
CTAM Think | April 30, 2025 | New York City

As competitive advantages erode against an oversupply of content and the industry navigates the ‘everything-on-the-table’ era, new disciplines can provide advantages to stay future ready. Topics include
- How media companies need to adapt to new, multigenerational behaviors
- Exploiting vulnerabilities to compete with big tech
- Entertainment technology that creates rewarding customer experiences
- Integrating media crossovers through gaming, podcasts, social media and lifestyle partnerships
Sessions
Academic Alchemy
Experience two points of view on impactful changes happening in media & entertainment; dealing with big tech giants, scaling niches, building bundle envy, underestimating video gaming and spin-offs, and spotlighting the durable models inside of what’s happening now in transition. Shape variant thinking with thought-provoking insights from two accomplished scholars studying the business evolution.
J.D. Connor is the author of Hollywood Math and Aftermath: The Economic Image and the Digital Recession. His research and teaching focus on the art and industry of contemporary Hollywood and he was on the Art History and Film & Media Studies faculties at Yale and the Visual & Environmental Studies and English faculties at Harvard.
Jonathan Knee is the Michael T. Fries Professor of Professional Practice of Media and Technology and Co-Director of the Media and Technology Program at Columbia Business School. He teaches Media Mergers & Acquisitions and is the former Managing Director and Co-head of Morgan Stanley’s Media Group. Professor Knee also serves as a Senior Advisor at Evercore. He is the author of The Platform Delusion: Who Wins and Who Loses in the Age of the Tech Titans.
Following each keynote, Jon Giegengack will add further insights around changing consumer behavior and moderate a Q&A session between Professors Connor and Knee. Jon is the founder and principal at Hub Entertainment Research and works with leading entertainment brands including ABC, Comcast, Netflix, Sony, AMC and AT&T.
J.D. Connor, Ph.D.
University of Southern CaliforniaJ.D. Connor, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Family Chair in American Cinema in the Division of Cinema and Media StudiesUniversity of Southern California
Jon Giegengack
Hub Entertainment ResearchJon Giegengack
Founder and Principal
Hub Entertainment Research
Jonathan Knee
Columbia Business SchoolJonathan Knee
Michael T. Fries Professor of Professional Practice of Media and Technology; Co-Director Media and Technology Program, Columbia Business School
Agenda
Time | Event |
---|---|
8:30am | Networking Breakfast |
9:00am | Dazzling Keynotes & Audience Discussion |
12:30pm | Roof-top Networking Lunch Overlooking the Empire State Building |
1:30pm | Conclusion with New Knowledge Gained |
Location

Midtown Loft & Terrace
New York, NY
Photos from CTAM Think November 2024
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Erik Brynjolfsson
Professor and Senior Fellow
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Matt Cohen
Head of Content Acquisition and Partnerships
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John Dixon
SVP of Entertainment
Comcast
Sheena Iyengar
Professor of Business
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Marcien Jenckes
President
Xumo
Tara Walpert Levy
VP, Americas
YouTube
Tom Montemagno
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Lucas Shaw
Managing Editor, Media & Entertainment
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