Episode 38: WhoTube, Netflix, Baba and More!

On this week’s Playing FTSE Podcast, find out what Steve D is six series into, what Paul thinks about Squid Games, and what Steve W might have used the Oxford Owlery for. 

 

In a busy earnings week, we kick things off with a round of WHOTube? Devised by Steve D, watch Paul and Steve W attempt to identify some (more) famous YouTubers from the sound of their voices. Paul and the Steves talk about who they regularly listen to and struggle to identify some others in a game where the sound messed up so Steve D had to put extra effort into stitching in back together again. Be nice in the comments. 

 

Next is the Netflix earnings report. The report was strong, with beats on EPS and (net) subscriber additions, and revenue in line with expectations. We discuss the streaming service’s results and its prospects. Paul talks about computer games, Steve D talks about Squid Games, and Steve W talks about Disney.

 

With the news that Jack Ma is visible again, we turn to Alibaba, owned by Steve W and Paul. One of them is up on the stock, one of them is down. Paul speculates about where the price is going, Steve W speculates about the Chinese government, and Steve D talks about Stalinist Russia.

 

Christmas is coming and the possibility of lockdowns loom large. With COVID cases on the rise, we talk about how the eventuality of another lockdown might affect us at work and at home. Steve W talks about virus variants and testing inconsistencies, Steve D talks about working from home, and Paul talks about Tesla’s share price.

 

In yet more news this week, payment processor Paypal is in late talks to buy social media site Pinterest. With an offer understood to be in the region of $70/share, we attempt to make sense of the deal and figure out what’s in it for both sides. Steve D talks about the potential synergies between the two companies, Steve W talks about the valuation of Pinterest implicit in the deal, and Paul forgets what he meant to say about the deal. 

 

Lastly, it’s on to Facebook’s upcoming name change. With an announcement that a change of name is imminent, we talk about the significance of the move. Paul discusses the metaverse, Steve W discusses the switching costs, and Steve D discusses Snapchat’s earnings, which were released while the show was being recorded.