Events and merch as revenue streams

Jason Wagenheim has lived the full arc of media’s transformation, from the late-stage magazine era to the current scramble to build durable franchises in a post-pageview world. We talk about how the shift to mobile foreshadowed the AI disruption now hitting publishers, why Football Co is leaning hard into creator-led video and social distribution, and how the World Cup has created a rare commercial tailwind for a sport that has finally broken through in the US. Jason breaks down the decline of the website as a business model, the rise of branded content and experiential, and why soccer’s cultural moment offers a template for what modern storytelling businesses can still be.