AI is allowing our customers to create commercials faster with lower costs: MNTN CEO Mark Douglas
Watch on YouTube ↗  |  February 12, 2026 at 00:22 UTC  |  5:19  |  CNBC
Speakers
Mark Douglas — CEO, MNTN
Deirdre Bosa — Host

Summary

  • Generative AI has reduced commercial production costs by over 99% (from ~$75k to ~$500) and reduced timelines from 6 weeks to 1-2 days.
  • This cost reduction is democratizing TV advertising, allowing Small and Midsize Businesses (SMBs) to enter the market, which is where future media industry growth will originate.
  • Netflix's ad tier is viewed as a "backlog of revenue" that is currently unmonetized; 50% of new subscribers choose the ad tier.
  • M&A activity is described as a "nice to have" for Netflix but a "must have" for Paramount.
Trade Ideas
Ticker Direction Speaker Thesis Time
META /GOOG
LONG Mark Douglas
CEO, MNTN 		"We're partnering with Google, with OpenAI... We actually went on Instagram, found a really good creator... The cost is coming down... but the amount of activity is going up substantially." This is a classic Jevons Paradox. As AI (Google/OpenAI models) drives the cost of ad *production* to zero, the volume of ads created will explode. This increased supply of creative content increases demand for *distribution* inventory (Instagram/YouTube) and the underlying AI compute/models (Google). Long the platforms that own the distribution and the AI models powering the creative explosion. AI regulation (watermarking requirements mentioned); saturation of ad inventory lowering CPMs. 2:53
NFLX
LONG Mark Douglas
CEO, MNTN 		"I continue to say their ad business is a big backlog of revenue. One out of every two new subscribers... are signing up for the ad tier. They haven't yet fully monetized it... I personally, I think it's an opportunity to buy." The market is currently pricing Netflix based on current ad revenue, but the "backlog" of unmonetized inventory suggests a future revenue ramp that isn't priced in. The recent "soft patch" provides an entry point before they optimize ad monetization. Long NFLX as they unlock the ad-tier revenue stack. Failure to attract advertisers to fill the growing inventory; consumer pushback on ad load. 4:06
PARA
WATCH Mark Douglas
CEO, MNTN 		"My opinion is it's [M&A] a nice to have for Netflix, must have for Paramount. And when it's a must have, I don't think, you know, kind of the final act has been played." Paramount lacks the scale or balance sheet to compete independently in the streaming wars against tech giants. Management is backed into a corner where a sale or merger is an existential necessity, making it a pure event-driven M&A play. Watch for consolidation news; the asset is distressed but strategic. Deal falls through; regulatory blockage; acquisition at a price lower than current valuation. 4:30