Speaker 1
This is not just a place where the world's best tech gets unveiled. It's where visionary ideas come to life because it's not enough to create amazing things. You have to create things that make a meaningful difference with people, real people, because they're the ones who decide what's worth talking about, what's ready for reality. It's tech that allows us to connect and explore and play, ways we can see and ways we haven't begun to imagine. Here, right now, is where we'll discover the ideas that will change our lives for the better. Are you ready? Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the executive vice president of CES at the Consumer Technology Association, Karen Chupka.
Karen Chupka
Well, good afternoon, everyone. CES is the global stage for innovation and it's a one area where we're seeing that transformation is playing out. One way, sorry about this. One area that we're seeing transformation play out is in the entertainment and media industry. As new technologies disrupt the way we seek out and consume entertainment, content creators, distributors, marketers and everyone must change with this change. With more and more options appearing every day, how do you map your plan forward? Well, we're thrilled today to welcome NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading meeting companies to the stage to tell you just how they're planning to do that with an incredible group of multitalented individuals. Let's start things off with a video.
Karen Chupka
At this time, I'm pleased to welcome to the stage, Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising and partnerships with NBCUniversal and Natalie Morales, West Coast anchor of Today and host of Dateline. Please welcome them to the stage.
Natalie Morales
Thank you, Karen. Hello, everybody. How exciting to be here. Linda, I think they should have flown us in on one of those drone helicopter thingies.
Linda Yaccarino
That will be completely terrifying.
Natalie Morales
Do you think that would fly through the FAA airspace regulations?
Linda Yaccarino
I don't think we'd get through the security check-
Natalie Morales
Last time on the stage, guys, it's been a while, but remember Bradley and Gaga, that performance, that was right here.
Linda Yaccarino
They're on their way, right?
Natalie Morales
They're already coming right now. We've got incredible talent here for you today. We've got a great conversation. You saw, this is a real that we had which I think it speaks to the power of this company and the content, the endless hours, hundreds of thousands of hours of content that is being created just in the year 2020 alone. Let me lead off with that, Linda, walk me through with all the different forms of entertainment that we have out there. What does the future look like in the evolution of NBCU?
Linda Yaccarino
Well, hopefully, the video communicated a little bit or a little peek into the depth and breadth of everything that NBCUniversal does. To the point of your question, if we rewound when NBC started out as just a radio company a hundred years ago, we put on a couple of hours of content. We broadcast a couple of hours of content every single day. Now fast forward to today and what we're here talking about all week at CES and certainly during this hour is the amount of content that we publish and produce every single day and the diversity and the scale at which we're able to reach the people of the United States every day.
Linda Yaccarino
Again to another point, in 2020 alone, NBCUniversal will push out over 110,000 hours of premium content. To break that down to see what it really means. if you're going to watch our content, which I hope you do 24 hours a day, it would take you 12 years. I just bring up that to put into context the reach of NBCUniversal to actually get beyond that screen and touch consumers every single day. That's really what we're here all weekend, certainly today to talk about. It's the diversity, it's the quality of that content because we know today the consumer is in the driver's seat. Again, all about you, you in that audience, we know that you've been liberated, you've been free of that big screen in your home. We want you to watch it there, but if not, there's that screen in your lap and there's the screen in your hand and you can find our content there also.
Natalie Morales
How many of all of you ... I know, if you're like me, you're watching three things at once, you're watching the big screen, the little screen in the iPad screen and then you're also looking over your kids' screens and watching what they're watching. Given all of this content that you're creating, 110,000 hours of new content, we're not talking the library or the movies-
Linda Yaccarino
No, that's all new.
Natalie Morales
... what does that mean for the future of entertainment?
Linda Yaccarino
I think it actually paints a very exciting picture of the future of entertainment because our audiences, when you think about it, we connect with them in such a deep personal way. If you're like myself and you really look forward to your weekly date with your best friends, the Pearsons, you sit down, it might be Tuesday nights at 9:00, but I sit down, pour that glass of wine and I look forward to a visit from my friends or when I wake up Sunday morning, sometimes I wasn't able to catch the live broadcast of SNL, but I want to see that opening monologue.
Linda Yaccarino
What it really means about the future of entertainment is that it comes to you in many forms. It comes to you in many different lengths of time because it comes to you the way you want it. The choice is unlimited for our audiences and we know we need to make that content available to you in every way that you want to interact with our content.
Natalie Morales
Of course, technology plays a huge role into this, but also the partnerships that NBCU creates as well.
Linda Yaccarino
It's partnerships really what we're here all week long at CES talking about because when we're able to aggregate all those audiences on any screen, long form, short form, any time of day, when we're able to aggregate all of those audiences and mobilize that advertising opportunities for our partners, that's a big deal because if they put their messages with our content and inspires emotion, inspires action. Quite frankly, like many of you, we remember that and we go out and buy stuff. That's really an important opportunity for us because for example, if you wake up every morning and it's a cultural thing, it's a habit that you watch The Today Show-
Natalie Morales
Thank you.
Linda Yaccarino
... every morning, you're no stranger to that, but if you miss it, you can listen to The Willie Geist Podcast. You're probably reading one of Hoda's books or you're taking Hoda and Jenna's recommendations of their favorite things of what to buy. There's a relationship that goes way beyond just the content that we're pushing out of the broadcast nature as our brands.
Natalie Morales
I think I know speaking from the news perspective and we'll get into this a little bit, like how much our world is changing, but yet, I think that's one thing that doesn't really change is that connection. You do have to forge that. You've got to reach through that screen in some way and grab them, so that connection is everything. Sometimes by making the device even smaller, you feel maybe a little more connected, "It's in my hands now."
Linda Yaccarino
I agree. I think specifically to your point, the future is all about personalization. When we can get that content that you really care about and give you the opportunity to reach beyond that screen to form that personal relationship and in many cases put the right ad next to that content, that's when the magic happens. That's what CES is all about. That's the intersection of technology and content. That's really what fuels all the innovation at NBCUniversal. I talked about a hundred years ago with a couple of hours of content every night through the radio, but whether you're talking today, it's listening via podcast. It's watching it on that short form of your phone. That's what's so exciting because it's almost unlimited choice on your terms, on the consumer's terms.
Natalie Morales
For me, it means we have many jobs and many potential jobs which is a good thing. Speaking to the power of the talent and the diversity that we have at NBCU, I want to bring out one of our very favorites, Mandy Moore, because I too have a date with her every Tuesday night in my home and the Pearsons. Mandy Moore, the star of This Is Us. Come on, lady.
Natalie Morales
It's a big stage. It's a long walk.
Mandy Moore
It's a long walk out here, guys.
Natalie Morales
It is.
Mandy Moore
Hi.
Linda Yaccarino
Hello.
Mandy Moore
Hi.
Natalie Morales
We're so excited about all that Mandy brings to the table because not only are you an incredible star for one of our hit shows, This Is Us, but you're also back to music again. You got a new album coming out soon with your husband.
Mandy Moore
We do.
Natalie Morales
... this year. Are we all excited about that? We've missed Mandy singing.
Mandy Moore
Thank you.
Natalie Morales
What I think is so great is that you've had this opportunity to relaunch yourself and relaunch your career and then now going back to your roots. I think that speaks to what NBCU has allowed opportunities for so many people like you with so many great talents.
Mandy Moore
It's pretty powerful. This is my 20th year in the industry. I signed a record deal when I was 15. It's like thinking about how the landscape has changed so much in the last 20 years. It's pretty mind boggling. Obviously, it's like storytelling is always going to be king and the people you choose to partner with and work with, that's going to be of the utmost importance. Technology can't really replace honing your skillset. That is what it is, but beyond that, everything has changed, the way you connect with people, with the advent of social media. What you guys have been talking about so far, there's so much content that's been created. There are so many ways to view that content, but also I think the barriers, the limitations that have been put on people to be content creators have all but been erased in a sense.
Mandy Moore
We all in our pockets have iPhones with better cameras than most professionals had for decades and you could make a record on your laptop in your bedroom. In that sense, the world has opened up exponentially and there's so many more opportunities for people to find a platform and to get their art out there.
Natalie Morales
I'm thinking about all the people who have been discovered on mediums like YouTube singing and all of that. How much that has changed the game? We're going to have Ester Dean from Songland coming on a little bit as well. She could talk about that too. For you, with new music coming out and everything as well, the ability to tap into your This Is Us audience, but then also relaunch your music career, that has to be pretty incredible to have such a huge platform.
Mandy Moore
To have the platform of this television show that I think awakened people that might have not been familiar that that was my initial entree into the industry. I've met plenty of people who are like, "I have no idea you did music and so." I have Dan Fogelman to thank for writing in the musical backstory for my character because it's broadened my audience for sure, but also it ignited something in me and helped get that fire going again and get me back into the studio.
Natalie Morales
What hasn't changed about our industry do you think?
Mandy Moore
What hasn't changed? Some of those things that I mentioned like it really is always going to come down to storytelling and the narrative and I feel-
Natalie Morales
The characters.
Mandy Moore
The characters, absolutely. I think about wanting to move somebody, whether they're watching the content on a five-inch screen or on a big screen TV at home. I want to develop nuanced characters that whether someone's binge watching it or watching it week by week that they're still just as invested.
Natalie Morales
I think about what This Is Us has done in terms of breaking barriers in terms of content.
Linda Yaccarino
I think Mandy is being very modest, so thank you for everything that you do on This Is Us because the cultural impact of This Is Us and the change that happened in this country, at NBCUniversal, we often talk about This Is Us being the show that none of us in this country realized we really needed. What it really did was break down the barriers, so that we all have challenges in our families and we all have differences and diversity in the family. When the common through line is that we love each other and we're here to support each other, good and bad, hard times, that's what brings us all together.
Linda Yaccarino
That was really what awakened so many of us, certainly at our company, but the pride that we have to bring that to our viewers every week and we talk about it and now we just say that we have our best friends, our date with our best friends, the Pearsons every week, can't underscore the value of that impact. I'm happy that it has awakened or educated an army of fans to support you in your music career. I really think it's important that when you have a platform like we have and you put the storytelling first, it makes a difference.
Mandy Moore
Absolutely.
Natalie Morales
How is NBCU then supporting and innovating based on the direction that you got from This Is Us and from fans who love the show?
Linda Yaccarino
We learned so many things. Actually, we talk about the beauty of This Is Us is actually in its simplicity and that we see ourselves in it. When you talk about how technology really had to fuel the scaling of this show, because as choice has escalated and people have so many opportunities to watch so many other things, we needed to make sure that we brought This Is Us to the audiences. I remember when we first debuted the promo for This Is Us because we had a hunch, we had it super hid on her hands, but you're never really sure, so we launched the first promo or the trailer for This Is Us exactly like our sister movie studio would launch a trailer for the movie. Then, it just caught on fire and went from there. That's what was so exciting.
Natalie Morales
All right. What I also love about working at a company like NBCU is the diversity and the multiple platforms. Speaking of that we've got with us from Telemundo, the star of La Reina del Sur, Kate del Castillo. She'll sit on this side, the lady in red. Lady in red. How are you? She's stunning. I am just amazed with all that you've been doing as well. The two of you are just nonstop workaholics. You not only have La Reina del Sur-
Linda Yaccarino
All the ladies on this stage.
Natalie Morales
Exactly. We're working it. You had a one-woman Off-Broadway show last year and then-
Kate Del C.
And I started sweating. Oh, my God, that was my biggest challenge in my career for sure. For me to crossover, that word is so big, but for me, it's amazing to do it in your own language or with your own stories. That's what happened in The Way She Spoke. It was a monologue and there were like monologues within the monologue. I interpreted 14 different characters. Everything in English is the first time I do. I've done a lot many plays, but it was the first time that I do it in English, all of it, but talking about the feminist side in my country. It was very intense, but you know what? I sweated so badly. I wanted to disappear. I'd be like, "Why did I say yes? Why don't we actors have to put ourselves through those kinds of things?" Then, it was amazing. It was only six weeks, but it was the best.
Natalie Morales
It does. It revives you, right? [inaudible 00:19:21] All actors talk about how theater brings it all back to you and you get that immediate feedback, which I think is again speaking to the power of having that connection. With La Reina del Sur, you guys are, was it 60 episodes a season? You're in your second season now.
Kate Del C.
Well, it's funny because I cannot say it was the second season-
Natalie Morales
Can you imagine 60 episodes, Mandy?
Kate Del C.
You would die, right?
Mandy Moore
Yeah.
Kate Del C.
I know. 60 episodes, it's crazy, but I don't know, I thought that this second season after 10 years, it was going to be less episodes because everything is changing now as we're talking. Everything has less attention to things that are that long. I think now it's selling amazingly. The second season went even better than the first one. The people still like it. For me, it was like, "Why do we do a second season?" It's based on a novel of this amazing author, a Spaniard, Arturo Perez Reverte. There was not a second book, a second novel, so why do it, just leave it like that because it was a huge success regardless of language which was amazing.
Kate Del C.
They decided to do it. Arturo Perez Reverte didn't write another book, but he wrote the whole structure of the second one. I said, "Okay, then if he's in, I'm in." This time, you could see both seasons, the first season we had no money and the second reason we have money. You can see it in the quality of production and everything. You can see the difference. Telemundo back then was a completely different company network, completely different.
Linda Yaccarino
I was going to say the reason for that difference that you saw from season one to season two because of the success of season one, Telemundo has now taken leadership position over Univision who is our main competition and thanks to your show and the 60 episodes for fueling that success. It's been a great honor and privilege to watch your success. We're so, so grateful for everything that you've done because you've helped transform the network to the position it's in today.
Kate Del C.
You know what? Thank you for saying that and it's just amazing to know it because then as actor, we just go do our job and then nobody tells you the real thing. It feels really good specially because being a woman, Latina, it was the first-leading character talking about all this Narcos, which I'm not fan of it, but what it makes it amazing is that it was the first-leading lady that will be doing something in a men's world. She's like an anti-hero actually. I think that's what they love because she's flawed but still has a heart and I think that's part of ... When there's a good story then.
Linda Yaccarino
I think that's part of it because you're still rooting for her. You're cheering for her.
Natalie Morales
What I love about the success is that it's not just from Telemundo because people come up to you from all over the world and say, "Oh, I know you from, right?"
Kate Del C.
What's amazing is that really the ratings were on top of that spot of time. I don't know if it was 9:00 or 10:00 back then. Regardless of language, we were number one for three months which are our 60 episodes more or less. That was crazy because even the American television, we were number one. This time again number one. Now, it's in Netflix and so it's like crazy. That's why I'm surprised because we would never compete with the American audience and now it's a complete different scenario everywhere. It's the time for women and it's the time for Latinos. It couldn't be better for me.
Natalie Morales
I think that speaks to again the reach, Linda, and what we've learned from that is you think, "Okay, this is going to be only for a Spanish-speaking audience," but that's not the case because multiple households like my own were speaking Spanish, Portuguese, English or you want your children to understand or have an ear for Spanish. I know that I put things on at Spanish at my house just so that my children are constantly getting it from all sides.
Linda Yaccarino
It's one of the things that drives the innovation at our company because we want to embrace that diversity and actually deliver whether it's the Spanish-dominant households or the bilingual households, we know that they crave content, whether it's in Spanish language only or there's a combination of English and Spanish, so we deliver that to them. I think a lot of companies try to, well not necessarily fight it but they're not embracing that to fuel the innovation, but it's one of the things that's driving the success at the company.
Natalie Morales
Certainly a lesson I think-
Linda Yaccarino
I think you can see when you're able to sit and look to the left or the right and have talent of this caliber, it makes it a whole heck of a lot easier.
Natalie Morales
Well, let's broaden out our talent a little bit more on this stage because-
Linda Yaccarino
We're not done yet.
Natalie Morales
Not done yet. We talked about Mandy's music career and here to talk about where the industry is going on the music side and technology is Ester Dean, the Songland producer/mentor, who is just fabulous, inspiring me, inspiring so many young people.
Easter Dean
Hello.
Natalie Morales
Hello. We bow down. We bow down. Oh, my gosh, this woman is on fire. She's produced Katy Perry's Firework, Nikki Minaj, Super Bass.
Easter Dean
Super Bass.
Natalie Morales
It is Super Bass.
Easter Dean
Bass like drum.
Natalie Morales
Bass like bass.
Linda Yaccarino:
Sing a little bit of it.
Natalie Morales:
Go ahead.
Easter Dean
(singing)
Easter Dean
Yes, we will. I will stop her.
Natalie Morales
I want to hear some of it right now between the two of you. On Songland, seeing how you're guiding contestants and you're helping produce their music along with Ryan and so many ... There's so much incredible talent on this show. How though is this technology and shows like yours inspiring the next generation of musical artists?
Easter Dean
Technology is the streamline to the people who didn't know about me. I go into the studio, use a lot of technology from Neumann mics and speakers and computers at all times, using every app I can, every RhymeZone app, every [inaudible 00:26:07], I can't leave the house to go to work without my technology. The thing that happened is Songland and the way that you get to put what we do on set, on TV, we don't keep those. Those are our secrets. It's getting to show people like me that this is this. It's showing or bringing a light to things. TV, I know it's turning on, but it's also turning on. It's turning on people to see things that they would have never seen in any other way.
Natalie Morales
I think we're seeing how music is being produced in such a different way now with what you're talking about with all the technology that's out there. What are some of the things that haven't changed? Obviously, we know a good tune when we hear one, right?
Easter Dean
Well, what hasn't changed? A song has to be great, right? A song has to be great. What has changed, and I love to talk about change, is that more people are being able to express what they know how to do to the public. I'm an independent artist when it comes down to music. I have to do the graphic design for myself. I use Bazaart. I use Canva. I use the Mac. Sometimes when I'm making my album, getting something ready, I have a computer here, a phone here, all these ways to use technology just to let people know that I have something to say. At the end of the day, technology is giving everybody a way of doing things and knowing they could be me.
Easter Dean
I'm not a secret anymore. Being a songwriter is not a secret anymore. In my life, I'm going to be able to have a legacy of financial for the rest of my life from the things that I did because I was in a room with technology.
Natalie Morales
That's incredible. How did you learn?
Easter Dean
I didn't learn. It was in me.
Natalie Morales
She's just naturally talented.
Easter Dean
I learned how to make money from it too. I'm naturally talented. If I wasn't naturally talented, I'm making money from it. I had to learn that, but you know what? We use this thing Pro Tools, and as a songwriter, I was just writing songs, but I had to start learning how to count the bars and the measures and the amps and the echo. It was so crazy, but it turned into something magical to say, "Wow, all that I need is on this computer. All that I ever need." The microphone is loving me. I get to say whatever I want to say. Then I get to push a button and hear it back.
Easter Dean
Now with technology, I get to go onto this DistroKid and put my album in there and then put my lyrics in there and then it streams into a streaming of people who's going to hear my songs without me asking the record label, "Please play my song. Please don't drop me. Please give money for the marketing of anything." Then I was like, "No, I'm going to put my own money and I'm going to put it into this and I'm going to use social media to market." Technology is everybody's way now. It makes the independent person more confident in their independence.
Natalie Morales
That's incredible. I was thinking about like back in my day when I liked the song on the radio, I used to listen to it because I was living in Spain at the time growing up during high school years and when I liked a song on the radio, it was Casey Kasem Top 40 on the Air Force Network. I would every Sunday be ready to record the show and then it's like my instant edit, "Okay, I don't like that song." Rewind, delete, and then go back and record.
Easter Dean
Now, you can put it on repeat.
Natalie Morales
I know.
Easter Dean
You can get it from space.
Natalie Morales
It's incredible.
Easter Dean
It's so awesome.
Natalie Morales
You think about the mixtape, nowadays it is very different than our mixtapes.
Easter Dean
It's the new mixtape. Technology has ... You remember when Napster showed up and everybody was so against music getting used, but music is the gift of the world. It is the most healing thing that you could do. Technology has taken music and taken every way that they stream and made a healing, an instant healing. When you look at This Is Us, instant healing. When you hear songs, Telemundo, it's instant healing. We needed that. Technology is the people who decided, "No, you don't get to be stingy and just charge everybody medicine in a bottle. We're going to give it to them freely and whatever they need to be healed in, they get to choose it in an emotional way."
Natalie Morales
What I love on Songland is we've seen also great opportunities to create these valuable partnerships as well. I know that with Hobbs & Shaw coming out, that was a big deal, right? Talk about that, Linda.
Linda Yaccarino
It's also I think to Ester's point is the unifying nature of music. It brings people together at their core in such an emotional way that there's passion there that you can't describe and there's no surrogate for that passion when you achieve it through music, right? When you talk about partnerships, the advertisers, there's not a lot of places that they have the opportunity to get to that core of that passion, particularly in an environment or a context like Songland where it's undiscovered talent, where it's folks that are trying to get their break and just the fact like if you watch some of the episodes or future episodes and they get into a room with you, you wonder underestimate the impact of you being in that room and that they're able to learn and experience that. That inspiration when we're to form those partnerships again, that's where the magic happens.
Easter Dean
My whole thing when I went into Songland, because I knew that I was giving away my truth, I knew that I was going to sit on the stage and my mind was going to start ticking and it was going to do the things that I do in a dark room, studios, the padded room for psychos. We feel safe there. I knew that I was going to be sharing more than I would share. At a younger age, I just wouldn't tell people how I tick. I wouldn't show people how I move. When I got there, I said, "As long as I can service the mirror image of myself," which is songwriters, which I know how hard it is to get in a room with anybody, I know how hard it is for the song to be taken immediately and I know how hard it is to you to get the credit because the credit is always taken.
Easter Dean
I was like, "I would do my service by making sure before they leave me, they know that everything they need to know about taking it to the next step and everything they need to know about how to standing strong when somebody comes to them and say, 'Hey, I know you did this whole song, but I'm going to take your whole name off and I'm going to take most of the percentage and I'm going to enjoy it and you're going to remember me.'" Then, I say ... We talked to everybody from the show of season one. I just talked to Able Heart yesterday. It's not going anywhere because it wasn't for the show. It was for the service of people. Technology brings that to the forefront because other than that, it would go into every studio trying to meet new writers, telling them how to make it. It's amazing.
Natalie Morales
Well, I love that you pour your heart and your soul into helping create this talent, helping them be discovered. Speaking to that, we've got Terry Crews of course from America's Got Talent and Brooklyn Nine-Nine who also has a similar role as host of America's Got Talent. Come on out, Terry.
Mandy Moore
The lone man.
Natalie Morales
The lone man, but he's a very strong man who loves women and supports women. There we go. Come on, it's Terry Crews.
Terry Crews
I got to this. You realize, do you? No one is going home.
Natalie Morales
We got to clap this guy. We can't do that, but you do that.
Terry Crews
It's okay. I got it.
Linda Yaccarino
We've had to ask.
Natalie Morales
Terry, we talk about this connection, being able to forge this connection, not just with viewers but with the talent that you guys meet on America's Got Talent, on Songland, but really it is ultimately about that, forging that bond with viewers and they see how much there is in the give back, wanting to make sure that they know that we're here for the right reasons, right?
Terry Crews
This is what I love about being the host of America's Got Talent is the stories. Stories are the essence of life. This is what it's all about. Everyone here has a story. Every person. The whole top 10 on America's Got Talent could have their own movie. It's full of drama, it's full of comedy, it's full of tragedy and it's full of redemption. Let me tell you something, you get connected. I say this all the time and I continue to say it. I would host AGT for free simply because it fills a need in there.
Natalie Morales
Be careful.
Terry Crews
I'm just telling you, it fulfills a need in me for that story. For me to recognize myself and every one of those acts and see, because I'm from Flint, Michigan, I'm from humble beginnings. When I look at Hollywood, I'm still amazed at where I'm at. I'm still amazed being here and being amongst great people and superstars. Then, I look at this thing and I go, "Wait a minute. There's something common. There's a common denominator here," and it's the story. It's the overcoming the obstacle. What's more important what I think is the future of entertainment is now every American has a voice in that story, with technology.
Terry Crews
The whole thing is when everybody, no matter what I do as a host, no matter what they do as judges, America has the vote and they get a vote and they get to say who wins, who goes on to the next level. It's like now every American is now a part of that story and it's a beautiful thing.
Natalie Morales
It used to be though we would sit around the big screen TV as a family and watch whatever was on that night. Now, of course, as we know everybody has their device at their fingertips. My kids are watching YouTube in another room. My son is on his computer. That's how he watches he his TV, I'm the only one watching on the big screen TV all by myself with my pops in my lap. Do you worry at all though about that and how do we keep that connection regardless of what device they're on?
Terry Crews
My thing is you got to look it back in the day. People were trying to stop kids from riding bikes like they're going to get too far away. You know what I mean? That's the old times when people thought TV was actually going to be a danger to movie theaters. I think that expanding it and opening it up only makes it better, but we have to know what it is we want from our technology. You know what I mean? I can see it as a really, really positive thing in every respect, but then also you can look at it as a negative. You have to have control and we have more control than ever.
Terry Crews
I remember having to watch whatever was on when I was a kid, but now you can pick and choose at any time, what you want, when you want it and you can restrict it. With my kids, I have five kids and I literally limited to an hour and a half a day and I can do that. You know what I mean? There are apps that help you do it and the fact that they can pick what they want to watch when they want to watch it, it really helps because now they don't have to wait all day until it comes on, that kind of thing.
Linda Yaccarino
Also I think it's really important, particularly for the shows that you are on, can I use your couple of examples if you don't mind, sir? If you look at AGT, one of the winners from one of the last seasons is Kodi Lee, an incredible story. Yes, there's a movie there. He's severely disabled young man. He's 22 years old. He was born blind. Shortly after he was born or a couple of years later, they found out that he has autism. He is the most incredible artist you have ever seen. His voice is beautiful. He can play almost any instrument, just get him in contact with it, but he can't sit on this panel and have a conversation with you.
Linda Yaccarino
When he won AGT by now, it's probably has over a hundred million views on YouTube. The people that weren't able to experience that live, which you just would have been bawling because when he won, not only he brought the house down on AGT but created a viral storm or a story that said, "This young man is not disabled. He's very abled. He's just not in the way that we're used to seeing it." That's the power when you think of technology for good that really helps it. Another thing, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. When Brooklyn Nine-Nine-
Natalie Morales
Right, lots of fans.
Linda Yaccarino
When Brooklyn Nine-Nine came home to NBCUniversal, Universal produces the show, it was on Fox and Fox decided that it might be a good opportunity or NBC decided it would be a great opportunity for it to come home to NBC, it was actually social media that fueled that decision making because there was such an uproar that, "Oh my gosh, I cannot live without my Brooklyn Nine-Nine," you got to keep this thing alive. That's when we were able to bring it home to NBC. Those are the times when you say, "Wow, technology today where people are liberated, consumers have a voice, that's when it's really works and it works for good."
Natalie Morales
Do you think that would have been the case 10, 20 years ago, Terry?
Terry Crews
No way. You got to understand.
Natalie Morales
The show would have been canceled and written off, right?
Terry Crews
You know what was wild, it was a foregone conclusion to me that we were coming back and I was chilling out, like, "Yeah, it's no big deal at all that we got canceled." I turned around and then the internet went nuts. The comments, the tweets, the Instagram posts, the post people were just going, "Wait, no, no, no. This can't happen." In less than 28 hours, we were back at NBC, at home. This is another thing I want to say about what streaming is doing and the whole thing is, the truth is is that we will probably be because of streaming more popular in 15 years than we are right now. That's what is, because every new generation can binge watch and watch everything for years and years to come. I think it's a magical thing. I think it's awesome.
Natalie Morales
We've got Peacock coming, speaking of, so that's where you've got multiple platforms to continue the expansion, continue taking over the world, Terry Crews, because that's what you're doing.
Terry Crews
Take care of my grandkids, please.
Natalie Morales
Take care of your grandkids. La Reina del Sur, you'll see more on Peacock. You're going to see more of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. You're going to maybe even see behind scenes, all of the things that go into creating the show. How exciting is that opportunity?
Terry Crews
It's unbelievable. Again, when you look at what streaming is, it's power. It gives you your power. It's like when I can watch everything when I want to and turn it off and also turn it back on when I want ... Again when I grew up, I was at the mercy of the gatekeepers. I was and now I feel free. It's actually freedom, but you have to be careful. It's funny because with freedom comes a lot of responsibility and you have to make sure you're not binging for like two weeks straight, like I would be doing. I would do that. I just told myself. [crosstalk 00:42:19]
Natalie Morales
With the holidays, right? It's okay. Speaking to that, the responsibility, how then as content creators, producers, as talent do we need to step up to meet the demands of the future, Linda?
Linda Yaccarino
Well, I think it actually goes back to who are we serving. I think we have to be really clear and stay clear to what our purpose is. We're actually serving our audiences who crave this premium content. We don't want to serve them junk. When you see this panel that we have on here, you can tell that NBCU is pretty aware of who we want to serve. We want to serve them with the premium content that is going to add to the next one to two years of NBCU. I think that's part of what's powering our leadership in the marketplace and also that we have to meet them on their terms which to your point is anywhere, anytime on any screen.
Linda Yaccarino
That's what I think makes you know what's happening in 2020 with over that 110,000 hours of content or what we're on the doorstep of, whether it's Peacock launching in April, whether it's the Tokyo Olympics which is right around the corner or whether it's the election of all of our lifetimes. Those are the things that we're excited about and staying focused on.
Natalie Morales
Of course, it's all about quality, not quantity. Yes, we have multiple ways of putting our stories out there, but as you said, it's not junk. It's making sure that-
Linda Yaccarino
You think about-
Natalie Morales
... that's something that is reaching an audience.
Linda Yaccarino
I think the perfect example for a company which shocks a lot of people when I talk about it is actually a 45-year-old example. This is the 45th season of Saturday Night Live. Think about the power of that brand that still has this major chokehold on the cultural zeitgeist of this country that we really all every week can't live without. We wake up and we have to see the opening monologue. Unless you're very aware of who you're serving and what's important to them or what keeps you relevant, they're not going to be around through that 45 years and you couldn't watch SNL live, you can watch it on your phone the next morning and clips or in a variety of other ways including YouTube. We're aware of that because the consumer makes that decision, so we make it available to them.
Natalie Morales
Well, I love that, and Terry alluded to this, is that the power of streaming is, you know, it's going to be like the Friend syndrome. You know, 10 years from now, 20 years from now, my kids are watching Friends now. I'm like, "Wait a minute. I didn't have kids when I was watching this show." It speaks to the power of how we can in SNL, I was showing my kids, the Christopher Walken cow bell sketch the other day and they were dying laughing because some things just hold up and that's the key. It's holding up. Also, we would be remiss if we didn't talk about representation and I think that is the most important thing in our industry right now is making sure that all these diverse voices that we have on this stage are representative of the people that we serve, right?
Linda Yaccarino
Yeah, if you just take a snapshot of this stage today, it's a perfect example, but when you talk about reminding us who we serve and the importance of storytelling, if we get to work with people like Dan Fogelman who brings us stories and they bring us stories first. They have to be able to tell that. That can underscore that focus on the diversity or the commonality that we all have, right? It could be our family dynamics. It could be the universal love of music. The importance of those crossing those cultural boundaries that bind us and bring us all together, it's just what we have to do.
Natalie Morales
I was thinking about the future of news and obviously as you alluded to a huge year with 2020 and the election of, as you mentioned, our lifetime, I think what's interesting is the same that you talk about the entertainment industry and the news, it's the same way. I don't think an anchor bot is ever going to replace, at least I hope not, is going to replace the people that you see in the morning or at night. Sure, the way the times that you sit down and watch your newscasts or get your information even getting a couple of headlines on Twitter or wherever it is you digest your information from, that may change.
Natalie Morales
I think at the end of the day when a big story is breaking or when you want to know the election results right away or when you need somebody to help you digest and break down, "Okay, what does that mean? How does this impact me? How does this relate to my life?" Also in terms of we talk about it's all in the palm of your hands, I do think that there are certain stories that I relate to more than others. I would like the opportunity to say, "Okay, these are the kinds of news services I want to follow," or, "These are the kinds of stories I like," and then have that directed towards me. I think you will see a lot more of that, a lot more funneling the content in the direction that you want it to be.
Linda Yaccarino
I think also that consumers know particularly in times if we're talking about news, that they have to go to those trusted brands and they know that those trusted brands are also bringing them other forms and pieces of content like we're talking about today and all the shows that you do. Then in those moments, they're going to say, "My NBC is that go-to to be that filter, to be that expert, to break it down and give it to me in those pieces that I understand.
Kate Del C.
Again, talking about the power that streaming, especially talking about news, now, you can really see if it's fake news or not because you have the power to see and make your own. I remember when I grew up, it was only what happens in the TV and what they feed you with, that's the truth. In your head you think talking about news, especially coming from Mexico, imagine, it's just terrible. That was the only thing that we have. Whatever the television said, that was the truth. Now, we have that power. Now, we can go and say, "Okay, I like what Natalie says, but maybe I don't agree with this, so then I'm going to go to CNN or NBC or whatever," and then you make your own. That power, we didn't have before and I think it's really important.
Natalie Morales
There are only three channels before with all the same stories on. There's a real opportunity I think, even though there is somewhat, we hear the word fragmentation in the marketplace and in the industry, but if it's directed in the right way, it really is for content creators, for music producers, for actors, songwriters, all of the talent out there. I think this is a land of opportunity.
Linda Yaccarino
We're really excited about 2020 and beyond and the availability of that choice via technology just makes it honestly quite a playground for all of us on this stage here at NBCU.
Natalie Morales
I'm excited about that playground.
Linda Yaccarino
Me too.
Natalie Morales
What do you see are some areas that are immediately changing versus things that will never change?
Linda Yaccarino
Oh, goodness. I think to Mandy's point, she really said it all at the top that what will never change is that's the power of storytelling and that creativity cannot be replaced by AI or technology. Lord, fear the world or anyone who believes that can happen. I think that that's what will never change. I think always, innovation, technology disruption, that's going to continue. It keeps all of us employed to figure out ways to bring those stories to our audiences who are telling us how they want to get it every single day. That's what's fueling us forward.
Natalie Morales
We've seen so much the power of the viewer with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the power of social media, I know with This Is Us, every week it's like, "Oh, my gosh, this happened on This Is Us." You can just breaks it all down and there's-
Mandy Moore
Our job now is to-
Natalie Morales
... social media with the show.
Mandy Moore
Who are watching the show, absolutely.
Linda Yaccarino
You get a text that says, "Do not go on Twitter. Do not." I know you weren't able to watch this. I'll say, "Don't go on Twitter."
Natalie Morales
To have that direct connection, of course, we've all reiterated it a million times, it's just something that didn't exist when I was first starting out 20 years ago. It's so nice to have an audience grow with you and to feel like you can get that instant feedback too. I really appreciate that.
Mandy Moore
I live here, well in Los Angeles and my entire family is in Mexico. Only that for me to see my parents tweeting, doing things that they didn't even ... There were no TVs when they were growing up. It's a huge difference in the era that they have been going through. Now, I can Skype with them. I can see their faces and that brings us together because we're very close. It's very hard for me to being apart in their own. To see them and for them to see me, it's just stupid things that the technology is like and they have to keep up because they were like, "If we don't keep up, then we're going to lose you."
Easter Dean
I think with technology, I remember me and my family is on a group chat and my mom just recently starts sending these memes and GIFs and we're like, "Where is she getting this from? [inaudible 00:52:19] phone?" Technology used to be the gap between the before and the young. It used to be a gap and now technology has everybody in front of each other. It's like, "Oh, you don't have the new iPhone. I have the new iPhone. Grandpa got the iPhone before you because he got the money." It starts. Then, all of a sudden, you go into Apple and they teach you how to use the phone. That's what I love. Technology is not just happening. They're teaching you at the same time how to use it. It's like, "Don't worry. I know this looks scary. This is a new thing for you, but I'll teach you how to use it"
Easter Dean
Now, you see a child learning how to use the same technology as the grandpa who just bought it for him and now they're on the same wave. Now, you can grow together using the old knowledge and the new imagination. It's just a beautiful harmony between the two.
Natalie Morales
You wonder what's next.
Easter Dean
I want to know.
Natalie Morales
You know what I mean, right?
Easter Dean
Chances, here we come.
Natalie Morales
For all us, it's going to make our lives a little easier but also maybe a little more challenging. That's the key. Linda, some closing because I know everybody here, they'd been sitting patiently. What are your thoughts, 2020 of course a huge year for NBCU but beyond?
Linda Yaccarino
Well, beyond, I would hope that we would share stages in the future because you could imagine the caliber of talent on the stage makes my job a lot easier every day. I thank you all. I thank you all for being here. For us, I think the technology and innovation is just driving us to be more motivated to bring more great stories on any screen at any time or whatever is conjured up in the future at CES a couple of years from now. 2020 is going to be a great year in addition to the Olympics and the election, the launch of Peacock. I think the future is very bright for our company.
Natalie Morales
More ways to connect with you, our viewers. Thank you all so much for being here. Thank you for lending us your ear and hopefully you are streaming and watching and viewing us on multiple platforms at all times of the day.
Female
Thank you.
Female
Thank you.
Natalie Morales
Have a good day.
Terry Crews
Thank you.