20:30 Social Shopping And Wishlist Platform GoWish Lands 13.4 Million Investment 27:31 ChatGPT Surpasses $1 Billion in Annualized Ads Revenue Resources: YouTube and Amazon partner to let creators sell a “curated catalog of highly requested and trending products” - https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/08/27/youtube-amazon-creator-product-selling-affiliate-marketing-shopping/?_bhlid=99fe83186b3d6f9fddb8e010ce95c149809e6f6e (https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/08/27/youtube-amazon-creator-product-selling-affiliate-marketing-shopping/?_bhlid=99fe83186b3d6f9fddb8e010ce95c149809e6f6e) Social Shopping And Wishlist Platform GoWish Lands 13.4 Million Investment At 200 Million Valuation - https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/social-shopping-and-wishlist-platform-gowish-lands-134-million-investment-at-200-million-valuation (https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/social-shopping-and-wishlist-platform-gowish-lands-134-million-investment-at-200-million-valuation) Twitch Amazon Hit With Lawsuit For Training AI With Streamers Content - https://www.engadget.com/2242283/twitch-amazon-hit-with-lawsuit-for-training-ai-with-streamers-content/ (https://www.engadget.com/2242283/twitch-amazon-hit-with-lawsuit-for-training-ai-with-streamers-content/) X Creates A New Revenue Model For Creators But Will It Actually Win Them Over - https://digiday.com/media/x-creates-a-new-revenue-model-for-creators-but-will-it-actually-win-them-over/ (https://digiday.com/media/x-creates-a-new-revenue-model-for-creators-but-will-it-actually-win-them-over/) ChatGPT Surpasses $1 Billion in Annualized Ads Revenue - https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/chatgpt-openai-billion-advertising-revenue/ (https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/chatgpt-openai-billion-advertising-revenue/) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

8. 

   26 Aug 2026

   Discord Ties Ad Payouts to Player Actions, TikTok Tests Payments Inside DMs, MPA Strikes an AI Deal With ByteDance, Club and Bilibili Bet on the Paying Fans and Asia's Telcos Bundle AI Into Mobile Plans

   This week on So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie break down Discord's new outcome-based advertising model and what TikTok's move into in-app payments means for creator commerce. Plus: the Motion Picture Association's AI copyright deal with ByteDance, two very different plays for the creator economy's paying fans from Club and Bilibili, and why Asia's telcos are betting on bundled AI. Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Resources: Discord Adds Lower Funnel With Outcomes Push: https://digiday.com/marketing/discord-adds-lower-funnel-with-outcomes-push/ (https://digiday.com/marketing/discord-adds-lower-funnel-with-outcomes-push/) Tiktok Explores Expanding In Stream Payment Options: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-explores-expanding-in-stream-payment-options/828350 (https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-explores-expanding-in-stream-payment-options/828350) Motion Picture Association Inks AI IP Protection Deal With ByteDance: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/mpa-inks-ai-video-ip-protection-bytedance-1236675016/ (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/mpa-inks-ai-video-ip-protection-bytedance-1236675016/) Club Kick Stake Founders Creator Monetization Platformhttps://www.tubefilter.com/2026/08/18/club-kick-stake-founders-creator-monetization-platform (https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/08/18/club-kick-stake-founders-creator-monetization-platform) After becoming China’s answer to YouTube, BiliBili has its eyes on the rest of the worldhttps://www.tubefilter.com/2026/08/20/bilibili-china-youtube-west-expansion-plan/ (https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/08/20/bilibili-china-youtube-west-expansion-plan/) Asia’s telcos bundle AI into mobile plans. Will it pay off? https://www.techinasia.com/asias-telcos-betting-ai-payoff-unclear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

9. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Australia Charges Big Tech to Fund Local News, AppLovin Challenges Google and Meta in Performance Advertising, Disney Brings Fan Content Into Disney+ and Hulu, and more

   In this episode of So This Happened..., hosts Jess and Nathalie cover Australia's new News Bargaining Incentive, which charges Google, Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn a share of ad revenue to fund local news, Dentsu's CHARAMO platform for building and licensing AI-driven brand characters, Disney's new content deals with TikTok and iHeartMedia, AppLovin's rise from mobile-gaming ad seller to a real rival to Google and Meta in performance advertising, and Perplexity blocking Time's paid AI-answer placements as deceptive. Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Resources: Labor Push to Make Social Media Companies Cough Up to Be Introduced Into Parliament (https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/media/labor-push-to-make-social-media-companies-cough-up-to-be-introduced-into-parliament/news-story/) Dentsu launches CHARAMO AI platform with Yoshimoto-linked Flipples debu (https://jp.ibtimes.com/dentsu-launches-charamo-ai-platform-yoshimoto-linked-flipples-debut-103596)t Disney TikTok Partner on Content Sharing as Creators Fuel Fandom (https://www.marketingdive.com/news/disney-tiktok-partner-on-content-sharing-as-creators-fuel-fandom/827054/) Disney Doubles Down on Video Podcasts, Inks Streaming Deal With iHeartMedia (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/disney-hulu-video-podcasts-iheartmedia-hey-jonas-1236670102/?_bhlid=a454ec97891461a9c98419dcec8b87187904dfb7) Applovin Wants to Persuade the World That Its Ad Platform Is the Real Deal (https://www.adexchanger.com/marketers/applovin-wants-to-persuade-the-world-that-its-ad-platform-is-the-real-deal/?oly_enc_id=0595B2366667H0E) Perplexity Blocks Times Ads Served to AI Agents Calling Them Deceptive (https://digiday.com/media/perplexity-blocks-times-ads-served-to-ai-agents-calling-them-deceptive/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

10. 

    12 Aug 2026

    Google Maps Becomes an Assistant, Comet Wins Access to Amazon, Everyone Monetises Reddit Except Reddit, GEMA Turns Music Rights Into a Product and MODRA Delivers the High Street

    In this episode of So This Happened, Jess and Nathalie cover Google Maps gaining agentic food ordering through Ask Maps, Amazon losing its court ban on Perplexity's Comet agent, Reddit testing watchable versions of their posts, GEMA's copyright win against Suno alongside PLAI, its licensed dataset of 178,000 recordings, and MODRA, the Seattle startup betting an AI assistant can make local boutiques feel like one on-demand marketplace. Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Nathalie's guest appearance on Early Adoptr: How Conversational Commerce Will Change How We Shop (https://www.earlyadoptr.ai/episodes/how-conversational-commerce-will-change-how-we-shop) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Resources: Now you can chat with Google Maps to order food, reserve hotels and more (https://www.engadget.com/2231441/google-maps-ask-maps-expansion/) Amazon Loses US Court Ban On Perplexity's AI Shopping Tools (https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/technology/amazon-loses-us-court-ban-on-perplexitys-ai-shopping-tools/) Reddit Is Testing A New Way To Watch And Listen To Its Viral Posts (https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/31/reddit-is-testing-a-new-way-to-watch-and-listen-to-its-viral-posts/) As GEMA Awaits Its Suno Copyright Verdict, The German Collecting Society Launches PLAI, A Fully Licensed Dataset For Training AI Music Tools (https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/as-gema-awaits-its-suno-copyright-verdict-the-german-collecting-society-launches-plai-a-fully-licensed-dataset-for-training-ai-music-tools/) German Court Rules AI Music Firm Suno Broke Copyright Rules (https://www.reuters.com/world/german-court-rules-ai-music-firm-suno-broke-copyright-rules-2026-07-31/) Startup Spotlight: This Seattle Area Plumber Wants To Unclog Retail With AI Powered Delivery (https://www.geekwire.com/2026/startup-spotlight-this-seattle-area-plumber-wants-to-unclog-retail-with-ai-powered-delivery/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

11. 

    5 Aug 2026

    Time Turns Bot Traffic Into Revenue, EU AI Act Gets Real, Gap Turns Staff Into Creators, Kaon Personalises the Video Itself, and Roblox Signs a Music Catalogue Deal

    In this episode of So This Happened... Time magazine sells sponsored content directly to AI bots, the EU AI Act's transparency rules coming into force from 2nd August, and Gap opening its creator programme to employees. Jess and Nathalie also dig into Kaon's platform that generates a different video story in real time for each viewer, and Roblox's catalogue deal with independent music distributor Too Lost . Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Resources: https://digiday.com/media/time-has-started-serving-ads-to-ai-bots/ (https://digiday.com/media/time-has-started-serving-ads-to-ai-bots/) https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/ai-omnibus-enters-force (https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/ai-omnibus-enters-force) https://www.retaildive.com/news/gap-inc-opens-creator-influencer-program-staff-employees/826238/ (https://www.retaildive.com/news/gap-inc-opens-creator-influencer-program-staff-employees/826238/) https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/kaon-uses-ai-to-build-a-different-video-story-for-every-viewer/ (https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/kaon-uses-ai-to-build-a-different-video-story-for-every-viewer/) https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/07/28/bbnos-roblox-conerts-too-lost-music-licensing-rights/ (https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/07/28/bbnos-roblox-conerts-too-lost-music-licensing-rights/) Atonik's Two Tier Internet Series: https://futureweek.com/the-two-tier-internet-when-ai-agents-became-the-new-gatekeepers-of-commerce/ (https://futureweek.com/the-two-tier-internet-when-ai-agents-became-the-new-gatekeepers-of-commerce/) https://futureweek.com/strategy-in-a-two-tier-internet-how-you-actually-compete-when-discovery-splits-in-two/ (https://futureweek.com/strategy-in-a-two-tier-internet-how-you-actually-compete-when-discovery-splits-in-two/) https://futureweek.com/the-two-tier-internet-how-the-holiday-season-showed-shopping-is-changing/ (https://futureweek.com/the-two-tier-internet-how-the-holiday-season-showed-shopping-is-changing/) Timestamps: 00:08 Introduction 01:24 Time Has Started Serving Ads To AI Bots 10:27 AI Omnibus enters into force 19:41 Gap Inc. opens creator program to employees 25:54 Kaon Uses AI to Build a Different Video Story for Every Viewer 32:08 After hosting another hit concert, Roblox gets more music rights for creators Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

12. 

    29 Jul 2026

    Amazon Brings Gaming Into Prime, Google Fined in Europe, Zellerfeld Launches Spotify for Shoes, Roblox Vibe Codes Games, and DoorDash Teams with Shopify

    In this episode, Jess and Nathalie cover Amazon's move to bring cloud gaming inside Prime Video, and what its franchise page model means for IP holders, retail media, and what Prime could look like. They also unpack the EU's €890 million fine against Google under the Digital Markets Act, alongside a major data-sharing order, and Zellerfeld's Spotify-inspired footwear marketplace, where creator-led discovery and on-demand 3D printing sit inside the same platform. Roblox's new prompt-based creation tool and DoorDash's integration inside Shopify round out the episode. Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalielethbridge/) Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarlin/) Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

13. 

    22 Jul 2026

    Australia Ties AI Investment to Creator Rights, Publishers Sue Google Over Gemini Training Data, Publisher Alliances Move to Claw Back Ad Spend from Google, Whatnot Goes Beyond Collectibles and TikTok Pilots Managed Commerce Services for Brands

    In this episode of So This Happened..., hosts Jess Carlin and Nathalie Curtis Lethbridge cover Australia's innovative new AI policy, book publishers filing a class action against Google demanding Gemini's training data be destroyed, updates on publisher alliances Ozone and the European Media Market, Whatnot's acquisition of AI recommendation startup Shaped, and TikTok's managed services pilot. Other stories we referenced: TikTok as a Super App (about:blank) Nobody needs AI to search the Internet, court says in ruling against Google (https://atoniknexus.substack.com/p/so-this-happenedamazon-has-some-new ) Key Discussion Topics: 00:00 - Introduction 03:28 - Australia rules out the text and data mining exception 10:24 - Book publishers sue Google to destroy Gemini's training data 14:43 - Ozone signs US publishers and the European Media Market launches a rival ad marketplace 21:05 - Whatnot acquires Shaped 28:04 - TikTok pilots managed services to run brand shops end to end 35:30 - Wrap-up and where to find So This Happened... Find So This Happened... Subscribe to the newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C (https://lnkd.in/gURXag5C) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/) Contact: hello@atoniknexus.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

14. 

    14 Jul 2026

    Netflix Becomes Cable TV, Google Routes YouTube Shoppers to Shopee, Claire's and Lana's Life Go Phygital, Europe Launches the Digital Euro, and PlayStation Enters the FAST Market

    Welcome to the first episode of So This Happened...a podcast that covers the stories that matter at the intersection of content, commerce and monetisation and technology. Each week we find the stories that fly below the radar and explain what they reveal about platform power, emerging business models, and where money and control are moving across the industry. From streaming rights and sports deals to AI advertising, agentic commerce, social commerce, retail media and regulation, if it's changing how content is made, distributed, or monetised in the media and entertainment industry, we cover it. In the inaugural episode of So This Happened...hosts Jess Carlin and Nathalie Curtis Lethbridge dig into Netflix's pivot toward aggregation, what the TF1 and Peacock deals reveal about where streaming economics are heading, and how its short-form push with publishers including Condé Nast and Hearst is a stepping stone toward shoppable content. Jess and Nathalie also cover Google's YouTube-to-Shoppee checkout pilot in Southeast Asia, Claire's phygital comeback via a Roblox creator partnership with Lana's Life, Europe's push for payment sovereignty through a digital euro, and why PlayStation launching a FAST channel makes a strong case for archive gaming content. Key Discussion Topics: 00:00 - Introduction: Jess and Nathalie introduce So This Happened... the Podcast, what they cover, and why they started it 09:00 - Netflix becomes an aggregator: FAST channels, Peacock, TF1, and the return of cable TV 20:52 - Google links YouTube Shopping Ads to Shopee checkout in Southeast Asia 28:11 - Claire's and Lana's Life go phygital: Roblox, retail, and reaching Gen Z 33:45 - Europe's digital euro and the case for payment sovereignty 39:51 - PlayStation launches a FAST channel: archive gaming content and the value of authentic IP 45:54 - Wrap-up Links: Netflix Is Exploring Live TV and Bundles as It Struggles to Keep Viewers Hooked (https://www.wsj.com/business/media/netflix-is-exploring-live-tv-and-bundles-as-it-struggles-to-keep-viewers-hooked-e1eb28f6) Netflix Dabbles in Shorter Video Content with Its New Set of Publisher Deals with Variety Others (https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/07/netflix-dabbles-in-shorter-video-content-with-its-new-set-of-publisher-deals-with-variety-others/) Netflix Inks Video Deal With Leading Publishers Including THR and Other Penske Media Brands, Condé Nast, Hearst and People (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/netflix-video-deal-publishers-penske-media-1236639039/) The Lana’s Life x Claire’s partnership is a Roblox giveaway blended with real-world retail (https://www.tubefilter.com/2026/07/06/lanas-life-roblox-merch-retail-claires-mall/) Google Links YouTube Shopping Ads to Marketplace Checkout in Southeast Asia (https://www.techedt.com/google-links-youtube-shopping-ads-to-marketplace-checkout-in-southeast-asia) Europe Wants Its Own Digital Money Moment (https://www.pymnts.com/news/payments-innovation/2026/europe-wants-its-own-digital-money-moment/) PlayStation is the Latest to Enter the FAST Lane (https://mikeshields.substack.com/p/playstation-is-the-latest-to-enter) Find So This Happened... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atonik/ Email: hello@atoniknexus.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

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