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Similar to what’s unfolding in the “Streaming Wars”, the audio landscape is also undergoing a once-in-a-generation paradigm shift. Consumption habits are rapidly transforming, and a handful of platforms are spending BIG today — on content, talent, IP, and tech — in order to win market share for tomorrow. The downstream effects of the “Audio Wars” spending sprees are massive, as companies across the audio ecosystem are being targeted for lucrative partnerships and acquisitions. The volume of audio M&A deals nearly tripled between 2018-2021, and with emerging growth opportunities like smart speakers, social audio, and international expansion, this deal flow will escalate over the coming years.
"In the crowded landscape of media advisors and analysts, Chris and the RockWater team stand out for their impressive level of insight and substance, which has served as a secret weapon more than once. Their network within the audio field is unparalleled, and they have a keen ins…
“RockWater’s team dovetails incredibly sophisticated marketplace intelligence with an impressive, far-reaching network of leading professionals at nearly every top digital-focused company – with this powerful combination, they provide clients with invaluable strategic insig…
“RockWater delivers something few others can: unique perspective. Chris and his team analyze the complicated playing field and cut through the BS to deliver actionable insights that add immediate value. RockWater acts as an extension of my own team, adding a tool to our toolbox…
"When we began looking for intelligence partners, we knew we wanted a group who would work with us as part of a team, not a vendor. We found exactly what we were looking for in RockWater. Starting from a very open place, they were comfortable with and capable of helping us ...
“Every time I’ve worked and spent time with Chris and his RockWater team it’s been a true joy. He deeply understands where the market is headed and provides actionable insights and guidance to help companies launch profitable new businesses. He also has a deep and wide-rang…
“I have worked with Chris Erwin, both informally and formally, for several years. Chris was a trusted, valued advisor when I took my company, Midroll Media (now Stitcher), through a successful M&A process that ultimately ended in a sale to EW Scripps. In my role as COO of Team …
"Chris and the RockWater team provide a differentiated perspective on the sports ecosystem. Specifically, their ability to leverage their deep expertise in media and apply it to frontier markets such as sports betting and esports helped us to flesh out white space ...
"As a venture capitalist looking for the next disruptive force in media and entertainment, RockWater has become an essential source of detailed thinking around the trends and companies that will be driving major change in this industry for years to come."
XL Media (LSE: XLMedia PLC) is a global performance publisher. It combines the power of people, data-driven behavioral insight, and captivating ...
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Team Coco is a digitally-native comedy brand, and a joint venture between Conan O’Brien and WarnerMedia. Entering 2020 Team Coco sought to ...
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Red Seat Ventures partners with talent, brands, and influencers to fund, build, and operate unique businesses. Founder and executive leadership ...
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At Will Media is an award-winning, full service podcast company. They are the go-to producer for innovative new audio formats, like the first ...
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Revry is a uniquely positioned streaming media company representing the newest voices within the LGBTQ+ community, and we’ve had a wonderfully ...
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FilmNation Entertainment, one of the world’s preeminent independent entertainment companies, sought to diversify and complement its core film and ...
Learn moreXL Media (LSE: XLMedia PLC) is a global performance publisher. It combines the power of people, data-driven behavioral insight, and captivating editorial content to build valuable connections between brands and consumers.
When we began looking for intelligence partners, we knew we wanted a group who would work with us as part of a team, not a vendor. We found exactly what we were looking for in RockWater. Starting from a very open place, they were comfortable with and capable of helping us identify and focus on the most advantageous areas of business for the group. The research they deliver is consistently contextual, actionable and valuable in driving strategic decisions and growth.
Elizabeth Carter, VP of Marketing and Taylor Quist, Head of Global Brand Strategy
Team Coco is a digitally-native comedy brand, and a joint venture between Conan O’Brien and WarnerMedia. Entering 2020 Team Coco sought to capitalize on incredible revenue and M&A market momentum. Their executive leadership required advisory to define their growth strategy and execution plan, board communications, and buy-side M&A diligence and valuation.
In my role as COO of Team Coco, when we decided we needed help strategizing and plotting new growth initiatives, RockWater was the first call I made.
Adam Sachs, COO
Red Seat Ventures partners with talent, brands, and influencers to fund, build, and operate unique businesses. Founder and executive leadership sought investment targets for a Content x Commerce investor roll-up strategy, optimization of their user acquisition “funnel” across 6+ digital channels, and an audience and marketing forecast model.
RockWater delivers something few others can: unique perspective. Chris and his team analyze the complicated playing field and cut through the BS to deliver actionable insights that add immediate value. RockWater acts as an extension of my own team, adding a tool to our toolbox at the exact moment we need it.
Chris Balfe, Founder & Partner
At Will Media is an award-winning, full service podcast company. They are the go-to producer for innovative new audio formats, like the first singing competition podcast series for Audible, and the original Siegfried & Roy series for Apple TV+. At Will also makes premium content for brand partners like the New York Times, Netflix, and Marriott Bonvoy. At Will is quickly growing their portfolio of premium scripted and non-fiction originals, and is included in the first audio slate ever featured at the TriBeCa Festival.
Revry is a uniquely positioned streaming media company representing the newest voices within the LGBTQ+ community, and we’ve had a wonderfully positive experience with RockWater’s support in scaling our opportunities with revenue and partnerships.
Damian Pelliccione, CEO/Co-Founder
FilmNation Entertainment, one of the world’s preeminent independent entertainment companies, sought to diversify and complement its core film and TV businesses by expanding into audio and digital, with the end goal of broadening its storytelling platform and driving additional enterprise value.
RockWater’s team dovetails incredibly sophisticated marketplace intelligence with an impressive, far-reaching network of leading professionals at nearly every top digital-focused company – with this powerful combination, they provide clients with invaluable strategic insights and guidance. Chris and the team helped us quickly identify and prioritize opportunity lanes for FilmNation as we expanded our global content platform into the digital space. We’d recommend them with the highest praise, in a heartbeat.
Milan Popelka, COO
