Comparing AI strategies: rent or build

Apple, Microsoft, and Meta — with a quick detour into Comcast — have all reported earnings, and we’re breaking it down. Welcome back to The Media Odyssey podcast. In this episode, Evan and Marion ask the big question: why did the market cheer some results and punish others, even when the numbers looked strong?

The conversation dives into iPhone surprises, AI spending anxiety, advertising dominance, and what all of this says about where big tech and media are headed next.

Key Takeaways:

1. Apple: iPhone to the Rescue (Again)
Apple posted a better-than-expected quarter, mostly thanks to strong iPhone demand — the first real year-over-year growth in four years. Much of that growth came from China, which raises questions about how repeatable it is. Services revenue crossed $100B annually, but growth is slowing, and iPhones still account for over half of Apple’s total revenue. Still cautious, Apple is taking a wait-and-see approach to AI, focusing on on-device features rather than building massive infrastructure. And finally we pose the question: with such a premium audience, why hasn’t Apple built a serious advertising business yet?

2. Microsoft: Great Numbers, Nervous Investors
Microsoft delivered strong results across the board, with cloud and AI continuing to power growth. Despite that, the stock dropped as investors worried about how much the company is spending on AI, especially through its OpenAI partnership. Copilot adoption is real, but expectations were even higher — and the market wanted faster proof. Gaming (including Activision Blizzard) barely got a mention, highlighting ongoing uncertainty about Microsoft’s role in the future of gaming. Bottom line, we found Microsoft is getting punished not for weak performance, but for investing too aggressively.

3. Meta: Ads Win, Spending Shrugs
Meta’s quarter was all about advertising strength — higher impressions and higher prices. Even though net income was down for the year, the stock jumped as investors bought into Meta’s AI vision. AI at Meta isn’t about selling tools — it’s about making ads smarter, products faster, and teams smaller. Unfortunately, Reality Labs continues to bleed cash, and the metaverse is quietly fading into the background. But with promises to leverage AI-driven efficiency (aka layoffs), Wall Street seems convinced that will boost margins down the line.

4. Comcast & Peacock: Scale Matters 
Comcast lost hundreds of thousands of broadband customers, a worrying sign for its core business. Peacock is still small, still losing money, and limited by its US-only strategy. Without global scale, the streaming math gets very hard — especially as content costs stay high

5. The Bigger Picture
Advertising is the growth story — subscriptions have hit a ceiling. A handful of tech giants now control the majority of global ad spend, reshaping the media economy. AI works best when it’s built into massive platforms, not sold as a standalone product. The market is rewarding clear AI narratives and punishing uncertainty — even when the fundamentals look strong.

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Connect with us on Linkedin:

Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/

Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/

The Media Odyssey Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-media-odyssey-podcast

• (00:00) - Introduction and Overview of Earnings Reports
• (01:35) - Deep Dive into Apple's Earnings
• (07:00) - Analyzing Microsoft's Performance
• (16:59) - Meta's Strategy and Market Reaction
• (28:47) - Comcast's Struggles in the Streaming Era
• (35:26) - Regulatory Challenges in Advertising
• (39:17) - Controversies in YouTube Measurement