The Media Cartographer: Evan Shapiro Offers Radical Perspective on Revitalizing Media and Ourselves

Evan Shapīro is the creator of the Media Universe Map, a one-of-a-kind visual tracking the market value and power dynamics between major media players.

I have been following Evan for quite some time now and I was finally able to saw him live at IBC 2023 in Amsterdam last September at his (as expected) thought provoking keynote. I also appreciate his views and approach beyond the purely professional aspects. So it was someone who I really wanted to have on A guy with a scarf as a needed voice for my audience, in my effort to share what I explore and find valuable, start following him today if you are not yet doing that.

We traversed topics including the seismic changes reshaping media, the outsized influence of Big Tech, the central role of sports, the exploding creator economy, and why civic participation matters more than ever.

Shapiro shared penetrating insights on the state of media and made an impassioned case that we need to reevaluate what — and who — we value most. Our discussion kept orbiting back to the idea that life is too fleeting to devote solely to employers who view us as expendable. Instead, we should focus on nourishing human connections and pursuing work aligned with our values.

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01:30 - The media universe

17:32 - Sports

28:48 - Creator/Community economy

38:46 - Getting Personal

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Here are highlights from our thought-provoking exchange.

The Media Landgrab Underway

Shapiro kicked off by showcasing his meticulously researched Media Universe Map, which visualizes the market capitalization across media, tech, telecom, and advertising.

The map starkly displays the sheer scale and consolidation of power among the handful of Big Tech giants:

"Two companies control 100% of mobile. Right. Google is the fastest growing operating system in connected televisions. Amazon is the second largest distributor of television software in the United States...You can't get to your consumer unless you go through these companies...They master so much control."

"Media across the universe, pure media players are going to have to find ways to either bundle themselves with others or provide more than one service to compete."

As Shapiro put it, between Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, and Meta:

"That is a really important context for all of sport globally...Big tech is going to come in outbid for the most popular sports in the ecosystem. And the public service media or the local paid media are going to have a choice to make."

The Big Get Bigger in Sports Media

Elaborating on the commanding lead tech titans have in sports media, Shapiro predicted even greater consolidation ahead. As streaming becomes ubiquitous, deep-pocketed players like Amazon, Apple, and Google can afford the skyrocketing rights fees for premium sports properties:

"If you are a sports rights holder, there's never been a better time to be alive...I don't see a scenario by which that market goes down."

He expects landmark deals in the near future will create a hierarchy where "the Yankees are always going to be able to demand very high premiums because they have established themselves as brands bigger than the sport itself." Middle tier sports will likely have to give away content for free for awhile to hook fans and build an audience.

Shapiro argued this sports landgrab has knock-on effects across media, as spiraling rights costs could cripple companies without diverse revenue streams:

"DIsney, Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers...are going to be at a crossroads. Can they justify the cost or not? And that's the legacy media players, public service media...They're going to have to make a choice."

Public Service Media's Secret Weapon: Being Free

While doom and gloom permeates much media commentary, Shapiro spotlighted the enduring appeal for consumers of free, public service broadcasting:

"I think it's going to be very difficult for the [traditional paid TV players] to compete with free, unless they have free, and they're all going to need a free service to compete...The BBC is a multi pronged service, just like Amazon is."

Creativity Must Be Central

Much of our discussion centered on the exhilarating new creator economy, which Shapiro positioned as redemptive for media professionals feeling disillusioned today:

"I think a lot of people think of me as an analyst or a consultant, but in reality, what I do every day is I wake up and I create...the act of creation is the central flywheel of my enterprise."

For Shapiro, his superpower is relentlessly producing written ideas exploring shifts in media:

"What I write creates traffic that comes to me and provides me the economics that I need to live. And so my existence in the creator economy, or as I like to call it, the community economy, is probably my greatest passion right now."

He believes the creator revolution will only accelerate, predicting:

"I would argue from this point on, half of the revenue and opportunity and audience that exists on that map in the media universe is going to come through the creator or community economy."

Relationships Matter More Than Ever

In discussing his recent cancer diagnosis, Shapiro explained he wanted to spark a larger conversation about collectively reassessing what — and who — we value:

"We identify ourselves too much in our jobs and not enough in the relationships that we build...It may sound kumbaya and naive, but the last couple of years, I think, have proven that life is too short to give it up to a corporation who does not give a shit about you."

He worries too many media professionals struggling after layoffs are "too afraid to reach out to the people who they know" — emphasizing that the connections we forge will buoy us more than any job title.

Civic Participation in Perilous Times

Shapiro pulled no punches in sounding the alarm on the precarious state of democracy globally. He argued that speaking out is no longer optional, declaring:

"This is too important a time for those of us who give a shit about the world to keep our mouths shut...We are on the precipice of democracy's shift or demise, and this is happening all over the world."

By boldly addressing charged current events like rising authoritarianism, Shapiro said he aims to jolt media executives out of complacency during this emergency for civil society.

The Bottom Line

My invigorating dialogue with Evan Shapiro left me contemplating my own relationship to work. His worldview centers on nurturing human connections and spreading worthy ideas — goals that unite all of us pursuing purposeful lives. If we focus on these principles, the jobs we hold become secondary.

There is an appetite today for reimagining not only our media ecosystem, but what constitutes a life well lived. Evan Shapiro convinces me both these transformations will be joyous creative acts. I encourage you to check out his Media Universe Map and hear directly this media visionary who — by his fearless example — reminds us of the change we wish to see in the world.

Read his 2024 predictions here: https://eshap.substack.com/p/two-thousand-twenty-fore

This is episode No.63 of my LinkedIn newsletter, "A guy with a scarf".

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