The Media Club · 30 January 2026 · 35 min

Convergence Is King

With Steve Ackerman, Martin Trickey

Listen at themediaclub.com →AppleSpotify

• Convergence of Media Platforms
• Google AI Overview Impact on Publishers
• YouTube Barb Ratings Dispute
• Substack TV App
• Goalhanger Investment
• UK Creative Industry Ambition
• Digital Revenue Models
• Celebrity and Influencer Content

In this episode of The Media Club, host Matt Deegan is joined by Steve Ackerman, former Managing Director of Sony Music Podcasts, and Martin Trickey, Managing Director of ITV Studios' social agency Zoo55. They discuss the convergence of TV, radio, and digital platforms, focusing on how content is distributed and monetised across YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms. The conversation covers Google's AI Overview and its impact on news publishers, YouTube's withdrawal from Barb ratings, Substack's new TV app, and Goalhanger's new investor. The guests also share insights from their careers, with Ackerman reflecting on his time in the US and Trickey discussing Zoo55's digital strategy.

Key takeaways

• Steve Ackerman and Martin Trickey discussed the convergence of TV, radio, and digital platforms.
• Google's AI Overview is a concern for publishers due to reduced click-through and ad revenue.
• YouTube has sent a cease and desist letter to Barb and Kantar over ratings data.
• Substack has launched a TV app, and Patreon is moving into written content, converging their offerings.
• Goalhanger has secured a minority investment from the Churning Group to expand into the US.

In this episode

• Intro and Guest Introductions0:00 · Matt introduces Steve Ackerman and Martin Trickey, and they discuss their plus ones.
• Google AI Overview Discussion0:00 · The panel discusses the CMA's concerns about Google's AI Overview and its impact on publishers.
• YouTube and Barb Dispute0:00 · Martin explains YouTube's cease and desist letter to Barb and Kantar.
• Substack TV App0:00 · The panel discusses Substack's new TV app and the convergence of subscription platforms.
• Goalhanger Investment and UK Ambition0:00 · Steve and Martin discuss Goalhanger's new investor and the need for UK creative industries to be more ambitious.
• Zoo55 and Digital Economics0:00 · Martin talks about Zoo55's digital strategy and the economics of digital content.
• Media Quiz0:00 · The guests play the Audio Network Media Quiz, guessing media stories from voiceovers.

Notable quotes

“I think the interesting thing to watch is then how they expand the brand online because it's not just about the content, obviously, how you can monetize that.”

Steve Ackerman · 0:00

“I think there's both a monetary and a kind of accuracy question.”

Martin Trickey · 0:00

“I think you've got to think about who are we trying to serve with these numbers.”

Steve Ackerman · 0:00

“I think there's a tendency to move towards video because at the moment, that's sort of the ultimate form of media consumption.”

Martin Trickey · 0:00

“I think we could do a lot better at it. And also just holding our heads up high and shouting a bit.”

Steve Ackerman · 0:00

Discussed

ITV Studios · Sony Music · Zoo55 · Google · YouTube · Barb · Substack · Goalhanger

Also mentioned: Anton Deck · Alex Honnell · Andrew Sheehy · Tim Davie · Rodri Talpat · Nigella Lawson · Jeremy Wade · John Finnimore · Churning Group · BBC · Channel 4 · Patreon · CMA · Kantar

Mentioned or recommended

• The Traitors · tv show
• The Traitors - The Play · event · John Finnimore
• Match of the Day · tv show · BBC
• Coronation Street · tv show · ITV
• Love Island · tv show · ITV
• Graham Norton Show · tv show · BBC
• Hell's Kitchen · tv show · ITV
• River Monsters · tv show · ITV
• It's Me or the Dog · tv show
• Bluey · tv show · Ludo Studio
• The Apprentice · tv show · BBC
• Skyscraper · event